First Trip to Italy; Any Tips?
May 18, 2012, 4:24 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: LAX
Programs: DL PM | Marriott Gold | Alaska Gold
Posts: 758
First Trip to Italy; Any Tips?
Going to Catania (via FCO) next month for a couple weeks and was wondering if anyone had any tips or recommendations for me...
I'm traveling alone, but meeting up with some friends in CTA. Flying direct from LAX to FCO with an almost 2 hour layover to my domestic flight from FCO to CTA. Try to pack pretty minimally as well - 1 carry-on bag and a small backpack.
Anything in particular I should be sure to pack for a Sicilian summer? Anything I need to make sure I eat or see while I am there. I know my friends have some things planned, but I want to try and take a car around for a day or two while I am there. Are the locals pretty friendly to tourists? I only know very little Italian (and I doubt highly many Sicilians speak any Spanish or German
)
Thanks for the help!
I'm traveling alone, but meeting up with some friends in CTA. Flying direct from LAX to FCO with an almost 2 hour layover to my domestic flight from FCO to CTA. Try to pack pretty minimally as well - 1 carry-on bag and a small backpack.
Anything in particular I should be sure to pack for a Sicilian summer? Anything I need to make sure I eat or see while I am there. I know my friends have some things planned, but I want to try and take a car around for a day or two while I am there. Are the locals pretty friendly to tourists? I only know very little Italian (and I doubt highly many Sicilians speak any Spanish or German
)Thanks for the help!
May 18, 2012, 6:23 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: south of WAS DC
Posts: 10,131
american(english) is langua franca in italy. those that don't speak english, are trying to learn, as american is the language of commerce. not just to americans, but to germans, spanish, russians, frenchs, and those from the uk with that thick accent.
May 18, 2012, 6:34 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
Posts: 36,062
Sicily has a string of lovely, unspoiled small towns that ring the coast. I'd spend a fair bit of your time driving from town-to-town, soaking up the ambiance, the architecture and the amazing food. We spent two weeks in Sicily doing this and it was a wonderful trip. Also, though English will be understood on some level, make sure you learn the fundamentals of politeness, "thank you," "hello," "excuse me," etc. We particularly enjoyed Siracusa, Ragusa and (in very limited amounts) Taormina, though the latter is a big tourist destination for mainland Italians, sort of the Miami Beach for the Italian middle-class. It was fun watching middle-aged ladies walking around in heavy mink coats when it was 75 degrees F.
May 19, 2012, 1:50 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 66
I'd agree with the previous observations regarding (american) English being a favorable foreign language and the wealth of cultural sights to see throughout the island. Check out this site for highlights of Siracusa and use the site for other cities. Personal favorites have been, in no particular order: Piazza Armerina, Agrigento, Selinunte, Castelvetrano, Mozia (must-see tiny Island and it's collection of archeological finds), Trapani, Segesta, and on and on.
May 23, 2012, 5:22 pm
#6
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, Misc. others
Posts: 209
Where do your friends live, and what types of things are you hoping to see do? There is a ton of variety in Sicily, and it's a huge island!
You will definitely be able to "get by" in English, but if you can learn even a bit of Italian you will have a much better experience. I did meet a lot of people who spoke no English (and even some who only had a little Italian), but I don't think that most tourists would come across those situations. Try a basic language course (many libraries have Pimsleur, which is a great start), and learn your numbers 1-20.
We really enjoyed Siracusa (specifically Ortigia), and took some great day trips to Modica, Ragusa, and many others. Acireale/Aci Trezza/Aci Castello are fun towns to explore, with beautiful scenery. I personally didn't care for Taormina, but our in-laws thought it was just magical, so it will depend on your perspective ;-)
One thing to keep in mind is that the riposo makes sightseeing difficult. I would recommend planning your day around either a long lunch, or using the time to "reposition" for the evenings excursion. In the smaller towns you often won't even find a gas station open between 1 and 4, so it's worth doing some advance planning.
Driving in Sicily can be a challenge too - my husband wrote about driving on our personal blog, so if you want to prepare yourself for that adventure you can read it: http://funkinaround.com/?p=287 We were there for three months, so there's a lot of other Sicily info there as well.
Have fun - I'd go back in a heartbeat!
You will definitely be able to "get by" in English, but if you can learn even a bit of Italian you will have a much better experience. I did meet a lot of people who spoke no English (and even some who only had a little Italian), but I don't think that most tourists would come across those situations. Try a basic language course (many libraries have Pimsleur, which is a great start), and learn your numbers 1-20.
We really enjoyed Siracusa (specifically Ortigia), and took some great day trips to Modica, Ragusa, and many others. Acireale/Aci Trezza/Aci Castello are fun towns to explore, with beautiful scenery. I personally didn't care for Taormina, but our in-laws thought it was just magical, so it will depend on your perspective ;-)
One thing to keep in mind is that the riposo makes sightseeing difficult. I would recommend planning your day around either a long lunch, or using the time to "reposition" for the evenings excursion. In the smaller towns you often won't even find a gas station open between 1 and 4, so it's worth doing some advance planning.
Driving in Sicily can be a challenge too - my husband wrote about driving on our personal blog, so if you want to prepare yourself for that adventure you can read it: http://funkinaround.com/?p=287 We were there for three months, so there's a lot of other Sicily info there as well.
Have fun - I'd go back in a heartbeat!
May 24, 2012, 9:57 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: LAX
Programs: DL PM | Marriott Gold | Alaska Gold
Posts: 758
Where do your friends live, and what types of things are you hoping to see do? There is a ton of variety in Sicily, and it's a huge island!
You will definitely be able to "get by" in English, but if you can learn even a bit of Italian you will have a much better experience. I did meet a lot of people who spoke no English (and even some who only had a little Italian), but I don't think that most tourists would come across those situations. Try a basic language course (many libraries have Pimsleur, which is a great start), and learn your numbers 1-20.
We really enjoyed Siracusa (specifically Ortigia), and took some great day trips to Modica, Ragusa, and many others. Acireale/Aci Trezza/Aci Castello are fun towns to explore, with beautiful scenery. I personally didn't care for Taormina, but our in-laws thought it was just magical, so it will depend on your perspective ;-)
One thing to keep in mind is that the riposo makes sightseeing difficult. I would recommend planning your day around either a long lunch, or using the time to "reposition" for the evenings excursion. In the smaller towns you often won't even find a gas station open between 1 and 4, so it's worth doing some advance planning.
Driving in Sicily can be a challenge too - my husband wrote about driving on our personal blog, so if you want to prepare yourself for that adventure you can read it: http://funkinaround.com/?p=287 We were there for three months, so there's a lot of other Sicily info there as well.
Have fun - I'd go back in a heartbeat!
You will definitely be able to "get by" in English, but if you can learn even a bit of Italian you will have a much better experience. I did meet a lot of people who spoke no English (and even some who only had a little Italian), but I don't think that most tourists would come across those situations. Try a basic language course (many libraries have Pimsleur, which is a great start), and learn your numbers 1-20.
We really enjoyed Siracusa (specifically Ortigia), and took some great day trips to Modica, Ragusa, and many others. Acireale/Aci Trezza/Aci Castello are fun towns to explore, with beautiful scenery. I personally didn't care for Taormina, but our in-laws thought it was just magical, so it will depend on your perspective ;-)
One thing to keep in mind is that the riposo makes sightseeing difficult. I would recommend planning your day around either a long lunch, or using the time to "reposition" for the evenings excursion. In the smaller towns you often won't even find a gas station open between 1 and 4, so it's worth doing some advance planning.
Driving in Sicily can be a challenge too - my husband wrote about driving on our personal blog, so if you want to prepare yourself for that adventure you can read it: http://funkinaround.com/?p=287 We were there for three months, so there's a lot of other Sicily info there as well.
Have fun - I'd go back in a heartbeat!