<BR> <BR>Hello, everyone! It's been a while, but I'm finally getting to my trip to Sicily (which has now turned into a honeymoon!). <BR><BR>We're going in March 2003. Our flight takes us through Rome and then directly to Catania. Does anyone know of a good (and cheap!) place where five weary travelers can find rest after a long trip before starting a wonderful trip into the heart of Sicily?

As I am by no means a Sicily expert, (I am in the midst of planning my own Sicily trip for March), I think you get suggestions that tell you not to stay in Catania. In any Sicily thread on this board that I have read, I have never seen anyone who stays there before/after a flight. Although not cheap, you may want to arrange a car to take you to Taormina (about 60 miles I believe, and from what I have been quoted by my hotel 60 Euros). There are several reasonable hotel options there, where I have chosen is <BR><BR>http://www.pensionesvizzera.com/NDefault_Ing.htm<BR><BR>That is if you want to tour the island counterclockwise. If you want to go clockwise and stay outside Siracusa, I have heard that Limoneto <BR><BR>http://www.emmeti.it/Welcome/Sicilia/ProvSiracusa/Siracusa/Alberghi/Limoneto/index.uk.html<BR><BR>is wonderful. I priced it, for a double with breakfast it was 70 Euros. It also may be closer to Catania.<BR>Fodor's also has a review on this site unter hotels in Sicily.<BR>

Since Catania is a rather gritty city, it may not be pleasant or even restful to stay in a cheap hotel there. It might be worth pushing yourself to get to your next large destination (Taormina? Siracusa?) the day you arrive. Or, if you will be renting a car, you might consider driving to Aci Castello or Aci Trezza (I forgot which is which) just to rest the first night. By the way, if you are driving, Catania will probably be a horrible place to try to drive. If your plans are not too firm yet and you can switch to Palermo and flying to the northwest would not be inconsistent with the rest of your trip plans, I think it's possible to find moderate-priced hotels in safe locations in Palermo, and Palermo's appeal is much more obvious than Catania's.

The reason it seems difficult to reply is that the very long link someone posted make the page extra wide. All you have to do is scroll horizontally to the right and you'll see the entire &quot;post a reply&quot; box. Everything's working; it just looks funny.

<BR> <BR>Thanks for the replies! I'm forwarding on your words to my sister, who is planning the Sicily leg of our trip.

The BEST leg!<BR><BR>Where are you planning to go in Sicily?

P.S. There's someone who posts here as &quot;GAC&quot; I think who seems to give very good precise advice about Sicily. (I love Sicily, and have been there 4 times over a 40-year period, but I'm not &quot;expert&quot; by any stretch of the imagination.)

If you are determined to spend your first night in Catania, consider the Hotel Duomo, across the street from the University and a stone's throw from the Cathedral. The airport bus stops nearby.