Ger planning a mad dash across Sicily.
 

Hello all:

Its been ages since I was here!

I am now planning a 7 day trip to Sicily starting this Saturday (nothing like JIT planning!), which I have wanted to do for a few years. With all that pent-up desire, I am, as usual trying to do too much and wanting to see it all. I am battling with shorter days (Sunrise @ 8am, Sunset @ 5pm). The latest itinerary is as follows:

Day 1 Saturday: Stay Syracuse
Arrive Catania, drive to Syracuse

Day 2 Sunday: Stay Syracuse
Explore Syracuse

Day 3 Monday: Stay Syracuse
Explore Taormina

Day 4 Tuesday: Stay P.Armerina
Drive to Noto
Explore Noto
Drive to Regusa
Explore Regusa
Drive to Piazza Armerina

Day 5 Wednesday: Stay Agrigento
Explore Villa Calle
Drive to Agrigento
Explore Agrigento

Day 6 Thursday: Stay Mazara del Vallo
Explore Agrigento
Drive to Eraclea Monoa
Explore Eraclea Monoa
Drive to Sciacca
Explore Sciacca area
Drive to Mazara del Vallo

Day 7 Friday: Stay Cefalu
Explore Mazara del Vallo
Drive to Eirce
Explore Eirce
Explore Segesta
Drive to Monreal
Explore Monreal
Drive to Cefalu

Day 8 Saturday: Flight to UK @ 1900
Explore Cefalu
Drive Enna
Explore Enna
Drive to Catania Airport
Check in
Flight

I love driving, and to fill every minute with activities, which I suppose is clear from above.

I need advice from those of you who have visited these towns/areas:
- How much time should I allocate to explore?
- Are there any towns/areas on the list that can be culled?
- Is this the best possible routing?

I thank you in advance for your assistance. All suggestions will be very much appreciated.

Best regards … Ger

Hi Ger - Sorry I can't help on Sicily as I've never been, but just want to drop by to say HI! Haven't seen you around much and we miss you here!

I think that days 6 & 7 are too full. I would skip the entire far west swing of Mazara del Vallo and Erice and stop at Selinunte enroute to Monreale and spend the nite near Monreale.

Your day 4 worries me, unless you are planning to pack a lunch and eat on the fly, because days are short.

You've probably already booked your hotels but is there any place you can find to stay right outside Catania to use as a base for both Siracusa and Taormina? Or, truth is, given how little there is to see in Taormina, why not just drive there Saturday, spend the night, and you'll be ready to leave the next day for Sircusa without looking back.

I think day 7 is not going to work. Monreale is a great site, but since you are flying out of Catania, you've got something of puzzle here.

I suppose there is no chance of persuading you to linger in the baroque towns (and Modica) and add Selinute and call it a success?

Hi, Ger -

I also like to fill every minute of my trips with activity, but even so, I think your plan is overly ambitious. Your time for exploring is limited not only by how much traveling you will be doing, but also by the hours during which various sites will be open and when you will have daylight. At the very least, I would urge you to check the visiting hours for the places you most want to see to make sure you have a realistic plan. And be prepared to skip some things and readjust as necessary.

Hope that helps!

Here is a photo gallery of Sicily you may enjoy--albeit in May.
http://www.zenfolio.com/bobthenav/p759435425/home.aspx

Nice to 'hear' from you - I was
concerned you'd become fossilized
in Victoria!

Loved Sicily - sure you will too.

Your plan does not worry me because I am not doing the planning. I think you have a real challenge to see all the wonderful places in Sicily in your time frame. My husband and I needed 14 days to do what you propose for 7. I also think you could maximize your time by doing the sites in order around the island. Look at the map. If you are driving do not back track. You do not have tme to do that.

It's not impossible to do most of Sicily in a week. My parents and I did that two Christmases ago:

Day 1: Arrive Palermo late
Day 2: Palermo
Day 3: Monreale, Segesta, Selinute, overnight in Agrigento
Day 4: Agrigento, Ragusa
Day 5: Modica, Syracusa, arr in Catania
Day 6: Easy day in Catania
Day 7: Taormina, depart Messina by ferry in mid-afternoon

I did all the driving, and I didn't find it too much.

But note that your itinerary is even more aggressive than mine, and you're backtracking, as on Day 3, you are driving north through Catania to Taormina and back. I think that makes little sens. You should go to Taormina on Day 1, overnight there. Day 2 you can have half day in Syracusa, and then depart Syracusa mid-day Day 3 and start your drive to the west. That saves you half a day so your day 4 won't be that crazy.

It's always possible to "do" an area in a short amount of time provided you don't do many of the things many people would give as a reason for traveling to the area. I wouldn't want to travel all the way to Siracusa without seeing the monuments, the museum and the duomo on Ortygia, nor in Modica without exploring several of its churches as well enjoying the regional cuisine.

I see that O'Reilly is prepared to do a much faster trip that would be my personal taste, and my only advice is about whether or not some of her days will get her home before dark.

But it actually is impossible to do most of Sicily in a week if you want anything more than a rushed driveby of some monuments and views.