Please help with Sicily Itinerary!
 

Hello Fodorites!
My husband and I are planning a trip to Italy in May. After one night in Milan and three in the Cinqueterre, we will be spending nine nights in Sicily, and need your help with this part of our itinerary.

Some background: This is our third trip to Italy, but first to Sicily (Milan and Cinqueterre, too!) My grandparents were from Nicosia, so we want to visit there, plus see as many highlights we can in our too-short trip. We love history, ruins, museums, great food and scenery. My husband plans to drive--he’s a great driver, but not a big fan of scary heights.

We've done quite a bit of research (including on this board--thank you!!!) and have settled on a few possible itineraries. I really don’t like one-night hotel stays, but seem stuck with a few here. Please weigh in with your experience and wisdom! Any hotel and restaurant recommendations are most welcome, too.

Tentative Itinerary:
Fly (free!) to Milan--1 night (Hotel: Gran Duca di York)
Day 2-4: Milan in am, train to Cinqueterre (Hotel: La Toretta in Manarola)
DAY 5: fly to Palermo via Milan or Genoa, stay 2 nights in Palermo (Hotel???)
Day 6: see Palermo and Monreale
Day 7: rent car at Palermo airport, drive to Agrigento. See ruins, stay 1 night (Hotel???)
Day 8-9: Drive to Piazza Armerina, see mosaics, then on to Nicosia, stay 2 nights
Hotel: Baglio San Pietro (agriturismo just outside town) or Hotel Panorama (in town)
Day 10-11: Drive to Siracusa, stay 2 nights (Hotel??)
Day 12-14: Drive to Taormina, stay 2 nights (Hotel??)
Day 15: drop car at Catania airport, fly home--overnight layover in Dusseldorf

We can’t change number of days in Sicily, but can change where we go.
Big Questions:
Do we need another day in Palermo?
Should we shorten our stay in Nicosia to one night? I hate one-nighters, and this is my ancestors’ home, so I don’t want to cut it short--but will we be bored in Nicosia or agriturismo?
Should we do Taormina as day-trip only and stay three or four nights in Siracusa? Some people seem to love Taormina, others think it’s touristy.
Is there a better route than the one we are taking?
Are we being too ambitious? Missing something we shouldn’t?

Thanks so much for your help!
Hax

Segesta a bit east of Palermo is a stellar arcaheological site - a tremendous and fairly intact Greek temple is a stark setting - if add a day to Palermo check it out!

http://www.bestofsicily.com/segesta.htm

Since you have limited time, this itinerary will work but you will be driving every 2nd day. So, as long as you don't mind being in motion, it is doable. I would switch Siracusa & Taormina however, since you will already be north. The agro looks great btw & it would be my choice over the hotel in town. We loved the Villa Ducale - just outside of Taormina - so it is worth a look.

And we found Palermo to be a big, noisy, gritty city & 2 nights would give you one day - which is enough in my mind but you will hear howls from others about this opinion. To me, the true beauty of Sicily is in the countryside & the small villages & towns. A big city is a big city is a big city.

Ian

I would suggest basing in say Cefalu, a dreamy seaside town not far from Palermo and going to that gritty city on a day trip.

Picture-postcard Cefalu!

https://www.google.com/search?q=cefa...w=1455&bih=977

On the other hand, I thought Cefalu overrated, and Palermo interesting. YMMV. Depends some on the weather and how much you are into beaches. I would spend longer in Palermo and day trip to Trapani or Erice (both are worth more time, but you don't have it). I'm in the "do Taormina as a day trip" camp.

You already seem to know that you are being extremely ambitious, but if you go in with your eyes open, you can probably make this work.

I'm one of those who loved Palermo, which I would describe as vibrant and dynamic and a bit gritty. I gave it 2.5 days and seriously regret not having given it more. If you haven't already done so, you might want to think through the sites you want to visit, taking note of visiting hours, and see if you have enough time for the things you want to see and do there. Whatever you do, don't skip Monreale!

I'm also one of those who found the crowds in Taormina off-putting. The views are gorgeous, and IME it is MUCH nicer after day trippers leave. I'm a little confused by the way you laid out the times, though. FWIW, you probably don't need more than a day in Taormina unless you want to use it as a base for a full-day trip to Mt. Etna. Siracusa easily merits a minimum of 2 days IMO, more if you want to add a half-day visit to Noto.

For your lodging in Siracusa, definitely seek something in Ortygia. I was very well satisfied with L'Approdo delle Sirene:
http://www.apprododellesirene.com
(And BTW, I hope you enjoy La Torretta in Manarola as much as I did!)

No need to go to Palermo's airport to pick up a rental car unless you want to -- there are agencies at Palermo's railroad stations, which you can probably reach more quickly.

As PalenQ mentions, Segesta is worth seeing, as is Selinunte. Depending on your preferences and pace, you might be able to see one or both on your way from Palermo to Agrigento.

Although my comments are most certainly out of date, here were my notes on the restaurants at which I dined in Sicily back in 2007. Maybe they'll give you some ideas....

Sicily is wonderful in May - enjoy!

Here is Sicily in May. Click on my name for the trip report.

http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=3828

hax,

I have one main comment which is must you really visit the Cinque Terre on this trip? It's nice, but not nicer than more time in Sicily! Cinque Terre would fit better on another Italy trip. If you flew straight to Palermo from Milan you could gain some days for Sicily, allowing time for Erice, Segesta, and more.

Another detail with the way you have it planned - you would be leaving your luggage in your rental car while you visit Villa Romana. Not the best idea. Without looking at the map, I don't know how close Nicosia is to Villa Romana. Would it be possible to have the agritourismo hold your luggage for you while you visit the Villa?

Another vote for 1 night in Taormina. Less than 24 hours was enough for me.

Re Palermo, I liked it, but didn't fall in love. I had 3.5 days and was able to see most of what I wanted which was a lot! I did a 1/2 day historical walking tour with Jackie Alio which I really, really enjoyed.

I left my luggage in my rental while visiting the Villa Romana del Casale (and Segesta and Selinunte) and had no trouble, which is (of course) NO guarantee that it is safe. FWIW, I made sure that there were no obvious signs from the outside that there was luggage in may car, I left the car in an area that was monitored by parking attendants, and I parked in a way that would have made it hard for anyone to discretely get into my trunk (where the luggage was). Again, though, none of that guarantees safety -- as Dayle has said.

One thing that I think people often forget is that they should NOT open the trunk of a car once they park it somewhere, unless it is to remove EVERYTHING. So (for example), people park, and then collect their belongings from inside the car, and open the trunk to leave some things there (say a GPS) and/or take some things out (even a jacket) -- and in doing so, they reveal the contents of the trunk to anyone who is watching. So, if you will need to swap things in or out of your trunk, consider doing so a mile or more from where you park.

@ Dayle, re your question on another thread -- oh yes indeed! Poking the hornet's nest for a while now.... even began one post with "feed the troll." So very VERY sad.

Oops, I forgot to add the link to my ancient restaurant notes:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...estaurants.cfm

And, since you say you like museums, I'll note that I enjoyed the archeological museums in Palermo (awesome!), Agrigento (well worth seeing!), and Siracusa (an impressive collection). And if you enjoy art, consider at least a short visit to the Palazzo Abatellis in Palermo with its incomparable, if small, selection of outstanding works (e.g., Messina's <i>Annunciata)</i>. :-)

Oh, how I love Fodor's! Thank you all for your swift and helpful replies. I have been reading many of your trip reports, and will continue to refer to them as we refine our planning.

Before I ask more questions, I will answer some of yours, and correct a mistake I made in original itinerary--we are in Taormina for two nights, day 12-13 (not day 14). Sorry!

Dayle--Yes, we are locked into the Cinqueterre for 3 nights. It's been 20 years since we've been to Italy--who knows when we’ll get back? So many places to go!--so decided to hit two places on our bucket list. Loved your trip report. Will check out Jackie Alio!

Michelin says Piazza Armerina is 1 1/2 hours from Nicosia, which is a mountain town. Stopping at Piazza Armerina on the way (vs. dropping our bags at agriturismo first) saves us over 2 hours of driving--not counting getting lost. I was glad to see kja's post that she also left luggage in the trunk at Villa Romana. Is it really that bad to do so?

Thursdaysd and PalenQ--We’re not really looking for beaches, as we’re coming from the CT. Cefalu looks gorgeous, and was on my wish list, but feel with such a short time it's better to stay in Palermo. Thursdaysd--just read your great trip report--thanks!

PalenQ and kja--Am sad to miss Erice, Segesta and Selinunte, just don’t see how we have the time. Unless we stop at one of them on way to Agrigento and leave the ruins there for the next day? Michelin says that route would take 4 hr, 45 minutes-- a lot of driving. Also means we’d have to switch our Villa Romana day and see it on our way to Siracusa. Maybe.

Kja--I found La Toretta through you! Thank you! No, not interested in a day trip to Etna--we just visited a volcano! Originally thought we’d do two nights in Taormina because I dislike one-nighters. May now switch it to a daytrip or one-nighter. Sure looks like it has beautiful views, though.

We thought we might have to rent a car from the Palermo airport as we need an automatic, and heard driving in the city was to be avoided. Is there a train station on the outskirts that wouldn’t be so bad? Would save us a lot of time to not go to airport!

We do have to do more research on opening hours in Palermo. With only two nights, we will really only have one full day there, which includes seeing Monreale. Hence the debate to add a night.

Ian--Michelin puts the drive time between Nicosia and Taormina or Siracusa as the same (2hr 13). The little mountain roads from Nicosia to Taormina take longer, so have to go via Catania either way. Villa Ducale looks gorgeous! Thanks! May do it as our last night.

Bob--Have read your report and seen your gorgeous photos. Thanks!

Here is an alternate itinerary:


DAY 5: fly to Palermo, stay 2 nights (Hotel???)

Day 6: see Palermo and Monreale

Day 7: rent car at Palermo train station, drive to Agrigento, stopping at Segesta or Erice on the way. (4.45 hrs driving.)
OR, spend morning in Palermo, then rent car and drive to Agrigento (2.5 hours) Stay 1 night (Hotel???)

Day 8: See Valley of the Temples (all day), then drive to Nicosia (2 1/2 hrs.) Stay 2 nights. Hotel: Baglio San Pietro (agriturismo just outside town)
Day 9: See Nicosia
Day 10-12: Drive to Piazza Armerina, see mosaics, then on to Siracusa, stay 3 nights (Hotel??)

Day 13: Drive to Taormina stay 1 nights (Hotel??)

Day 14: drop car at Catania airport, fly home--overnight in Dusseldorf

More Questions!
1) Is it better to see Valley of Temples after driving down from Palermo on day 7? Or the morning of day 8, before we drive to Nicosia? Complex is open until 7pm. Don’t want to stay in Agrigento more than one night.
2) Would we really have time to see Segesta or Erice on way to Agrigento as suggested? Michelin gives this route 4hr 45 minutes. A lot of driving. Or, we could spend the morning of Day 7 in Palermo, and still move seeing Valley of Temples to Day 8.
3) If we only have one full day (a Wednesday) in Palermo, assume we should we see Monreale first, yes? Would we really have time to see much else? Aaargh!
4) How bad is it to leave our bags in car while viewing Casa Romana? Wether we see it on way from Agrigento to Nicosia, or from Nicosia to Siracusa, I don’t see much other choice. My husband doesn’t want to back track.
5) We were assuming we’d keep our car until we dropped it at airport in Catania. Thought we’d take a day trip to Noto, Ragusa or Modica and drive to Taormina. However, after reading more trip reports--Should we lose the car upon arrival in Siracusa, if we can? How bad is driving in Siracusa and Taormina?

Thanks again for all your help! I appreciate it!

I didn't drive on Sicily, but I would put Siracusa and Taormina right after Palermo as places to avoid driving.

If you did Taormina as a day trip (enough time for the views and the Greek Theater) maybe you could add a night to Palermo and do Erice as a day trip?

How about ascending Mt Etna - it is a thrill - best from the south side from Philosopher's Tower, which I think you can drive to or near and do the cable way/ 4-wheel drive route to peer into the very active volcano's center.

"Kja--I found La Toretta through you! "

All the more reason to hope you enjoy it as much as I did! :-)

"We thought we might have to rent a car from the Palermo airport as we need an automatic, and heard driving in the city was to be avoided. Is there a train station on the outskirts that wouldn’t be so bad? Would save us a lot of time to not go to airport!"

Ah, finding an automatic will make things more complicated! I rented a Europcar that was arranged by gemut.com, and I picked it up at the Piazza Matteo Boiardo, which is right next to one of the train stations -- I forget which, though! BUT I wasn't trying to get an automatic.... You might want to contact gemut -- i've always found them very helpful.
http://www.gemut.com
And most definitely, you do NOT want a car while in Palermo!

"Is it better to see Valley of Temples after driving down from Palermo on day 7? Or the morning of day 8, before we drive to Nicosia?"

Your call! As I recall, I spent somewhere between 5 and 6 hours ON SITE at the Valley of the Temples, plus another 1.5 hours or so at the museum there. You can, of course, visit more quickly, but do keep in mind that it is an EXTENSIVE site.

"Would we really have time to see Segesta or Erice on way to Agrigento as suggested?"

FWIW, I left Palermo around noon, stopped at Sagesta, stopped at Selinunte, and reached Agrigento in time to watch the sunset, stroll the medieval town, and have a late dinner. BUT I had a lot more time in Palermo than you expect to have. So you'll have to prioritize.... ;-)

"If we only have one full day (a Wednesday) in Palermo, assume we should we see Monreale first, yes?"

I think it makes sense to view Monreale as your highest priority. Whether that means first thing in the day is another question. With so little time in Palermo, you might want to try to time it so your bus ride there is during a time when other things aren't open. Just be sure to leave yourself enough time to savor it!

"Should we lose the car upon arrival in Siracusa, if we can?"

That's what I did! A car is really not convenient in either Siracusa or especially Taormina, and Noto (at least) is easily reached by public transportation from Siracusa.

>How bad is driving in Siracusa and Taormina?

While neither are crazy like Palermo, Taormina is all up & down and Ortygia is narrow alleys with a very interesting round-a-bout on the way - in the middle of Siracusa. Both are park & walk places. In Taormina we used the hotel shuttle for transport to/from the town center & Ortygia is walkable although the ruins in Siracusa need a car or taxi to get to.

Ian

hax,

Re the luggage in car issue, I did take the risk at 2 stops when I had no choice. All was fine. Needless to say I carried with me the valuable/vital items. All that was left in the car were clothes.

Re Palermo and Monreale. The bus ride up takes a while because of major traffic. It's slow going. My visit took nearly a half day round trip. Monreale is amazing, but honestly I enjoyed the two churches (Capella Palintina and Marmorata) in Palermo just as much, mosaics were amazing. What I think sets Monreale apart is sheer size and the beautiful cloisters! Skip the walk up to the roof, not worth it $.

I also dropped my car on Ortigia. It was a Hertz office booked thru Autoeurope. My 3rd time using them. Driving thru Siracusa and onto Ortigia was not difficult, although I did see one crazy aggressive driver in the roundabout Ian mentioned. I had no problems at all.

It's extremely hard to choose in Sicily with such a wealth of sights. That's why my one-in-a-lifetime trip was 3 1/2 weeks!

The Siracusa round-a-bout from my trip report . . .

"Depending upon the traffic volume, rotaries display the true mettle of Sicilian drivers. In other European countries, there are reasonably well-respected rules for rotaries. You know when to yield & when to enter etc – it’s all quite politely done. In Sicily (and Napoli too for that matter), the rule is: that there are no rules. You launch your car in & pick your way thru the maze of conflicting traffic whirling around you to the exit of your choice. Just think of it as a hundred cars, motorbikes, trucks & buses all engaged in some crazed choreographed dance. It’s terrifying the 1st time you experience it in a busy rotary but use kindly aggression & you will get the hang of it. Try to drive through in as straight a path as possible. I must have hit this one around the lunch time madness because it was a zoo. I missed the correct road because I wasn't aggressive enough worming my way across the 1st time so I had to re-circle the rotary - which was just awesome fun."

Ian

Hi Ian,

And just for another opinion, I didn't find the rotary crazy at all. I was through it in about 30 seconds without a problem. I learned to drive on the southern California freeways :-)

@ Ian -- The only difference I found between the traffic circle in Siracusa and the rest of Sicily's road was that the traffic circle in Siracusa was a circle. My experience of DRIVING in Sicily -- almost anywhere in Sicily, was what you describe: "... there are no rules. You launch your car in & pick your way thru the maze of conflicting traffic whirling around you to the exit of your choice. Just think of it as a hundred cars, motorbikes, trucks & buses all engaged in some crazed choreographed dance. It’s terrifying the 1st time you experience it...." =-O

Oh, and BTW, I NEVER got used to it! I found anything other than back roads (and sometimes those, too) a truly terrifying nightmare.

But I survived! :-)

The Palace Centrale in Palermo is a fabulous hotel. Do not let the fact that it is part of Best Western scare you--in Italy Best Westerns are often 4 star hotels, very individual. This has art deco space, roof side dining, wonderful service and a great location. We stayed there as a treat and would never go back anywhere else.

Try to go to mass in Monreale. It is magnificent but can get crowded like Disneyland. If you go to mass, you see the church doing the job it was made for, tourists are not allowed to roam, mosaics are lit and you have to pay only the offering.

Not a usual tourist spot but I would recommend Enna, high in the interior.

@ cmstraf -- you enjoyed Enna, too?!? We've crossed more paths than I realized. :-)

I enjoyed Enna, but must admit that I don't recommend it for just anyone.... It's a great place, IMO, to take in the views and visit castle ruins and eat some very fresh. local food IF (but ONLY if) it is a convenient stop...

If you do stop in Enna, be sure to visit the cathedral and take note of the somewhat unusual bases of its columns. :-)

Thanks again, all! Your tips, comments and advice are so helpful.

I think we are keeping Palermo to 2 nights. Will leave later in the day (leaving the sights of Agrigento to the next day) and either stop at Segesta or Selinunte on the way, as kja did, or spend time in Palermo before we leave.

We have changed Siracusa (Ortygia) to three nights and Taormina to one.

Ian, I had missed your trip report somehow--loved it! We have booked the Villa Ducale for our last night in Taormina--a splurge. Looks so beautiful. But reading your report makes me wonder about that scary drive. How bad is it (Amalfi coast bad?) My husband (the driver) is not a fan of heights. Would we be faced with that drive whether we stayed in town or at Villa Ducale? I somehow thought it would make having a car easier--a place to park away from crowds. Could we get there without a car if we dropped it off in Siracusa?

cmstraf--We will be near an hour from Enna when we visit Nicosia, which is also a mountain town with a castle ruin. Wonder how different they are? May have time to check it out while we're there.

Still finalizing hotels in Palermo, Agrigento and Ortygia--will look into those mentioned here. Has anyone stayed at the B&B La via della Giudecca in Ortygia? They have a 400 sq. foot "Executive" room for only 100 Euro through their own site. Looks nice and has great reviews on Booking.com

Thank you, thank you!

Hax

I stayed three nts at la via Della Guidecca and thought it was wonderful. Great location excellent manager Roberta, good breakfasts. Huge room on the first floor faces the tiny piazza. It's shown on their web page.

I dropped my car on Ortigia and continued on by train to Taormina. Took a taxi up to Taormina from the Giardino Naxus station. Very easy. I was very glad I did that rather than drive thru the heavy industrial area outside of Catania, biggest oil refinery I've ever seen and I grew up in southern California.

To OP: Let me reiterate that IMO Monreale is the most beautiful church I have been in in the world anywhere. I also loved Segesta, it is small and more intimate than Agrigento--my Italian husband just now said it is his number one sight in all of Sicily.
We spent three weeks in total and moved around much more than our usual style (which is to spend a week in a city). I think it was 3 nights in Palermo, then one in Erice (we usually don't do one night stands, but did several on this trip), one near Agrigento, Enna, two nights in an agriturismo outside of Siracusa, two nights in Taormina (I might pass on this, too crowded for my taste even in April, three magical nights on Lipari, then a final two in Palermo (saved by the Palace Centrale after our reserved hotel in Monreale stood us up). We also very much liked the Romanruins and mosaics of Villa Romana del Casale and the city of Noto (Baroque...and where I was the ONLY woman walking in the city midday. The women emerged in groups for the ritual late afternoon passeggiata.
My husband and I spoke only Italian while we were in Sicily. We felt that part of what made our experience so special was the contrast between the beauty of the countryside,the remains of so many civilizations, and the warmth of the people on the one hand, and the dark shadow of the presence of the Mafia which we detected and which people alluded to everywhere we went.
My first moment in Italy was in May of 1992 (pre husband) on the Lago di Lugano. We had a lovely room looking across the lake with French doors opening to a small balcony. I have a photograph of that moment...so elegant and peaceful..a moment when I later learned Giovanni Falcone (antiMafia judge) and his 40 year old wife and their bodyguards were blown up on the freeway between Palermo and his mother's house. In the middle of the afternoon and oddly no one else was on the freeway.
Like Japan, Sicily was a once in a life three week trip which we wished we had had six weeks to do. And like Japan, we are planning to someday go back.You will have a wonderful time and eat lots of pasta alla Norma (excellent, but sometimes too much of a good thing...)
Our 4 star hotel in Palermo was the only 4 star we stayed in, rest were 3. We very much appreciated the feeling of sanctuary it gave us in a city which is not easy. I second kja's recommendation of the small but wonderful museum she mentioned.

to kja: Yes, it seems like we have crossed paths and may have similar sensibilities:). I agree with what you said about Enna--we very much liked the views, but even more, that it was in the interior, felt less touristy and very Sicilian. We spent two nights there.
You are much more well-traveled in Asia than we. We are in permanent time debt to Italy--Italian relatives and friends--and often spend a week in Genoa and a week or 10 days in another European city when we travel.

Another rave for Monreale. In fact, I liked it so much I went back for a second look. Another place I really liked in Palermo, and which I don't see mentioned much, was the Palazzo Mirto.

From my TR: "The palazzo offered a taste of the high life in Palermo in the 18th and 19th centuries, with a series of beautifully decorated rooms. Although the guidebooks talk about the marble floors, and the painted silk walls in the Chinese sitting room, I particularly admired the embroidered wall hangings and the china collection. Unfortunately, the Castello della Zisa, which I had expected would give me a view of life in Moorish Palermo, was little more than a shell."

I didn't make it to Enna, but I am glad I spent two nights in Erice and two in Trapani, but on a short trip I suppose I would spend one night in one of them.

I traveled to Taormina by train, took the bus up from the train station and then a taxi.

>But reading your report makes me wonder about that scary drive. How bad is it (Amalfi coast bad?) My husband (the driver) is not a fan of heights. Would we be faced with that drive whether we stayed in town or at Villa Ducale?

Fear not. The drive up/down is only 10 minutes & the twisty road is lined with villas & parked cars so you don't have a sense of the heights & a great drop off. Lots of switchbacks of course, but I would rate it exhilarating rather than scary for your husband. This mirrors every hill town we drove through in Sicily.

Ian

Many thanks again for the replies.

Dayle--so glad to hear you like La via della Giudecca. We don't have your huge room, but feel ours will be big enough.

cmstraf and thursdaysd--we will not miss Monreale!

Ian--thanks for the reassurance re: driving.

One more hotel question--

Has anyone stayed at the Palazzo Pantaleo B&B in Palermo?

On to shopping for Thanksgiving dinner--more trip planning later. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

If you're looking for a B&B in Palermo, I can recommend http://www.skysleeping.com/en/

It's not right in the center which I liked. Its street was like a little village within Palermo.

Nitty-gritty on ascending Mt Etna to the crater:

http://wikitravel.org/en/Mount_Etna

Here are a few additional thoughts for you . . .

I am not a city person and I couldn't get out of Palermo fast enough. We stayed in the old center of Cefalu and it was wonderful. We used it as a base for day trips out into the country, and enjoyed every minute. Our small boutique hotel was lovely. I know, we missed Monreale, and that is a travesty, but we saw many other wonderful things, including the Madonie National Park and the Zingaro Reserve.

You are very brave to drive in Sicily, I think. We were traveling with a group, and had hired local drivers, who spent a great deal of time raging at other drivers, and apologizing afterwards for their language. In some ways, it was highly entertaining. Catania was especially terrifying. IMHO, it takes a special kind of driver who is not from Sicily to drive there without a lot of Xanax.

Agrigento was very interesting, we did not have the time for Segesta or Seliunte. Erice was wonderful, although it is a very steep switchback road up to the town. I did not enjoy Piazza Amerina as much as I thought I would. It's interesting, but it was incredibly crowded, and I found it difficult to enjoy because of the crowds. It is the time of year for school trips, which were everywhere, and added to the overall congestion with the other tour groups. We did have a lovely lunch at a nearby restaurant. I would definitely encourage you to swap out Piazza Amerina for Erice. But my favorite thing is to wander the narrow back streets of the smaller towns. YMMV.

Ortygia, ahh, be still my heart. So mystical, so mythical, everything about it is beyond wonderful. The Piazza Duoma will take your breath away (our first view was at night). We are not much on guided tours, but we had a special guide for the morning in Ortygia (our drivers were not with us that day), and her insights into the incredible history, and places we would not have discovered on our own, made it even more special. She took us to the street market just in Syracusa, which was a highlight of our time in Sicily. Even moreso, was the market in Catania. It was a fascinating and worthwhile experience.

We also loved Noto, Modica, and Ragusa. The architecture is everything it is advertised to be. And, against all odds, we especially loved Taormina. The views, the history, the amphitheater, which frames a steaming Etna in its arches. Yes, it was crowded, and touristy, but we were there mostly in the evenings, and it was manageable. Driving and parking is tricky, just be sure to get accurate directions from the Ducale. And don't miss the public gardens. Another highlight.

We are currently planning a trip to Andalucia in April with the same group, and then I think we will be returning to Sicily, also in early May. We missed it as soon as we left. Back to Taormina, and Noto and Modica. But especially, back to Ortygia. Wherever you go, you will love it. It is a very special place.

ab

I stayed in Palermo a few days and the hotel I stayed in was extremely noisy - well not my hotel itself but my room was in a courtyard and all around the courtyard from flats was an incessant din of noise - meals being prepared - parents yelling at kids and loud music blaring from various flats - so be sure your hotel will be quiet- mine wasn't even though it was a nice enough room.

I went to Cefalu and wondered boy did I miss the boat by not staying here - just a short ways from Palermo by train.

That said I did not feel threatened at all in a Palermo that many call dicey - just a lot of grime, etc - maybe that is all better now about a decade later? Loved Montreale and the chapel of bones on the way to it.

AllisonBaxter, would you be able to share the name of your guide in Ortygia? We are thinking of spending two nights there. Thank you.

AMV, I think her first name was Lily. I may be able to find her card or my traveling partner may have her name in her notes. She was delightful. I'll let you know what I can find.

Thanks, all!

Thursdaysd--your B&B looks great. Thank you!

AllisonBaxter--I'm interested in your Ortygia guide, too, if you find her name. Thank you. And thank for your thoughts. Yes, there is so much to see in Sicily, and we all have to make tough choices. We ARE city people, so we may be sorry our stay in Palermo is so short, but I do think we'll enjoy the countryside and small towns more. We do want to see Piazza Armerina. Do you remember where you had lunch?

My husband is the driver, not me. He enjoys it--usually. Hope he does in Sicily!

By the way, we were in Andalucia last fall. Sevilla, Granada, Ronda and Malaga and with a stop in Cordoba to see the fabulous Mezquita, and finishing up in Madrid. You will love it there!

This past May we spent a week in Taormina and did not find the town overly crowded. We stayed up the hill, everything in Taormina is uphill, from the main street, Corso Umberto, in the nice B&B Sara. We had a garage for our car, which was an extra 10 euro per night. The view of the coast was beautiful in the morning and stunning at night.

The highlight of the Sicilian part of the trip was going to a small, mountain top town bearing my last name. We are Calabrese and not Sicilian, but it satisfied a long held dream. We were quite the curiosity as we walked around town. This place probably does not receive a lot of visitors.We gabbed with a few locals and they were at ease after I told them my last name was the same as their town.

Buon viaggio,

We rented a car and drove throughout Sicily with no problems. My husband is Italian--but from the North.