gfeibleman

We are flying into Palermo in late afternoon, end of October for 10 nights. We plan to loop the south and fly out of Catania around 600pm on the 11 th day. Here is our intinerary but we are wondering if we have misjudged distances such that we can reduce our bases. This seems doable.
2 nts Monreale. 1 Day trip into Palermo
1 nt Erice after a liesurely drive through Segesta. Next morning off to Agrigento via Selinunte.
1 nt Agrigento then off to Rafusa
2 nts Ragusa. Day trips inland somewhere
2 nts Siracusa. Is the Grand Hotel there worth it?
2 nts Taormina at Villa Schuler. we dropped a night to add Siracusa (but they are running a 20% off sale)
Could we drop Agrigento and make Ragusa more of a base or does it make sense to just stop and stay the night on the way? How long should it take to go from place to place?
I have been reading the other posts and keep reconfiguring the trip based on the advice to others and changes in our schedule.

What do you seasoned Sicily travelers recommend?

Eloise

You need more time in Palermo (at least 3 nights, even if you decide to stay in a hotel in Monreale).

Personally, I would drop Erice (and I have read that it is very difficult to drive up to and down from).

Do Segesta and Selinunte the same day. You can spend the night in Marinella di Selinunte or in Sciacca.

1 day and 1 night Agrigento. Do not drop Agrigento; it has some of the best preserved Greek temples anywhere.

From Agrigento, I would go to Piazza Armerina for the Villa Casale and the Roman mosaics.

One night in Ragusa is ample.

Siracusa can be one night or two. I can't say anything about the Grand Hotel because I have never stayed there.

Taormina for whatever days and nights you have left.

Either Viamichelin or mappy.com can give you the distances and times between stops. Nothing suggested above should take a huge amount of time.

Eloise

I understand all too well the temptation to reduce the number of places to stop overnight, but if you do, I'm afraid you would land up doing a great deal of backtracking...

bobthenavigator

I feel Eloise has a good approach, but I am not sure why you need to stay in Ragusa at all. We found Noto to be a better destination and it is a short drive from Siracusa. Selinunte was a highlight for us--spend the nite in Marinella[see my report].

gfeibleman

Bob - do you mean your 15 day repoert at slow travel or something else?

Baby_Milos

I planned to go to Sicily by the end of this month. Just want to know how long does it take to drive from Siracusa to Agrigento? Is the inland or the coastal route faster? And then how long does it drive from Agrigento to Palermo?

AP6380

Here's a link to my 10 night Sicily trip report:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34412340

kleeblatt

Villa Schuler?

One of my English students took a picture of it while in Sicily and gave it to me. I'd love to know your opinion of it upon your return. Thanks.

caroline_edinburgh

Agreeing with other posters (and as per my answer to your previous post) : IMO you should devote more time to Palermo (we spent a week there & didn't see everything - didn't even get to Monreale); Agrigento is very worthwhile (go to the Hellenistic Roman Quarter as well as the temples); Ragusa is not even worth one night. The Grand Hotel in Siracusa is very nice.

My suggestion for 10 nights - 4 nights in Palermo, 1 night in Agrigento, 2 nights in Siracusa, 3 nights in Taormina. Visit Piazza Armerina & Ragusa en route to Siracusa, with lunch at Piazza Armerina at the little hotel at the crossroads. The best thing about Ragusa is the view from outside, and we found half an hour strolling around the centre of Ragusa Ibla quite enough. Admittedly I haven't yet been to Segesta or Selinunte so bow to Eloise's opinion on how to fit them in - or leave them for another trip ?

If you look back over previous threads on Sicily you'll see that people who spent little time in any one place in Sicily and tried to cram it all into one holiday generally weren't very impressed; whereas those who took it more gradually loved it.

My 3 trips have gone like this :-

1) week in Taormina (pre-booked, rest taken as we felt like it); night in Siracusa, night at Piazza Armerina, night in Agrigento, 2 nights in Cefalu (intended to stay 4 but didn't like it much), 2 nights back in Taormina.

2) (honeymoon) 3 nights Taormina, 8 nights Panarea, 3 nights Taormina.

3) 3 nights Taormina, 2 nights Siracusa, 1 night near Ragusa (Eremo della Giubiliana), 3 nights near Agrigento, week in Palermo.

Outside the towns driving is easy & the roads are quiet and good so quite fast.

gfeibleman

Caroline - we were lloking at Ragusa more as a base than a destination. we have 2 nights at Eremo della Giubiliana. Is it too far out as a base for someof the smaller towns?
Didn't anybody go to or stay in Erice? If seems like too many posters say don;t bother yet the books say don;t miss it

bobthenavigator

Yes, that report. It was also posted here if you can find it.

Eloise

I have been to Erice. It is a tiny village at the top of a mountain. The streets are so narrow that no cars can pass; they are so old and worn by use that they are slippery even when dry: I was clinging to the sides of the houses as I made my way up and down.

There is one church that I recall, not a particularly interesting one.

It was -- in prehistory or about then --the site of a temple or sanctuary to Venus/Aphrodite (under an earlier name). There are no remains of that site that are comprehensible to non-archeologists.

The only real attraction of the place is the pastry shop of Maria Grammatico on the "main drag." It is true, the almond pastries (a bit like coconut macaroons in texture) are excellent, but you can find excellent almond pastries everywhere in Sicily.

caroline_edinburgh

Sorry, in that case I don't understand where you are planning to visit from Ragusa ? Although now I look back, I see your original posting just says "day trips somewhere". Since you only have 10 nights I'd still go with my suggested itinerary, & just visit Piazza Armerina & look at Ragusa on the way from Agrigento to Siracusa.

The Eremo della Giubiliana was nice but we just stayed there a night as a destination in itself, really, & spent the afternoon by the pool.

gfeibleman

If I follow evryones advice and skip Erice. Can I leav Palermo, see Segesta and Selinunte and still make it to Agrigento by dusk in November or is that too much for one day to do things justice? Heck, I may not even find the right rode out of Palermo.

If we stay near Selinunte for one night, where do you recommend?

Likewise, where to stay in Agrigento?

If we stay in PIazza Armenina, where?

We love the small towns so do not need to stay in the big city's per se.

caroline_edinburgh

Agrigento : first time I stayed (1 night) at the Jolly Hotel in town, which was a faceless could-be-anywhere type modern hotel but adequate. Second time I stayed at the Baglio della Luna which is a few km outside the town, the other side of the valley of the temples. It is a converted fortified manor house and was lovely, with great food - highly recommended. Also with nice gardens & a (fairly distant) view of the temples, which are lit up at night.

Piazza Armerina : on my first visit I stayed the night outside town at the small motel-type place at the cross roads where you turn off for the villa - sorry, I can't remember what it was called. It was simple but clean & adequate. The second time I only visited while driving between other places, but had lunch at the same place. I wouldn't really waste a night staying there : better to press on to Siracusa which is lovely.

bobthenavigator

See my report.

gfeibleman

Thanks Carloline.

Still making modifications based on everyones comments. Now we are in Palermo 3 nights (you win) and found a deal at Bob's (and trip advisor) favorite HOTEL PRINCIPE DI VILLAFRANCA at 170E

Have a reservation for night #4 (night before All Saints Day) in Agirgento at COLLEVERDE PARK HOTEL at 145E. Anyone ever stayed there? Seems to be a good location. We tried for BAGLIO DELLA LUNA but so far no response.

Now the next question, How much time should it take to get from Palermo, with a stop at Segesta and Selinunte and still get to Agrigento by 600pm?

still considering EREMO DELLA GIUBILIANA in Ragusa for ninght #5 before 2 nights (#7 & 8)in Siracusa and #9 & 10 in Taormina.

Bob seemed to like his place in Piazza Armerina. So not sure. So night # 6 is still in flux

Everones favorite outside of Selinunte (lemonetta) is closed in November so that's out.
Help has been much appreciated

jofrommelbourne

Stayed at the Colleverde Hotel last year - it was quite good and from some of the rooms you can see the temples.

bobthenavigator

The hotel at Marinella Selinunte is Hotel Alceste--a decent 3 star right in town and a mile from the entrance to the park.

gfeibleman

how long should it take for us to get to agrigento if we leave palermo and stop at salente and selinunte?

if the weather was nice, would there be time to see erice too?