SYRACUSE, SICILY:
A 3-Night Travel Guide for Families with Autistic Children
Useful information for Families Travelling with Autistic / ADHD Children
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OUR ITINERARY
Our neurodiverse family enjoyed a fun packed family holiday on Ortigia Island in Syracuse' stunning Old Town. Our autistic sons especially loved the beaches and ancient ruins!
DAY ONE
Flight from Gatwick to Catania in the morning.
Collect hire car and drive to Ortigia Island, Syracuse.
Arrive at the apartment about 3pm, unload luggage then park car in nearby underground carpark.
Supermarket shop and visit to Gelataria for icecream!
Takeaway pizza or dinner in the apartment (with friends).
DAY TWO
Walk gently from the south to the north of the island, seeing the harbour and exploring the little streets and alleyways.
View the Temple of Apollo and visit the Old Market and delis to buy fresh produce
Early(ish) lunch at Arancina
Afternoon island tour to see all the main sites with the VeloBike company
Time for an icecream
Walk back to the apartment through windy streets
Home cooked dinner in apartment (with friends)
DAY THREE
Quiet morning as Fred had been ill during the night.
I popped out to get coffees and some sicilian pastries. Stopped to look around the church at end of our street. J also goes out mid-morning for a stroll and to get supplies for lunch.
Lunch in apartment
Afternoon swim at La Spiaggia di Cala Rossa - great fun
Fritto Misto takeway street food for dinner in the apartment
Packing to leave the next day.
DAY FOUR
Early breakfast then pack up car.
On the road by 9am to drive south to Noto - our base for the next 4 nights.
Stop off at a large supermarket en route to replenish food supplies.
Arrive in Noto around 11am.
DAY FIVE
GETTING THERE
BY PLANE
We flew to Sicily with Wizz Air, departing from Gatwick South Terminal and arriving into Vincenzo Bellini Catania airport. The flight took around 3hrs 15mins.
It is possible to fly into Palermo instead of Catania and then travel across country to Syracuse. Palermo is around 210km from Catania on the north coast of the island. By car, the direct journey between the two cities takes about 2hr 30 minutes.
AIRPORT TRANSFERS
BY CAR:
From Catania to Syracuse's Ortigia Island by car / taxi takes approximately 55 minutes. We picked up our rental car on arrival at the airport - a process which was quite stressful and involved unsuccessful negotion to get the car size we felt we'd paid for. In the end J gave up and agreed a small amount extra per day to get one that would fit us and our luggage. I dont think I'd book through a third party price comparison site again.
BY BUS/TRAIN
Public transport (bus/train) from the airport to start of Ortigia Island takes c. 1hr 15 minutes - from there you would need to walk to your accommodation carrying your luggage or find a taxi - so you could need to allow at least 1.5hrs to reach your destination.
For more information on transferring to and from Catania Airport visit their travel page.
BY SEA
It is possible to travel to the city of Syracuse from mainland Italy by ferry or train (the carriages get put onto a ferry to cross the Strait of Messina). Not all routes take cars. For more information about taking a no-fly option visit the helpful Interrail website.
SENSORY ENVIRONMENT
We loved Sicily and staying on the island of Ortigia was reasonably accessible to us as an autistic family.
There were a number of fun outdoor activities which the boys enjoyed, and lots of interesting architecture and sculptures / fountains for them to spot.
TRAFFIC
Syracuse is a sizeable modern city with plenty of facilities including supermarkets, hospitals, schools etc. However the island of Ortigia (joined to mainland by a bridge) is pretty compact, about 1 mile long and around half a mile wide. We walked everywhere and there wasnt too much traffic on the narrow roads, although we did have to be careful to avoid the speeding vespas.
OUTDOOR PLAY
We didnt find any children's playgrounds but we were able to take the boys swimming which was great. Syracuse is on the Ionian Sea and Ortigia has a number of 'beaches' - we were staying very near to Spiaggia di Cala Rossa. It is not an accessible beach, to get to it you go down some very steep metal steps and the 'beach' is more rocky / gravelly sand but the water is turquoise and wonderfully cool - just make sure to wear beach shoes if you visit. What with the swimming and walking around the city exploring the old market, some forts and the magnificent piazzas with cathedrals and fountains the boys were able to spend enough time outside.
CROWDS
The north and central parts of the island were very busy and bustling with crowds. This end is where you'll find the main sites, large hotels, fresh market and most of the cafes, boutique shops and restaurants. The southern tip where we were staying was much quieter, and it was a relief to step away from the bustling main strips of Via Cavour and Via Roma after an hour or so and return to the relative quiet around Via Santa Teresa.
MEDICAL EMERGENCIES
IF YOU NEED EMERGENCY HELP IN SICILY YOU SHOULD CALL 112
If you know you want an ambulance you can call
118 directly.
112 is the pan-European emergency number and can be called for any type of emergency.
It is a free number which can be dialled from any landline or mobile phone.
Operators speak English and will connect you to local services. If in doubt, or if you are worried about being able to explain the emergency in Italian, this is the number to use.
The number 114 provides the same pan-European assistance for people with hearing difficulties.
You can also go to the emergency ward (pronto soccorso) at any hospital. Many doctors in Sicily speak English.
If you know which serrvice you require you can call:
Police: 113 (accidents, thefts, etc.).
Fire brigade: 115 (fires, weather emergencies).
118 is also relevant for mountain or cave rescue.
Sea Rescue 1530
ORTIGIA PHOTO GALLERY
We were a little nervous about travelling to and driving in Sicily but we shouldnt have worried. Ortigia was a stunning island with beautiful architecture, great food, sun and swimming!
As a city it was full of charm and energy - and offered stunning sea vistas. Below are a few of our favourite moments from our 3 night stay in this ancient city.
SLEEPING
We booked a large stylish apartment with bijou balconies and a fresh sea view.
There are plenty of hotels and apartments to choose from in Syracuse.
After a lot of research and looking at apartments online we decided to stay in the Old Town on Ortigia. We were attracted by the proximity to the sea and the beuatiful cobbled streets.
We booked a very spacious first floor 3 bedroom apartment that had a sea view from a cute balcony for 2. It had two kitchen / living areas which was a little strange for us but would make a good option for two couples travelling together or a family with teenagers who wanted a bit of space / second TV. Despite the heat we found the apartment to be cool and well shaded, with its black out shutters and cool marble floor tiles.
We really enjoyed staying on Ortigia with our Sunflowers. Being so close to lots of the sites made it possible to take Charlie and Fred out for short periods before coming back for some downtime. Fred loved being able relax in the cool, quiet dark lounge and then pop outside on the balcony to do a spot of people watching. It was also nice to step out and go for a walk in the cool of the evening once the day trippers had departed. We felt very safe doing this.
J & I took it turns to go out for some short solo walks while the other one stayed with the boys. There were lots of great places nearby for coffee and cannolli as well as churches / courtyards and shops to have a quick browse in.
EATING & DRINKING
SELF-CATERING
We rarely eat out with the boys, other than trips to a few of their favourite cafes locally. Our plan for Sicily was to self-cater most / all of our meals, with the added benefit of helping to keep costs down. To make sure Charlie would be ok we had packed plenty of safe foods from home including marmite, oat cakes, oat milk, corn snacks and fruit yoyo's.
SUPERMARKETS
There is no large supermarket on Ortigia, a fact we discovered after we'd put away the car for night. We had to make do with the smaller stores that carrying a limited range of products on our first night. The next day we were able to supplement this with lots of incredible fresh produce from the old market near the Temple of Apollo at the north of the island.
ALCOHOL
This was freely available in supermarkets as well as specialist wine shops scattered around the island.
EATING OUT / TAKEAWAY
We did not eat out in the evening while on Ortigia, which broke's J's foodie heart as there were some incredible looking restaurants and cafes! We did however treat ourselves to one lunch and two takeways, all of which we would highly recommend! See list below for links.
Arancina Gluten Free - self explanatory! Some of the best arancini I've had with the added bonus of gluten free and vegan options. We arrived early for lunch and had a lovely table outside. They didnt mind that Charlie had his own packed lunch box.
Monte Carlo Restaurannt Pizzeria - absolutely delicious and also offered gluten free pizzas for takeaway
Sicily Fish and Chips - the ultimate street food indulgence. Their fritto misto was the BEST way to end our stay on Ortigia and went very well with an ice cold beer!
TRANSPORT OPTIONS
Ortigia Island is only around 1 mile long, and is best explored on foot.
GUIDED TOUR
We booked a guided 1 hr Velobike tour for our first afternoon which was great fun and one of our 5 favourite activities that we did on Ortigia with the boys.
CITY BUSES
If we'd longer on Ortigia then we would likely have used the city buses to get to the major sights like the Archaeological Park of Neapolis (Greek Theater, Latomie, Roman Amphitheater), the famous Archaeological Museum, and the Catacombs of San Giovanni which are further away, off the island in the mainland "new city".
HOP ON HOP OFF
In addition to traditional city buses, Syracuse also operates a hop-on hop-off tourist bus service and a seasonal tourist train. The bus route circles the historic center of Ortigia and stops at major city landmarks: from the archaeological area of Neapolis (with the Greek Theatre) to the "Paolo Orsi" museum to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Tears. Having read some awful reviews on tripadvisor we decided to give this option a miss. But its up to you!
DRIVING
It is possible to drive on Ortigia but there is a complicated system of colour coded traffic zones, so you need to really know where you can and cant drive. Our Airbnb host sorted out a pass for us so we were able to drive freely around the island which was helpful. However as we had to abandon our plans for the boat trip and roman ruins (which we would have driven to) in the end we left the car parked in a nearby underground carpark and explored on foot. We had hired the car for 7 days because after Syracuse we were going to Noto - and had plans that required our own transport.
I would also add that the streets are very narrow, and mostly one way so it can be quite stressful finding your way around in the car!
If you are driving onto the island from the mainland the main car parks are just over the bridge at the north end, they are clearly marked and not overly expensive.
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
24hr emergency assistance for motorists is provided by the Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI).
Call 116 for ACI roadside assistance. You can also call 803.116 toll-free from landlines or Italian mobile phones, or 800.116.800 toll-free from foreign mobile phones.
Remember to always take your driving license, passport, car rental agreement, and proof of insurance with you while driving. This documentation will be essential in case of an accident or if you’re stopped by the police.
GENERAL HEALTHCARE
We highly recommend that every traveller in your family is covered by comprehensive travel insurance that also includes health cover.
FREE HEALTHCARE
UK residents can access medically necessary healthcare when visiting Sicily if they have obtained an EHIC, Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or a UK European Health Insurance Card (UK EHIC) issued by the UK government.
EVERY member of the family needs their own card. You can find more information about applying on the government website. Allow sufficient times, at least 21 days for your card to arrive.
However you SHOULD STILL take out travel insurance as this may not cover all medical costs e.g. repatriation.
DOCTOR
Tourists can go directly to a GP’s surgery - however there may be a lengthy wait. To avoid these queues, it may be best to use a private provider, for example doctorsa or doctorsinitaly
It is unlikely that private health insurance in your own country would cover the consultation or prescription expenses, you would need specific travel insurance. We have not used these services.
PHARMACIST / CHEMIST
You will need to go to a pharmacy to get most over-the-counter medicines. Pharmacies are widely available and are usually identified by a green cross. They are normally open from around 8am - 8pm, but may close for a couple of hours in the early afternoon.
UK prescriptions are not accepted, though you may be able to buy an equivalent medication from the pharmacy.
Alternatively, you can visit an Italian GP to obtain a local prescription. Prescription medicines are not free in Italy, but with an EHIC or GHIC, and an Italian prescription, you will pay a reduced rate.
ANTIBIOTICS
It is possible to get antibiotics in Sicily. They can be prescribed during a video consultation with a doctor. Antibiotics in Sicily are not available over the counter and pharmacies do not have doctors on site. To buy antibiotics, you'll need to carry a doctor's prescription to a pharmacy.
HOSPITALS
UMBERTO HOSPTIAL - is located just over the bridge from Ortigia Island and has a 24hr A&E department and urgent care treatment.