Mount Etna - woe or wonder?

[Mrs Acer]

I'm planning our Sicily trip in May. My research seems to show that people do an organised cable car, 4wd and guided walk. It's expensive and I don't like feeling I'm in a herd of tourists! That's why we are free, independent campervanners right? I can't see anywhere online other than from the Lonely Planet that seems to indicate that you can do the cable car bit and then do a 4 hour return walk from there to the crater. Has anyone done this? What has been your experiences? Any tips? I'm considering not doing it at all and just enjoy the views of Etna from our stopping spots and save the time to do other walks etc on our trip.
Thank you everyone

 

[edocali]

My trip to the top with cable car and Unimog was unforgettable. Yes lots of people but the spot we reached was outwardly. Not for Californias sadly!

 

[Mrs Acer]

Thank you for your reply! Can I ask.....
Did you park at Rifugio Sapienza for the cable car or did you get the bus from one of the towns? Just wondering how easy it is to drive to here and get a space to park.
Did you get your cable car and unimog ticket online or did you just get it at the entrance?
Also, did you notice people taking the cable car and then walking up from there?

 

[edocali]

I parked at the Rifugio. I bought the ticket there - but this was some 12 yrs ago. You could not walk up from the cable car arrival.
Once on top they had us do a safe walk on a path. But no one cared that I did not get back on the Unimog straight away and I could wander off at will. I could have fallen in some smoky crevice … but I didn’t and caught another Unimog a couple of hours later. Unforgettable. Not sure it’s repeatable though

 

[Mrs Acer]

Thank you. You had a great experience! I'm guessing it's more touristy now. I've read mixed reviews. But knowing me, we'll probably end up doing it. Maybe an early start to avoid the worst of any queues

 

[SpuffingtonMe]

My trip to the top with cable car and Unimog was unforgettable. Yes lots of people but the spot we reached was outwardly. Not for Californias sadly!

Can only agree with this

 

[Richard Love]

Hi, we spent 6 weeks in Sicily last September/October (we have a LWB T6) - it's fabulous!

We visited Mt Etna and wild camped at Piano Provenzana in the car park (on the NE side of Etna). A few other vans / motorhomes were doing the same. The locals are chilled about it, just had to buy a day time car park ticket for a few Euros.

We didn't do an organised tour and just went for a walk about half way up.

 

[Els]

Wij waren 6 jaar geleden bij de Etna. Wij hebben de kabelbaan NIET genomen, maar gewandeld (lees: geklauterd ) naar boven onder de lijnen van de kabelbaan.het was heel pitig, maar nu en dan eens stoppen voor mooie zichten! Beter is wel de wandeling te doen, als je een beetje conditie hebt is het echt wel te doen. Verder naar boven toe (vanaf plateau kabenbaan ) mochten we wel niet meer alleen wandelen, omdat de vulkaan lichtjes activiteit had. Toen zijn we mee geweest met zo een busje en dan boven met begeleider verder gewandels, op de brokken assen. Dit is echt een must-do! Spaar dus de kabenbaan uit en geef het geld voor de laatste km 's excursie. Vertrek op tijd 'smorgens en neem je tijd voor de wandeling .

 

[Mrs Acer]

Hi, thank you. That is really helpful. I've added that parking spot to my 'Sicily favourites' on Park 4 Night. We will not be going on an organised tour, so this sounds perfect.

That is wonderful spending 6 weeks in Sicily! We are spending 6 weeks in total on our whole trip from the UK from the beginning of May. I hope you don't mind but may I ask you some questions? I'm in planning mode and my mind is a bit fuzzy with the information and also lack of clear information! Sometimes google doesn't give me an actual answer and the Lonely Planet is limited.

Our plan is to take about 2 weeks getting to Sicily, taking the Mont Blanc tunnel and stopping in particular at Siena and Naples/Pompei/Vesuvius on the way. Then just turn up at the Port Villa San Giovanni and get tickets for the ferry to Sicily. Is that possible or do we have to get the tickets online in advance? We were hoping to keep flexible. If our journey down is less than 2 weeks, we will spend more time in Sicily. At the moment I'm allowing 2 weeks in Sicily and a 2 week return coming back via Switzerland.

What were your highlights/must sees of Sicily?

We love scenery and viewpoints, walking and visiting little villages. We do visit cities but I'm happy to miss them out if we are running out of time. So far I'm interested in: Taormina, Gole Dell Alcantara, Mount Etna, Syracuse/Ortygia, Noto/Modica/Ragusa, Villa Romana del Casale, one of or all of - Valley of the Temples, Selinunte, Segesta, Scala dei Turchi, Marsala, Erice, Scoppello, San Vito Lo Capito, Zingaro Nature Reserve, Palermo (maybe - thinking of missing it out), Cefalu. Would you miss out any of these if you were pushed for time?

I use the Park 4 Night app and the ACSI one and have noted a few places to stay. Did you have a great experience at any campsite or parking area in particular that you would recommend for any reason? Also, any to definitely avoid?

Do you have any 'wish I had known that before our trip' things that you could share?

So sorry! These are big questions. I will not be offended if this is all too much to ask!

Thank you for any advice or recommendations you can give me. They would be gratefully received!

 

[Mrs Acer]

Hi, we spent 6 weeks in Sicily last September/October (we have a LWB T6) - it's fabulous!

We visited Mt Etna and wild camped at Piano Provenzana in the car park (on the NE side of Etna). A few other vans / motorhomes were doing the same. The locals are chilled about it, just had to buy a day time car park ticket for a few Euros.

We didn't do an organised tour and just went for a walk about half way up.

Hi Richard,

Ooops I've just realised that I should have clicked 'reply' to your post! Instead I've just added a rather long text on this thread in reply to your comment. I hope you are able to have a look and come back to me. Thank you

 

[Mrs Acer]

Wij waren 6 jaar geleden bij de Etna. Wij hebben de kabelbaan NIET genomen, maar gewandeld (lees: geklauterd ) naar boven onder de lijnen van de kabelbaan.het was heel pitig, maar nu en dan eens stoppen voor mooie zichten! Beter is wel de wandeling te doen, als je een beetje conditie hebt is het echt wel te doen. Verder naar boven toe (vanaf plateau kabenbaan ) mochten we wel niet meer alleen wandelen, omdat de vulkaan lichtjes activiteit had. Toen zijn we mee geweest met zo een busje en dan boven met begeleider verder gewandels, op de brokken assen. Dit is echt een must-do! Spaar dus de kabenbaan uit en geef het geld voor de laatste km 's excursie. Vertrek op tijd 'smorgens en neem je tijd voor de wandeling .

Thank you Els. What time of year did you go? Was it busy walking up?

 

[Mikron]

Hi, thank you. That is really helpful. I've added that parking spot to my 'Sicily favourites' on Park 4 Night. We will not be going on an organised tour, so this sounds perfect.

That is wonderful spending 6 weeks in Sicily! We are spending 6 weeks in total on our whole trip from the UK from the beginning of May. I hope you don't mind but may I ask you some questions? I'm in planning mode and my mind is a bit fuzzy with the information and also lack of clear information! Sometimes google doesn't give me an actual answer and the Lonely Planet is limited.

Our plan is to take about 2 weeks getting to Sicily, taking the Mont Blanc tunnel and stopping in particular at Siena and Naples/Pompei/Vesuvius on the way. Then just turn up at the Port Villa San Giovanni and get tickets for the ferry to Sicily. Is that possible or do we have to get the tickets online in advance? We were hoping to keep flexible. If our journey down is less than 2 weeks, we will spend more time in Sicily. At the moment I'm allowing 2 weeks in Sicily and a 2 week return coming back via Switzerland.

What were your highlights/must sees of Sicily?

We love scenery and viewpoints, walking and visiting little villages. We do visit cities but I'm happy to miss them out if we are running out of time. So far I'm interested in: Taormina, Gole Dell Alcantara, Mount Etna, Syracuse/Ortygia, Noto/Modica/Ragusa, Villa Romana del Casale, one of or all of - Valley of the Temples, Selinunte, Segesta, Scala dei Turchi, Marsala, Erice, Scoppello, San Vito Lo Capito, Zingaro Nature Reserve, Palermo (maybe - thinking of missing it out), Cefalu. Would you miss out any of these if you were pushed for time?

I use the Park 4 Night app and the ACSI one and have noted a few places to stay. Did you have a great experience at any campsite or parking area in particular that you would recommend for any reason? Also, any to definitely avoid?

Do you have any 'wish I had known that before our trip' things that you could share?

So sorry! These are big questions. I will not be offended if this is all too much to ask!

Thank you for any advice or recommendations you can give me. They would be gratefully received!

If I may reply, we also spent 3 weeks on Sicily in our Cali in May 2023 - it was magnificent!

You have pretty much covered all the good spots, but whatever you do, don't miss Ragusa and Erice! Our two favourite towns in all of Sicily, and on the top 5 of all towns we visited (we drove down through Italy's west coast). Palermo can be skipped, not too impressed with that. Noto and Ragusa are similar, and as I said the latter is far superior!

There are quite a few wild camping spots perfect for Californias. The absolute top (literally) spot is at a small monastery, Santuario della Madonna dell'Aiuto, near the village Roccafiorita. It is on the top of a mountain (check the forecast for heavy winds), you have views of the Messina Strait on one side, and Mount Etna and foothills on the other! Google Maps coordinates: 37.928417330406404, 15.262501878836408. It is also on Park4Night. It is a long windy road to get up there, and feels completely isolated, even though there is the monastery and even a small restaurant nearby.
The other one is a large grassy parking lot on the north side of the island south of San Vito lo Capo. People park there during the day to get to the rocky (and beautiful) beaches, but in the early evening the crowd dissipates. We shared the space with two-three other campers, magnificent views of the ocean and surrounding hills. 38.11150984414507, 12.724362971723696.

Also, do stop at Tropea on the way down - fantastic town. Park down below and bring your walking shoes, those streets up to the center of town are STEEP!
And if time permits, you will not regret spending a few days at Cinque Terre on the way! Stay in one of the towns and take the train or boat to the others.

Have a great vacation!

And about Mount Etna - we drove up to the parking lot at Sapienza and walked around the small crater nearby, Cratèri Silvestri. We had three kids in tow, two of them eight months old, so couldn't do the summit hike/4wd . But we got to see plenty of Etna and surrounds, and got the feel of the volcano at the Silvestri crater.

 

[Mrs Acer]

If I may reply, we also spent 3 weeks on Sicily in our Cali in May 2023 - it was magnificent!

You have pretty much covered all the good spots, but whatever you do, don't miss Ragusa and Erice! Our two favourite towns in all of Sicily, and on the top 5 of all towns we visited (we drove down through Italy's west coast). Palermo can be skipped, not too impressed with that. Noto and Ragusa are similar, and as I said the latter is far superior!

There are quite a few wild camping spots perfect for Californias. The absolute top (literally) spot is at a small monastery, Santuario della Madonna dell'Aiuto, near the village Roccafiorita. It is on the top of a mountain (check the forecast for heavy winds), you have views of the Messina Strait on one side, and Mount Etna and foothills on the other! Google Maps coordinates: 37.928417330406404, 15.262501878836408. It is also on Park4Night. It is a long windy road to get up there, and feels completely isolated, even though there is the monastery and even a small restaurant nearby.
The other one is a large grassy parking lot on the north side of the island south of San Vito lo Capo. People park there during the day to get to the rocky (and beautiful) beaches, but in the early evening the crowd dissipates. We shared the space with two-three other campers, magnificent views of the ocean and surrounding hills. 38.11150984414507, 12.724362971723696.

Also, do stop at Tropea on the way down - fantastic town. Park down below and bring your walking shoes, those streets up to the center of town are STEEP!
And if time permits, you will not regret spending a few days at Cinque Terre on the way! Stay in one of the towns and take the train or boat to the others.

Have a great vacation!

And about Mount Etna - we drove up to the parking lot at Sapienza and walked around the small crater nearby, Cratèri Silvestri. We had three kids in tow, two of them eight months old, so couldn't do the summit hike/4wd . But we got to see plenty of Etna and surrounds, and got the feel of the volcano at the Silvestri crater.

Thank you! That is so kind of you to share all these tips. I've added them all to the itinerary. We have only visited Italy twice, one trip to Tuscany and the second to Cinque Terre, which we did love!

I think it's wonderful that you are having such adventures with your very young children! Our two daughters have such amazing memories of all our trips. They are now 19 and 21 and it was only last year that we all decided they were now tooooo big to holiday in our van .They have said however that they won't miss sleeping in car parks on their 'holiday'!

Ooh sorry, did you get your ferry tickets to Sicily at the Port or did you book ahead online?

Thank you and enjoy your next family adventure!

 

[Mikron]

Thank you! That is so kind of you to share all these tips. I've added them all to the itinerary. We have only visited Italy twice, one trip to Tuscany and the second to Cinque Terre, which we did love!

I think it's wonderful that you are having such adventures with your very young children! Our two daughters have such amazing memories of all our trips. They are now 19 and 21 and it was only last year that we all decided they were now tooooo big to holiday in our van .They have said however that they won't miss sleeping in car parks on their 'holiday'!

Ooh sorry, did you get your ferry tickets to Sicily at the Port or did you book ahead online?

Thank you and enjoy your next family adventure!

Sure thing, and thank you for your kind words. Sicily was actually only a small part of a larger trip; nearly five months through Central Europe, Italy and the Balkans - it was glorious (and chaotic, as you can imagine!)

And fantastic that you could vacation with your kids for so long! We hope to also be able to do so for the next many years, perhaps with the addition of a tent, when they get older

I honestly don’t remember about the ferry, but I think that we just rolled up to the port and bought tickets there - I can’t find any confirmation or booking in my email inbox at least. It is a short route with several departures daily, so I wouldn’t worry too much. But again, it’s been awhile, so don’t take my word for it.

Safe travels!

 

[acer]

Mr Acer here asking about practicalities from the Sicily gang:
Did you need to replace a 907 campingaz in Sicily? If so, was it widely available? Or, did you have a problem at all?

 

[Mikron]

We have

Mr Acer here asking about practicalities from the Sicily gang:
Did you need to replace a 907 campingaz in Sicily? If so, was it widely available? Or, did you have a problem at all?

We have a T5 Beach and thus do not have the big gas cannisters onboard.
We did however find the smaller 220g gas canisters for camping stoves in the Decathlon stores, which can be found around the major cities on Sicily, so maybe they also sell the bigger ones? It doesn't look like it though on their webpage - https://www.decathlon.it/search?Ntt=campingaz.