Sicily-any last minute tips ?
 

My darling daughter ( aka "Mini Me") has just finished her Masters degree in the UK and we are meeting in Sicily next Sunday to have a 2 week driving trip through the country.
We are flying into Catania and taking the bus to Ortigia for two days( as she studied abroad there 4 years ago). We will then go back up to Catania where we will pick up our rental car and head southbound to Agrigento,Sciacca, Selinunte,Marsala,Trapani,Palermo,etc.Anyone ever stayed on one of the Egadi Islands for a night?
I have read everyone's trip reports from past years and appreciate you taking the time to post them.

Any tips for mom and "mini me" before we leave?

Driving tips? We are renting a small automatic/diesel.Things that possibly we need to bring from home for the car ride-paper towels and Windex?

Other than Ortigia we haven't finalized any hotels.Daughter got an Oceanography degree so anything down near the ocean is a plus as that is a fav with us!

We want to stop at some vineyards but many seem as though you need 8 in your party for a tour-Regaleali and Raputa(sp?) are our favs for the Nero D'Avola but appear not to be near where we are going.

Thanks everyone-appreciate your imput as I have only done the eastern side of Sicily and really want to make the most of this trip!

Why are you returning to Catania to rent your car, when you're going to double back and go south again? It sounds like a waste of time and additional traffic hassles, considering the road between Catania and Siracusa. Why not pick up your rental car in Siracusa?

"that possibly we need to bring from home for the car "

Tolerance, a sense of humour, nerves of steel, reactions of a fighter pilot and good insurance instantly spring to mind.

Make a detour to Piazza Armerina for the Roman mosaics.

You are going to have a fabulous time!!

But I agree with Hazel - you really do not want to do the Catania-Siracusa drive more than once if you can avoid it (that drive is actually my worst memory of Sicily!). Can you rent the car in Catania and drive yourselves to Ortigia?

Also, if you can have lunch at Osteria Antica Marina in the Catania fish market, please do.

why would you pass up taormina if you're going to be in catania?

it's a short and fun (despite comments to the contrary) drive. don't be put off by the italian driving experience. it is no worse than rush hour in the US even though you may be in rural scicily...

also, to be honest, i can't recommend siracusa. i found it deadly dull with little or nothing to recommend it. agrigento is great...try some of the restaurants by the beach. i'd rather give up two days in siracusa to spend a few more hours at monte reale...

"to be honest, i can't recommend siracusa"

"why would you pass up taormina if you're going to be in catania"

Which just goes to shows that the difference in opinions that Sicily provokes. We have been to most of Europe.

Found Taormina (last year) to be one of the most god awful places I have ever has the misfortune to pass through. Over-rated, over-priced hotels/restaurants with poor architecture, over crowded street full of offloads from Fred Olsen. The shops ranged from over-priced tat to over-priced designer label. In short, hell on earth.

Siracusa/Ortigia, we found to be one of the most well preserved, manageable, architecturally stunning small cities in Europe. Unlike most of the rest of Sicily we encountered it as fairly gentile.

Thanks for the replies!
First of all,the reason we are going to Ortigia for a couple days is that my daughter studied for a semester abroad in Ortigia and our whole family loved it. Everytime we went over there it was a magical place.It is Valhalla to us or as I tell people on my flights-" Italy 40 years ago before the tourists ruined Tuscany,etc."

We have gone to Taormina and quite honestly I would NEVER go back-I likened it to too many tourists;cruise ship folks on their daytrips and its basically like being in the Wisconsin Dells of Italy!It was nice to see but I won't go back.Mt. Etna and Catania have also been done in full so that is why I want to concentrate on the west coast of Sicily.

We are renting our car in Catania after Ortigia as it seems stupid to be paying for a rental car that is sitting in the parking lot for two days. My daughter said that the roads down to Ragusa,Noto,etc. are brutal for driving in the switchbacks and she really didn't enjoy the Baroque towns when she was there for visits.Quite frankly with our time constraints,I would rather be near the ocean,fishing towns and historical temples.
I liked the idea of taking the bus both ways to Ortigia and Catania so that when we pick up the car we can get right on the motorway from the airport and head down to Agrigento.

As someone who lives near Chicago and who rents cars overseas alot for work and play,I feel that I will be fine with my daughter driving around (just cannot drink the wine until the end of the day?).I know that Sicilian drivers are crazy but can they be any worst than the drivers of Paris, London or Greece?

Keep your thoughts coming while I go get a glass of wine?

We enjoyed our trip to Sicily - Ortigia, Taormina and Lipari - but I would say check your change! We had at least 3 instances of what seemed to be deliberate short changing. We just smiled and kept our hand out and the rest of the change appeared. Often the shop owner looked as if he knew exactly what had happened but perhaps hoped we wouldn't notice if we were unfamiliar with the currency.

Kay

We needed nothing for the car, and we actually found the Sicilian drivers quite skillful. They are expert at judging how many nanometers separate their car from yours.

Marinella di Selinunte is a pleasant little beach town with a relaxed restaurant row lined up overlooking the beach--a good lunch stop. If you're in that area overnight, Lu Disiu in Castelvetrano for dinner. Villa Sogno, surrounded on three sides by an olive grove, is between the two towns so not on the ocean but relatively close. Helpful owners.

Palermo: The mosaics tend to get top billing--I also loved the Oratorio del Rosario di Santa Cità and also San Domenico with their white frosting Serpotta sculptures. The Via Bara all'Olivella is a cute little street with craft shops near the Teatro Massimo. I always enjoy meeting and buying from the person who made the object. Found a candlestick at Giuseppe Vitrano's woodturning shop at #42 and a small ceramic bowl that I love from another store on the same side of the street. Bon voyage! Look forward to hearing all about it when you return.

Oh thanks for the tips!

Wow you are going to have a blast I use to live in Sicily and I was able to drive throughout the entire island. The roman villa at piazza armerina is very impressive.

Taormina is a tourist trap there is only one thing there to do and thats to see the greek temple with a nice view of mount etna. you can get just a great view of the country side in Segesta which is an hour away from Palermo.

One absolutely do not miss item is in the catacombs in Palermo.

If you want to catch something off the beaten path drive along the coast east of agrigento and you will get incredible views of the sicilian coastline. best of luck!

-marcello
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