Michael- I did forget to look at your trip report, so thnaks for reminding me. You certainly had an adventure!

I know that Syracusa and Itigia are next to each other, but didn't think there would be much traffic getting in and out of the area. I loved the look of the Limonetta and the fact that the food is good makes it more appealing and maybe more of an option. Those of you who have stayed in Ortigia- did you find the traffic dfficult to deal with? Thanks all,

-M.

I wasn't driving, so the only time I found traffic a problem was the day I took a bus to Noto. It was a Saturday, and there was some kind of parade, so the bus ran very late. I arrived and left by train the first time, and with a tour group the second, and I don't remembered the tour bus having any trouble.

Parking is quite limited on Ortigia, so make sure your apartment has a spot for you. I don't know that I'd want a whole week there, even with day trips, although we very much enjoyed our two day stay. How about splitting your week between Modica and Ortigia? We also found Catania quite interesting and were sorry we only spent one night there before flying out.

I drove to Ortygia and parked in the parking lot designed for visitors. I assume that if you stay there you will need to obtain a special permit via the hotel, because my impression was that street parking was only for residents.

I would split my time between Modica and Ortigia. (As opposed to a whole week in Siracusa.) You can travel to Piazza Armerina from Modica pretty easily. There were a few other places--smaller places--I wanted to see based from Modica and Ortigia but we were short on time and by the time we got to Ortigia we really wanted to hang out a LOT.

Like Bon_voyage, I thought Modica felt the most work-a-day Sicilian. Except for Palermo, of course.

There is a Centro Storico in Ortigia with cameras and you will be fined if you enter without a pass. I doubt the hotels have passes but I could be wrong. The main car park At the north end of the island was inadequate at times in October and so goodness kows what August is like.

I simply do see the point of a two centre in such a small area. Both Modica and Noto are fairly close day trips of less than an hour and two hours respectively. Ortigia with its lack of traffic also provides a good respite from some of the insanity on show outside the Centro Storico.

We found Sicily to be very regionally insular and so each area can a very different feel. Generally, the Baroque towns were very friendly which was to opposite of what we found in Catania and Taormina. Taormina had to rate with Porto Cervo as Italy's most over-rated experience and was in our opinion middle market tacky with far too many "straight off the ship" tourists. In terms of size and cultural feel, we thought it pretty similar to Nassau (which we also avoid like the plague).

Taormina will not be so touristy in October (except during Fiera dei Morti days which is end of October), as it would be in July or August. I think spending nights in Taormina would be enough.

Regarding south of Italy, I would stay in Ortiga or Modica and do day trips from there. Yes, you do have to allow two hours to arrive from Palermo to Trapani, you will always find traffic jams with locals on the way out and into the cities and that wastes a lot of time. If you stay for a few days in Trapani, you can visit the north-west coast, with its lovely villages and breath-taking scenary. Maybe if you stay more than one night in Catania, or in a town nearby you can visit Mount Etna from there.

Forgot to add - it is true that you have to be extra careful about parking or road fines in villages and towns in Italy, and always to be on the lookout that you do not enter any bus lanes, as if cameras catch it, you will get fined.

Make sure that you do not enter historical centres that do not allow access to motorists, or park in any reserved parkings. I have a child with disability, and we have the blue sticker which we always put on the front window when we park, we park in the reserved parking for disability, and still we sometimes get fines. We then give document evidence etc online that we have child with disability and Blue Sticker, but still many car rental companies still charge you a processing fee for the fine (about 46 Euro), which is not refunded. This has happened to us both in Florence and in Pisa a year ago.

We also got to know that in some cities we even have to phone the local police to inform them of our parking (sometimes the rental officer of the car hire gives us the numbers, often there would also would be a tel. no. on the parking sign on site.

I am not sure, as this does not apply to us since we have the Blue Sticker and our child with disability, always with us on holiday, but maybe you might be able to pay something extra and enter a historical centre if your hotel is situated there. Always check with the hoter that you book.

The safest thing to do is to park just outside the city centre (believe me not that easy sometimes), there are nearly always a parking areas, where you can do so, sometimes paying with a slot machine according to the time you intend to have your car parked in that space, that way you are always safe and according to their law. You will find that the Sicilians do not really stick to parking rules, but since you would be a tourist with a rented car, that would be another story.

Be very carefule, otherwise you might receive a few penalties by recorded mail when you arrive back home, it might be even months after your holiday.

I don't know that I agree that Taormina will not be so touristy in October. Not quite as bad as July, perhaps, but there are still many cruise ship visits. This site should be helpful in deciding which days to avoid:

http://www.cruisetimetables.com/crui...cily-2012.html

I too prefer to stay in one place and make daytrips. But Sicily doesn't lend itself to this style of traveling. And Ortigia would make a bad base for daytrips. Siracusa is really quite a big city. And to get into and out of Ortigia, you'd have to thread your way through most of Siracusa. Plus Ortigia is really more of a pedestrian area. That's a lot of its charm.

I know Taormina is popular with cruiseship tourists. But, as usual, there's a reason. It's a very beautiful place -- with gondola access to a beach. If you prefer a quieter location, up the hill beyond Taormina is Castelmola.

I am a little puzzled by the idea of threading your way through Siracusa. Our hotel was 3 miles south , it took us 6 minutes from the door to the car park on Ortygia.

We were in Taormina in the last week of October and "Disney on tour" was evident everywhere. I can justify the idea of "busy for a reason" in some world class examples such as Venice or Rome. Taormina is so busy because it is flooded with the tour parties as it is a convenient stop for the boat.

Thursdaysd's suggestion above on the surface seems ridiculous but in this case I wold follow the advice.

DickieG, we used the freeway E45 and came into Siracusa that way. As I assume most daytrippers would do. Maybe you used back roads that were inexplicably free of traffic. And maybe back roads would be a better choice, given the obstacles we encountered (huge traffic jam, fence across freeway entrance).

We did and after the first day found traffic free routes.

The huge amounts of traffic and inane road works were another testing side to Sicily. On our day trip to Taormina, the E45 was closed and reopened every 10 minutes just so 3 road workers could avoid setting a traffic management system up. We were in the queue for 90 minutes.

Sounds like a great case for taking the train!

I'm jumping into this thread quite late (sorry about that), and I haven't read all the undoubtedly helpful comments you have already received, but hope to offer some useful info nonetheless. But first of all, congrats to both of you on your recent retirements!

> I know that Syracusa and Itigia are next to each other, but didn't think there would be much traffic getting in and out of the area.

I drove into Siracusa, where I turned in my rental car and walked on to Ortygia - and I was glad I did. Traffic was bad during the day time (my trip was in May); it was awful during the evening, as people from all over came to enjoy Ortygia's restaurants. So, if you can turn in your car upon arriving in Siracusa, it might be worth considering. But it might not be as much of a problem at the time you are traveling. Perhaps you can ask your hotel? Or ask your hotel if there is a place where you can park without too much difficulty from traffic?

If you haven't already found a place to stay in Ortygia, I was truly delighted with my B&B, L'Approdo delle Sirene. The breakfasts were outstanding and the views from the roof deck were among my favorite memories of a fabulous trip to Sicily.

http://www.apprododellesirene.com/

> I know some of you prefer the baroque towns- would that be a better base?

I spent a night in Noto, and was glad I did because I enjoyed seeing it in the differing lights of day, evening, and night, but if I had to choose between Siracusa/Ortygia and the baroque towns, I'd go for Ortygia without doubt. I thought Ortygia had a wider array of worthy restaurants and more interesting streets to roam. But that's just me.

> One benefit of traveling directly to Syracusa from Agregento is that we could go through the center and stop at Piazza Armerina- maybe stop for a night- and see the mosaics and nmearby ceramics. Thoughts?

By all means, stop at the Villa Romana del Casale! Plan on a few hours there, and expect it to be swelteringly hot no matter the season - the ruins are encased in a greenhouse-like structure, and it does get hot and steamy inside!

I wouldn't think you need to spend a night in the area, but I would recommend staying at least one night in Agrigento, preferably at one of the places that affords a view of some of the temples, which are spotlit at night. (wow!) As I recall, I spent about 3 hours (maybe 4) exploring the main ruins and another hour or two at the excellent archeological museum.

> We will only spend a night (maybe two) in Taormina before transferring to catania

For Taormina itself, I found a full day sufficient for my interests. I spent an extra night in Taormina so I could take a full-day tour of Mt. Etna and surrounds.

> Day 1-4: Palermo (with the jet lag day that leaves 2 full days to explore the city- enough time?)

I spent 2.5 days in Palermo and wish I'd had more time there, especially because (like you) I was suffering jet lag when I arrived.

> I think this is doable, but with a lot of changing lodging and maybe not using time to the best advantage.

For what it's worth: I have found that back-tracking from a day-trip often takes more time than relocating, but (and this is a BIG "but") I travel solo and unpack only those things I need, so I can settle in and check out of my rooms very quickly. I certainly don't recommend frequent changes of lodging for everyone, but note that I relocate frequently specifically because it IS the way for me to use my time to best advantage!

> Are we making a mistake not going to the Aeolian Islands?

I spent 1/2 day on Lipari before a taking an overnight ferry to Naples, and I was glad I did, but no - I don't think you are making a mistake by not going to the Aeolian Islands. You said it well: "there is just so much one can do on a 2 week holiday." You have identified a plan that covers some of Sicily's most wonderful of its many amazing highlights. If you have a burning desire to see these islands, take a day (or more) to do so; if it is something that seems appealing, but isn't a driving consideration, remember that getting to them would carry a heavy opportunity cost. You can visit the Aeolian Islands on your next trip to the area.

I hope these belated thoughts prove helpful. Enjoy!

No time to read all replies but just wanted to add this. We drove the whole of Sicily in September. Loved it! Fate was kind and by happenstance we ended up staying near San Vito Lo Capo in the northwestern corner during the International Couscous festival! If you can go during this time, it will be a highlight of your stay! Local vendors offer wine, olive oil, cheeses, etc. Wonderful! Our favorites were Erice, Segesta,and Monreale. Siracusa was not. Avoid driving anywhere near large cities! Look forward to a wonderful trip!

Agree with you nankar13 that north western Sicily is the loveliest, to avoid driving into large cities, unless you are an experienced driver in southern Italy, and that Siracusa is not a favourite of mine, we used to visit there often just to pay a visit to the Basilica of Madonna delle Lachrime (our Lady of Tears), renowned to be miraculous, and to do some shopping. But if it is just for shopping, other cities like Catania and Palermo are even better.

Are we talking about Siracusa or Ortigia?

If it is Ortigia, I am at a loss as to what people want out of travel anymore.

Thanks so far for your help in planning the Sicily itinerary- Fodorites are so generous and helpful. We have booked our flights, but changed our order based on suggestions from friends. We are landing in Catania and returning to the US from Palermo. I still have some questions on timing (how many days in each place) and lodging (any recommendations?).

One of our issues is when to stay in an agriturismo and when to stay in the villages in or near Syracusa, the Baroque villages, and Trapanni. .

Here is our possible itinerary:

Day 1-2: Taormina- Arrive Catania form Boston and rent car. Drive to Taormina and stay at the Taodomus Hotel for the first 2 nights. We chose it based on reviews on Trip Advisor and Booking. The hotel seems to be well located and was quite inexpensive for the area. We will see the Greek theater and maybe Etna and Castelmola if there is time.

Day 3- 5: Drive to Syracuse- We think we will stay in Ortygia to see the Greek Theater, the Museum, Ortygia itself, and to absorb the food, flavor, and sites of nearby area.

Day 6-8: Drive to the Baroque Villages- either Ragusa or Modica with a stop at Noto on the way south. We would like to make a side trip to Piazza Armerina to see the mosaics. Can we also visit Caltagirone at the same time? Doable?

Day 9-10: Drive to Agrigento: The drive from Ragusa to get to Agrigento and the drive to Trapani when we leave are both relatively long and with some stops, so we thought we would need 2 nights in Agrigento - the first night, we would visit the site in the evening and then, return in the AM to fully explore the sites.

We will probably stay here: http://www.fattoriamose.com/
It was recommended by a good friend and also Alistair Sawday.


Day 11- 13: Drive to Trapani or someplace in the Northwest with a stop at Selunite on the way. We hope to visit Segresta, Erice, Trapani, maybe Marsala, the salt flats, and maybe the Egadi Islands.

Day 14-16: Drive to Palermo and drop off car. Should we drop it in Palermo itself or at the airport? We are unsure of where to stay in what looks like a confusing and noisy city. We don’t need fancy lodgings, but prefer some place that has a quiet room. We’ve gotten some good recommendations and have to figure it out. Thoughts?

Day 17: leave Palermo for Boston.

Thanks for your help in advance,
Margie

I don't think you have time for the Egadis, and I found them rather boring.

Drop the car at the airport, skip driving in Palermo. I stayed here: http://www.bed-and-breakfast.palermo.it/eng/ - see my TR for details.