You are making awesome progress on planning your time IN places. It sounds to me like the question is how to plan the NIGHTS. So some options:

- Spend a day in Catania -- but don't spend a night there. Visit it before leaving for Ortygia and / or from Castelmola. There is NO need to use a car for any of this part of your itinerary -- there are excellent public transportation options for Ortygia, Taormina, Castelmola (just a quick bus or taxi ride uphill from Taormina), and Catania.

- Visit the Villa Romana del Casale either en route to or from Agrigento; spend 2 nights in Agrigento (again, at a place that gives you views over the night-lit temples, if at all possible).

Just some ideas to consider!

Visit the mosaics as early in the day as possible. We were there in September and I survived but barely. No shade, huge crowds. Still worthwhile.

A practical suggestion: bring a small collapsible umbrella and carry a bottle of water when you are walking through sites such as the Valley of the Temples during the daytime. The Sicilian sun can be fierce at mid-day, even in November, when we were there.

annhig,
Thank you for posting this your planning thread and thanks to all the contributors. I'm following this for my own upcoming trip in May.

The "problem" with planning a trip to Sicily is that there are just too many options! Truly, I know that one can't go wrong, yet it's hard to choose. It's all about the smaller places and no matter what the itinerary, there will be a lot of places missed. Trying to weigh up the "better" choice is so very difficult, especially after reading so many trip reports with often very diverse takes on places.

I've been struggling with the Baroque town decision. I've got a reservation for 2 nights in Modica, but keep wondering if I should change it to Noto. I may just post a separate thread to ask the question (again).

Paule

...I may have survived barely but I was fully clothed.

ok, we're done. [almost!]

I managed to pin DH down for a few minutes this morning, and went through the various options with him. it turned out that though he said he wanted to swim in the sea, that didn't mean every night, and I'll be happy with a hotel pool or two to cool off in.

That simplified things more than a bit, and after we went through the possibilities, we decided on this:

Day 1 - arrive Catania airport at about 10 am, bus to Catania [is there a left luggage at the station?] tour Catania centre, bus to Syracuse. Stay Ortygia 3 nights. [if no left luggage, we may go directly to Ortygia] we're splashing out on the http://www.livingstonhotel.it/en/ with its pool and beach, not to mention the view and cocktails on the terrace!

Day 4 - pick up car, drive to Ragusa, stay 2 nights in Ragusa Ibla here:
http://www.giardinosulduomo.it

Day 6 - drive to Agrigento via Piazza Armenia to see Villa Casale. stay 2 nights here: http://www.hotelcostazzurra.it

Day 8 - drive to Taormina via Enna [possibility of stopping off in Catania if we didn't see it earlier] Stay 3 nights in Castelmola. [this is the only bit I'm still not convinced about.] stay here http://www.hotelvillasonia.com/en/ in Castelmola or here in Taormina: http://www.panoramictaormina.it

<<- Spend a day in Catania -- but don't spend a night there. Visit it before leaving for Ortygia and / or from Castelmola. >>

kja - I think you read my mind! I'm just worried about what to do with the luggage - either in the left luggage or in the car in Catania.

EYWandBTV - thanks for the tip about the umbrellas.

immimi - I really tried to organise the trip so that we could overnight at Piazza Armerina, not least because of the great restaurant there, but our dislike of one night stands overcame that objection.

progol - we hit on Ragusa because a) it's the wonderful town that you see in the opening of the Montalbano credits, and b) I found a wonderful looking B&B there right in the middle of the town with a swimming pool. Result. Good luck finding somewhere you really like. you're right that it's so difficult to choose as there are too many right answers.

Dayle - you'll see that I've ignored your advice, but thanks for the thought. we did a series of two nighters in a trip to Germany a couple of years ago and hated it. OTOH there is a wonderful B&B in P 'Armerina, and an agriturismo to die for a little further north in Nicosia.

Thanks so much to you all for all your help!

any more comments [preferably polite] gratefully received.

Congrats! Should be a great trip. :-)

annhig - congratulations on your plans! Sounds like an excellent way to spend that significant birthday!

So now you've got me thinking about Ragusa, too....

One more crumb...you may find 3 nights in Castelmola a bit much. It's not that good as a launching pad. Perhaps take one night and use it someplace else?

mmm - EYW&BTV - I was thinking the same thing. Though the Panorama down in Taormina possibly offers more .... possibilities.

BTW Jamikins - thanks so much for sharing the fruits of your researches - but have you won the lottery? I'm very attracted to your Catania pick [possibly as an alternative to Castelmola] but i don't think that the budget could wear it for 3 nights - perhaps for our last night? we won't have had an agriturismo stay so it would finish the trip off nicely! [though it would seem a shame to have to hurry breakfast to get to the airport!] perhaps better on the WAY to Taormina as EYW&BTV suggests.

Whether 3 nights in Castelmola is right or too much really depends, I think, on how it is used. One way could be: Arrive in time to freshen for dinner; spend one very leisurely day exploring Taormina and Castelmola with, perhaps, a brief swim in Giardini Naxos; spend another day in Catania or (if you've already done that) touring the vineyards of Mt. Etna or actually going to the top of Mt. Etna (for which joining a group tour probably makes most sense); morning after 3rd night: leave early. Or you could mix those two days' worth of activities in various ways. Trying to spend a full 3rd day in Castelmola would, IMO, be pushing it, but my preferred pace is on the fast side.

So glad you have got that sorted annhig. I'm sure you will have a fantastic time. Look forward to the trip report.

Meanwhile, now all the excitement is over, any chance you can get back to your Cuba TR?? :)

kja - the three nights give us only 2 days, but I suspect that we are likely to be exploring Taormina either in the early morning or late evening/afternoon, using the rest of the time for excursions, either on Etna, or going north towards the north coast and/or Messina. [more reseach required], and just walking round Castelmola when it seems more convenient. It also looks like a better bet for getting out of the area for excursions than Taormina, with all its traffic - unless someone knows better!

I still fancy spending a night somewhere between Agrigento and Taormina - Jamikins, that agriturismo near Catania is vey atttractive - perhaps for our last night?

Thanks, Gertie - sorry I haven't got room in my head for more than one trip, whether it's coming or already gone!

Back to Cuba!

"Stay 3 nights in Castelmola. [this is the only bit I'm still not convinced about.] stay here http://www.hotelvillasonia.com/en/ in Castelmola or here in Taormina: http://www.panoramictaormina.it"

I'm sure you realize that the Hotel Panoramic is in Giardini Naxos, the beach area BELOW Taormina, with views of Isola Bella, not of Etna. If you are going to stay in Taormina, my advice would actually be to stay IN Taormina, not in one of the hotels by the beach. JMO.

The Hotel Villa Sonia in Castelmola seems to have SOME rooms with views of Etna, and if you have reserved one of them, that would definitely be my choice. And even if not, since it seems to have common areas that offer that view, I would prefer Castelmola, with its magnificent views (whether of Etna or not) and its at least slightly off-the-beaten trail character to staying in the mass of tourist hotels / resorts that constitute Giardini Naxos, as I remember it. YMMV.

"kja - the three nights give us only 2 days, but I suspect that we are likely to be exploring Taormina either in the early morning or late evening/afternoon, using the rest of the time for excursions"

Exactly! That's why I said that 3 nights could make sense! AND it would solve your problem with luggage while in Catania!

But are we now to understand that you are actively considering a one-night stay before or after Castelmola / Taormina? I have trouble seeing how a stop between Agrigento and Castelmola (or) would fit with your plans -- it throws your timing off too much, IMO. But the agriturismo that Jamikins recommended does look lovely, and might work for a single night after Castelmola (or) and before your flight -- if it doesn't throw the rest of your timing off.

The fish market in Catania winds down early, if I recall, so keep that in mind.

OMG, an awful thought just occurred to me ... please tell us that you haven't been planning another trip without guidebooks!?! That would explain why you didn't know about so many options, and why you've been finding it so hard to figure out some things. I hope I'm wrong, but if not, PLEASE get yourself at least one decent guidebook before you go! Maybe the Rough Guide or Michelin Guide....

OMG, an awful thought just occurred to me ... please tell us that you haven't been planning another trip without guidebooks!?! >>

oh, kja, how could you? of course guide books were consulted, and of course I've been thinking about going to Sicily for a long time. Actually, my problem is most probably not lack of research, but too much!!

You're right about the Panorama - it's down on the beach, which is part of its attraction. But I agree about the Villa Sonia probably being a better "fit" for us, and yes, the room I've reserved HAS got a view.

<<The fish market in Catania winds down early, if I recall, so keep that in mind.>>

Thanks for the reminder, Marija.

Glad to hear these words, annhig, and sorry to have doubted you! My sincere apologies.

OOOoo, if you have a room with a view of Etna from Castelmola, go for it! And if you decide not to stay in Castelmola, then look at Taormina itself, rather than joining the masses in Giardini Naxos. JMO, of course, but if you're going to be in the area, at least make sure you take advantage of its views!

<<Actually, my problem is most probably not lack of research, but too much!! >>

Oh, can I relate! The challenges of the overload of information! If only it were simply just guidebooks, a decision would be so much easier. But with guidebooks AND the internet, so many options to eliminate! There is a point when one should just put away all the information and stop reading....and for those of you following my thread on Modica or Noto, I should take my own recommendation and stop reading, now, too! But of course, I won't....!

Back to annhig's thread, now....following the planning with interest!

OOOoo, if you have a room with a view of Etna from Castelmola, go for it>>

you made me doubt myself so I went to check, and yes we have. phew.

so I had yet another look at the rest of Taormina, and there's nothing I like so much in our price range, so Castelmola and the Villa Sonia it is.

and no need to apologise, it was a good point.

progol - exactly. information overload is easily reached. I will follow your thread with interest too.