The Surrounding Area

Tips and Packing

Car rental: try to insist on a car without advertising insignia. This will mark you out immediately as tourists.

Satellite navigator: an invaluable piece of equipment in the intricate Sicilian countryside. Etna, in particular, is covered in a patchwork of little towns and villages linked by winding lanes and new roads and it is easy to lose your bearings.

Binoculars: extremely useful, especially on Etna.

Windcheater: if you intend to take the cable car to the top of the volcano, it can be quite chilly at 3,000 meters even in summer.

Warm clothing: Etna's hill climate means day and night temperatures vary greatly. A jumper or light sweater is a good idea even in the summer months.

In winter you will need warm comfortable pullovers: our heating works perfectly, but an 18th century house never warms up as much as a city apartment.

Footwear: good trainers or tennis shoes are quite sufficient for many of the walks on Etna. Obviously, for more serious trekking, bring suitable boots.

Information, books, guides: The web site www.bestofsicily.com is a mine of invaluable information.

Finally, once you get to check-in, remember to ask for a left-hand window seat on your flight to Catania (on the right for the return journey): unless the route is changed at the last minute you should get a wonderful view of Etna.