Stefano Ferro is the founder and editor of MEL365.com, a travel & photography website made to enhance the travelling experience and improve the photography work.
Stef is a professional travel photographer with past experience in the cycling and film industry.
Stefano runs travel photography workshops in Melbourne and around the world.
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Also, don't buy the car hire company's extra insurance, buy it before you go. It costs around £13 for a week or around £45 for an annual policy.
Hi Stefano, my friend and I are off to Sicily on Friday, so this was a very helpful video - thank you. But , as others have mentioned below a UK drivers licence IS valid in Italy and therefore all insurance will be too. Perhaps you could update your video to reflect this fact ? I researched this thoroughly whilst planning our trip, so your video completely freaked me ( as I am sure it did others) when you said that our licenses were not valid....x
Thanks Jo, you are 100% correct. I did realise the mistake too late, but unfortunately, KZread doesn't allow you to "modify" the video.. I wrote it in the video description in big letters, that usually helps. I agree on insuring before the trip Cheers
Great video. I love exploring the small Greek islands.
Thanks. Yeah, you can still find some genuine people
This is one of the most informative sharing about Tuscany that I ever viewed. Thanks and much, Stefano. appreciated.
No worries. Enjoy Tuscany 👍
No worries. Enjoy Tuscany 👍
Brilliant
Stefano: what is the best website to track the weather for Etna? Grazie
www.centrometeoitaliano.it/meteo/sicilia/catania/etna+rifugio+sapienza/ is a good source. Keep in mind that things can change very quickly, so dress in layers 😜 enjoy your trip
Thank you so much!!! We are arriving this Sunday 😎
@isabellnorris8265 enjoy!!
Rent a car be robbed in signing the paper that is pura vida. C.R.' sGovernment totally indifferent to that decades old scandal. Pura vida.
Thank you. I’m choosing between summit trekking to 3350m and 3000m from the other side. The tour organizer says the scenery is quite different which makes it difficult to decide
The guide is right. The other side has less people around being not as popular and accessible. They are both fantastic
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.
Sad truths unfortunately. But you missed so much. Like gigantic potholes, like a highways being a joke, with 110 speed limit, tolls you can only pay with cash, and one of lanes closed for maintenance every 10km, etc. Seriously I've never enjoyed driving around so little as in Sicily...
Thank you! Very useful video!
Michael Mosley sadly brought me here. Thanks for the video Stefano.
Me too. 😔
Be aware that the car rental company „Sicily by car“ is a scam. They will find a way to make you pay.
Stay away from the car rental company „Sicily by car“. This is a criminal organization that will find a way to rip you off.
Thank you for information. Great video 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Is it necessary to reserve a guide in advance for this hike or can I just show up? Grazie
I would book for a one to one guide. Otherwise, just show up. I would book in mid-July to August, the peak season
Stefano Ferro Thank so much for the quick response and this very helpful video. What do you mean by one on one tour? We will visit in the last week of June & will have a rental car. I prefer to be more flexible and not book a „big“ tour where u meet a guide & other people somewhere in the city and start traveling up to Etna (gondola & bus) all together. What is the name for the hike (destination) you did? Grazie
@isabellnorris8265 yeah, sorry, let me explain better. Renting a car is a fantastic idea. There is only one way up. You arrive at the gondop base and buy a ticket for the summit. This means, cable carl, then 4x4 bus to a mid point and then there is a group guide that takes the bus group (20 people) to a further point. That's what you have seen in the video. Alternatively you can book a guide just for you (1-to-1). It costs considerably more but you can arrange the day you want
thank you
No worries 👍
Thank you !
No worries 👍
San Vito Lo Capo was littered with rubbish. Trapani is totally missable if it wasn't for the must-see village of Erice - one if my most loved experiences in Scicily. You do get used to the rubbish in Scicily, and the grafitti, but not on a beach. I find that pretty gross. But Scicily is so awesome.
I cant find the link what is the rental car site he used
mel365.com/MySuggestedCarRentalWebsite
Hi Stefano, We planned to travel Italy in December. We have a group of 6 people. Rent a car will be travelling outskirts and seeking your advice the type of car with 4 mid size luggage?
Hi Jesmine, I think you have 3 options. Minivan (e.g., Fiat Talento, Peugeot Traveller, Ford Tourneo Custom): Pros: Spacious, flexible seating, ample cargo space. Cons: Larger size can be challenging in narrow city streets. Large MPV (e.g., Volkswagen Caravelle, Mercedes-Benz V-Class): Pros: Comfortable seating, good legroom, decent luggage capacity. Cons: Can be expensive to rent. Large SUV with Three Rows (e.g., Toyota Highlander, Ford Expedition): Pros: Good balance of passenger comfort and luggage space. Cons: Slightly less luggage space than minivans, higher fuel consumption Enjoy your trip!!
@@StefanoFerro thank you Sir!!
Excellent service!
Cheers
loved this video!! i’ll be going alone next time (22, female) and i really want to be among people, surrounded by restaurants, stores, coffee shops, malls, bars, etc, so south beach definitely sounds like the perfect spot for me. i was just wondering if you had any idea if there’s any more northern soflo places anywhere from fort lauderdale (will most likely be my airport) to west palm beach that share that south beach vibe (obviously not to miami extent - lol). i have old friends to see in wpb and it’d be a hassle to drive up and down (for either them or me 😂) constantly, but i want to meet new people and not stay somewhere super quiet like last year (boca raton!) so it seems i’ve got to make that sacrifice. thanks!
If you prefer to stay closer to your friends in West Palm Beach but still want a lively atmosphere, West Palm Beach itself offers plenty to do. However, if you're willing to drive a bit, Fort Lauderdale and Delray Beach are excellent alternatives that offer a vibrant social scene without the possibly overwhelming vibe of South Beach. Enjoy your trip
how about gray color? it just doesn't work.
Super helpful!!! Thank you!
No worries 👍
Thank you so much. Amazing video. I visit next month.
No worries, mate. Enjoy
Hi
Hey
How do you get from the bus stop in Taormina into town?
I highly suggest walking. There is a bus but the timetable is not that reliable. This bus actually stops twice in town, but only if seats are available, so I personally suggest going to the main station if you want to be 100% sure to catch it
We are getting off a cruise in civitivecchia and wanting to hire a car to go to the Val d’orcia region. Where should we hire a a car from? The port? Florence? Rome? I want to avoid big city traffic pick up experience One way as we are headed to Varenna in lake Como after our 5 days driving tour. Thanks in advance! 😊
Great road trip!! The easiest would be to rent the car in Civitavecchia. From there, you can drive through the beautiful Lazio and Tuscany countryside to Val D'Orcia. The issue is that usually they have a limited availability, but if you find the right car for you, I wouldn't hesitate to start my trip from there. Have a look at my suggested website to book a car, you may be lucky. The alternative is Rome Fiumicino Airport. There is much more availability and better prices, but you would need to go there from the port, and the way to Val D'Orcia through the highway is not as scenic. I wouldn't go to Florence to rent a car. Val D'Orcia is between Rome and Florence, so you would make your trip much longer, back and forward. I hope I was able to help out. Have a great trip
Very useful information, really appreciate you to create such a great video 🙏🏼
I'm glad it was helpful!. Thanks for your feedback Enjoy your trip to Spain 🇪🇸
Stefano, wife and I are looking for a place to stay between our time in Florence and Rome as we close out our three week trip to Italy. Looking at Arezzo. Would love to know why you mention as a romantic destination. Love your videos.
Romantic because the historical centre is so beautiful but not as touristy as the other cities in Tuscany. Still expect narrow lanes, cobblestone streets, local tavernas, etc. Another town you should consider between Rome and Florence is Orvieto. It's in Umbria, just a few km from Tuscany. I love it. It's located on top of a small hill reachable with a sort of cable car from the train station. The old centre is once again so beautiful. Enjoy your trip
This isn't free version of darktable
Appreciated the video! I'm going to spend my summer holiday in Malta and I'll rent a car. Any suggestion for a good rent agency?
AutoUnion, addCar, OTO, Sixt are all good. Check the contract and make sure all the damages are included in the picture. Remember to take photos and videos at the pickup. I would stay away from Malta First Car Hire and Surprice Car Rentals although their prices are awesome (in fact, too low to be true). These days, I generally book my cars from DiscoverCars (mel365.com/CarRental), a sort of Airbnb for cars, I go only for rental companies rated 8 or above. Enjoy Malta
Thank you for an informative video! Your camera work is great!
Nice video😊Do they make problems when you fly a drone there?
Not based on my experience, just 2 suggestions. You would require a permit. If you don't have one, take extreme caution 😉 . Don't land on the magnetic volcanic ash. It would very likely damage the drone
@@StefanoFerro where do I Can score a permit in Italy?
@@stefanvdh7658 It depends on the size of your drone. I suggest checking out drone-laws.com/drone-laws-in-italy/ a good place to start investigating. For the permit, you should check www.enac.gov.it/
Thx.I have a Licence from EASA,that is an European licence.Drone is still the original Mavic Pro from Dji.
Thank you so much again!
I’ve been looking at staying in the Brera district while we’re visiting but we’re not sure how quick or how we can get to the cadorna train station early. We have to be at airport for departure by 6:30 am?
The walk is around 20 minutes, based on where you are around in Brera. Public transport opens at 5am so it's not doable. Or book a taxi well in advance. Enjoy Milan 👍
@@StefanoFerro I stated that incorrectly. We need to be at airport early for a 9:40 flight back to US…..I’m guessing we need to get to airport by 6:40 am for intl flight
@liebet9491 good planning. Last time I went to Miami from Milan it took a really long time. There is a special area for US check in too
Is there a minimal age for renting a car?
There may be. Some providers have a 19y others 21 y old policy,.but it depends. I wrote more about on mel365.com/how-old-do-you-have-to-be-to-rent-a-car-in-spain/
Rented a Fiat 500 last year everything went smooth. Will be there next month again for another island road trip
Enjoy 👍
which car rental? thanks
@Snappie7 I usually rent from the link in the video description. There are a few companies rated by customers, a sort of Airbnb for car rentals. I go for rated 8/10 and above. 9 even better. Enjoy your trip
video good, info good . your choice of music the singing is shit.
Indeed Gary. We need to catch up!!
Great!! What are your movements next week?
Back in Melbourne!!
Indeed. We should catch up. Long time no see
I believe Anafi is boring
Thank you for the amazing drone footage and rental car information! It's beneficial. I plan to rent a car in Sicily in June. You capture breathtaking landscapes with your drone, but what procedures must I follow to use a drone in Italy? Or is it not necessary?
They change regularly. There are a few common to most countries like you cannot use it over events, for example, and others more specific. I suggest you check the official websites and not trust any suggestions or comments on social media. All the best for your trip 😜
Thank you for your advice. I will check the ENAC website.
NIce to share your experience, those pictures from the castle and information. I´ll be there soon
Beautiful video. You have a great personality
Thanks. You made my day 💛
this car rental advice is terrible. please read the comments on their google maps review. it's scandalous!!! maps.app.goo.gl/CLF4w7m6pAWDFryd6
Thanks for the explanation
No worries :)
Very useful, thanks!
Hi Stef, Great advise on where to stay in Hanoi, Your last location you did not say where it was ????. You walked down beside some Cathedral but you did not say what area you were in ???. Max. Australia.
Hey Max, it's in the Old Centre but well hidden. This is the exact location of the street on Google Maps maps.app.goo.gl/N6xFePEZzNzTjfDC8 . Enjoy Vietnam!!
This was my experience at the car rental companies in Fiumicino airport. Beware and be careful. Do not hand over any personal information to any agent until you agree upon a price. The price from your reservation will mean nothing. It's a high pressure game to get you to agree to the most insurance and inflated charges you will accept. They may just go ahead and charge your card regardless of you renting from them....unbelievably. Budget went ahead and charged my card.... (WITHOUT MY AUTHORIZATION AND KNOWLEDGE!) over $ 900.00. This charge was placed on my credit card after I refused to rent from Budget for not honoring the quote from Orbitz for just under $400.00. After several minutes of arguing with the counter agent, I was handed over to a "manager", same bull. I said no and left. The charge for more than $900.00 was pending for 7 days. Then removed. I went over to Hertz. I had another reservation from Orbitz. I made multiple reservations because of the reputation rental companies had in Fiumicino airport. Hertz also did not honor quoted price from Orbitz. It was almost two hundred euros more. The agent was pressuring to take extra insurance. He was rude. It was like he was selling time shares. Making believe he was calling his manager and others to argue his case??!! I also walked away from this mess. The one company that not only honored my quote but that the agent acted professionally and graciously was Enterprise. I would give them another try. My experience at budget was mirrored by a friend that Also flew into Rome FCO. I'm honestly at a loss for words at the level of corruption and lack of professionalism and the outright contempt for the customer displayed at the auto rental counters at Fiumicino airport. As an Italian myself I am embarrassed and disgusted that travelers from around the world are treated this way upon first arriving in Italy. Don't hand over any docs or credit cards until price is agreed upon.
You are right. Garbage is a real eyesore in some parts of Sicily.