Rubbish is collected from all houses in the town every day, except Sunday. You simply place the rubbish outside the door. Most houses have an S-hook hanging from the balcony – use it for food waste so that the city’s dogs and cats don’t go in the rubbish. It’s a good idea not to leave food waste hanging out overnight.

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The rubbish collection schedule is as follows:
Monday: food waste and cans
Tuesday: cardboard and paper
Wednesday: plastic
Thursday: food waste
Friday: general waste
Saturday: glass bottles

It is possible to pay by card in most places in town, but cash is practical in many situations.

There are three ATMs in the town – at the closed UniCredit bank on Largo Convento, at the BAPS bank not far from the large pharmacy on the main street, and at the post office.

Note that parking is limited in parts of the town. On the main street there is a 30 and 60 minute limit – keep an eye on the signs. The parking attendants are very active. In addition, parking is allowed in most places.

If you are renting or living with friends/family in the narrow streets, the unwritten rule is that you are entitled to the space outside the house. If there is an empty space in the street, you can use it, but you may risk being pushed in the street as a sign that you need to remove your car. This is usually always done with a smile.

There is a well-developed network of bus routes in Sicily – use the link below to see connections and book a seat. To and from Cianciana there are buses three times a day (except Sunday) to the Central Station in Palermo. From here you can take a train to, for example, the airport. From Ribera there is a direct bus to/from the airport.

Buses and trains are usually cheap (€9 from Cianciana to Palermo). There are trains from Palermo to Agrigento, and there is also a train connection along the north coast to Cefalu and further east.

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​Book train tickets: trenitalia >

​Book bus tickets: prestiaecomande >

​Booking site: rome2rio >​

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Bus Timetable Cianciana-Palermo >​

There are siestas all year round.

Shops, groceries, bakeries, stores etc. are open every weekday including Saturday from approx. 8:00 to 12:30, and again from approx. 16:30 to 20:00. Note the word ‘approximately’!
Wednesdays are only open till noon-ish.

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Supermarkets are open every weekday including Saturday from approx. 8:00 to 12:30, and again from approx. 16:30 to 20:00. Note the word ‘approximately’!

Coop are now also open Sunday morning till noon-ish.

Bars and cafés are typically open at the same times every day of the week.
Restaurants open around 19:00. Locals rarely eat out before 21:00.

During major holidays such as Easter and Ferragosto, it is a good idea to book a table.
 

On Mondays, all the restaurants in the town, except La Torretta, are closed.
 

It is difficult to eat lunch out – Panificio San Giuseppe is generally the only lunch spot in the city, but in high season other restaurants may be open for lunch.

As a general rule, tipping is not expected, but if you have had a good experience it is fine to leave some euros.

Many of Cianciana's streets are one-way. There are not always signs, so assume that the street is one-way.

As busy as Sicilians can be on the road, they can take their time in the towns. It is not uncommon for traffic to be stopped because the car in front needs to have a chat or pass on information to an oncoming driver or pedestrian. As a rule, the person in front is given a few minutes to finish the conversation, and when impatience takes over, you can give a friendly hoot.

The roads are generally in worse condition than you are used to further north, so keep an eye on the road conditions - potholes and bumps are not uncommon.

In general, Italians are happy to keep traffic flowing, so 'go with the flow', and don't hold back - you won't get anywhere. Sicilians are usually friendly in traffic, but they want to get out of there!