Although I have not posted on Fodor's in many years, I use the website frequently to assist in trip planning for my wife and I. We are both about 5 years into retirement, in pretty good shape and are both rapidly approaching Medicare age. We live in Scottsdale, Arizona, just outside of Phoenix. Despite my longstanding absence from posting on this website, I guess you might say that I "troll" the website as I plan our adventures each year. As the amount of help I received from reading the posts and reports of others was invaluable to us, I wanted to return the favor by providing this report of our recent trip to Sicily, the Cinque Terre and Lugano in hopes of providing help and assistance to others out there who plan and organize their trips, as do I. In advance, my sincere thanks to everyone here on Fodor's who has previously visited these destinations and who provides incredibly helpful information and assistance to others such as myself. A special "thank you" also goes out to Vagabonda, in particular, a person who I'll never meet but without whose insights Sicily would not have been as fantastic for us as it turned out to be.

I began planning our May 2018 trip in mid-September 2017 when mileage flights were very readily available from Phoenix through Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan to Europe. Initially I only wanted to purchase one-way tickets (which you can do with Alaska Airlines' partner airlines) from Phoenix to Rome. I chose an outstanding schedule, departing the morning of May 1, 2018 from Phoenix to Dallas on American Airlines, connecting less than two hours later with American's nonstop flight from Dallas to Rome. Intended arrival time in Rome was scheduled for 715 a.m. on May 2, 2018. Because we were travelling before mid-May, these mileage tickets each only cost 20,000 miles, plus about $17.00 in fees. An outstanding use of the miles, in my estimation, despite less-than-ideal, but tolerable, conditions in economy class.

While planning the trip I considered a few days in Rome prior to moving on to Sicily but having visited Rome numerous times in the past (most recently two years ago), and with our desire to limit the total length of our overseas trips to anywhere between two and three weeks, I figured we might as well head directly to Sicily upon our arrival in Rome. So I purchased two tickets last November with Ryanair (their website is fantastically easy to use and all charges are made in U.S. dollars) on their 1145 a.m. flight, from Rome to Palermo, at a cost for both tickets of $120.44, including advance seat selection and one piece of checked luggage. Our flight from Dallas to Rome actually arrived about 15 minutes early and we had no trouble passing through customs and immigration, collecting our bags, and heading upstairs in the Rome airport to check in for the flight to Palermo. Departure from Rome and arrival in Palermo were precisely on time and we were met by a driver in the Palermo airport holding a sign with our names on it to take us to our Palermo hotel. This transfer I arranged through Ryanair's website at a cost of $48.00, all inclusive, and charged in advance. The weather on our arrival was partly cloudy/partly sunny with the temperature in the range of about 68 to 70 degrees. Perfect!

The driver spoke little English but managed to steer us rapidly, and safely, through unbelievably and chaotic Palermo traffic to our hotel in central Palermo, the Artemesia Palace Hotel. Months and months of research into Palermo hotels, coupled with the hotel's professed outstanding location, price and quite decent reviews, led me to choose the Artemesia Palace. Check-in was fast and efficient at about 300 p.m. and we were taken to our room on the second floor, a perfectly clean and adequate double with windows overlooking a side street. We liked the Artemesia Palace. I believe it was characterized as a 3* place and it had a bit of an old-fashioned ambience, although it had obviously been updated, albeit with a somewhat stark feel in the room that could have been moderated with some color, or art, on the walls. Breakfasts were outstanding, and were included in the price, and for the four nights we were there we paid only Euro 382 based on some special I found on the hotel's website back in December when I booked the place. Anyway, as we were weary from our trip we cleaned up a bit, took a brief nap, and were ready for dinner at about 800 p.m. that night. From the hotel we wandered the immediate neighborhood and over to Piazza Politeama to orient ourselves a bit, then back to the hotel from where we walked a block and one half away to a little restaurant called Giara, a previous recommendation of another Fodor's reviewer. Dinner that night consisted of a shared rocket salad, a spaghetti carbonera for my wife, pork roast with roasted potatoes for me, a liter bottle of water and a bottle of Marsala-region chardonnay. Price, with tip, was Euro 71. Nothing remained behind on our plates - outstanding.

The next day it was raining lightly and we were up early and at breakfast when they began serving. We really like included hotel breakfasts and generally can make it from breakfast to dinner without the need for lunch, although we sometimes succumb to lunch and always succumb to a late-afternoon, post-sightseeing, bottle of wine in a cafe or bar somewhere. This was the case consistently throughout this trip. We found breakfasts in Sicily to be consistently good, varied and filling. They do have an extreme fondness in Sicily for sweets which made it difficult to pass on some of the cakes and torts which were always available. In fact, it was so difficult to pass on the sweets that we never did so! Every morning included at least a taste of a couple of them, including an absolutely delicious pistachio cake which I am already dreaming about. Anyway, the first full morning in Palermo we were scheduled to begin a full day tour, previously arranged (and paid for) on-line with a company called Tour of Sicily, to Piazza Armerina to see the Villa Romana's 4th Century A.D. ruins and moasics, and to Agrigiento to see the Valley of the Temples dating from as far back as about 582 B.C. We would have preferred our first full day in Palermo to have remained in Palermo but Tour of Sicily only offered this day trip one day a week and we weren't about to miss seeing either Piazza Armerina nor Agrigiento and we weren't going to be doing it by public transportation or renting a car, having driven in Italy on previous trips and, frankly, having not particularly enjoyed the driving in Italy experience. The day tour departed from Palermo's Piazza Politeama (about 3 blocks from the Artemesia Palace Hotel --- the proximity to the tour's meeting place was an important factor in choosing the Artemesia Palace Hotel) and on the day tour there were seven of us, with a driver/guide who provided interesting and informative narrative along the 2.5 hour drive to Piazza Armerina and then along the 1.5 hour drive to Agrigiento and, finally, back to Palermo through once again unbelievable traffic. Our driver/guide was outstanding - a Sicily native named Josephine who really appeared to enjoy her work in the Sicilian tourism industry. I initially thought the day tour to be a bit on the expensive side, at Euro 175 each (with a 10% discount for booking on-line with a special code that Tour of Sicily provided), but in retrospect we really covered quite a distance and saw amazing sights. And I did not have to hassle with public transportation or driving myself, so totally worth it in the long-run! The rain which started the day in Palermo persisted in Piazza Armerina but cleared to partly cloudy/partly sunny skies as we departed for Agrigiento and returned to Palermo. Dinner this night was at a little spot called Il Culinario, not terribly far (walking distance) from our hotel. This was another recommendation from a prior Fodor's reviewer and another very good recommendation. I enjoyed a delightful bowl of chickpea soup followed by Sicilian swordfish rolls (outstanding), my wife had the vegetarian risotto and we shared a liter of sparkling water and a liter of their house white wine. Euro 52, with tip.

The next day was reserved for exploring the Palermo area on our own. We walked from our hotel to the Quattro Canti area, visited the churches in the area (especially impressive to us was Santa Caterina --- very plain on the outside but overflowing with Sicilian baroque decor on the interior), the Piazza Pretoria and its fountain and the Vicciria Market area (very disappointing and much smaller than we anticipated). We actually really liked Palermo --- yes, it is chaotic, somewhat run-down and parts of it are in serious disrepair. But there really is a certain charm to the city, we thought, and it really reminded us of the rest of Italy, now mostly lost, some 30 years ago. We continued our wandering, ending up at the Palermo train station from where we caught the AST bus (Euro 3 round-trip) up to Monreale to see the Norman cathedral and its outstanding 11th century moasics. The bus driver dropped us at the entrance to Monreale from where we walked to the cathedral. Monreale appeared to be quite a nice and pleasant suburb of Palermo and the trip up there was totally worth it, if only to see the beautiful moasics in the cathedral. After Monreale we returned on the bus to Palermo for a visit to Palermo's cathedral, followed by another wine break at an outdoor cafe with a spectacular view of the Palermo cathedral. This night we returned to the restaurant we visited our first night, Giara, where we shared an enormous salad with Sicilian ham and and then shared a pizza topped with slices of smoked veal, tomatoes, cheese and oregano, a bottle of Sicilian wine and a bottle of water. Euro 50, with tip.

On our third full day in Palermo we joined another group tour, this time to Erice, Tripani and Segesta, each of which is located in far-western Sicily. This was another day trip I booked on-line from home with Tour of Sicily at a cost of Euro 125 each, with a 10% discount with Tour of Sicily's code. As with the earlier tour, this tour departed from Piazza Politeama and we had the same guide (Josephine) we had two days earlier, although this time we had a separate driver. This was a larger group, however, of about 20 of us. After a drive of about an hour and one-half we arrived in Erice, a beautifully preserved hilltop town which specializes in almond cookies, candies (mostly decorated marzipan) and beautiful ceramics. We spent about 2 hours wandering Erice and then headed past Tripani's salt fields to an olive oil farm for a brief tour and lunch. The lunch was actually quite good but (for our tastes) featured way too many dishes containing aubergine. As we were with a group of all nationalities on this tour, the group lunch I found to be somewhat awkward, although it all worked out in the end and we met some interesting folks from Australia and England (no other Americans on this tour which surprised us, as did the relatively few Americans we encountered anywhere in Sicily). Following lunch we proceeded to Segesta to see the Greek theatre, agora and temple, all of which were constructed in approximately the 6th century B.C. Outstanding preservation throughout and a very worthwhile day. Back to Palermo with a return to Palermo at approximately 630 p.m. As it was beautiful warm Saturday evening, Palermo's streets, piazzas, cafes and restaurants were absolutely jammed. We stopped at an outdoor cafe near the Piazza Politeama for another bottle of Sicilian chardonnay, with a couple of dishes of salted pistachios and almonds. We then wandered with the crowds, joining in the joyful evening's passeggiata, and ended up in a little restaurant on a beautiful piazza where we shared (we weren't terribly hungry after the big lunch at the olive oil farm) an enormous Sicilian ham and cheese sandwich, a salad and another liter of water and bottle of wine. This was an outstanding choice for a light dinner in an incredibly active area of Palermo, at a delightful outside table, at a cost of Euro 34, including tip. Finished our dinner at around 1000 p.m. and headed back to the hotel to prepare for next morning's departure from Palermo for Cefalu and bed.

On Sunday, May 6th, we walked down the Via Roma from the hotel to the Palermo train station (about a 20 minute walk) for the 1000 a.m. train to Cefalu. The train left, and arrived, precisely on time and from the Cefalu train station we waked (10 minutes) into town to the La Giada hotel which I had reserved for the night (Euro 80, including breakfast which was the least substantial we found in Sicily, but it was certainly adequate). This small, fairly nondescript, hotel was perfect for our needs and was perfectly located on the Via Veterani, just around the corner from Cefalu's duomo. As Cefalu is small, the hotel was only a short walk to the water, also. While in Cefalu we visited the cathedral and its wonderful 11th century moasics (about 40 years older than the moasics in Monreale's cathedral), saw the old Arab washing facilities, looked in the shops (didn't purchase anything), wandered the back streets, visited the beach/stand area and spent most of the evening sitting in a delightful cafe in the duomo's piazza where we once again drank wine, ate nuts and finally decided that dinner that night might best be accomplished by ordering minestrone soup. We returned to the hotel after dark, and after the cathedral had been fully illuminated, and concluded that Cefalu had been a wonderful stop. But, for us at least, one night there was sufficient.

The next morning we were back at the train station for the 1057 a.m. train to Messina. Once again, the train departed and arrived on time. Once in Messina we made our way to the Interbus station just outside Messina's train station. After stumbing around a bit, getting slightly lost, we eventually found the Interbus ticket office and purchased tickets to Taormina at Euro 4.30 each. We got on the 215 p.m. bus from Messina and arrived at Taormina's bus station about an hour and one half later. From the Taormina bus station we walked toward town, about 200 yards, to our hotel for the next two nights, the Villa Fiorita.

Wow! Was the Villa Fiorita in Taormina ever nice! We had a delightful room (Euro 181 per night, including breakfast) with a small terrace with chairs and a table overlooking the Ionian Sea. The room was ultra modern and the hotel was spectacularly laid out and terraced. Beautiful public areas, art and furnishings spread out across about three levels (without elevator from the street to the third floor), wonderful gardens in full bloom, all built around, and in respect of, an ancient Roman wall which existed on the property.

Despite huge crowds in Taormina jamming the streets the day we arrived (primarily German and French tourists it appeared to us), we loved Taormina. The crowds decreased somewhat the next day we were there and while there we wandered the streets, looked in the shops, stopped into numerous cafes, ate paninis and drank lots more Sicilian wine. Taormina really is a picture-perfect town, dripping with flowers, and interesting sites. We visited the Greek theatre, the public gardens and stopped into every little church and cathedral we came across. A great town for relaxing and just enjoying being in the Mediterranean in general, and in Sicily in particular. On our second evening in Taormina we started the evening with wine in the hotel gardens and then made our way to a delightful restaurant in town and sat on a beautiful patio overlooking the sea for dinner. My wife had canneloni and I ordered swordfish rolls (again). We shared a salad and a liter of wine and a liter of water for Euro 57, including tip. The salad was so substantial that I'm afraid we left about half of it uneaten. It was an outstanding meal, place and experience.

While planning this trip I learned that Sicily's real treat was to be found in the Siracusa area, particularly in Ortiega. So after Taormina, we took the bus from Taormina's bus station to Taormina's train station and then the train to Siracusa. Once in Siracusa we took a taxi to Ortiega and our last three nights in Sicily at the Antico Hotel Roma which was located just steps from Ortiega's duomo. A very nice hotel in a spectacular location. At Euro 202 per night, including breakfast, this was our most expensive hotel in Sicily. We could barely get ourselves out of Ortiega after visiting the Temple of Apollo (immediately adjacent to our hotel), the delightful duomo with the silver statue of Santa Lucia with a dagger in her throat, the Santa Lucia church with Carravaggio's Burial of Santa Lucia (not nearly as impressive as Carravaggio's Beheading of John the Baptist in Valletta, Malta which we saw several years ago), the seaside promenade, and other sights. We loved Ortiega's street market (it more than made up for our disappointment in Palermo's Vucciria market). One afternoon we took the Interbus from Siracusa to Noto to see its baroque facades and buildings. That, too, was an awesome destination although we did have a little trouble with Interbus (a schedule conflict - the times on the Interbus website were more correct than the times posted at the bus stop) on our return to Siracusa (it all worked out in the end). While in Ortiega we had some pretty spectacular dinners, including one at a restaurant I've forgotten the name of but which served the most perfectly seared fresh tuna steak I've ever had, my wife enjoyed her spaghetti with tomato and mozzarella, we shared a salad, a liter of water and a bottle of wine. At Euro 75, including tip, I believe this was about the most expensive meal of our 10 nights in Sicily.

After our last night in Ortiega, the hotel arranged a car to drive us to the Catania airport for our previously-booked Ryanair flight to Bologna ($179.04 for both of us, including reserved seat and checked bag). As with all our other transportation, the car arrived and departed precisely on time as did the flight from Catania to Bologna. Once in Bologna we took the airport bus to the Bologna central station for the train trip to La Spezia, with a change in Parma, for the next phase of our trip, the Cinque Terre.

We chose to stay in La Spezia for our Cinque Terre visit as we thought (correctly, as it turned out) that it would be an easier base from which to visit the Cinque Terre region than would be trying to get to one of the Cinque Terre villages. We arrived in La Spezia at just about 800 p.m. and were booked at the Hotel Firenze e Continentale (Euro 473 for three nights, including breakfast) which is incredibly well located just steps outside La Spezia's main railway station. I am not generally a fan of hotels near train stations, but this worked really well for us. A super convenient location as the trains to the Cinque Terre villages depart the nearby station about every 20 minutes. Our goal was to visit the Cinque Terre on Sunday, May 13th as I had read that a visit to the region is best accomplished when there are no tour/cruise boats (or at least fewer tour/cruise boats) in port. Sunday's schedule had no boats in port but the villages were crowded, nonetheless, probably because it was a weekend, and Mother's Day weekend at that. But the crowds were manageable.

As I did not anticipate the need for dinner reservations in La Spezia (I really anticipated a much smaller and quieter town, and, frankly, I forgot that we'd be arriving on a Saturday night which is probably their busiest restaurant night), we couldn't get into any restaurant in town after our arrival on Saturday night. So we stopped at a small pizzaria as it was about the only place with any space available for dinner at 900 p.m. that night. My wife had a pizza and I ordered calzone, both of which were just O.K., but neither of which ultimately was worth remembering much about. But they filled us up and the wine which accompanied the food was quite decent. And at only Euro 25, with tip, I really have nothing to complain about. Not every meal can be a Michelin-like experience, can it?

The weather on Sunday started off delightfully sunny, with a few clouds here and there, and temperatures in the upper-60s, extending into the low-70s. After the hotel's outstanding breakfast, we took the train around 1000 a.m. to Monterosso which is the Cinque Terre village furthest from La Spezia. It is also the start of the trail system linking the villages. After looking around Monterosso a bit we found the beginning of the trail. I had done plenty of research into the Cinque Terre trails (or I thought I had, at least) and decided that our best bet would be the trail from Monterosso to Vernazza. The Cinque Terre website rated it as "moderate" in difficulty and we are pretty experienced hikers here in our part of the country. The website also characterized it as being about an hour and one-half walk.

Well, three hours later, and after what we found to be very difficult hiking (albeit through spectacular scenery, vineyards, up and down countless flights of uneven stone steps, across rock ledges and narrow passages and through beautiful olive groves) we arrived in Vernazza. I was absolutely drenched in sweat and my wife wasn't in the best mood herself, feeling that my research into Cinque Terre's trails was not up to my usual standards. In Vernazza I stopped into a small souvenir shop and bought myself a cheap (but dry) tee-shirt to replace the dripping wet shirt I was wearing and we concluded that European trail rating systems are quite different from those here in the USA. Making the trail considerably more difficult (for us, at least) were the very able, sure-footed and fast German and French hikers who were constantly passing us by, in both directions, and for whom we needed to make way. I am sure it would also have been easier had we been to the Cinque Terre 30 years ago, before the crowds and when we were 30 years younger! I also think we would have enjoyed it more if there had been fewer people on the trail but suspect that is never the case any longer, and we were there on a relatively quiet day (because of no cruise ships in port).

We didn't stay long in Vernazza because it was terribly crowded and because we were, quite frankly, worn out from the hike from Monterosso. We did stop into a little cafe for a glass of celebratory wine and to use the restrooms. From Vernazza we took the train to Manarola to look around, then to Riomaggio, again for a brief look around. As we had another full day in the region the next day we vowed to return to all the villages the next day, which we did. Upon returning to La Spezia that night we had dinner at a delightful restaurant called L'Osteria della Corte (I had asked the hotel to make us an 800 p.m. reservation before we headed out to the Cinque Terre that morning). My wife had the roasted pork and I ordered "deer with the smell of the woods" as the menu description was so unusual I just had to give it a try (it was venison, with lots of mushrooms, and delicious). With another bottle of water and another bottle of wine, and two desserts, this one came in at Euro 88, including tip. A very good meal that made up for our less-than-stellar hiking experience earlier that day!

The next day we bought simple round-trip tickets (Euro 8 each) from La Spezia into the Cinque Terre villages and revisited each village. This was a really enjoyable day. We were particularly impressed with Corniglia which is the one village not located directly on the water. The weather was pretty nice all day, although we did experience a couple of thunderstorms, with torrential, but brief, rain. We had our umbrellas with us, however, so ultimately the rain was no problem. By the time we arrived at Riomaggio, the village closest to La Spezia, we decided we were pretty beat and purchased a coupe of paninis, a couple of cookies, bottle of wine and a bottle of water, returned to the hotel at about 700 p.m. and had a "bed picnic." Just a casual, easy and cheap ending to our time in the Cinque Terre region of Italy.

The next morning, May 15th, we were off on the train to Lugano, Switzerland (had to change trains in Milan). Arrived in Lugano at about 420 p.m. and were immediately impressed (shocked?) by Swiss organization and prosperity. From the station we took the funicular down into central Lugano and then walked to our hotel, the International au Lac. This is an historic property, with beautiful period decor, perfectly situated in Lugano and we had a very nice room at a rate of 206 Swiss Francs per night, including breakfast.

Lugano is a well run, beautifully situated, exceptionally prosperous and perfectly manicured mid-sized Swiss city. We have previously visited the German-speaking regions of Switzerland and wanted to give the Italian-speaking region a try for a day or so. Some might consider Lugano to actually be a little boring (because everything is so perfect seeming), but we found it quite delightful. The hotel was outstanding, the traffic stops for pedestrians, the dogs are groomed and well-behaved, the residents are well groomed and attired and the shops and stores absolutely overflow with beautiful, albeit very expensive, merchandise. The windows in the jewelry stores absolutely burst forth with watches in the $10,000, and much higher, range. For dinner on our first night we tried La Tinera, a local place that specializes in Ticino food. I had a wonderful risotto with mushrooms and my wife had a roasted chicken dish with potatoes and vegetables. With a bottle of Ticino wine (they have a white merlot that is really outstanding) the bill came to 100 Swiss Francs, which pretty well represents the price differences between Switzerland and Southern Italy. The next day in Lugano we wandered the streets and then spent the remainder of the day on a boat trip around Lake Lugano. This was a delightful trip, stopping at little villages all around the lake. That night we had dinner at a restaurant called La Cucina de Alice where we shared a very large mixed salad and then shared an incrediblel veal dish, with polenta, in a cherry liquor sauce. Of course, add the obligatory bottle of wine and water to our tab which, in this case, came in at 120 Swiss Francs.

The next day we were not scheduled to leave Lugano until early afternoon so we spent the morning exploring their city park. Again, delightful. Flowers in bloom everywhere, set against their beautiful lake with the hills and mountains surrounding it all. Simply beautiful. From Lugano we took the train to Basel, where we only changed trains there en route to Frankfurt airport. Arrived at Frankfurt airport rail station precisely on time, just after 800 p.m., took the escalator upstairs into the airport and checked into the airport's Hilton Garden Inn (Euro 219, including breakfast) for the night. The Frankfurt Airport Hilton Garden Inn is a gold mine for whoever owns it. The place appeared to be completely sold out as I suspect it is on a regular basis. You pay for the convenience of being directly inside the airport, but worth it this time for us. For dinner we stayed in the area of the airport in which the Hilton Garden Inn is located (it is called The Square) and had dinner at Pauliner which is a branch of the Munich brewery of the same name. Mediocre bar-type German food, beer and wine on the menu. Lots of sausages and schnitzel available here. Dinner tonight came in at Euro 55, including tip.

As I was planning this trip I noticed that an airline named Condor was beginning non-stop service, twice a week, from Frankfurt to Phoenix on May 18th. So I took advantage of very benevolent one-way pricing ($329 each) on their inaugural flight from Frankfurt to Phoenix which departed Frankfurt at 1145 a.m. and arrived in Phoenix 12 hours later at 245 p.m. Conditions were cramped but the flight was considerably nicer than American Airlines' service from Dallas to Rome. I'll take Condor again and the non-stop feature is wonderful, especially as Phoenix is a super easy, and uncrowded, point of entry into the USA. As it was the inaugural flight for Condor to Phoenix, on arrival in Phoenix, after clearing customs and immigration, we were greeted by the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, the Mayor and a German Oom-Pah band. Kind of funny, but we just wanted to get home by this time.

So ended another great trip. 16 nights total --- 10 nights in Sicily, three nights in the Cinque Terre region of Italy, two nights in Lugano, Switzerland and one night at the Frankfurt airport. We had great weather, found the sights to be amazing, loved the "vibe" of Sicily, got to see sights we haven't seen on previous trips, saw amazing art and architecture, had wonderful hotels and fantastic food and wine. We did very little shopping, as is usually the case with us. This time we came home with Euro 1.5 worth of freshly dried oregano from the market in Ortiega, the tee-shirt I bought to replace my sweat-soaked wet shirt in Vernazza, a few small soaps for friends, one bottle of Ticino white merlot wine, and a small water color of one of the villages we visited in the Cinque Terre. I don't really feel as if we missed much, except that I now realize that I completely forgot about the catacombs in Palermo which my curiosity, were I to return, would have me seek out. We purposely skipped on visiting Mt. Etna which, on reflection, was probably a good thing as it was shrouded in clouds the whole time we were in the Taormina and the Siracusa areas. We did see the top of Mr. Etna one day, with slight plumes of smoke rising from it, while the driver was taking us from our hotel in Ortiega to the Catania airport. We also purposely passed on visiting any of the numerous Sicilian wineries, although we sure didn't pass on drinking their product. We met some interesting people, we found prices everywhere to be extremely reasonable, and we ended up spending an average of $189.00 per night for 16 nights in hotels. Not a bad accomplishment in this 21st century world which is packed with tourists and travelers. During my months of planning I purchased in advance (on-line) our long-distance train tickets at substantial savings over walk-up prices, along with the tickets for the Ryanair flights we were on. Of course, doing so carries with it the risk that plans may not materialize and it limits flexibility, both of which I am willing to risk or give up for the very substantial cost savings involved. Been doing it this way for many years now, without incident. Hopefully that lucky streak will continue.

Finally, my thanks to anyone on this website who has previously visited these destinations and who has contributed questions, knowledge and experiences with regard to these destinations. And whoever you are, Vagabonda, you are an incredible asset to Sicilian tourism. We loved the destination and your insights on this website were invaluable to us. Thank you.

Now, where to next??????

David.

I thoroughly enjoyed your report, David. I drove in Sicily but can see the advantages to the way you and your wife arranged things.

Thank you so much for posting.

Thank you David for your detailed report. I will consider Condor as an option for for our flights to Europe. You have given so much helpful advice as well as a lot of good dining options.
I feel for your hike from Momterosso to Vernazza. Those steps up were painful. When we arrived in Vernazza a man screamed at me Rossa! Rossa!as my face was so red.The second day we hiked Riomaggjore to Vernazza which was on sheer cliff edges with Germans running by.
I am saving your report!

Great and timely trip report in that we'll be going to CT (also by train) and staying in an airBnB in Riomaggiore. It's my understanding that the trails between some of the villages are still closed, correct? Appreciate the heads up about the trail from Monterosso to Vernazza. I can imagine the frustration of your hike. Being the trip planner myself, I know well the challenges involved.

Sicily is high on our list but we're leery of doing it alone - and forget renting a car. But you make it sound pretty easy to get around. Something for me to consider. Otherwise, I'll let Road Scholar or some other small group tour company handle the logistic stresses, etc. (Leely2, I admire the heck out of you based on what I've heard about the driving there.)

Thank you for posting. I enjoyed reading your trip report.
The Cinque Terre trail is empty early in the morning; that is when we have hiked it over the years. It is also why I prefer to spend the night in one of the five villages (Manorola or Vernazza being my favorites) so we get an early start.

David, I enjoyed your report, lots of great tips and ideas (day tours from Palermo sound like a good compromise) and especially using public transport in Sicily. I have long wanted to visit, but would never rent a car, so your itinerary is of great interest to me. Thanks

Thanks for the detailed report! Sicily was one of my favorite trips and I hope to return. I did a combination of solo travel by public transport and a Rick Steves tour, but would like to bookmark the company you used for day trips, can you post their URL?

We stayed at hotel Crismar in La Spezia and enjoyed the ferry in the am. Great area down by the water there. We took the train after that to the villages. Monterosso to Vernazza was a great hike but you do need two bottles of water. I thought the wet rocks were slippy till I climbed Crough Patrick last year. The lemon groves were my fav part of the hike and looking down at Vernazza seeing that post card picture.

Thanks for the report on Sicily, We are trying for the Siracusa area in December. My niece and her husband drove the whole area but he is braver than us. I will do bus and train.

Thank you for posting David! I enjoyed your report!

I for one am very happy David that you stopped lurking and started posting.

An excellent TR and I should imagine a real boon to those who would like to visit Italy, especially Sicily, without having the hassle of driving.

Thanks for the splendid TR, David. You've moved Sicily further up on my list, especially since I'm reluctant to drive while on vacation and I'd thought that it really wasn't do-able without a car.

I took that Cinque Terre hike in the opposite direction, and I also found it to be a bit more than I'd bargained for. Wonderful and exhilarating, for sure, but exhausting, too.

Marking for later leisurely read. Thanks for posting, David!

Had to LOL at your first Palermo traffic description. DH and I were surprised about the sweets as well. I’m so glad you got to Monreale—it remains a highlight. Guy we met in Parlermo some years ago said that the old market was slowly going away—supermercatos taking over. LOL, I think my DH and I took that same trip in CT. Glad the venison was so good. Lugano sounded very nice. Really, where to next?! Have you visited Pompeii?