What Should I Pack for a Cycle Tour of Sicily?

Leaving for a long trip overseas can be stressful. When you think about all the things you need to bring with you, the list can get a touch overwhelming. And once you lengthen your stay away from home, you also probably need to lengthen your list of packed items.

And what if you were headed for a destination you’d never been before? How about a beautiful gem of an island smack in the middle of the Mediterranean? An island filled with folklore and legend; food and wine?

It isn’t easy getting ready for a destination you’ve never been too – especially if you plan on biking there. At Ciclismo Classico, we have over 30 years of travel and cycling experience and can help you shorten your list of “musts” to only a few items. We may even add on a few necessary things as well to make sure you have the best time on your La Bella Sicilia bike trip.

So, when you head out the door for a fantastic vacation in the south of Europe, don’t forget these special elements to make your journey magical:

Travel Documents

This may seem like a no-brainer, but how many times have you traveled in the US and have forgotten your important papers?

Check to make sure your passport is valid and signed. Make sure you print out your flight itinerary as well as the first hotel you’ll be staying at in Italy. You should probably print out the Ciclismo Classico La Bella Sicilia itinerary and study that while on the plane.

Or maybe you’re a product of the 21st century. Electronic copies and .pdfs are a great way of saving space in your carry-on as well as saving trees. But how many times have we forgotten to charge our phone while in the flight or at home? Charge those puppies up if you have your life on your smartphone or tablet. And know where to get your info in a hurry when you need it.

And renew your passport: you can’t have an electronic copy of that!

Sunglasses or Sunhat

Sicily gets hit by the sun almost 11 months a year. All of that sun (when it strikes the limestone plazas) has an incredible blinding effect on the eyes. You may think your eyes will be fine, and they probably are for the first 10 minutes. But if you spend over an hour outdoors (and you will on a bicycle) be sure to have some eye protection to prevent strain.

On a cycle trip, sunglasses also keep the wind out of your eyes. So they are also handy on windy days as you are walking around the city on a guided tour, for example. Keep them with you at all times and try not to misplace them!

Light Scarf

A light scarf is perfect for the ladies during hot days and cool Sicilian evenings. Typically the weather in the spring and summer is very hot. But the temperatures can fall significantly in the evening. A light shall is great to have to cover up the shoulders while you’re outside enjoying an aperitif near Apollo’s Temple in Syracuse.

However, a scarf can have a smart daytime use as well. Some consecrated churches will not allow ladies to enter in bicycle shorts. A light scarf is a great way to cover up any of the “extremities” and please the papal patrons. This way you can ride your bike and get some culture, while being entirely respectful of the locals.

Electrical Charging Cables

If you’ve read this far, you’ve already covered the part about your travel documents. When you decide to go full electronic copy, you need to make sure your devices are charged.

But to keep them charged, you need the right cables.

Don’t imagine once you’re in the backcountry of Vizzini you’re going to find a recharge cable for the latest Samsung Galaxy. Ciclismo Classico prides itself on taking you “off the beaten path.” That means you probably won’t find the cable you’re looking for in the precise moment you’re looking for it. For that matter, you probably won’t find anything electronic you’ll need.

But you will find a lot of sheep.

So, bring the cable with you. And if you have a cable, you’ll need an adapter for a European outlet (France / Italy / Spain).

BONUS: sometimes our cyclists need to recharge their phones while biking along our route. You could always leave your phone in the van and a guide like Paolo would charge it from the cigarette lighter. However, if someone like Paolo needs to duck into the center of Caltagirone to pick up his laundry, you won’t see your phone for a while. Bring your own power bank and keep charging whenever you’d like (oh, and make sure you bring your power bank’s cables and adapter!)

Wild Animal Ointments

Sometimes when you are in the backcountry, Mother Nature may have different plans for your vacation. Swimming in the Mediterranean could entail an entanglement with a jellyfish. Make sure to pack some neosporin or a similar antibiotic ointment in the off-chance you get stung.

If you know you are allergic to bee stings, bring an epipen. Sicily is a bonafide hive of amazingly passive bees. But you never know when you’re going to get the angry one!

Shoes

Italians are stylish people; Sicilians are more so. It’s a mystery how so many men and women living in the peninsula are able to wear dress shoes or high-heels and still walk over cobblestones, without falling.

Make sure to have a stylish dress shoe for some evenings. Many of our gastronomic experiences are within the elegant confines of Michelin starred restaurants. The management would look not appreciate if you show up in your Chuck Taylors. But a nice dress shoe is appropriate in the evenings at times.

Your other shoe can be a comfortable sneaker or tennis shoe for the daytime. Walking over roman ruins or across fields is hard to do in heels. Bring a sneaker.

Also bring a flip-flop or beach sandal with you. Those are great when you’re coming down to our route rap in the morning. Just toss put on your bike shoes, toss the sandals in the van, and away you ride!

Cash

These days you don’t need travelers’ checks and don’t bring large sums of American USD. Years ago, changing checks or hard currency in banks and hotels was a breeze. These days its tough to find any place that would offer these services (unless its a five-star hotel. Banks won’t change currencies anymore).

All Euros or any European currency can be taken from any ATM using your debit card. Sure, there is a bit more of a transaction fee, but consider you are paying for the convenience. this way you don’t have to travel with exorbitant amounts of money on your person.

In addition, have a regular credit card with you. Some of the hotels will ask you for it as a guarantee and it helps to book train or bus tickets on line with your own card.

Sleeping Aids

If the jetlag won’t get to you, maybe you’ll have a roommate who snores. Or maybe your spouse tosses and turns in the night. Whatever keeps you up, find a remedy for it.

Earplugs, sleeping mask, melatonin…bring whatever you use at home to get some shut-eye. If the kilometers we give you during the day doesn’t do the job, you may need some nighttime help.

Sunscreen

Our trips supply basic 30- or 50- proof sunscreen. However, if you have your own brand, or have a specific dermatological condition, bring your own. And make sure it’s string.

While on the bike, many cyclists opt for “sun sleeves:” a type of light-weight arm-warmer that protects the skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Consider you will be out in the sun for hours at a time, day after day. Whatever you need to protect your skin, bring it!

Laundry Soap

This is a great topic for debate. La Bella Sicilia is a 9-day cycling adventure. We run this departure in May and June; then September and October. The sun, the heat, and the sweat can make your cycle kit awfully grungy by the end of the day. So what do you do? Should you bring nine kits?

Nope. Only bring three. And bring a little laundry detergent and wash your clothes in the bidet. Some people prefer washing them in the sink. And that’s okay too, but where are you going to brush your teeth?

No laundry detergent? No problem. A little hand soap or shampoo from the hotel and you’ll make it though those other six days. Rain or shine.

Cycle Gear

Bring three kits complete with socks and gloves (if you use them). Those should be fine for a nine-day trip.

Be sure to pack your helmet, shoes and pedals and one kit in your carry-on bag. If your checked luggage doesn’t make it to your final destination (which has happened in the past), at least you have the fundamentals to get you on the bike for a couple of days (and then you hit a bike shop and get yourself all new kit!)

Make sure to pack a wind jacket, a rain jacket and leg warmers. The summers in Sicily can be hot and sunny. But every-so-often there is a cold front or a rainstorm which makes its way up from Africa. It is better to have extra clothing and not need it than to need it and not have it.

What about you? What do you think is an essential item to bring along on a bicycle vacation in Sicily? Let us know what you think in the comments below!