Joyful

Hi. We will be in Sicily in April and I am wondering whether a trip to Piazza Armerina from Siracusa would be worthwhile. We won't have a car so would take the bus to Catania and transfer to P.A. The next day, we would take the bus back to Catania and then go on to Taormina by bus or train. I've looked at the transit schedules and it would be about 5 hours to get there and 3 hours back. I know it's subjective, but would welcome thoughts on whether the mosaics are worth the effort to get there. Does anyone know of a day tour from Taormina to P.A.. that doesn't include Agrigento? Thanks.

kja

Difficult decision! I thought the mosaics, and the villa itself, a highlight of a highlight-filled trip to Sicily, but I had a car for that leg of my visit. If you haven't already done so, give some thought to what you would have to give up to get there by this route. And contact your hoteliers in Siracusa and Taormina -- they may know of options.

Good luck with your decision!

Leely2

Have you asked on the TripAdvisor Sicily forum?

I would think you could find a day tour from Siracusa or even a transfer. I know I looked into that before I decided to drive. Let me see if I saved any of that info.

gertie3751

I had that dilemma last autumn. I too did not have a car. If you ask at the Tourist Information in Siracusa they might have a trip you can join. When I asked, they did not have anyone else booked for the day I wanted to go. Plus it was a trip not only to Piazza Armerina but also to Agrigento and/or Caltagirone. After finding out about buses etc, in the end I did not get there and have put it on my list for next time!!

Mimar

The Villa Romano is not in Piazza Armerina; it's outside the town in the countryside. So once you arrive in Piazza Armerina, you'll still have to get to Casale. I don't think this site is practical as a day trip by public transportation from Siracusa. Maybe you can find a bus tour? Or hire a private guide?

Joyful

Thanks for the information and ideas. We would do it as an overnight trip but an added complication is that the shuttle between the town and the Villa does not run until May. I think we will probably add another day to Siracusa or Taormina and try to do a tour from there. So far, though, all the tours I have seen include Agrigento, which we will already have seen. Another idea is to rent a car just for a day to get there.

kja

"So far, though, all the tours I have seen include Agrigento, which we will already have seen."

Perhaps you could see other things while the tour group in visiting Agrigento's ruins? Maybe you have already -- or will already have -- seen them, but I thought Agrigento's archeology museum well worth seeing (as I recall, I spent about 1.5 hours there). I also enjoyed a stroll through Agrigrento's medieval core -- but if you do that, and if you need to meet up with your tour group at some point, do try to pay very careful attention to location. My sense of direction rarely lets me down, but OH did I get lost in those old, twisting streets!

Or maybe I'm missing something obvious -- could you make THIS day your visit to Agrigento?