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Feedback on my Sicily itinerary for May 2016

Feedback on my Sicily itinerary for May 2016

Old Dec 6th, 2015, 03:57 AM
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Feedback on my Sicily itinerary for May 2016

I've already planned my itinerary and made reservations for the latter half of May 2016 -- we arrive on Sunday, May 15 and leave Sunday May 29, with a total of 14 nights. This is the final itinerary as described on my planning thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...r-may-2016.cfm

Now that I've sat with it for a few months, I'd love feedback from you if there is anything that you think is essential that I'm leaving out or somewhere that I shouldn't bother spending so much time in. So I do have time to reschedule if there is anything that you strongly recommend that I change.

With 14 nights, I've made some hard choices -- the biggest one is to eliminate Taormina completely as it can be a very crowded and overtouristed destination. I'm pretty comfortable with the decision to leave it out but of course, feel a bit torn. I know we can't do it all and I think this is the place that we sacrifice.

The reservation in Modica is one I also have been wondering about. I've got a reservation in Palazzo Il Cavaliere which is on the main street and I like that we can easily get around from there. I plan on a drive during the afternoon sometime so car access is important. I have also made a reservation at Palazzo Failla, which looks absolutely charming but also has more difficult car access in and out. I do have some trouble with stairs, so I'm leaning toward keeping the reservation at Il Cavaliere, but would appreciate any feedback.

So here's the final itinerary, once again:

We fly into Catania on May 15, leave from Palermo May 29.
Ortygia/L'approdo delle sirene Siracusa- 3 nights
Modica/Palazzo Il Cavaliere B&B - 2 nights (or Palazzo Failla)
Piazza Armerina/Villa Clementine (just outside) - 1 night
Agrigento/Villa Diana - 1 night
Selinunte/Villa Sogno - 2 nights
Erice/Pietre Antiche -2 nights
Palermo/Palazzo Pantaleo - 3 nights

Any comments or suggestions at this point when I still have plenty of time to change it?

Thanks!
Paule
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Old Dec 6th, 2015, 04:27 AM
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Paule--

I know you have read my trip report, and I know we are all different in what we are looking to do and see and how we enjoy spending our time. So, take my comments in that vein.

What time does your flight get into Catania? I am asking because depending on flight time you could have nearly three full days or only two full days in Ortygia.

Depending on what your plans are for Erice and whether you intend to go somewhere else from there as a day trip, I might drop one night there and add it to Palermo.

A town we went by between Erice and Palermo and wished we had had time to visit was Castellemare del Golfo.
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Old Dec 6th, 2015, 04:46 AM
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Thanks, julies,

I enjoy your travel style and find inspiration in your reports.

I had gone back and forth on 1 or 2 nights in Erice -- had originally been thinking of staying in Scopello but eliminated it as I didn't want too many 1-nighters. I'm planning a day trip to Segesta from Erice and also wanted to find out more about the walks around Erice that yestravel had mentioned on your thread. We will probably leave Erice early on departure day so we will arrive in Palermo with at least a good part of the day to explore the city. And Monreale is a must-see while we are there.

We arrive in Catania at 10:30am, so we should have 2 1/2 days in Ortygia/Siracusa, after settling in.

I will look into Castellemare del Golfo and see if it's possible to visit.

I know, I'd love to add more time everywhere -- I have a job now that limits my vacations to 2 weeks at a time, so it's a challenge to find the right balance.

Thanks for your comments - I appreciate the feedback.
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Old Dec 6th, 2015, 05:28 AM
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If it helps ease your mind, I had an instinct to keep Taormina off my itinerary for my first trip to Sicily, but I was talked into it by a travel agent who thought it was really unthinkable not to go -- after all, this is "Taormina"! Well, while I learned a lot seeing the Greek theatre, I otherwise wished I had followed my own instincts.

Have you checked out the logistics of seeing Monreale on your way into Palermo, while you still have the car? Might be simpler, even though it might involve a bit of backtracking if you drop off the car after Monreale at the airport and take the bus or train in (or a taxi).
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Old Dec 6th, 2015, 06:33 AM
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You could stop at Segesta between Selinunte and Erice or en route between Erice and Palermo.

You can get to Monreale fairly easily by bus from Palermo. Don't know if I'd add the complication of going there by car. (I assume you will be driving and dropping the car at Palermo's airport, a better choice than in Palermo itself.) But whatever you do, don't miss Monreale.

I'm glad we went to Taormina. The views are magnificent. But we all have to make difficult decisions when trip-planning. Seemingly for every trip I take.
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Old Dec 6th, 2015, 09:05 AM
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I need to see if we have notes on where we walked. The apt guy sent us off somewhere. Will check when we get home.

I agree about visiting Monreale on the way to Palmero. It was very easy, there was a manned parking lot with lots of people in it pretty much behind the cathedral.

Also agree that Taormina aside from the beautiful scenery and the Greek theater is really a bunch of shops.

Interesting about Castellammare del Golfo. I looked into it and passed it by two times actually as it sounds like another picturesque port town and in general we prefer smaller towns unless there is something compelling in a town. Wondering if we missed something!

I think whether you spend more time in Palermo and less elsewhere really depends if you prefer spending your time in a buzzy, big city or the countryside. One of my friends who is a NY'er said it reminded her of the "bad" parts in NYC! We loved it! We did skip on it on our first trip to Sicily though.
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Old Dec 6th, 2015, 09:11 AM
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Should be a great trip -- May is a delightful time to be in Sicily!

My comments remain much as they were before -- I would want more time in Ortygia and Palermo and less in Modica and Selinunte. JMO, though -- the important thing is what you want!

I loved the views from Taormina, but hated the crowds during the day. Since you'll be there during long days, you might consider options for going there briefly from Ortygia, just to see it briefly before or during sunset. You can do that by public transportation (train or bus) if you haven't rented your car yet (and with this itinerary, there is no need to rent your car until you leave Ortygia). But if you do that, then I think you would be wise to consider adding adding a day to Ortygia!

I hope you enjoy L'approdo delle Sirene as much as I did!
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Old Dec 6th, 2015, 09:45 AM
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You all make some wonderful points -- it's so hard to make trade-offs in a short trip! I've really tried hard to keep the 1-night stops to a minimum, so, for now, we have plans for drives from Modica, Erice and Selinunte.

kja- you sold me on L'approdo delle Sirene and it looks just lovely! I do think we'll end up passing on Taormina, much as it might be a beautiful place, though your suggestion about visiting it later in the day is a good one.

yestravel-- no rush at all! If and when you find the info about the walks around Erice, that would be great to have.

I know there've been many discussions both here and on TA about leaving luggage in the car ; I've taken the message "don't leave luggage in the car" to heart. Is it really safe to park at Monreale with luggage in the car? It's an interesting idea though I suspect I have a feeling I'd be a bit nervous about leaving the car with our belongings. For the same reason, I'd planned that we'd visit Segesta while staying at Erice since it's a relatively short distance.

I remember reading the TR by someone who had their luggage stolen in Catania -- and I do understand that it's a very different environment -- but that has stuck with me. Even Vagabonda, the Sicily "guru" on TA, is very insistent on this so it's hard for me to shake the idea that it's okay to leave luggage in the car anywhere, though I'm sure by the time I'm done with the trip, I'll say to myself, "what was the big deal?"

Speaking of cars, though....I was thinking of dropping the car in Trapani and taking a bus to Palermo to avoid dropping the car off either at the airport or in the city. I thought it might be easier to come in by bus - what do you think?

I think this has pretty much confirmed for me that this will be our itinerary -- there are so many possibilities and adding a day or subtracting a day will not make a huge difference. I do think I like the idea of relaxing enough into a place to stay 2 nights, and my 2 1-night stays feel right. So I suspect it's more about the finetuning -- such as whether to drop the car in Trapani or Palermo.

Again, I really appreciate the feedback!
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Old Dec 6th, 2015, 09:56 AM
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I think this looks great. You'll probably have some "I wish we had....instead of...." But they will likely be small things.

I loved Modica, especially enjoyed just hanging out there, but it is a stair-heavy town. We had lunch in what was then an upscale restaurant in Palazzo Failla. It is indeed a very charming location. In my opinion more attractive than the main drag.

Have fun!
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Old Dec 6th, 2015, 09:59 AM
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Oh, FWIW, we left luggage in the car at Segesta, fully covered in the trunk of course. We stopped on our way from Palermo to Agrigento. At that time there was a manned booth in the parking lot.

Not saying you should do the same; we knew about the risk and just couldn't bear to be so close without stopping.
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Old Dec 6th, 2015, 10:09 AM
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In 2007, I left my luggage in the car at Segesta, Selinunte, and the Villa Romana del Casale. I did not have trouble, but that (of course) is no guarantee about what others might experience. There is always a risk if leaving luggage in one's car, but there are some things you can do to reduce those risks. These steps include
- Don’t ever leave anything in the car that can be seen through its windows
- ALWAYS keep key documents including your passport, cash, and bank cards with you (preferably in a under-the-clothes passport pouch, with only what you need for the day outside of that pouch), and be sure that that pouch also has a copy of any key documents you might need on one or more days
- Don’t ever move things from the interior to the trunk in the place that you will leave the car – do that somewhere else, even if it means pulling off the road briefly a mile or so from your destination
- Try to park in a well lighted area where other people might have eyes-on (not so much because they might act, but because their presence might discourage thieves)
- If possible, park your car in a way that would make it difficult for thieves to gain anything – for example, consider backing the car up to a wall to make it difficult to open the trunk or remove anything from it
- Be sure you know how to contact your rental car agency and insurance agency as soon as possible after any incursion

I think leaving the car in Trepani is a great idea.
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Old Dec 6th, 2015, 10:15 AM
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I thnk I've read that the pay parking lot in Monreale is guarded. But you need to double check. Maybe someone else here knows for sure.

If you end up dropping the car in Trapani, I once took a cheap bus from downtown Palermo (right near Politeama) to Trapani airport, which I assume goes the other way. If you are staying in the Politeama area of Palermo, might be convenient.

For what it's worth, I lived most of my life in New York City but was raised in Southrn Californa, and Palermo reminded me of cities in Orange County (complete with oranges!) I found the whole experience of being in Palermo to be pleasant, although I didn't go on my first trip to Sicily (ran out of time), but my second.
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Old Dec 6th, 2015, 11:46 AM
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As I said on my trip report, I think we were overly influenced by Vagabonda at TA's comments on never leaving luggage in the car. In fact, the other day I decided to take a look at the US State Department's travel warning for safety and security in Italy. They do mention theft from cars etc. but do not single out Sicily. The only mention of Sicily is car jackings in Catania.

We've taken many other trips in Italy (and all over Europe) where we have stopped for an hour or two with luggage concealed in the trunk and taken the precautions kja mentions. Our trip to Sicily would have been more enjoyable and easier to plan if we had stopped a couple times with luggage hidden in the car. Obviously, if you plan to do this, you need to either have very limited luggage or a car with a sufficiently large luggage compartment.

As much as Vagabonda's advice was extremely helpful, I have come to the conclusion the she is definitely overly cautious and is someone who does not encourage taking risks of any sort. My conclusions are not just based on the leaving luggage in the car concept but other concepts too. We all need to make our own conclusions on how much risk in different things is acceptable to us. I think as far as the luggage in the car arena I relied too heavily on someone who is much less comfortable with weighing the idea of risk than I am.
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Old Dec 6th, 2015, 02:03 PM
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Vagabona is fabulous for giving advice. I agree that everyone has a different risk tolerance and that of course, influences any advice they give. I take all advice on these boards with a grain of salt so to speak. In the end we all have to decide what we are comfortable doing. I am pretty much a risk taker so for me taking the precautions Kja lists I was comfortable leaving luggage in the car. We did it quite a few times in Sicily. Would I do it in Palmero? Nope, but in the countryside or in a busy lot, I would and did.
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Old Dec 6th, 2015, 02:45 PM
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Thanks, all, for the very pragmatic feedback regarding leaving luggage in the car while traveling. We've also felt comfortable in many places leaving luggage in the car, but I do think I've had the idea hammered in that the risk of theft in Sicily was too high. And I've also followed the common sense precautions that kja has outlined elsewhere, so I'm feeling generally more relaxed about the idea that we can stop between destinations.

I like the idea of,dropping the car in Trapani and taking the bus, though, so I'll probably eliminate the option of stopping in either Segesta or Monreale on the way in to Palermo.

Now to decide about which place to stay in Modica......
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Old Dec 6th, 2015, 03:02 PM
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Getting to Monreale from Palermo by bus is quite easy. Too, at least when I was there in 2007, one of the advantages of taking the bus from Palermo to Monreale and back, IMO, was that commuters also used that bus, so I had a few glimpses into the lives of "locals" that I wouldn't have had if in a car.
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Old Dec 6th, 2015, 05:06 PM
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Paule, during our trip to Sicily we had a situation similar to yours in that I was babying a problem leg and my husband's mobility was limited. We stayed at Casa Talia which offered a pleasant garden space for him to hang out during the day while my sons and I explored. The key was that we were able to reliably park near CT and so getting in and out and to dinner was not a major endeavor. Parking in Modica Bassa was variable but we always managed. I saw that Palazzo Failla offers valet parking which would be big help.
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Old Dec 7th, 2015, 03:32 AM
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kja-- I plan to do exactly as you suggest -- to take the bus to Monreale from Palermo. It looks pretty easy. I like the idea of getting glimpses of "local" life, too!

bon_voyage -- I've got reservations for Palazzo Failla and their valet parking as well as for Palazzo Il Cavaliere. What I'm still trying to figure out is the level of inconvenience of either getting in and out of the city or even getting around the city if we do stay at Failla. I can't get a sense of distance from maps or pictures. Will we need to take the car out, for instance, if we want to explore the town? How hard is it to get in and out of the city, even if we do park in the valet parking?

I'm trying to balance convenience with charm, and can't quite make a decision. Fortunately, I can maintain reservations in both for quite a while.

Thank you both for the feedback!
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Old Dec 7th, 2015, 05:36 AM
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Perhaps contact someone via PM on Tripadvisor who's stayed at Palazzo Failla.
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Old Dec 7th, 2015, 03:41 PM
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That's a good idea, bon_voyage, I think I will. Ultimately, I think, it's a toss of the coin!
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