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Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Novara di Sicilia
Spend a half‑day to explore the historic centre and a nearby church, then head to the Aeolian Islands or Taormina; one night optional.
Novara di Sicilia is a small medieval hill town in Messina province, offering a compact historic centre, several churches and a museum. It serves as a convenient base for day trips to the Aeolian Islands, Tindari, Taormina and Giardini Naxos. One night is enough to see the sights; longer stays are only for festivals.
- Country
- Italy
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat, occasional festival crowds)
- Stay
- 1 (optional) nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget €30–50 excl. bed · Mid €50–80 excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Fire and ambulance 115
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee in a bar | €1–2 |
| Pastry (e.g., Buemi) | €2–4 |
| Bottle of local Pecorino cheese | €5–8 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CTA · Catania–Fontanarossa Airport
- About 95 km (59 mi) by road, bus or car to Novara di Sicilia.About 59 mi (95 km) by road, bus or car to Novara di Sicilia.
Typical fares
- Bus Novara → Milazzo round‑trip
- about €12 (check)
- Ferry Lipari → Vulcano (one way)
- about €20 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The town is best explored on foot; parking is limited in the historic centre.
See and do
Known for
- Medieval town centre
- Five historic churches
- Anthropological Museum
- Proximity to Aeolian Islands
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Aeolian Islands | Bus from Novara to Milazzo (≈45 km (28 mi)), then ferry; total ≈2 h door‑to‑doorBus from Novara to Milazzo (≈28 mi (45 km)), then ferry; total ≈2 h door‑to‑door | ≈2 h |
| Taormina | Bus to Milazzo then regional train to Taormina; about 1 h 30 min total | ≈1 h 30 min |
| Tindari Archaeological Park | Bus from Novara to Tindari (≈30 km (19 mi)); about 45 minBus from Novara to Tindari (≈19 mi (30 km)); about 45 min | ≈45 min |
Sleep
- Sganga Konde King
- Simple guesthouse in the town centre; good for one night.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Scusiskuˈzi |
| Thank you | Grazieˈɡrattsje |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa?ˈkwanto ˈkosta |
| Where is the bus stop? | Dove è la fermata dell’autobus?ˈdove ɛ la ferˈmata dʎautobus |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- Opening hours of churches and museum usually 09:00‑13:00; verify before visiting.
- Festival dates can bring crowds; confirm dates if traveling in July‑August.
Generally safe; watch belongings in crowded festivals and keep an eye on stray dogs in rural outskirts.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Novara di Sicilia yet. Suggested stay: 1 (optional) nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Medieval town centre
- Five historic churches
- Anthropological Museum
- Proximity to Aeolian Islands
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Comune di Novara di Sicilia official site: www.comunedinovaradisicilia.me.it/
- Wikivoyage: Novara di Sicilia, revision 4685458 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4685458
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/novara-di-sicilia). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.