Page 71 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

lava – paperweights and jewellery to sculptures.

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TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Beaches

You’ll have to pay for access to many of the island’s better beaches (known as lido),
with lounger, parasol and use of the showers often included in the price (usually €7–
10 a day). Many lidos also have other facilities like pedalo- and windsurf-hire, bars

and restaurants, and thus make a good bet for families. Elsewhere, beaches are free
though not always clean – during the winter most look like dumps, as it’s not worth
anyone’s while to clean them until the season starts at Easter.

Costs

Sicily isn’t particularly cheap compared to other Mediterranean holiday spots, though
it is usually better value than the popular tourist parts of mainland Italy. The single
biggest cost is generally accommodation, with simple one-star hotels, private rooms

and bed and breakfasts all starting at around €60 a night. A decent three-star hotel, on
the other hand, will set you back up to €120. Of course, you’ll pay a lot more in
summer in the big tourist spots – Erice, Cefalù, Siracusa and Taormina – and more all
year round on most of the offshore islands, particularly the Aeolians and Pantelleria.

Most other items are fairly inexpensive. The Sicilian staple, a pizza and a beer, costs
around €10 just about everywhere, while a full restaurant meal can cost as little as

€20 a head. Of course, there are some excellent Sicilian restaurants where the bill
comes in much higher, up to say €50 or €60 a head, but even these are remarkably
good value for the quality on offer. A litre of local house wine rarely comes to more
than €10, a bottle €10–12, and the same wine in a supermarket might cost a third of
that. Other snacks and drinks soon add up, especially in fancy resorts, and you should

note that if you sit down in a café (rather than stand at the counter) it’ll cost twice as
much. Public transport, on the other hand, is very cheap, while even the island’s
showpiece museums, archeological ruins and attractions rarely cost more than €8 –
and under-18s and over-65s usually get in for free.

Overall, apart from accommodation, you could reasonably expect to spend €50 a day
– taking the train, eating picnics, cheap meals and pizzas, seeing the sights and so on.
For a more comfortable daily experience (meals in better restaurants, plus taxis,

evening drinks, concerts and the like) you’re looking at €80 and upwards.