Pro tips for driving in Sicily…. 1. Never put your phone down. And remember, texting while driving is a skill that needs to be practiced. 2. Drive as fast and reckless as possible. When you see pedestrians or bicyclists on the road, don't slow down. Try to see how dangerously close you can get without hitting them. Especially at crosswalks. The same rule applies to driving near motorcyclists on the autostrada. 3. When entering a roadway or intersection, never look in the direction of the oncoming traffic. Only look in the direction that you want to drive. If there's traffic, block the oncoming cars and wait until there is an opening in the lane you need. And of course, never use your indicators. 4. Ignore all speed limits and stop signs. When at a traffic light, honk your horn as soon as the light turns green. Don't be shy, horns are made for honking. 5. Parking. Make sure that when double parking you block as much traffic as possible. 6. If the car or motorcyclist in front of you is not going as fast as you want, be sure to tailgate at least a half meter from their bumper. Don't forget to dangerously pass whenever possible, even on blind corners.
Just got back from Italy a few weeks ago. Rented a car in the Tuscany area and it was challenging. In the rural area around Siena the speed limits were all 30 km/h but the locals were continually piling up behind me. Asked a local about that and she said people don't worry about those speed limits. It's a catch 22 though - patrols and speed cameras are in a few places and not knowing the area you could get a ticket. Now that I know more I might drive there again but there are pitfalls - especially when most of the signs are only in Italian. Prego!
I feel you on that! I've been through it too haha! You should check out our Tripiamo guides and 360 videos then. I created them because my experience with exactly what you just described and because I couldn't find resources on things like these online. I purposely consulted locals, travelers who have driven in Italy bbefore, and local driving schools when making these. I'd love to hear your feedback if you're down for it!
