SICILY: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT SICILY!
Few answers we hope could be useful for you in order to facilitate the organization of your trip.
WHAT IS THE BEST PERIOD TO VISIT SICILY?
Sicily is amazing 365 days a year because is various: sun and sea in summer, snow and mountains in winter. But to live and know it at best we advice to visit Sicily in June or September: summer temperatures and little chaos, perfect condition in order to do everything!
I CAN’T SPEAK ITALIAN, HOW CAN I DO?
In this case it’s gesture that facilitates communication: you will use the basic ones first, but after few days with sicilians, you will find out that your hands move by themselves to express even complex concepts.
WHERE CAN I SEE THE BEST SUNSETS?
Sicily is an island and its triangular shape gives us breathtaking landscapes in different times of the day. Get emotional with at sunset when the sun goes down in the south of Sicily and it seems like following you while travelling northwards; do not disdain to stay at the beach at the hour of sunset in the western part and when you will be in the eastern part, loose your sleep for the sunrise.
IN SICILY IT IS POSSIBLE TO SKI?
Of course you can; the Etna volcano is equipped with ski facilities. Usually the ski pistes are operating and opened to the public over all the winter season (December-March). Don’t forget to have a look around: what you see while skiing is the sea.
WHAT IS THE TEMPERATURE DURING THE YEAR?
Sicilian weather is typically Mediterranean; mild winter and hot and sunny summer.
Apart from few days of unusual cold, during winter temperatures rarely drop below 10°-9°; in summer, temperatures reach even 31°-32°, often even enjoyable with maestrale wind. The scirocco one, instead, just as common, can rise temperatures up to 40° during summer.
Intermediate seasons are difficult to predict: warm or cold days alternate each other, leaving room to rain showers, too.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IN CASE OF EMERGENCE ONCE IN SICILY?
Useful numbers to contact:
CARABINIERI-112
POLICE-113
FIRE DEPARTMENT-115
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE-118
FINANCIAL POLICE- 117
FOREST SERVICE-1515
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE-116
MARITIME EMERGENCY-1530
WHAT IS THE DAILY HOUR OF THE SHOPS?
Shops in Sicily have flexible working hours: everything depends on the heat, on the day and most of all on the amount of coffee drunk to wake up! Generally, shops open at 9:00 a.m and close at 1:00 a.m for lunch; they open again at 4:00 p.m, until 7:30 p.m or even 8:00 p.m in summer.
Good thing is that you may find a shop closed at 9:00 a.m, but rarely you will find it closed at 8:00 p.m o’ clock: less minutes in the morning, but more in the evening.. then postpone your shopping in the evening hours and enjoy your day in the streets!
UNTIL WHAT TIME PLACES ARE OPENED?
The places hours depends a lot on the presence of people: most of the work shifts of bartenders finish at night at “closing time” and so when people go home.
But there is a time when you can not give alcoholic beverages: 2:00 p.m. Regarding discos, it also depends on the area where you are, but usually they close between 3:30 a.m and 4.00 a.m.
WHICH KIND OF CREDIT CARD ARE ACCEPTED?
Big cities accept all the credit cards. If you are in a small town, our advice is to withdraw cash because in the smallest shops they could not accept cards.
WHICH IS THE CLOSING DAY OF MUSEUMS?
In Sicily there is no closing day that is the same for all the museums; for this reason it is convenient to look for the name of the museum on the web and check opening hours and opening days.
