Our edition · Sicily
Sicily on Your Own
“Sicily on Your Own” is the complete ebook that plans your trip from A to Z. Greek temples, Baroque towns and Etna by car: ZTLs, tolls, 7/10/15-day itineraries, full budget.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
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10 chapters · 10,000+ words · instant download · 14-day guarantee
You're planning your first independent trip
The guide starts from zero and turns every unknown into a simple procedure: rental, first roads, first bookings. The method behind our Namibia guide, applied to Sicily.
You want to avoid the expensive mistakes
Misunderstood insurance, the wrong season, overrated stops, an underestimated budget: the classic traps are well known — and all avoidable when you know where to look.
You don't have 60 hours to cross-check everything
Contradictory forums, dated blogs, sales brochures: we did the sorting and the checking. You get the ordered, actionable digest.
Table of contents
The contents, chapter by chapter
10 chapters that follow the real order of your preparation: decide, book, drive, live the trip.
- 01
Why Sicily on Your Own
The largest island in the Mediterranean at your own pace, the car paradox (essential between towns, a burden inside them) and three truths to accept.
The Valley of the Temples at sunrise, Baroque towns at dusk · Why you can't see all of Sicily in a week · Heat, wildfires, and Etna deciding for you · How to use this guide depending on your profile
- 02
When to Go: Heat, Sea and Crowds
The month-by-month calendar, the rhythm of Sicilian days, festivals that complicate everything and when to book what.
May-June and September: the best months · The month-by-month table: climate / sea / crowds · No car on the Aeolian Islands in summer, Etna depending on weather · Our recommendation by priority
- 03
Renting a Car: Where, Which One, and the Excess
Catania or Palermo, a small car rather than an SUV, an excess of €1,000 to €2,500: the three insurance options and the extra fees at the desk.
Prices by season from Catania and Palermo · Excess waiver with the rental company or third-party cover: the real choice · The video check-out · Fines that arrive a year later
- 04
Driving in Sicily: ZTLs, Tolls, Parking
Rule number one (never enter a ZTL), Italy's new highway code, the only two toll motorways and the parking colour code.
ZTLs: your GPS sends you in, here is how to avoid it (and Palermo's €5 pass) · Phone at the wheel: €250 to €1,000 since December 2024 · A19 and A29 free, A18 and A20 tolled: 2026 fares · Fuel above €2/L: where to fill up · Real driving times
- 05
Itineraries: 7, 10 or 15 Days
Four day-by-day routes: the east in 7 days, the west in 7 days, Palermo to Catania in 10 days and the grand tour in 15 days.
7 days east: Etna, Taormina, Syracuse, Noto · 7 days west: Palermo, Segesta, Zingaro, Agrigento · 10 days one-way, 15 days as a loop · The Aeolian Islands variant and what we advise against
- 06
Where to Sleep
City B&B or agriturismo, the parking question, the two-night base strategy and the 14-night budget.
Historic centre = ZTL: the question to ask your host · Agriturismi: the best base for the west and the Val di Noto · 14-night budget: €700 to €3,500 for two depending on profile · Tourist tax and bottlenecks
- 07
Ancient and Baroque Sites
The signature chapter: the Valley of the Temples, Villa del Casale, Syracuse, Segesta, Selinunte, Arab-Norman Palermo and the Val di Noto, with 2026 prices and a visiting method.
The two-slot rule: opening time and late afternoon · Valley of the Temples: €14, where to start, how long · Zingaro (card only) and Scala dei Turchi (limited access) · A typical summer sightseeing day
- 08
Etna and the Aeolian Islands
What you can do alone on Etna and what requires a guide, the cable car and its 2026 prices, and the rule that bans rental cars on the Aeolian Islands in summer.
Guide compulsory above the altitude set by ordinances (often ≈ 2,750 m) · Cable car ≈ €52, package up to ≈ 2,900 m ≈ €78 · Aeolian Islands: the 2026 vehicle landing ban calendar · Milazzo, hydrofoils and how many nights
- 09
The Detailed Budget, Line by Line
Every item priced and three complete profiles for two people and 14 nights, excluding flights.
Flights, car, fuel, tolls, parking: 2026 ranges · The 3-profile table: ≈ €2,280 / €3,925 / €6,875 for two · Where to save, and where never to · Coperto, tipping, cards and cash
- 10
Health, Safety, Formalities and Checklists
The chapter to print: documents, EHIC, heat, wildfires, the volcano, theft, official sources and four checklists.
ID, licence, EHIC: what to bring · EES and ETIAS: who is concerned · The real risks by frequency · Checklists: documents, car, gear and the last ten days
Sample pages
Judge for yourself
Chapter 4 — Driving in Sicily
Your GPS doesn't know about ZTLs
« Your GPS doesn't know about ZTLs and will happily send you through one by the shortest route. Set a car park on the edge of the centre as your destination, not your hotel. If your hotel is inside a ZTL, ask it before arrival how to get in or where to park. »
Chapter 7 — Ancient and Baroque Sites
The Valley of the Temples
« Start with the Temple of Juno on the high point, then walk down the Via Sacra towards the Temple of Concordia with the sun at your back. Two and a half hours minimum, three with the Kolymbetra garden. Come back at sunset to see the temples from afar. »
Chapter 8 — Etna and the Aeolian Islands
The rule that changes everything
« For a traveller with a rental car on a short stay, the rule is simple: the car stays on mainland Sicily. It would be useless on the islands anyway: you get around by scooter, bus, taxi or boat. »
The order form
The complete guide
Guide « Sicily on Your Own »
Greek temples, Baroque towns and Etna by car: ZTLs, tolls, 7/10/15-day itineraries, full budget
44 €
- 10 chapters, the complete method
- Day-by-day itineraries
- Printable version (PDF via Cmd+P)
- Complete checklists
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Before you go
Readers' questions
What format does the guide come in?
Right after payment you receive a download link: the full guide in HTML, readable on any device and printable to PDF in one click (Cmd/Ctrl+P), plus the chapters in Markdown to read wherever you like. No proprietary app, no subscription.
Is the guide available in English?
Not yet: the guide is currently written in French, and an English edition is in the works. Prices, routes and checklists are of course language-independent — but if you don't read French, we recommend waiting for the English edition.
Is it up to date for 2026?
Yes: the price ranges, local rules and advice reflect the 2026 situation. The fundamentals — itineraries, driving or transport, logistics — change very little from year to year.
What if the guide isn't for me?
A simple guarantee: 14 days, money back, no questions asked. One email to our support is enough — full refund within 48 hours. We'd far rather refund you than leave a disappointed reader.
How is this different from the free pages?
Our free pages (the Sicily country page, destinations, field notes) give you the panorama. The guide gives you the complete, ordered method: day-by-day itineraries, a line-by-line budget, detailed driving and logistics, and every checklist. It's the digest we wish we'd had before our first trip.