We will be spending 11 days next May driving between Siracusa, Noto and the other Baroque towns, Agrigento and Selinunte. Following that swing across the south, we would also like to visit Erice, Sagesta, Monreale and probably Cefalù but are thinking of doing that while basing in Palermo. We don't like moving from hotel to hotel more than necessary but are not sure whether driving in and out of Palermo several days in a row would be a nightmare.

The original idea was to stay at the Grand Hotel et des Palmes in central Palermo, but I'm wondering whether the driving might be easier if we were to stay outside of town at the Villa Igiea and taxi into central Palermo to see the city on non-daytrip days. Or am I wrong that the Villa Igiea is outside of central Palermo?

Another alternative would be to give up our rental car when we reach Palermo and do the day trips via public transport. As I understand it, Segesta might not be reachable that way, is that true? Maybe use guides to visit the places we'd like to see and rely on them for transport?

As for how much time to spend in Palermo, including day trips to the places mentioned, we are thinking 4 or 5 nights. Is this enough, too much, too little? I don't think we can spend more than that, so what should we cut out if we need to cut somewhere?

We would appreciate thoughts, advice, etc. from folks who know the area or have done similar trips. Thanks in advance for any help.

I'm going to many of the same places in April though this trip is for western Italy so the furthest East I will go is Agrigento for two nights.

I fly in and out of Palermo, coming from Malta, returning to the US, with 7 days total, taking the car out of PMO and returning it there.

I'm staying in Trapani, Seliunte, Agrigento and Castellamare del Golfo, which is about 30-40 minutes south of PMO.

I didn't even look at staying in Palermo itself. Traffic getting in is said to be impossible so I've never tried.

But my last two nights are in Castellamare del Golfo and I may go the last day to Monreale, which I've visited before, or San Vito Lo Capo. And Segesta, if I don't get there from Trapani.

This thread is flagged as a trip report (see the airplane silhouette before the title) which means you're less likely to get answers to your questions because not everyone regularly reads trip reports. Also, your thread title is vague to the extreme.

I suggest you start again with a better title, perhaps "Need itinerary advice for 11 days on Sicily in May 2019."

FWIW, without checking any travel/drive times or the availability of public trans to your destinations, I think you'll want a car to . It depends on how much time you want to sit in a car, but I think Erice and Cefalu would be too far from Palermo for me to do as day trips.

No reason to have a car while IN Palermo – it will just be a pain.

What time works for you depends very much on your interests. For my interests, 4 days would be about right for Palermo and Monreale; I’d want more time for anything else.

Noto is easily reached by public transportation from Ortigia (Siracusa), another place where a car won’t do you any good and could be a hindrance.

Ditto to what Jean said.

11 days is very little for Sicily – you will NOT be able to see even its highlights in that time. I strongly recommend that you get a good guidebook – I thought the Rough Guide particularly helpful – and see what appeals. I do NOT think you can see everything you list in a reasonable way in the time you have; YMMV.

For your transportation options, consult rome2rio.com

Good luck!

Palermo isn't as pretty as Siracusa or Noto, it should be said.

Grimy and run down buildings.

But Palermo is fascinating -- dynamic and energetic and full of amazing things! And some of its buildings, and neighborhoods, are in excellent shape.

I like the cathedral actually, on the way to the bus to Monreale.

When we did it, we stayed in two places, one on the eastern part of the island, the other on the western. And there was still a lot of driving.

I went to Catania and thought it prettier than Palermo and a nice city - why is there nearly no interest ever in Catania here?

Great base for ascending Mt Etna via nearby Philosopher's Tower as well as Taormina and Syracuse.

If you will be staying overnight in or near Selinunte, when you depart you can drive to Segesta from there. Plan on several hours at Segesta b/c there is not only the beautifully situated temple, but also a Greek theater a short distance away. You can either walk about a half hour to the theater, or take a bus that runs from the ticket office near the temple. I would suggest that you continue on to Erice from Segesta and spend the night and next day there exploring, then drop your car off in Palermo. All of this is very easily done on the autostrada. I did it in reverse last September.
You are correct that Erice and Segesta are not easily reached by public transport from Palermo, which is why it's better to visit them while you still have the car and before you get to Palermo. I would not want to have a car in Palermo or any major Sicilian city and it will not really be necessary. Without the hassle of the car you can stay right in Palermo center.

If you decide to do this, be sure to take the route to Erice from Valderice that goes to the Porta Trapani. It is the newest and easiest to drive of the three roads that lead up to Erice and there is a parking lot at the top where you can leave your car overnight.

Monreale is easily reached by bus # 89 from the Piazza Independenza in Palermo and Cefalu is only an hour away by train. I have done a number of day trips by train between the two cities. Cefalu is a lovely beach resort and a nice place to stay but with your limited time it's not feasible so a day trip would work and you can easily see the town in a day. There is plenty to see and do right in Palermo to fill up the rest of your days there.

I echo pannecotts advise exactly!

Since you have enough time for advance planning look into staying at La Forresteria Planeta Estate for your visit to Selinute. Just be warned that you will be sad to leave if you only have one night! Highly recommend.

Panecott gave me some very valuable advice about visiting Mt. Etna which was one of our most memorable tours. We stayed at La Forresteria Planeta and loved it! One of our highlights was going to Favignana and renting E-bikes to tour the island. Loved staying in Noto at Villa Seven Rooms and later having a private guide in Agrigiento.

We stayed 3 nights in Erice and enjoyed it but after visiting Trapani should have stayed there. Trapani is very clean and convenient to visit salt pans and island.

plufmud, I'm glad you enjoyed your visit to Mt. Etna. It is definitely a unique and memorable experience!