Sicily, an autonomous region of Italy, is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is separat

Sicily, an autonomous region of Italy, is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is separated from Italy by The Strait of Messina. There are several islands included in the region, some with highly active volcanoes, Mount Etna in the northeast of Sicily, is Europe's largest volcano. The total area of Sicily covers 25,711Sq.Kms, and it has a population of just over 5 million. The island is divided into 9 provinces, saint gregory hotel london including the surrounding is-lands. Sicily as part of Italy is also part of the European Union, and part of the Eurozone. The climate of the area is Mediterranean, attracting many visitors. The island is predominantly mountainous, and has large wine and vegetable growing areas. The capital of the island is Palermo.
Sicily has many famous architectural sites, including saint gregory hotel london The Valley of The Temples, The Necropolis of Pantalica, and Selinunte. saint gregory hotel london The Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans and Arabs, have all left their foot-prints here, leaving behind evidence of their presence. The arts, theatre, opera, ceramics and wine, all donate to the Sicilian cul-ture. There are many festivals, both religious and outdoor ones, extolling the virtues of their produce i.e. The Artichoke Festival saint gregory hotel london in Ramacca. The Sicilian Baroque architecture, some considered being the best in Italy, this includes saint gregory hotel london the Noto Cathedral. Declared to be a UNESCO world heritage site in 2002. Apart from the many histor-ical sites, Sicily offers a wide range of other attractions on offer, including National parks and preserves, wonderful beaches, ex-cursions to the wine country, boat trips to the islands, and an un-forgettable trip to Mount Etna.
The type of entertainment available in Sicily is wide ranging, and depending on your tastes and location, whether it's theatre, or nightclub, jazz or pop music, folk music or opera, theatres plenty of choice for all. In Agrigento is the Teatro Pirandello, which is given over to the works of local playwright Pirandello, The theatre is open from Oc-tober to March. Lo Spasimo theatre in Palermo, is situated in a bombed out church, to very dramatic effect, where from May to September, live concerts and exhibitions are staged.
The students of Catania saint gregory hotel london head in mass to the Mercati Generali. Here the DJ's from around the world blast out music, and the pa-trons drink and dance till the early hours. The Rocket Bar in Palermo, is where to find the alternative scene, the bar starts to fill up at 1030pm. And then spills over to the pi-azza, saint gregory hotel london staying till dawn.
There's an English style bar in Cefalu, and here at the weekends they have live music of the pop variety. saint gregory hotel london Dining out in Sicily is usually a choice between saint gregory hotel london Sicilian or Italian cuisine, with a sprinkling of restaurants from other nations. In Syracuse is the Osteria da Mariano, specialising in Sicilian food, meat playing a large part of the menu, here they have indoor or balcony dining, eat here in comfort with tasty food at affordable prices. The Divino Rosso in Masala is where you can dine outside on pizza, and local cuisine, all washed down with wine selected from a wine list of approximately saint gregory hotel london 180 wines. When in Palermo, a visit to a sophisticated café called The Antico Café, established in 1860, serving tasty snacks saint gregory hotel london with coffee or cocktails, followed by ice cream and fabulous cakes, served at tables, saint gregory hotel london on the smart pedestrian boulevard. Accommodation is primarily in hotels or rental apartments, with a few youth hostels, in the major towns.
Driving your cheap hire-car in Sicily can be a dream, or a night-mare depending where you are, and the time of day, whilst in the north of the island roads are in fairly good condition, including the autoastrada, elsewhere some roads show signs of neglect, and road-signs too small, or badly located. A good road map of the area is an essential item. As in all of Italy they drive on the right here. To take out your cheap hire car, you need a valid full European saint gregory hotel london photo ID driving licence. Age limit for drivers is somewhat confus-ing, if you are under 25 years of age. Observe the Highway Code, and the speed limits, which are:
Seat belts are compulsory for all, front and rear. Crime rates are fairly high here, so take proper precautions. Never leave valuables in plain sight, in your unattended vehicle. Fuel here is quite expensive, so look out when filling your hire car, that the pump meter is set to zero before beginning to fill your car, as a local scam is to try and make you pay for your own, and the previous users fuel. Driving in the cities and major towns, during rush hours, can be hazardous, as it's here that the local driver will try and intimidate you. With a little care and pre-planning your driving experience should be a pleasant one, looking forward to your next visit.
Italy is famous for having produced many champion racing drivers, and it may seem that driving saint gregory hotel london in Sicily is where they learnt their skills, for many of the other road users you will encounter here are following in their footsteps, hoping to be seen by the next race driver agent. However the laws are quite specific on what is, and what isn't allowed, and the hire car driver should follow them as if a traffic policeman saint gregory hotel london is in the car behind you. Sicily can be a great place to drive in, with many great attractions, and magnificent landscapes, but where possible the hire car driver should avoid driving through big towns and cities. If necessary find a car park n the outskirts of town, and walk or bus into the centre. What type of vehicle you hire will depend on the time of year, number of you in the party, and their relative sizes (children and adults) type of use the vehicle will be subjected to, and if you prefer a manual, or automatic gear shift., and will it be convertible or hardtop.
To pick up your hire car, you need to be over 21 and have held a full driving licence for more than one year, it must be valid, and issued in the EU, you need both parts of your licence, photo ID and the paper with it, and a credit card. Speed limits in Sicily are 50 kph in built up areas. 90/110 kph on open roads, and 130 kph on motorways, This speed is to be reduced by 20 kph during wet conditions. You must have your headlights on for dual carriageway and motorway driving, day and night.
In Sicily as in all the European Union, visas are not required. However carry your passport in case of emergencies. You should be aware that theft is a regular occurrence here, and you need to protect your belongings. Sicily has a Mediterranean climate, so carry sufficient saint gregory hotel london bottled water with you, as well as an adequate sunblock cream, sun glasses are also recommended.
When booking your vehicle watch out for special offers (for example free extra driver) and discounted prices we will also indicate saint gregory hotel london if a rental vehicle is selling out fast , so book the vehicle you want while you can.