Sicily itinerary advice please
Sep 2nd, 2015, 06:10 PM
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Sicily itinerary advice please
Hi all
Currently planning a 9-day trip to Sicily next summer, late June/early July. Family with young child. Will be flying into Catania straight from downunder. Thinking about basing ourselves in Taormina for 5 nights (a slow first couple of days to get over jetlag/travel). From Taormina, will do day trips to Mt Etna, Syracuse/Noto, might go all the way to the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento.
Then head to the Aeolian Islands for 3 nights (haven't decided on which one yet), return to Taormina for 1 night before flying out of Catania early next morning.
Appreciate any comments and advice.
s
Currently planning a 9-day trip to Sicily next summer, late June/early July. Family with young child. Will be flying into Catania straight from downunder. Thinking about basing ourselves in Taormina for 5 nights (a slow first couple of days to get over jetlag/travel). From Taormina, will do day trips to Mt Etna, Syracuse/Noto, might go all the way to the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento.
Then head to the Aeolian Islands for 3 nights (haven't decided on which one yet), return to Taormina for 1 night before flying out of Catania early next morning.
Appreciate any comments and advice.
s
Sep 2nd, 2015, 09:06 PM
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It really depends on what YOU want to see and experience, but FWIW, here are my thoughts:
Taormina was my LEAST favorite place in Sicily -- the views were spectacular, and I did love those
, but the place is SO jam-packed with day-trippers during the day that I actually found being there unpleasant -- and I was there in May, before high season began (and when you would apparently be there). Taormina itself is NOT, IMO, a good base -- parking is extremely limited, and if you are relying on public transportation, then for most purposes, you would need to travel to/from Giordini Naxos each way. Granted, the funicular that connects the two can be pleasant, but having to do that every time I wanted to leave Taormina would wear on me. YMMV!
If you need to fly out of Catania in the early morning, you might want to consider staying nearer to Catania / the airport. That could simplify your logistics.
From my perspective, the highlights of Sicily include the cathedral in Monreale (with its cloisters); the ruins of Agrigenta, Selinunte, and Segesta; the mosaics of the Villa Romana del Casale; Ortygia; and Palermo. Sounds like you MIGHT hit one or two of them. As already said, it depends on what YOU want to see and experience.
If you are committed to the Aeolians, you might explore options for going there as soon as possible upon arrival -- that could be a good place to overcome jet lag.
Hope that helps!
Taormina was my LEAST favorite place in Sicily -- the views were spectacular, and I did love those
, but the place is SO jam-packed with day-trippers during the day that I actually found being there unpleasant -- and I was there in May, before high season began (and when you would apparently be there). Taormina itself is NOT, IMO, a good base -- parking is extremely limited, and if you are relying on public transportation, then for most purposes, you would need to travel to/from Giordini Naxos each way. Granted, the funicular that connects the two can be pleasant, but having to do that every time I wanted to leave Taormina would wear on me. YMMV!If you need to fly out of Catania in the early morning, you might want to consider staying nearer to Catania / the airport. That could simplify your logistics.
From my perspective, the highlights of Sicily include the cathedral in Monreale (with its cloisters); the ruins of Agrigenta, Selinunte, and Segesta; the mosaics of the Villa Romana del Casale; Ortygia; and Palermo. Sounds like you MIGHT hit one or two of them. As already said, it depends on what YOU want to see and experience.
If you are committed to the Aeolians, you might explore options for going there as soon as possible upon arrival -- that could be a good place to overcome jet lag.
Hope that helps!
Sep 2nd, 2015, 10:24 PM
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My sentiments are similar to KJA and Paris. We stayed a few days on each side of the island to cut down on driving. I would also include Cefalu as it is a beautiful town. And we were a wee bit disappointed with Siracusa.
Sicily is also one of the places we most enjoyed.
Sicily is also one of the places we most enjoyed.
Sep 3rd, 2015, 09:59 PM
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@ pariswat & IMDonehere -- thanks to both of you for (generally) confirming my list of highlights!
Maybe this response to the two of you will catch the OP's notice. I doubt it, but you never know....
Maybe this response to the two of you will catch the OP's notice. I doubt it, but you never know....
Sep 4th, 2015, 02:14 AM
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How small is your child and how well do you tolerate heat? The heat in Sicily in June/July is typically dry but it can be quite intense, and the sun in particular can make it near impossible to accomplish any activity in the middle of the day.
I share kja's disappointment in Taormina, and am also concerned that the steepness of the town is not optimal in summer heat with a small child. You might consider somewhere closer to the shore itself. I don't know if Etna gets cooler weather on its slopes, but that would appeal to me if I could find a nice farm with a pool.
Since ultimately you want to go to the Aeolian Islands, consider the possibility of flipping the trip. Land in Catania and go to Ortygia/Siracusa for 5 days or more, then head back to the Taormina area, then on to the Aeolian islands. With a little reserach you can probably find day trips on that side of Sicily to rival the interest of "baroque" towns. I'm not sure how much you would want to be stomping around the ruins of Agrigento with a small child in July anyway. Instead of just 3 days on one of the Aeolian islands, consider 4 or a bit longer, just for the relaxation.
If you haven't done this already, check out the Tripadvisor message forum for Sicily. There is a poster there name Vagabonda who knows every corner of the island like the back of her hand. She might be able to give you some very precise help about ferries to the islands, but also pinpoint some really child-friendly accommodations and day trips.
I share kja's disappointment in Taormina, and am also concerned that the steepness of the town is not optimal in summer heat with a small child. You might consider somewhere closer to the shore itself. I don't know if Etna gets cooler weather on its slopes, but that would appeal to me if I could find a nice farm with a pool.
Since ultimately you want to go to the Aeolian Islands, consider the possibility of flipping the trip. Land in Catania and go to Ortygia/Siracusa for 5 days or more, then head back to the Taormina area, then on to the Aeolian islands. With a little reserach you can probably find day trips on that side of Sicily to rival the interest of "baroque" towns. I'm not sure how much you would want to be stomping around the ruins of Agrigento with a small child in July anyway. Instead of just 3 days on one of the Aeolian islands, consider 4 or a bit longer, just for the relaxation.
If you haven't done this already, check out the Tripadvisor message forum for Sicily. There is a poster there name Vagabonda who knows every corner of the island like the back of her hand. She might be able to give you some very precise help about ferries to the islands, but also pinpoint some really child-friendly accommodations and day trips.
Sep 4th, 2015, 02:33 AM
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I meant to add that given that you will be very jet lagged from your long flight, consider getting a car service upon arrival in Catania to take your family to Ortygia. The small flat town is an excellent place to be for a few days without a car, recovering from jet lag. When you want to start doing day trips with a car, you can rent one in Siracusa. Private car transfers can be expensive, but that cost would be offset by the fact you'll save a coule days off the overall rental charge and you won't be paying a fortune to simply park a car in Taormina for however long it takes for you to fully recover from the flight.
Sep 4th, 2015, 03:43 AM
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we spent 3 weeks in sicily last may and agree with several of the others above - taormina was our least favorite location - 2 cruise boats in harbor and many many tour buses. our favorite stay was in syracusa/ortygia. so much to see and do and very accessible for all. we spent 5 days in lipari - it had a lot to do and great ferry service to nearby islands. loved the baroque towns in the southeast Noto was our favorite. might consider flying out of palermo. we usually aren't big city people but loved palermo.
Sep 6th, 2015, 09:36 PM
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Thank you all for your replies and advice. Been taking in all the suggestions and reading up on the sights etc.
I take on board common comments about Taormina with day trippers. I guess it is not dissimilar to the AC or any of the Tuscan towns such as Siena or San G. However we don't mind crowds and our experience is that staying in the town means when the day trippers are gone, we will have the place to ourselves and see it in its true form.
Herebelow is version 2 of my preliminary itinerary for your comments,
Fly into Trapani
Drive to Sciacca for 3 nights - to visit friends, get over jetlag and visit Selinunte and Valley of the Temples/Agrigento;
Drive to Ragusa/Noto, stay 2 nights - I would also like to see the surrounding towns Scicli, Modica and Ispica - they are all pretty close together so I thought staying 2 nights should be sufficient time;
Drive to Taormina, drop car off and stay 2 nights - visit Mt Etna;
Head to Aeolian Islands for 3 nights, base in either Lipari or Salina (undecided);
Back to Taormina to stay down at the beach to chill for 2 days then fly out.
So the original plan of 9 nights have now blown out to 12.
Alternatively we can just concentrate on the east coast and leave Agrigento and Selinunte for another trip.
Once again, your comments are much appreciated.
s
I take on board common comments about Taormina with day trippers. I guess it is not dissimilar to the AC or any of the Tuscan towns such as Siena or San G. However we don't mind crowds and our experience is that staying in the town means when the day trippers are gone, we will have the place to ourselves and see it in its true form.
Herebelow is version 2 of my preliminary itinerary for your comments,
Fly into Trapani
Drive to Sciacca for 3 nights - to visit friends, get over jetlag and visit Selinunte and Valley of the Temples/Agrigento;
Drive to Ragusa/Noto, stay 2 nights - I would also like to see the surrounding towns Scicli, Modica and Ispica - they are all pretty close together so I thought staying 2 nights should be sufficient time;
Drive to Taormina, drop car off and stay 2 nights - visit Mt Etna;
Head to Aeolian Islands for 3 nights, base in either Lipari or Salina (undecided);
Back to Taormina to stay down at the beach to chill for 2 days then fly out.
So the original plan of 9 nights have now blown out to 12.
Alternatively we can just concentrate on the east coast and leave Agrigento and Selinunte for another trip.
Once again, your comments are much appreciated.
s
Sep 6th, 2015, 10:03 PM
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"Drive to Taormina, drop car off and stay 2 nights - visit Mt Etna"
A trip to Mt. Etna can easily take the better part of a day -- leaving you almost no time for Taormina on this stop. Maybe that's what you intend?
"Back to Taormina"
Is backtracking necessary given your flights? Personally, I do just about anything to avoid backtracking -- such a costly use of time!
At the risk of being redundant, I still encourage you to consider options for fitting the Villa Romana del Casala and Ortygia (Siracusa) into this trip to eastern Sicily. Much as I enjoyed Noto (and I did), I would NOT give up time in these other places just for it -- let alone the other Baroque towns, and I certainly would not give them up for Giardino Naxos, especially since you are making time for the Aeolians.... JMO.
A trip to Mt. Etna can easily take the better part of a day -- leaving you almost no time for Taormina on this stop. Maybe that's what you intend?
"Back to Taormina"
Is backtracking necessary given your flights? Personally, I do just about anything to avoid backtracking -- such a costly use of time!
At the risk of being redundant, I still encourage you to consider options for fitting the Villa Romana del Casala and Ortygia (Siracusa) into this trip to eastern Sicily. Much as I enjoyed Noto (and I did), I would NOT give up time in these other places just for it -- let alone the other Baroque towns, and I certainly would not give them up for Giardino Naxos, especially since you are making time for the Aeolians.... JMO.
Sep 6th, 2015, 11:21 PM
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I would keep the car to see Etna. What I might consider doing is going from Ragusa to somewhere near Milazzo all in one day, and seeing Etna on the way, and then the next morning going to the islands before going to Taormina. Finish the trip in Taormina.
I think I would add a day to Ragusa/Noto since you want to visit those other towns. You can wait until you are in Sicily to decide if it you want to tour Agrigento or other ruins.
By late June/July, Sicily is already getting very hot, and even if you come from a place where it is very hot, the Sicilians close up shop during the hot afternoon, and it is best not to go against that rhythm. You can avoid some of the heat by driving in your air conditioned car for the middle of the day, but since you are traveling with a small child, I think you will also need to be flexible about not doing too much each day, and especially whether you want to include tramping around places without any shade or steep uphill walks.
I enjoyed Ortygia, but your family trip is already very busy, and Sicily is an interesting, fun place to be in its own right, without a list of pre-appprived tourist sights. I would not feel under pressure to make this a "highlights" and "must-sees" of Sicily tour. It's a big island with loads of variety, and you can only see a few bits of it in less than 3 months, no matter whose recommendations you follow. If you enjoy beach time, then I would savor the relaxation. Taormina has been a tourist destination for a few thousand years - seriously! -- so even after the day trippers leave, its character is to be a tourist destination! If your child is very small, you might consider staying in Giardini Naxos and just being day trippers yourselves.
I think I would add a day to Ragusa/Noto since you want to visit those other towns. You can wait until you are in Sicily to decide if it you want to tour Agrigento or other ruins.
By late June/July, Sicily is already getting very hot, and even if you come from a place where it is very hot, the Sicilians close up shop during the hot afternoon, and it is best not to go against that rhythm. You can avoid some of the heat by driving in your air conditioned car for the middle of the day, but since you are traveling with a small child, I think you will also need to be flexible about not doing too much each day, and especially whether you want to include tramping around places without any shade or steep uphill walks.
I enjoyed Ortygia, but your family trip is already very busy, and Sicily is an interesting, fun place to be in its own right, without a list of pre-appprived tourist sights. I would not feel under pressure to make this a "highlights" and "must-sees" of Sicily tour. It's a big island with loads of variety, and you can only see a few bits of it in less than 3 months, no matter whose recommendations you follow. If you enjoy beach time, then I would savor the relaxation. Taormina has been a tourist destination for a few thousand years - seriously! -- so even after the day trippers leave, its character is to be a tourist destination! If your child is very small, you might consider staying in Giardini Naxos and just being day trippers yourselves.
Sep 7th, 2015, 05:49 AM
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I find the comments about Taormina interesting. We loved it - the views are incredible. The main street is quite busy during the cruise ship stops but is lovely during the morning and evening. It was one of our favorite stops in Sicily. And there are plenty of places to spend time where you will see few, if any, tourist crowds if you stay off the main street. I like your original plan but have some concern that Agrigento is a bit far for a day trip especially with a young child. Perhaps you could take a day from Taormina and do an overnight to Agrigento. The temples are beautiful when lit at night.
Sep 7th, 2015, 05:53 AM
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Swagman,
i don't think you will find the crowd situation in Taormina the same as some of the more popular Tuscan hill towns. All the hill towns I have visited only have one or two small hotels, perhaps some individual apts. Taormina has many hotels so there will many more people staying overnight there along with you.
i don't think you will find the crowd situation in Taormina the same as some of the more popular Tuscan hill towns. All the hill towns I have visited only have one or two small hotels, perhaps some individual apts. Taormina has many hotels so there will many more people staying overnight there along with you.
Sep 7th, 2015, 05:03 PM
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kja - once again, thanks for the input, much appreciated. The issue here I think is too much to see and too little time!
The reason for the backtrekking is two-fold, (1) it will be a long day of travel if we are to go from the south all the way to Milazzo to ferry over to the islands. Hence a few days in Taormina will allow us to break up the journey as well as seeing some of the sights; (2) on the way back, it will just be a couple of days of relaxation, perhaps stay at one of the beach side hotels near Isola Bella.
sandralist - you hit the nail on the head - it's not about seeing everything or being pressure to see the highlights. We as a family has never travelled that way. Down time is important to us and given it will be a European summer, beach/pool time will be what makes a memorable family vacation.
I am also weary of visiting sights with all our belongings in the boot of the car. I would rather check into a hotel then go see the sights.
Given the fresh comments above, I am now leaning towards concentrating on the east coast, leaving Agrigento and/or the Baroque towns for another trip in the future.
s
The reason for the backtrekking is two-fold, (1) it will be a long day of travel if we are to go from the south all the way to Milazzo to ferry over to the islands. Hence a few days in Taormina will allow us to break up the journey as well as seeing some of the sights; (2) on the way back, it will just be a couple of days of relaxation, perhaps stay at one of the beach side hotels near Isola Bella.
sandralist - you hit the nail on the head - it's not about seeing everything or being pressure to see the highlights. We as a family has never travelled that way. Down time is important to us and given it will be a European summer, beach/pool time will be what makes a memorable family vacation.
I am also weary of visiting sights with all our belongings in the boot of the car. I would rather check into a hotel then go see the sights.
Given the fresh comments above, I am now leaning towards concentrating on the east coast, leaving Agrigento and/or the Baroque towns for another trip in the future.
s
