Sicily Advice - Finalising Itinerary...
Apr 15th, 2003, 05:40 AM
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Sicily Advice - Finalising Itinerary...
After spending months gathering information here...Thanks to everyone who as been advising AP6380 on her trip and to AP herself for the wonderful trip report. Big thank you also to David Cross for sending through his very helpful notes... it has come to the time where I am going to have to start finalising hotels etc for the Sicily part of my trip.
Based on all this information and of course my own I have come up with an itinerary as follows.
We will be driving down from the Amalfi Coast and will be taking car ferry across to Messina. 6 nights total in Sicily. We will be there mid-July. My wishes while there, in order of preference, are; culture, food, ruins, beach. I definitely like the idea of going to one of the islands... Aeolean or Pantelleria.
2 nights Taormina
1 night Agrigento
1 night ?
2 nights Palermo
Any suggestions for the ? night? Is seeing an island at all possible?
We are planning to take the car hydrofoil back to Naples. I have been to the SNAV website (http://www.snavali.com/eng/index.asp) but they just have 'Service was stopped, see you next 2003'. The Rough Guide to Sicily, where I learned there was a car hydrofoil, does mention that it runs from mid April... I did try to email but it bounced back. Has anyone had any experience with this? Am I OK to assume it will start running mid April?
TIA
Based on all this information and of course my own I have come up with an itinerary as follows.
We will be driving down from the Amalfi Coast and will be taking car ferry across to Messina. 6 nights total in Sicily. We will be there mid-July. My wishes while there, in order of preference, are; culture, food, ruins, beach. I definitely like the idea of going to one of the islands... Aeolean or Pantelleria.
2 nights Taormina
1 night Agrigento
1 night ?
2 nights Palermo
Any suggestions for the ? night? Is seeing an island at all possible?
We are planning to take the car hydrofoil back to Naples. I have been to the SNAV website (http://www.snavali.com/eng/index.asp) but they just have 'Service was stopped, see you next 2003'. The Rough Guide to Sicily, where I learned there was a car hydrofoil, does mention that it runs from mid April... I did try to email but it bounced back. Has anyone had any experience with this? Am I OK to assume it will start running mid April?
TIA
Apr 15th, 2003, 06:40 AM
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Travelgirl - My suggestion for the ? night would be Lipari in the Aeolean islands!
You could then return to Naples from Lipari on the Siremar ferry.
Here's the website:
www.siremar.it
You can reach Lipari by ferry from Milazzo.
Alternatively you could do it in reverse and go directly to Lipari from Naples, then on to Taormina via Milazzo.
Steve
You could then return to Naples from Lipari on the Siremar ferry.
Here's the website:
www.siremar.it
You can reach Lipari by ferry from Milazzo.
Alternatively you could do it in reverse and go directly to Lipari from Naples, then on to Taormina via Milazzo.
Steve
Apr 15th, 2003, 07:10 AM
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I recently completed your trip in the opposite direction (driving from Palermo through Sicily, Calabria and Basilicata to Sorrento), and can only say that I wish we had stayed longer than two nights in each of your three Sicilian cities, because with driving taking up every other day, there was only one full day (plus maybe a couple of hours on the evening of arrival) to spend at each place.
Between Palermo and Agrigento, we went through Monreale and Schiacca, and enjoyed meandering along back roads in western Sicily. Our drive from Agrigento to Taormina included a morning stop in the fabulous pottery town of Caltagirone and the afternoon at the Roman mosaics at Piazza Armerina.
In case you are interested, we stayed at Hotel Villa Belvedere in Taormina, agriturismo Fattoria Mose' outside Agrigento, and B&B Ai Cartari in Palermo. I would gladly return to all three--reasonable rates, great locations, charming proprietors/staff. For Ai Cartari, though, some familiarity with Italian is advisable as the family's spoken English is not fluent (e-mail correspondence in English is fine, though).
For your six days, I would add one day to Taormina or Agrigento instead of racing to another destination (my preference is to settle in to one place for several nights, but if you like to change hotels every night, please ignore this advice.)
As for the hydrofoil back to Naples -- if it is a rental car, why not drop it off in Palermo, where you'd be happy to be rid of it?
You will have a wonderful time whatever you decide. I'm ready to return -- and I've just barely finished unpacking.
Between Palermo and Agrigento, we went through Monreale and Schiacca, and enjoyed meandering along back roads in western Sicily. Our drive from Agrigento to Taormina included a morning stop in the fabulous pottery town of Caltagirone and the afternoon at the Roman mosaics at Piazza Armerina.
In case you are interested, we stayed at Hotel Villa Belvedere in Taormina, agriturismo Fattoria Mose' outside Agrigento, and B&B Ai Cartari in Palermo. I would gladly return to all three--reasonable rates, great locations, charming proprietors/staff. For Ai Cartari, though, some familiarity with Italian is advisable as the family's spoken English is not fluent (e-mail correspondence in English is fine, though).
For your six days, I would add one day to Taormina or Agrigento instead of racing to another destination (my preference is to settle in to one place for several nights, but if you like to change hotels every night, please ignore this advice.)
As for the hydrofoil back to Naples -- if it is a rental car, why not drop it off in Palermo, where you'd be happy to be rid of it?
You will have a wonderful time whatever you decide. I'm ready to return -- and I've just barely finished unpacking.
Apr 15th, 2003, 08:01 AM
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You could drop the car in Palermo. Take the SNAV hydrofoil direct to Lipari (depart 7:00 a.m. or 7:30 a.m. (depends on days of week), arrive 10:55 a.m.) Night in Lipari Hotel Carasco (read my review).
Next day, take the morning or the afternoon SNAV hydrofoil direct to Naples in about 5 hours. There is also a slow overnight car ferry which is quite scenic (I myself took it).
If you skip Lipari you can take the morning SNAV car catamaran (not a hydrofoil!!!) from Palermo to Naples; this will certainly operate in mid-July UNLESS there is bad weather.
Next day, take the morning or the afternoon SNAV hydrofoil direct to Naples in about 5 hours. There is also a slow overnight car ferry which is quite scenic (I myself took it).
If you skip Lipari you can take the morning SNAV car catamaran (not a hydrofoil!!!) from Palermo to Naples; this will certainly operate in mid-July UNLESS there is bad weather.
Apr 22nd, 2003, 05:17 AM
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Thank you all for your really helpful advice.
kayd: Good idea about returning the car in Palermo. I wish we could but it's a long-term lease through Peugeot and I'm pretty sure we have to drop it back in Rome. I did like the idea of hydrofoiling it back to Naples as we will prolly have it loaded with out purchases by then.
The reason I was so keen in the SNAV hydrofoil is that it only takes 4 hours. GAC: is the car catamaran 4 hours only as well? I just checked the SNAV website (http://www.snavali.com/) and it still hasn't got updated details for the 'Sicilia Jet'
Deciding what to do in Sicily has been the hardest part of organising my month long trip. There is so much to see and do there. I guess I'll just have to come back.
kayd: Good idea about returning the car in Palermo. I wish we could but it's a long-term lease through Peugeot and I'm pretty sure we have to drop it back in Rome. I did like the idea of hydrofoiling it back to Naples as we will prolly have it loaded with out purchases by then.
The reason I was so keen in the SNAV hydrofoil is that it only takes 4 hours. GAC: is the car catamaran 4 hours only as well? I just checked the SNAV website (http://www.snavali.com/) and it still hasn't got updated details for the 'Sicilia Jet'
Deciding what to do in Sicily has been the hardest part of organising my month long trip. There is so much to see and do there. I guess I'll just have to come back.
Apr 22nd, 2003, 05:17 AM
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Thank you all for your really helpful advice.
kayd: Good idea about returning the car in Palermo. I wish we could but it's a long-term lease through Peugeot and I'm pretty sure we have to drop it back in Rome. I did like the idea of hydrofoiling it back to Naples as we will prolly have it loaded with out purchases by then.
The reason I was so keen in the SNAV hydrofoil is that it only takes 4 hours. GAC: is the car catamaran 4 hours only as well? I just checked the SNAV website (http://www.snavali.com/) and it still hasn't got updated details for the 'Sicilia Jet'
Deciding what to do in Sicily has been the hardest part of organising my month long trip. There is so much to see and do there. I guess I'll just have to come back.
kayd: Good idea about returning the car in Palermo. I wish we could but it's a long-term lease through Peugeot and I'm pretty sure we have to drop it back in Rome. I did like the idea of hydrofoiling it back to Naples as we will prolly have it loaded with out purchases by then.
The reason I was so keen in the SNAV hydrofoil is that it only takes 4 hours. GAC: is the car catamaran 4 hours only as well? I just checked the SNAV website (http://www.snavali.com/) and it still hasn't got updated details for the 'Sicilia Jet'
Deciding what to do in Sicily has been the hardest part of organising my month long trip. There is so much to see and do there. I guess I'll just have to come back.
Apr 22nd, 2003, 10:47 AM
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Good afternoon, Travelgirl
Would take that undecided night at
Siracusa when you go from Taormina to
Agrigento, or when you go from Agrigento
to Palermo, s;end that night at Cefalu.
Both places are very interesting...
Might look at the Jolly Hotel chain
which we have used in Sicilia acouple
of times in the past...
Richard ofLaGrange Park. IL
Would take that undecided night at
Siracusa when you go from Taormina to
Agrigento, or when you go from Agrigento
to Palermo, s;end that night at Cefalu.
Both places are very interesting...
Might look at the Jolly Hotel chain
which we have used in Sicilia acouple
of times in the past...
Richard ofLaGrange Park. IL
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