judy

Please tell me if you think this is a good itineray. <BR>Siracuse - 2 nights(first day travel from US via Rome)<BR>Enna 1 night<BR>Agrigento -1 night<BR>Erice-1 night<BR>Cefalu-1 night<BR>Lipari- 3 nights<BR>Taormina-2 nights<BR>Rome- 2 nights<BR>We are skipping Palermo. Yes?No?

Patrick

Sounds like a lot of short stays and moving. But first, how are you traveling? Renting a car? Driving from Rome to Siracusa? And when are you going? What are you looking for -- is beaching important?

Maria

I would do 3 nights in Taormina. So you do not see everything in a rush.

beth

I did 10 days in Sicily and that is about what I did. It was perfect, so you should have a grand old time

judy

we are flying to Siracuse from Rome, and renting a car in June 2003. We like to see historical and archeological sites, but also like the beach. We are not lounge types so we don't sit a lot,beach or anywhere.

Patrick

Ah, good, just the answers I was hoping for. Flying to Siracusa is good (a long drive after flying to Europe) and you will enjoy having the car in Sicily (public transportations isn't all that great).<BR>Yes, I think your itinerary is great -- and even the one night stops are fine. Erice is beautiful and must be spectacular at night, but more than one night would be overkill. Same with Enna.<BR>I would personally probably drop Cefalu, but then I'm not a beach person. Instead, I'd stop there for lunch on the way to Milazzo to get the boat to Lipari and stay there an extra day. Swimming off the back of one of the many boats from Lipari in wonderful little bays far surpasses lying on the busy beach in Cefalu in my humble opinion. By the way, I hope you consider leaving the car in Milazzo. We used a garage (recommended here) to park the car, and they took us to the hydrofoil and picked us up. There was no use for a car on Lipari. Let me know if you want information on that -- we made a reservation for the garage, but it really didn't seem necessary even at the end of July. <BR>I agree that three nights would be nice in Taormina, but we left Lipari in the morning, missing the first hydofoil because it was already full and still arrived in Taormina in time for lunch, so you will already have a half day plus the next full day there. Unless you want to do a full day trip to Etna, you should be OK there.<BR><BR>Sounds wonderful. We loved Sicily several years ago, and this summer loved Lipari equally well.

Grandma

We "did" Sicily in '95. Don't have map handy... but is Enna near Piazza Armerina.....spectacular Roman mosaics.<BR>Palermo was interesting, but you can probably eliminate it and not miss too much. What was really worthwhile was a trip we took to Monreale from Palermo.<BR>Cathedral there is not to be believed. Maybe it could be a stop on the way back from Erice (also wonderful)??-

judy

Thanks for your responses. Does anyone have ideas for hotels in Erice, Cefalu,Lipari,Enna? Three star types.

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Angela

We just got back from a week in Sicily and here are the hotels we stayed in:<BR>Erice Hotel Elimo- this was a 3* hotel in town with fairly large accommodations. We had a room with an upstairs sitting area with sweeping views of Trapani. Price was fairly high for Sicily, around $170 for double.<BR>Cefalu Hotel Belvedere- nothing special although they did have a very nice pool. The room was pretty spacious and very clean. You can walk to town from this hotel, although it is a good walk. Price was good, less than $80.<BR>We were in Enna two years ago and stayed at the only hotel in town, Hotel Sicilia (I think). The rooms here were very nice with antique Sicilian furniture and the views were spectacular. The prices were very reasonable as well, around $80. <BR>Curious as to why you're skipping Palermo? There are many things to see in Palermo as others have noted. Sorry can't help with hotels in Lipari.

gac

I assume that you're driving? I think you could skip the nights in Enna, Erice and definitely Cefalu. You're crazy to skip Palermo (and Monreale), unless you loath cathedrals, musuems and baroque architecture. Palermo is one-quarter of Sicily! Between Siracusa and Enna, don't skip over Piazza Armerina and the Roman Villa of Casale.

Maria

Judy,<BR><BR>As far as hotel suggestions - if you do decide to go to Cefalu, we went to a wedding at Hotel Kalura and decided to stay there a couple of nights. It is a 3-Star Hotel. They have their own private beach. I have been the Cefalu a few times and have only gone to their public beaches, but this was the first time I have stayed overnight. What a difference! The view from the hotel terrace down to the beach was breathtaking. <BR><BR>The water comes right up to the concrete that you put your chairs on (which the hotel provides) and right next to this area, there was a small beach. The water was crystal clean, and you could swim to the rocks. Also there were people cliff diving a little ways down. <BR><BR>The hotel itself was very nice. The rooms were OK. I guess they are typical beach rooms. <BR><BR>Do you have a hotel for Taormina?

gac

Hotel Villa Belvedere in Taormina is a winner. In Lipari, the Carasco (read my posting).

Judy

Now I'm really confused. Maybe I'm misunderstanding distances. Is it possible to see the Roman Villa at Casale AND go the the Valley if the Temples in one day? I was thinking of staying in Enna because we would be near there with the villa trip. But maybe we don't need to stay overnight? <BR>Then driving from Agrigento leaving in the morning, we were going to drive along the coast, stopping in Selinunte and other towns to Erice. Then next day see Segesta and Monreale on the way to Cefalu. We thought it would be too far and late to drive all the way to Milazzo and that's why we were going to stop in Cefalu. Does this make sense? Anyone have a better idea???Thanks!!!

GAC

If you leave Siracusa in the morning, you can reach Piazza Armerina-Casale by lunchtime, visit the villa in 45 minutes, and reach Agrigento by mid-afternoon. You could skip the overnight in Enna. You'll need anywhere from 4 to 6 hours to see the Valley of the Temples and the Archeological Museum. Leaving Agrigento in the morning, you could see Selinunte and Erice and continue on to Palermo or Cefalu the same day.

judy

Thank sounds like a whirlwind trip, GAC. When do I stop and smell the espresso? Does it matter to stay in town in Lipari or out? Hotel Carasco looks good but where is it located?

gac

I have a posting on the Carasco on this website. Search under "Lipari" and "Aeolian Islands" It is located on the fringes of town, within easy walking distance of the center and the hydrofoil dock (you can cover the town of Lipari on foot in 30 minutes).

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trying to keep this going

Angela

Judy, we drove along the coast from Erice to Sciacca and while it isn't a difficult drive it isn't the autostrada and therefore takes more time because you go through many small towns. Also, there is a stretch of road between Cefalu and Milazzo where the autostrada is still under construction and you are forced onto a coastline road. It is a very beautiful view, but you can get stuck behind tour buses and road constuction vehicles because the road has many twists and turns which makes the drive very long. If you get a chance, stop in Sant Stefano di Camastra, a small town between Cefalu and Milazzo where there is shop after shop of beautiful ceramics. I think your itinerary is fine if you have maybe already seen Palermo.

beth

The valley of the temples was my all time favorite day traveling ever!!!! I would not skimp on it. Also, you might want to try to book at Villa Athena for the night with a view of the temples. Make sure to ask for a view and book early!!!!<BR>