2 weeks driving in Sicily
 

Hi all and HELP!

We are two senior's planning a driving trip in Sicly late September early October. Just to give you an idea or my driving skills I drive in New York City regularly, I've driven the North of France (Paris to Quimper) and have also driven in England (London and the Cotswolds) and Florence to Rome (many years ago) .
1) Should we pick up the car at the airport and drive into Palermo or get a car when we are ready to leave Palermo?
2)In Palermo is it better to stay in the old city or the new city? We like to go out in the evenings to walk and people watch etc.
3)Do we need a GPS or is the Touring Club of Italy's map good enough?
4) Any and all suggestions.

Thanks

I can't imagine why you need a car in the city, plus finding parking there is worse than NYC, so you might as well pick it up on the way out.

I'm not fond of GPS, and I think you can certainly live without one. I managed to find my way to a Sicilian agriturismo on the side of Etna where I needed to nose my car through a flock of sheep without relying on a GPS. A friendly gas station owner pointed the right way when I first landed in the wrong town.

I can't answer your question about old city or new, but no doubt somebody else can. Or read reviews for hotels for both locations on Tripadvisor. Those user reviews often contain a lot of information of how people liked the location and neighborhood.

Get your car as you leave Palermo--not that hard at all.
We liked to stroll at nite in the New City---a real cafe society not unlike Rome or Milan.

Here are some shots from 2005 when we spent 15 days:

http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=3828

The driving around Palermo is particularly insane.

It is interesting however how Sicilains adhere to the rules on their autostradas.

As someone who lives in Manhattan, there is no comaprison. Scooters were making u-turns in front you, if a car plled away from the curb it was your responsibility, and when the light changed it was like a starting line.

I just got into it on the second day.

Thanks for all your good information. If we want to go to Monreale and Cefalu do we need a car or is there good transportaton?

Has anyone been to Erice and Tranpani? Are they worth a stop? As you can see in 2 weeks we'd like to seen as much as we can but also want to stop and smell the flowers.

Helen

We dropped our car in Cefalu and took a train to Palermo (40 min). There are regular buses to Monreale from Palermo.

I liked Trapani because it is not very touristy. Erice is very close and easily accessible by public transportation. You can drive to Marsala through the salt pans and - most important - go to Segeste which is not to be missed.