Culture Shock in Sicily: 7 Truths No One Tells You

😮 Culture shock in Sicily is real, and we’re not sugarcoating it. Even though Croce was born and raised in Carini, coming back after decades in the U.S. brought its own surprises. In this video, we share the 7 truths about life in Sicily that no one tells you, from the trash problem to navigating narrow streets, and the quirky aspects of living here that might surprise you. Whether you’re thinking about moving to Sicily or just curious, we’ve got the real scoop.

⏱️ VIDEO CHAPTERS:
00:00 Culture shock in Sicily, the real story
00:17 Dealing with Sicily’s trash issues
01:46 Driving through narrow streets in old towns
03:07 What to expect in public bathrooms
03:59 How locals shop for fruits and veggies
05:01 Getting basic medicine in Sicily
05:45 Surprise TV tax on your electric bill
06:28 Water shortages and conservation habits
06:55 Bonus: Parking stress and driving culture

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#SicilianLife #cultureshockinsicily #lifeinsicily #movingtosicily #sicilyitaly #expatlife #livingabroad

[finikitooo]

I lived in Sicily for 4.5 years and I loved it, I got used to all their quirks and learned to live there. I did not expect it to be like in the US. Driving takes a little time but it is fun. I never saw a High School shooting, I never saw police brutality, and if you are not involved with the maffia, you won't even know they are there, they do not bother you. Food is so good and so healthy, that it will never compares with the food in the US and is cheap.

[annamariaalaimo]

Narrow streets have never been a problem for real sicilians. We actually love our ancient, small villages and we believe that those narrow stone paved streets are so charming.

[danielt]

Most of the comments offered as a negative are actually what makes me like to move to Sicily! I'm sorry but this sounds like you want Sicily to look and feel like Kansas City. I appreciated your concluding remarks. You brought back the balance. Thanks.

[terenceduplock]

Spent five years in Sicily and then moved to Sardinia. Would recommend anybody thinking of leaving Sicily to check out the life here. No water shortages, polite but fast drivers, fantastic neighbours ( we are only foreigners in our commune), and publics services and transport that work. It does help if you can learn the language

[ChristineF]

I was shocked at how dirty Palermo was. And how crazy the driving was. But like you said not every town is like that. I found Cefalu, Catania and Capo d Orlando much cleaner and not as crazy. Haha. Sicily has my heart. Hopefully by fall of 2026. Fingers crossed 🤞.

[annmarienoone]

I watched a man and his elderly mother walking down a beautiful street in Sicily, they tossed a bag of garbage over the stone wall, it was heartbreaking. Such a beautiful country that is covered in trash.

[johnsmith-gkry]

I stayed in Sciacca for a vacation in 2018. Sicily is one of the best palaces I ever went to. The people were great. What a great time we had.

[giuseppabosco]

Wow I was just curious what people thought about living in Italy My husband and I are both first generation Sicilian I myself lived in Sicily for a few years and as I'm looking at your video I noticed that you were sp speaking about the one-way bridge in my father's town and I totally agree I have gone reverse on that bridge many times. He is from villagrazia di carini

[joannedecarolis]

We were there in May 2024 and did not see a big trash problem. If you are in Italy you should expect narrow streets. The issues you complain about seem trivial. Enjoy the beautiful Sicilian and Italian culture. I wish I was there instead of here in NJ without the beauty, warmth, food and culture in Italy.

[lorenzo]

.. probably whatever orange or fruit that you can get in Sicily is by a mile better to whatever orange you can find in any supermarket in the United States. I remember my Sicilian roommate telling me how in the north of Italy we were getting just the discard of their first choices (and he made me try what they have normally). And that is mainly do to not just to the terrain (volcanic in Sicily), but mainly on how the distribution of goods goes in United States, where everywhere you eat the same brand that comes from the same places.
And the fact that you cannot touch it is mainly for igiene (supermarket they need you to wear disposable gloves before getting your vegetables and fruits).

[ptrs]

In Italy at any supermarket if you want to touch the fruit or vegetables you have to use see thru gloves. If you don’t you will receive a scolding.

[kat]

May I point out there is no “Sorry” to your negative innuendos regarding the difference in cultures. You “ARE” the immigrant… Embrace your new environment and let “Go” of your past cultural life.
Live your new life to its fullest!!!😊😊😊

“LIVE. LOVE AND LAUGH”

I wish you the “ BEST”
Ooodles of love and laughter!!
I’ll see you in Sambuca di Sicilia❤❤❤

[FrancescoRossi-qs]

Hi again from Lombardy. Everything you say is more or less true here too except for waste management and driving. Concerning waste management, of the 20 Italian regions, the 3 best regions are Veneto (Venice), SARDINIA (so this has nothing to do with North/South), and Lombardy. Where I live, in Bergamo province, waste is used to generate energy and the quantity of recycled waste is the same or better than Germany. The 3 worst regions are Lazio (Rome, Italy's capital city), Campania (Naples) and SICILY (sorry guys! 😏) Concerning driving, parking, etc., the rules are more strictly enforced in Northern Italy. This is reflected in the cost of insurance. The most expensive province is Naples (1), and the least Aosta, in the far North West (117). The most expensive Sicilian province for car insurance is Messina (17) - Palermo (26) - and the least Enna (91), so Enna is the place to go for a relaxing drive.😏 Concerning the TV license, this was a political decision and it was adopted because under the previous system many people did not pay this tax, so someone thought "if you have electricity, you probably have a TV". The solutions adopted in other European countries are probably also strange for someone from the US, so this is not a specifically Italian thing.

[jojojo]

The Fruit and Vegetable Shopping Etiquette was definitely a surprise! I was wondering why all the shopkeepers looked at me funny when I picked out my produce. Never knew about the TV tax too!

[Explore-with-Isaac]

A lot of valuable information thanks for sharing. Sicily is a my list of places to visit the next time I’m in Italy 🇮🇹

[lucia]

Interesting. Yeah the trash would bother me so much. Honest perspective from an American standpoint. The driving in the city if freaking insane. My Sicilian father always said he originally thought these are the worst drivers then he said no they're the best drivers. They just go and it all works out somehow lol

[stevenphillips]

I was stationed in Sigonella for 6 months, for the first three monhs in during summer it was hazey all the time. Then one day in the fall, I walked outside in the moring and the sky had cleared up, and there was Mt Etna ! .... just 10 miles away clear as day with smoke rising from the summit . I could not see it for that first thre months

[RetiredNomadAdventures]

Thank you for sharing both the good and the not so good. It’s so helpful to have a complete perspective. The trash situation would hurt my heart. I’m so surprised about the TV tariff. I’m very impressed with you driving there! Such a beautiful place and your love for Sicily comes through! ❤

[susanlombardo]

I was in Carini last year in October. I had stayed in Palermo for several nights and wanted to see Carini. I had an espresso and a cornetto at the Cafe in Carini. Then I walked around and went into a Church. Then I drove up the mountain, Google took me up the mountain onto a dead end street, in front of someone’s fenced garage. Then I noticed there was a fire on the mountain, very close. I got so scared seeing the smoke was so close, I left the mountain and drove to Cefalu. As well, while driving to Cefalu, I saw 2 other fires on different mountains. That is very scary these fires happening all over.
What made you choose to live in Carini?
After staying a couple of nights in Cefalu, I then went and stayed in Caccamo several nights.
I am coming back to Palermo this Fall. 😊

[charliemoffett]

Outside of the trash issue, most of these "harsh realities" are just circumstantial for living in a different environment and are barely inconvenient. I half expected square pizza to be on the list. Anyway, glad to see these videos and buona fortuna a tutti.