Alice9

We'll be in Sicily the first 2 weeks in June, 15 days, 14 nights. We fly into Catania, and out of Palermo. We'll rent a car when we arrive and drive to Taormina. We'll ditch the car when we end up in Palermo. My husband likes to limit the number of places we stay, but I'm having trouble with that.

Here's where I'm starting but I'd appreciate some help, it's just a starting point.
1-3 Taormina including Mount Etna
4-5 Siracusa
6-7 Modica or Ragusa
then Enna? Villa Romana del Casale
8-9 Arigento
Selinunte?
10-11 Erice
12-14 Palermo

I thought Taormina would be good to start, and also be a base to visit Mt. Etna. Does 3 days sound right (it's really 3 nights, but that's a technicality). Then I don't know about staying in Siracusa (possibly the old city) and then also staying a few nights in Modica or Ragusa. The whole area seems worth spending some time.

Then it's a blur - I want to see Villa Romana del Casale and Agrigento, but I don't want to spend too much time in the car. Do I stay in Enna for a night? What about the west coast, where's the best place to stay? Is Erice a day trip or a place to stay?

And I figure 2-3 nights in Palermo, car-less.

So I guess I'd like some recommendations for the middle part of the trip. I like to keep driving under 3 hours on any particular day, unless there's a single day that requires a push. And I don't like one-nighters in general, but can do one if it helps avoid 7 hours in the car.

I want to get the itinerary settled so I can book accommodations (recommendations on those are welcome too). We've never stayed in an agriturismo, but that might be a nice thing to try in the middle of the trip.

Once accommodations are done, I'll be posting about guides, tours, and other particulars after I've done a bit of research about that. I'm THRILLED we finally booked the airfare, that's always stressful for me (I care about price and where/how long the layovers are, and then my husband wants to know what kind of PLANE we're on!).

So thanks in advance for your always insightful help.

Alice

thursdaysd

You might find the TRs on this site helpful, there are several on Sicily.

You do NOT want a car in Taormina. I would recommend less time there rather than more, except that you want to visit Mt Etna - although I certainly wasn't impressed with my visit to it, much better viewed from afar.

Definitely stay in Ortygia, it's a highlight.

You'll probably be stuck with at least one one-nighter, as the Villa Casale should not be missed, and there are recommendations not to leave luggage in your car unattended.

lrock5

I agree with no car in Taormina. I also agree with less time in Taormina. We didn't visit Mt.Etna but had spectacular views from our hotel, the Villa Carlotta. We also spent one night in Piazza Armerina to see the Villa Casale. I wouldn't miss it.

kja

"We'll rent a car when we arrive and drive to Taormina."

You've already been given excellent advice against having a car while in Taormina. Let me add that if there is ANY chance that you will experience jet lag, please note that one consequence of jet lag is a substantial increase in microsleep episodes, which are so short that you aren't even aware of them, but that are strongly associated with car accidents. And do NOT trust caffeine to solve the problem – caffeine does NOT appear to eliminate microsleeps. That means that you, and anyone else on the road, is put in danger if you drive with jet lag. Please consider your options for using public transportation for at least a day or two! And note that one option would be to reverse the order of your trip, since you already realize that you won't want a car in Palermo.

If you plan on taking a full day tour of Mt. Etna from Taormina, then 3 nights there might make sense. I would not plan on more than that. While the views from Taormina are amazing, the daytime crowds can be truly unpleasant IME.

Consider adding time to Siracusa, giving it at least 3 days, and plan on staying in Ortygia.

Note that you won't need a car for ANY of these locations.

I skipped Modica and Ragusa; I loved Noto, which is much smaller and can (if you prefer) be easily reached from Siracusa.

Definitely find a way to visit the Villa Romana del Casale and Agrigento. I loved Selinunte.

Enna has merits. Whether you should include it depends on why you want to see it. I found it a convenient and interesting place to stop between Agrigento and Piazza Armerina.

Depending on your interests, you might want a bit more time in Palermo -- at least 3 full days, maybe 4, particularly if you want to take a day trip to Cefalu. Whatever you do, do NOT skip the cathedral in Monreale!

In addition to reading some of the trip reports on this board, take a look at the planning threads, which include advice and comments from a wide range of travelers.

Sicily is wonderful -- enjoy!

Alice9

Thank you all - a question though. If we DON'T rent a car in Catania, what's the best way to get to Taormina? And if we do't need one in Siracusa, how do we get from Taormina there? Train?

AND, don't we need a car for Mt. Etna?

My husband is usually great at driving just about anywhere, even after night flights. I can usually find accommodations with parking, so we use the car if we need to and don't if we don't. The cost of car rental usually is about the same whether we rent it for 10 days or slightly less.

My husband is not a huge fan of big cities, but I might consider another day in Palermo, I know there's a lot to see.

Enna is there for the reason kja notes, as a stopping place. Maybe there are better ones, I need to look at driving times between all these destinations (more than I have already).

Honing the itinerary is hard to do!

Alice

MyriamC

Do rent a car! We always rent a car, wherever we are. If we don't need it during a day (or more) in a city, we simply leave it in the parking garage. Freedom is the most important for us. You can go wherever you want and stay as long as you want, other than having to rely on public transport.

As for Villa Romana del Casale: you can easily do this on your way from Ragusa (Modica or Noto) to Agrigento. The advantage of having your own car ...

Erice, IMO, is definitely worth a visit but I didn't feel the need to stay overnight. I really liked Trapani on the westcoast. We spent 5 nights there and I could easily have stayed longer (visit the salt pans, Marsala and maybe daytrip to the island of Favigana).

Taormina: nice but very touristy.

Whathello

I saw an identical thread which I posted that it made me want to come back to Sicily or am I dreaming ?

Anyway, seems well balanced to me. I think 2 days in Siracusa is too much.

When in Tormina we made an excursion on a small boat and we loved it.

EYWandBTV

Think about staying a little longer in fewer places so you are not running, or driving, around too much. Suggestions:

Taormina: stay only 2 nights; consider scratching Etna. Maybe even consider eliminating Taormina. We went in early November and loved it, but it had no crowds at that time. We were told by locals that in season (including June, when you might be there), the main street, which is pedestrianized, is so clogged with cruise ship tourists that you can hardly move. There are other beautiful places on your list, so perhaps avoid Taormina? This would make your travel planning simpler since Taormina is stuck up in the northeast, away from most of your preferred sites.

Siracusa: two thoughts: add at least one more night, and stay on the island of Ortigia, the center of the ancient Greek settlement (linked to the modern city by a couple of bridges)

Modica or Ragusa: these are great examples of small Sicilian Baroque cities, as is Noto, in the same area. Modica or Noto would make an easy day trip if you use Siracusa as a base (so maybe expand Siracusa to four nights; we stayed four nights and were still sorry to leave we enjoyed it so much). Here again, you would reduce the time spent moving in and out of different lodgings.

Agrigento or Selinunte: suggest one or the other. If you do both, you risk being "over-templed". Each one has several superb temple ruins. I would lean toward Agrigento; suggest staying in the little old centro on the hill overlooking the Valley of the Temples below. Note: most tour books downplay the old town but we stayed two nights and loved it.

Palermo: add some time here. It's a "super Naples"--richly endowed with history, food, sights, people, noise. Watch your back. Money belt at all times. Be sure to visit the extraordinary monastery complex at Monreale, a few miles outside Palermo.

Whatever you choose, you will have a great trip!

thursdaysd

"I think 2 days in Siracusa is too much."

Whereas I think it could be too little, especially if used as a base for a day trip to Noto.

dwdvagamundo

Agree with Thursday and EW on more time for Siracusa (and staying on Ortigia--warning, however, that driving there is very difficult. I recommend you park your car in one of the parking structures and get a cab to take you to your hotel or if your hotel offers free parking, flag down a cab and have the driver lead you to your hotel.

We skipped Taormina and have no regrets for having done so. We did drive onto Aetna, but only to visit the city from which 3/4 of my spouse's family came. While interesting, it was not "all that", so I'd follow the advice above to enjoy it from afar.

You can see the Villa Romana while going from Siracusa, Nota, etc. to Agrigento or vice-versa. If you do overnite (or even if you don't) you may want to also visit Morgantina). The Villa Romana was swamped with tourists from busses when we were there; I was the only person at Morgantina other than the ticket-taker (my spouse having opted to remain in the car.) We had plenty of time to see both in our drive from Agrigento to Siracusa.

I recommend both Agrigento and Selinunte--they are very different. Of the two, I want to return to Selinunte but thought I had a very thorough look at Agrigento in one day.

We stayed a nite on Erice and in retrospect, wish we hadn't. One reason is that it is very foggy in the mornings and the drive down the mountain was white-knuckle for my wife, the non-driver. It's small enough that you can see it as a day trip from Trapani.

Also, don't miss Segesta between Erice and Palermo.
I'd also add a day to Palermo. Palermo was one of the most pleasant surprises in our travels.

Also, driving distances in Sicily are not that great. I don't recall that we ever had a seven-hour drive.

Bon viaggio!

kja

"If we DON'T rent a car in Catania, what's the best way to get to Taormina? And if we do't need one in Siracusa, how do we get from Taormina there? Train?"

Yes, train for both

"AND, don't we need a car for Mt. Etna?"

You can only reach the lower parts of Mt. Etna by car. Beyond that, you need to take a variety of vehicles (cable car, huge ATV thing, etc). If you want to go to the top, joining an organized day tour from Taormina gives you the advantage of having all the many transitions between various types of accommodation arranged for you. And I think the tour may give you priority at some of the transition points, but I could be wrong on that.

EYWandBTV wrote, "Agrigento or Selinunte: suggest one or the other. If you do both, you risk being "over-templed"."

Not IME! I thought them sufficiently different to easily merit visiting each. In fact, I also enjoyed Segesta, the ruins in Siracusa, and the ruins in Taormina -- each had sufficiently unique elements to be of appeal to me. To each his/her own.

Alice9

Oh,so much to consider now! Since we will be snowed in for a bit (we're in the DC area and getting blitzed), I will spend some time tomorrow trying to (re)-configure the itinerary, taking all this good advice into consideration.

I see there are driving and non-driving camps. I think we fall into the former.

We WERE planning to stay in Ortigia, so it's nice to hear that's a good idea. I hadn't considered day tripping to Noto from there, so something else to consider.

I will ponder Agrigento, Selinunte or both. And ponder whether to stay in or visit Erice.

Good to know we can visit Villa Romana on the way to Agrigento.

Not sure about eliminating Taormina, the pictures look gorgeous AND I thought it might be a nice place to recuperate after all the flying.

IF we still have electricity tomorrow (PLEASE, I hate losing power when I can't get out of my frigid house), I will post my second attempt.

You ALL are great, this is so very helpful.

Alice

progol

So I have a trip planned for the last 2 weeks of May, and have 2 nights scheduled in Erice. This is making me rethink that decision, so would love to hear thoughts about staying here. Others have said that it was "the highlight" so reading these more mixed comments have me questioning this stay

(Alice, I hope you don't mind me asking here rather than a new thread -- perhaps it will be helpful for your planning, too).

kja

"I see there are driving and non-driving camps. I think we fall into the former."

Driving in Sicily can be exhilirating! It has its challenges (IME, Sicilian drivers are crazy!), but the major roads that I drove were well marked and well banked -- if only Sicilians honored the lane markings. Seriously! IME, major 2-lane highways often had 5 or more lanes of traffic, with cars on the shoulders and between the "marked" lanes, all at speeds well above posted limits and high enough to make me extremely uncomfortable.

Driving on side roads was a bit more like driving on side roads anywhere -- locals and jerks drive faster than anyone can actually do so with safety, so expect the unexpected and drive defensively.

Of course. choosing to drive for PART of your journey does not mean that you need to drive for ALL of it. Give some thought to waiting to drive until you need to, or at least, until you can do so safely.

"I hadn't considered day tripping to Noto"

It's only about 1/2 hour by train and less than an hour by bus -- check rome2rio.com I was glad to spend a night there, because I LOVE to see places in various lights, and unlike most people, I honestly do not mind changing hotels every night if it serves a purpose. Many people have different preferences -- to each his / her own!

BTW, I loved my time at the L'Approdo Delle Sirene B&B in Ortygia, which still gets great reviews. Give it a thought!
http://www.apprododellesirene.com

Hoping you are surviving the blizzard....

EYWandBTV

Re Siracusa-Ortigia and staying in L'Approdo delle Sirene (= "landing place of the sirens"): I heartily second kja's endorsement. We stayed there four nights. It was run (I assume still is run?) by a delightful family. They had moved from Rome a few years before. Frederic and another son often staffed the front desk. Frederic and wife had a cute little son who was sometimes around. Mother offered cooking classes. Outstanding Italian breakfast and awesome cappuccino. The building is on a corner of the island, very near the main bridge connecting it to modern Siracusa, just a couple of blocks from the ruins of the very early temple to Apollo. We had a second floor room on the corner with two balconies, one looking into the old harbor and customs building, the other looking out to the Med. Bliss!

Alice9

progol, Mi post es tu post (as the saying almost goes), the more the merrier. kja, and EYWandBTV, I will check out that B&B, thanks.

I still like the idea of staying in Noto or Ragusa, even if it IS close to Siracusa. I think being somewhere in the evening after many tourists are gone is a whole different experience.

It's true, everyone travels differently. I have MANY friends who just sign up for tours, do no research on their own, and are shepherded to various sites and spend half their trip on a bus. And they seem happy enough traveling that way. Needless to say, not our thing at all, or I wouldn't be on this board!

As of this morning we have about 15" of snow, but it's supposed to keep snowing all day. It's powdery, though, so MAYBE we won't lose power...

Alice

EYWandBTV

Hi Alice, I am with you on staying in a place which empties out in the evening so you can relax, wander, and get a bit of an impression of how the town really lives. Just for info: Ortigia is not mobbed in the evening. It's very pleasant, a few tourists and many locals strolling about. The central piazza is one of Sicily's most elegant, and the cathedral facing the piazza was actually built using the walls of the temple of Athena. From the outside and the inside the temple columns are clearly visible, with stones and mortar simply filling in between. This is not to comment against an overnight in one or more small towns like Noto, but just to give you a sense of Ortigia in the evening.

MyriamC

<<IME, major 2-lane highways often had 5 or more lanes of traffic, with cars on the shoulders and between the "marked" lanes>>
Are you sure this was in Sicily? We have driven there on all of our trips and have never seen such thing. Not even on the A18 between Messina and Catania, which is the busiest road on the island (we visited either June or September).
Driving in and out of the cities can be a bit of a challenge, but otherwise we found it pretty relaxing. Maybe because in Belgium we are used to dense traffic and <i>nervous</i> drivers as well.

kja

I stayed overnight in Noto for exactly those reasons!

@ MyriamC -- yes, I'm quite sure. The worst was near Palermo, heading in the direction of Segesta.

pthomas156

I did your exact trip in reverse, with the addition of a couple of days, in October and November. Worked out great. My husband, like yours, loves to drive in foreign countries, and I like to wander off on side roads, particularly along the sea, so we're a good pair. Sicily was great for that. A lot of these little towns are really special to wander around in at night, so I am also in the camp of staying in small towns instead of day tripping. We stayed two nights everywhere except Marsala (1) because usually we were driving in in late afternoon so we really only had one day. We stayed 3 nights in Taormina but we were out in the countryside (Etna and wineries plus a day for Godfather film town) both days and came back for dinner.

I am in the midst of posting a trip report called "16-day driving trip in Sicily," but I think I'm only on Day 8! Or 7. If you go to Taormina, find out if there's a concert in the Greek theater while you're there and get tickets. That would be an awesomely beautiful experience in June!