Help planning Sicily Itinerary

Old Mar 2nd, 2014, 07:20 PM
  #61  
kja
 
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BTW, re: your plan for day 17, I just checked some of my times and thought they might prove useful:

Agrigento: I spent 5 hours visiting the archeological sites of the Valley of the Temples, with most of that time on the Hill of the Temples. I spent only an hour or so at the Temple of Zeus + -- the sites "across the road" from the Hill of the Temples -- because I wanted to make sure I got to Agrigento's archeological museum in plenty of time for a leisurely visit. I visited almost nothing beyond the Temple of Zeus.

Villa Romana del Casale: I spent about 2 hours in the villa.

So, as Leely2 and thursdaysd already noted, you would do well to plan on an EARLY start this day, and you would probably do well to pay attention to the time so you at least know what choices you are making as you proceed. I doubt that you will have time for Agrigento's archeological museum.

Since you told us, in your original post, that your interests include museums, let me note that I thought the archeological museum in Palermo quite good. As I recall, it includes some of the best preserved panels from the metopes of the temples at Selinunte, so it might be interesting to see them in addition to seeing the temples themselves. And there's also a very good archeological museum in Siracusa, if you have time for it.

And speaking of museums, I thought the small Palazzo Abatellis in Palermo well worth an hour or two (Messina's Virgin Annunciate is glorious in person) and Caravaggio's Burial of Saint Lucy, in the Santa Lucia alla Badia, remains one of my favorites of his works.

Hope that helps!
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Old Mar 2nd, 2014, 08:55 PM
  #62  
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Now that I've got all of our hotels/b&bs reserved (Whew!), I'm going to start making a list of everything we want to see in each town, so your suggestions will be very helpful, kja. Thanks! We will, indeed, have a packed day on the 17th, and will get up extra early. Hopefully we will be over jetlag by then.

Has anyone taken a taxi from Siracusa to Catania airport? I'm thinking we will turn in our rental car when we arrive in Siracusa, since it's the last stop on our trip before heading to Catania airport. I found a fixed rate taxi quoted on the Siracusa tourism office website -- Can it really be only 50 euros to take a taxi to the airport? -- that seems like a steal! http://www.siracusaturismo.net/comearrivare.asp
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Old Mar 2nd, 2014, 09:08 PM
  #63  
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?!?? You are only NOW starting to figure out what you hope to see in each place? No wonder you've had such difficulty planning an itinerary. Good luck.
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Old Mar 3rd, 2014, 05:51 AM
  #64  
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kja -- Some things are obvious must-sees, but I was asking for suggestions for the gems that folks have discovered in their own travels to the same towns, which may not necessarily be clear from reading the guidebooks. And since we have limited time and there is a lot to see in places like Palermo and Siracusa, for example, I need to develop a list of what there is to see, and our priorities. As a working mom with a demanding job, I am often forced to squeeze family trips into the limited time frame of school breaks and short work holidays, so I frame out an itinerary, and then refine what we can reasonably see in each place, which requires coordination with my son and husband to figure out things that we would all like to do. Does that seem so strange? If you or others have suggestions to improve my methods of trip planning, I'm all ears. I enjoy it immensely, but I don't have a lot of time to do it.
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Old Mar 3rd, 2014, 12:09 PM
  #65  
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For me, a working list of the things I'd like to see and do in any given place is invaluable when deciding how long to spend in that place and what compromises to make about things to skip (since there's always more to see than time in which to see it). I was honestly surprised that you have been approaching it differently. But I'm sure there are as many ways to plan a trip as there are to enjoy one. And I'm also sure that you and your husband and son are going to see some wonderful things on your visit to Sicily.
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Old Mar 3rd, 2014, 02:53 PM
  #66  
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Thanks, kja. I completely agree about setting priorities. I guess I do things in a slightly different order, though I must admit, I've been so pressed for time planning this trip, I can't profess to being particularly methodical about any of it. I also got a little anxious when I started to find that hotels and B&Bs I contacted were already booked up -- it is Easter week, after all -- so my focus quickly shifted to finding lodging. I can't believe our trip is now less than 6 weeks away!

I won't promise a full trip report when we get back, but I will try to share some highlights and discoveries, to pay forward all the help that you and others have given to me. Thanks, again to everyone for your generosity in sharing so much great information.
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Old Jan 31st, 2015, 08:58 AM
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Hi Baloney,
I hope you're still getting Fodor's alerts and see this post! My friend and I (2 single well-travelled woman in our early 40s)are planning a trip to Sicily April 9 (the week after Easter). We're renting a car as well. I see that is the same time you went last year. I'd like to know where you stayed in Agrigento, Modica and Ortiglia and what you thoughts were on them. Also, any tips you can give would be much appreciated. Thanks very much!
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