Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
also find car parks in the main cities and ports, charging anything from €6 per day. As a general rule, the easiest time to
find street parking is the early afternoon between 2pm and 4pm.
Fines for parking violations are applied and you are not safe in a hire car as the rental agency will use your credit card
to settle fines.
Road Rules
Contrary to appearances there are road rules in Sicily.
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Drive on the right and overtake on the left.
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Wear seat belts in the front and back.
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Wear a helmet when riding all two-wheeled vehicles.
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Carry a warning triangle and fluorescent vest to be worn in the event of an emergency.
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Keep your blood-alcohol limit under 0.05% while driving.
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Keep your blood-alcohol limit at zero while driving if a new licence holder (those with a licence for less than three
years).
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Do not use hand-held mobile phones while driving.
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Turn on your headlights while driving on roads outside municipalities.
SPEED LIMITS
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Autostrade
130km/h
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Nonurban highways
110km/h
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Built-up areas
50km/h
Toll Roads
Sicily's toll roads are the Messina-Palermo A20 autostrada and the Messina- Catania A18. Messina to Palermo costs
€11.40; Messina to Catania €4.20. The process is simple: pick up a ticket at the automatic machine as you get on the
autostrada and pay a cashier as you exit. Make sure you get into the right lane when you exit - follow the white signs il-
lustrated with a black hand holding bank notes. Credit cards are not always accepted, so have cash on hand.
Taxi
Official taxis are white, metered and expensive. If you need a taxi, you can usually find one in taxi ranks at train and bus
stations or by tele- phoning for one. If you book a taxi by phone, you will be charged for the trip the driver makes to
reach you.
Rates vary from city to city, but as a rule the minimum charge is about €5. There's also a baffling array of supple-
mentary charges for night-time/Sunday rides, to/from the airport, extra luggage etc. Reckon on about €10 to €15 for
most urban routes.
