I'm starting my research on a trip next May. My husband wants to spend time in Positano and I want to visit Sicily.

I was thinking of flying into Naples and training it to Positano, spending 4 days seeing the neighboring villages. At this point, renting a car, driving down the boot, crossing into Sicily on the ferry and spending 10 days seeing the island and then going back the way we came.

It almost seems like we'd be spending a lot on time in the car but I don't know any other way of seeing both places.

Are we being too ambitious to be doing both of them in the same trip?

I have done the same thing as you have planned and it was fine. It will take most of the day to drive down to the ferry but it is a beautiful drive.

It is most doable and not too ambitious, I have friends who do the same every year.

Why not? It is perfectly do-able! I am going at the end of August for 2 weeks and staying on the Amalfi Coast, as well as 4 or 5 days down in Sicily, then visiting Calabria (Tropea) on my way back up to Sorrento. I am there for under 2 weeks and am managing to see it all, I can't wait!

Just another option. You can train to Reggio, take the ferry to Sicily, and rent your car. Tour Sicily, drop your car in Palermo, spend a few days seeing the city and environs and fly from there. Saves the return drive, anyway.

Oh Huitres, you are going again!! I am jealous! What a great trip.

I went from the Amalfi coast to Sicily about a year ago. I started in Rome, saw Pompeii on my way to Ravello. On the day I left the Amalfi coast, I had a driver drop me off at the archeological museum in Naples, which held my luggage while I toured the museum, then I took a taxi to Naples airport and caught a flight to Catania.

At the airport, I rented a car and toured a portion of Sicily. Had I flown into Palermo, I would not have rented a car until I saw Palermo and then headed for other Sicilian destinations.

I don't think I would have enjoyed driving to Sicily unless I stopped in many places along the way. I have heard that the train to Sicily is awful, but some people like the high-speed ferry that leaves from Napoli.

I don't think you are being too ambitious. The Amalfi coast is not demanding tourism (you just lay around!) and Sicily is very rewarding.

ttt

Hi SeaUrchin: I have actually made a couple trips to Italy so far this year (2006) but return to my same place (Cinque Terre) so not worth writing a trip report on it each time because with family friends. However, this August/Sept trip I wanted to see Sicilia and it will be great fun - an adventure too as we are taking the train all the way down from Napoli, first to Siracusa then on to Agrigento! Sicilia is full of history - even more so than mainland Italia so it will be just wonderful.

Thank you all so much for the encouragement of visiting both of these places.
Do you think we should rent a car in Naples or wait until we are ready to leave Positano? Approx. how long of a drive is it to Sicily and are the roads good?
We always go to Europe in the Fall so how is the weather in the Spring?

Do NOT rent a car in Napoli.

The roads in Sicily are not "good" in the sense that, with a few exceptions, they are mostly two lane roads that get a fair amount of traffic, in particular truck traffic. Also, while I find most Italian drivers skilled and sensible, I found drivers in Sicily to be particularly daring in the countryside and downright reckless around Palermo, so you want to factor that in.

I think it is far better to fly from Napoli to either Palermo or Catania to tour Sicily rather than rent a car.

We will be leaving next week and plan to rent a car around Sicily. Several sites recommend a car as the best way to see Sicily (except maybe driving in Palermo). We are then going back to the amalfi coast by Train for 4 days before heading back to Rome and then spots north.

To Kimbles: Please let us know the details of your trip. Since I'm still in the early planning stages, any help would be appreciated.

You could take an overnight ferry from Naples to Sicily. I would prefer that to driving unless I was planning to visit cities between Naples and Sicily.