5 days in Sicily
Apr 28th, 2007, 01:39 AM
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5 days in Sicily
Hi
My friend and I are planning a trip to Sicily in the end of May. We're flying in and out of Palermo and will have 5 days on the island. We know we're not going to get to see the whole island, but we would like to see some pretty ruins and spend time at the beach. We were thinking of going to two or three places, perhaps including Agrigento and Taormina. Another idea would be to spend 2 days on one of the islands (perhaps Vulcano?) What places would you recommend? Are there any must see attractions? Pretty towns off the beaten path?
Also, we're college students aiming to stay in hostels or cheap hotels and not spend a ridiculous amount of money on food and activities.
Thanks for all the help,
Em
My friend and I are planning a trip to Sicily in the end of May. We're flying in and out of Palermo and will have 5 days on the island. We know we're not going to get to see the whole island, but we would like to see some pretty ruins and spend time at the beach. We were thinking of going to two or three places, perhaps including Agrigento and Taormina. Another idea would be to spend 2 days on one of the islands (perhaps Vulcano?) What places would you recommend? Are there any must see attractions? Pretty towns off the beaten path?
Also, we're college students aiming to stay in hostels or cheap hotels and not spend a ridiculous amount of money on food and activities.
Thanks for all the help,
Em
Apr 28th, 2007, 08:07 AM
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Will you have a car? Without one, you can, from Palermo, then go to Lipari Island and the town of Lipari in the Aeolian Islands. The Hotel Neri was listed as a hostel and one of the best places I stayed in all of Italy, with huge included breakfasts (but check TripAdvisor, in case there have been changes). That town would be a perfect place for the two of you, with a more laid-back feel than Taormina had (IF you like laid back!)but still busy at night. The pumice beach was one of the most gorgeous places I've ever seen (short bus ride)and from Lipari you can then get to Vulcano and the other islands quite easily. The ferries, while cheaper, are a whole lot slower than the hydrofoils and you don't have that much time. There was just tons to do! From there you could get to Taormina by train or bus, but I'm not sure you have time for both. Unless you rented a car after the islands, to drive south and then back to Palermo? Overall, I thought the beaches on the islands were much nicer and way less crowded (even in August) than Taormina, where much is private for the hotels. One day was plenty on that beach,in my opinion. Have a wonderful trip- lucky you!
Apr 29th, 2007, 02:47 AM
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Sglass: Thanks so much for the help. We've dedided to go to Palermo, Lipori, and Agrigento. Lipori and the other islands sound gorgeous, I can't wait to finish my exams and go relax.
Maureen B: Thanks for the suggestion. My friend lent me a Rick Steve guidebook for Amsterdam and it was so helpful. They don't seem to sell them at the bookstore near me, but I will keep an eye out.
Thanks again!
Maureen B: Thanks for the suggestion. My friend lent me a Rick Steve guidebook for Amsterdam and it was so helpful. They don't seem to sell them at the bookstore near me, but I will keep an eye out.
Thanks again!
Apr 30th, 2007, 09:07 AM
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You can often find Rick Steves' DVDs at your local library, too.
Are you going to Amsterdam, too? If so, I have a trip report with restaurant and cafe suggestions. I'll cut and paste below:
"Final stop: Amsterdam. Five nights’ stay, first visit for all of us.
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Amsterdam! You always hear of the Red Light district and the coffee shops and the laissez-faire attitude, but you don’t hear how open and friendly the people are, how lovely the canals and side streets, how wonderfully trendy the restaurants and cafes, how people are out strolling at all hours of the night and you feel safe everywhere. I think I’d expected it to be quaint and charming (which it is), but in a dark wood-paneled cliché way, not in the young and contemporary way it is.
The standard reply we were given in Amsterdam, when we asked for anything, was always “Of course!” How refreshing.
We stayed in a fabulous location, at The Hotel Residence le Coin, which was directly across a small street from the Hotel de l’Europe, down the street from the Hotel Doelan, on Nieuwe Doelenstraat (sp?). A great neighborhood in the heart of old Amsterdam.
The hotel has a lift and A/C, also free use of the hotel’s washing machine and clothes dryer in the basement (which was welcome as we’d been traveling over a week when we arrived there). Each room has a little kitchenette, a nice-sized bath, large rooms with wooden floors and a sitting area. It’s fairly new, so everything sparkles. Very friendly front desk, too.
Two cafes on the same block as the hotel were wonderful: Café Katoen for a university atmosphere, and Café le Jarden, for great table seating on the canal.
Amazing dinners at two restaurants in particular:
“Stout!”, at Haarlemmerstraat 73 (www.restaurantstout.nl). Fabulous ‘foamy asparagus’ soup with shrimp, chateaubriande, fresh fish, dessert course, wine list. Very trendy lighting. Great service. We’d gone to the neighborhood in search of a restaurant called “Lof” which we’d seen written up. We didn’t like its atmosphere, but were lucky that Stout! was just across the street.
Also at “Restaurant Dining Eleven” we had a great dinner. It’s at Reestraat 11. Also trendy and contempory, well-presented and beautifully-served meal.
Another nice dinner at “frenzi”, at Swanenburgwal 232. Very simple and contemporary. We arrived shortly after 10:00p.m., when most restaurants close in Amsterdam, and persuaded the owner to sell us any left-overs they had in the kitchen! They put together a nice Caesar salad with cooked-in-the-shell shrimp and mango. Very nice.
Also a good brunch at a place across the street from frenzi—called “Puccini”. Creative salads and sandwiches. Very nice also.
We took a canal cruise one evening. Toured the Anne Frank Huis and the Van Gogh Museum. Visited the Nieuwe Kerk (sp?) Our teens went to a concert at the Paradiso and loved it.
One afternoon we did the 2:30 “Best of Holland” excursion to Volendam and Marken, with a stop to see wooden clogs made, Gouda cheese created, and to visit windmills. It was by bus, with a boat from Volendam to Marken. A lot of fun. Even our two teens liked it.
Our teens also liked shopping at one street in particular, between our hotel and the museum district. Also a Zara shop there, and many others like it. They thought the selection and prices were better in Amsterdam than what they’d seen in London and Paris even.
A detail about Amsterdam if you go there-- carry enough Euros in cash, because many places won't accept a credit card for a 'small' purchase (i.e. under 25 EU).
The only unpleasantness we encountered in Amsterdam related to cab rides and inconsistent pricing. Especially when our two teens were grossly overcharged cabbing to the hotel from the concert. They were well aware of the route, having walked it already twice, but we'd wanted them to cab home late at night. They knew the cabbie took a very round-about way back in order to over-charge. Also, when we arrived at the taxi sand at Central Station, I was literally swarmed by rather aggressive cabbies and felt uncomfortably jostled by them all."
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Are you going to Amsterdam, too? If so, I have a trip report with restaurant and cafe suggestions. I'll cut and paste below:
"Final stop: Amsterdam. Five nights’ stay, first visit for all of us.
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Amsterdam! You always hear of the Red Light district and the coffee shops and the laissez-faire attitude, but you don’t hear how open and friendly the people are, how lovely the canals and side streets, how wonderfully trendy the restaurants and cafes, how people are out strolling at all hours of the night and you feel safe everywhere. I think I’d expected it to be quaint and charming (which it is), but in a dark wood-paneled cliché way, not in the young and contemporary way it is.
The standard reply we were given in Amsterdam, when we asked for anything, was always “Of course!” How refreshing.
We stayed in a fabulous location, at The Hotel Residence le Coin, which was directly across a small street from the Hotel de l’Europe, down the street from the Hotel Doelan, on Nieuwe Doelenstraat (sp?). A great neighborhood in the heart of old Amsterdam.
The hotel has a lift and A/C, also free use of the hotel’s washing machine and clothes dryer in the basement (which was welcome as we’d been traveling over a week when we arrived there). Each room has a little kitchenette, a nice-sized bath, large rooms with wooden floors and a sitting area. It’s fairly new, so everything sparkles. Very friendly front desk, too.
Two cafes on the same block as the hotel were wonderful: Café Katoen for a university atmosphere, and Café le Jarden, for great table seating on the canal.
Amazing dinners at two restaurants in particular:
“Stout!”, at Haarlemmerstraat 73 (www.restaurantstout.nl). Fabulous ‘foamy asparagus’ soup with shrimp, chateaubriande, fresh fish, dessert course, wine list. Very trendy lighting. Great service. We’d gone to the neighborhood in search of a restaurant called “Lof” which we’d seen written up. We didn’t like its atmosphere, but were lucky that Stout! was just across the street.
Also at “Restaurant Dining Eleven” we had a great dinner. It’s at Reestraat 11. Also trendy and contempory, well-presented and beautifully-served meal.
Another nice dinner at “frenzi”, at Swanenburgwal 232. Very simple and contemporary. We arrived shortly after 10:00p.m., when most restaurants close in Amsterdam, and persuaded the owner to sell us any left-overs they had in the kitchen! They put together a nice Caesar salad with cooked-in-the-shell shrimp and mango. Very nice.
Also a good brunch at a place across the street from frenzi—called “Puccini”. Creative salads and sandwiches. Very nice also.
We took a canal cruise one evening. Toured the Anne Frank Huis and the Van Gogh Museum. Visited the Nieuwe Kerk (sp?) Our teens went to a concert at the Paradiso and loved it.
One afternoon we did the 2:30 “Best of Holland” excursion to Volendam and Marken, with a stop to see wooden clogs made, Gouda cheese created, and to visit windmills. It was by bus, with a boat from Volendam to Marken. A lot of fun. Even our two teens liked it.
Our teens also liked shopping at one street in particular, between our hotel and the museum district. Also a Zara shop there, and many others like it. They thought the selection and prices were better in Amsterdam than what they’d seen in London and Paris even.
A detail about Amsterdam if you go there-- carry enough Euros in cash, because many places won't accept a credit card for a 'small' purchase (i.e. under 25 EU).
The only unpleasantness we encountered in Amsterdam related to cab rides and inconsistent pricing. Especially when our two teens were grossly overcharged cabbing to the hotel from the concert. They were well aware of the route, having walked it already twice, but we'd wanted them to cab home late at night. They knew the cabbie took a very round-about way back in order to over-charge. Also, when we arrived at the taxi sand at Central Station, I was literally swarmed by rather aggressive cabbies and felt uncomfortably jostled by them all."
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