Traveling to Sicily

It's an island with a volcano and lots of Mafia guys around.

This basically sums it up.

Stay far away from car trunks.

Sicilian alpha top!

Picture this.

Spots of contemporary life (Palermo, Taormina, Catania), generally tollerant, do not trust people on the street, visit the islands (careful, check the weather forecast before, as you might get stuck there), information on public service will be appallingly absent or ignored, possibly few people speaking English outside the main cities, fantastic architecture, amazing history, great nature, incredibly hot men (again, avoid street trade, you have been warned), like a movie set most of the times, cheap but great food (stop when you see a guy selling arancini), prepare to be over charged, at times.

How hot are the men?

Somebody once said that transportation around the island is slow and nearly impossible. Wonder if that is (still) true?

Greek influence

rent a car.

Was in Palermo / Taormina last summer and really enjoyed it. However, getting around is a nightmare outside the cities. As has been said, it's postcard views, good food, surprising pockets of poverty - typical Italy.

bump

Surprisingly dirt poor, and still Mafia-land.

I guess I'm the only one who didn't have problems travelling around using the public transport. You can get pretty much everywhere inland by bus while the coastal areas are well connected by trains. Tickets are pretty cheap too. Car rental is another option which can save you some time and allows you to visit more off-the-beaten-path places (like the abandoned ghost town of Poggioreale) but be careful - parked cars are often broken into.

Sicily is not really THAT different from the rest of Southern Italy but it has its own special vibe. Don't miss the Noto valley, famous for its towns built in special Sicilian baroque style after a huge earthquake in the 18th century destroyed them all. Ragusa is perhaps the most picture-perfect place I've ever visited.