Cycling in Catania

[MarkF]

Forget it! First place I've ever given up and I find Madrid & Barcelona fine to cycling in. The airport bus dropped me off at a central square and as I waited and waited for my inbuilt sat nav to fire me to my B&B, utter bedlam was taking place in front of me.

Cars and scooters were racing around like bunch of ferrets spotting a small hole, I quickly noticed that every single car was dented all over, no matter how new or expensive, no notice was taken of people on crossings, they were just targets, no car stops at them, not even for a person in the middle! I've never seen anything like it, I gave up at noon on my first day, you can't take advantage of any wide pavements because cars are parked on them, forwards, backward, sideways. It's a pretty flat city but I could count the cyclists I saw on one hand.

It was good fun once I had a scooter though.

 

[welsh dragon]

Why do you think bumpers are called bumpers? Especially in places like that.

 

[midliferider]

Are you on a cycling holiday?

 

[MarkF]

Are you on a cycling holiday?

I had hoped to cycle but it's not possible there IMO until evening when some areas are traffic free, but by evening I'd taken advantage of the many shops selling wine at 1.70 euros per 2L. First place ever that I've given in, be thinking about a helmet next..................

 

[rich p]

I'm flying to Palermo in a couple of weeks and have been warned not to drive a hire car in the city!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

We have friends in Milan, and they just say that south of about Rome they are all crazy, end of!!


That said, there were some total idiot drivers in the North (although not my friends) and, as Francesco Di...... Whatsisname, the guy off the telly) says

'Whenever other Italian drivers see a car with a Venetian numberplate, they jump for cover!!'.

 

[midliferider]

Then, where is is safe to cycle in Italy?

 

[midliferider]

Then, where is is safe to cycle in Italy?

 

[MarkF]

Then, where is is safe to cycle in Italy?

Probably most places. I had heard the southern Cities were bad and that Palermo & Catania were the worst. I commute through a v.busy conurbation every day but this was something else, totally lawless, like Wacky Races on speed, was funny to watch but no fun to cycle in.

How often do you see a car crash? I'd guess at once a month, in Catania, sit down, relax and it's one per beer, 10-15mins max.

 

[asterix]

We have friends in Milan, and they just say that south of about Rome they are all crazy, end of!!


That said, there were some total idiot drivers in the North (although not my friends) and, as Francesco Di...... Whatsisname, the guy off the telly) says

'Whenever other Italian drivers see a car with a Venetian numberplate, they jump for cover!!'.

That's the answer: get yourself a false Venetian plate and as soon as you have the hire car swap 'em over. You can do what you like then.

Athens was bad 10 years ago. I can't recall seeing any cyclists. It could have been fear that drove them off the streets or else the prospect of being gassed by the fumes. We hired a very battered old car and altho scary and we spent most of the time lost we did survive and even got our deposit back.

Wonder what it's like now they are all broke?

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I remember Naples looking fairly hellish too, but didn't a member on here live there for a while??

Is it really as bad as it looks??

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Then, where is is safe to cycle in Italy?

I think there is a little road somewhere in the Alps...