Sicily itinerary

Old Mar 24th, 2013, 10:20 AM
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Sicily itinerary

My husband and I are going to be in Sicily for 10 nights in April. We are flying into Catania and flying out of Palermo. So far, our itinerary is as follows:

2 nights Catania with possible side trip to Mt. Etna
1 night Taormina
2 nights in Syracuse, side trip to Noto

Last 3 nights in Palermo, with side trips, but not yet sure where. I know some will say this is too much time in Palermo but we want to not change hotels almost every night.

We have two more nights to play with between Syracuse and Palermo and I'm feeling somewhat overwhelmed as there are so many places to see. We are interested in archaeological sites and ruins, and quaint medieval towns.

Any suggestions are welcome for both the two nights and for side trips from Palermo. We have a very early flight from Palermo to Rome so we really will only have 2 full days there. We are not against renting a car, but we will do it once there as we will probably take the train from Catania to Taormina, and then to Syracuse. Is it feasible to rent a car in Syracuse and drop it off in Palermo, without making the reservation in advance?

Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions. I already can tell this will not be our only trip to Sicily!
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 10:24 AM
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I would say that was too much time in Catania. And make sure that you stay in Ortygia, not in Siracusa itself.

I think that the mosaics at Villa Casales are a must see, but I love mosaics. Click on my name for my Sicily TR.
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 10:42 AM
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I see no reason for 3 hotels on the east side of the island. I would spend 2 nites in Taormina and 3 in Siracusa. Click on my name for my TR.
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 11:07 AM
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>

I don't think it's nearly enough time in Palermo, especially if you are doing day trips. Three nights = two days minus one day for a trip outside Palermo leaves only one day to explore the city.

You should see Agrigento.
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 11:26 AM
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Thanks for the replies.

So far, the only hotel that we cannot cancel is the Excelsior Grand in Catania, as we got a good price but it is non-refundable. And if we do a side trip from Catania, we won't have that much time there. I already changed my reservation from 4 nights in Palermo to three. If we spend 3 in Syracuse and 2 in Taormina, that is all 10 nights. I'm not sure I want to drive (or take a train) from Syracuse to Palermo. We would be missing a big part of the island.

thursdaysd, I love mosaics! When I lived in Italy way back in 1980 (never got to Sicily), one of my favorite places was Ravenna.

The hotel I booked in Syracuse (Cavalieri) is actually in Syracuse but it's a 10 minute walk to the sites in Ortygia. It's gotten great reviews and I'm pretty picky when it comes to hotels. The reservation can be changed or cancelled with no penalty if something better comes up.

Agrigento looks fascinating. I did some reading and it seems like a "don't miss" place. So we could spend one night there and possibly add a night onto Taormina? Or should we add another stop?
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 11:33 AM
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>

>

These two statements are contradictory. How are you getting to Palermo? Do you mean you want to take the bus?

If you don't reserve a car ahead then you will pay the going rate that day and there may not be any cars. You'll need to be flexible and have an alternate plan to get to Palermo and be willing to pay more money than you would have if you had shopped around and booked ahead.
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 11:36 AM
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adrienne, that's just it, we're not sure if we want to drive from Syracuse to Palermo or take the train (or bus). I was hoping we could make up our minds once there but maybe not.
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 11:39 AM
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Trains on Sicily are very slow. It will take you seven hours or so from Siracusa to Palermo, and you will miss all of the middle of the island, notably Villa Casale and Agrigento. i would add Enna, although I didn't make it there. I would look into the buses, with stops. I think someone here posted a link for bus timetables a while back, try a search.
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 11:44 AM
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Oh...you forgot the "if" in your statement so it sounded as though you didn't want to drive or to take the train.

I would rent a car and see something between the two cities. Follow thursdaysd's advice.
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 11:49 AM
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I'm now thinking I should perhaps rent a car from Syracuse to Palermo and ditch the car once we get to Palermo. I'll check into doing it from home if it will be a lot cheaper. I've heard a lot about the aggressive drivers in Sicily and I especially hate to be on winding roads that drop off with no guardrail. It's my phobia. DH will drive but I'll be slinked down in the seat with my foot on an imaginary brake saying SLOW DOWN SLOW DOWN! It won't matter that he may only be going 20 mph.
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 12:40 PM
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You live in NYC and are worried about aggressive drivers? Now I've heard it all!
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 12:44 PM
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our late lamented friend Z [remember her?] posted some film of driving in Palermo on a thread not so long ago - it actually didn't seem that bad to me!

i think that I'd want a hotel with secure parking though.
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 12:46 PM
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I really wouldn't bother with driving in Palermo - drop the car at the airport and take the bus into town. The public transport is good enough, and aside from Monreale much of what you want to see is walkable.
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 12:50 PM
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Oh, I have no plans on keeping the car in Palermo! adrienne, I don't drive in Manhattan, I take the subway!

I just booked a night at the Villa Athena in Agrigento. I could have paid less but I wanted it to be no penalty for cancellation in case we end up adding that night to Taormina. All the dates at hotels would have to move up by one night.

Okay, so I have one night left. Rather than adding on to Taormina and having to re-do all my hotels, I can add one more place. Suggestions?
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 12:55 PM
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What do you have now?
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 01:03 PM
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2 nights Catania with possible side trip to Mt. Etna
1 night Taormina
2 nights in Syracuse, side trip to Noto
1 night Agrigento
1 night..?
3 nights Palermo

I'm a bit worried about how long it will take to drive from Syracuse to Agrigento. Any ideas?
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 01:03 PM
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In Agrigento, visit the temple area at night. There's a long, winding road to get there (but no cliffs to fall off) and the views of the temples, left and right, all lit up, are fabulous. You can't go up to the temples after closing but the views approaching the area are so wonderful. Get some good "temple" music to play in the car to add to the atmosphere.

>

She didn't die, did she? I truly disliked her but I hope she's still alive and kicking but on another board.
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 01:06 PM
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 01:06 PM
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She didn't die, did she? I truly disliked her but I hope she's still alive and kicking but on another board.>>

i was speaking in fodor terms - ie she's not here any more.
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Old Mar 24th, 2013, 01:10 PM
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3 hours isn't bad. If we leave Syracuse by 8 or 9am, that should give us enough daylight to see the temples. I bought a Michelin map of Sicily, along with a Michelin guidebook and Frommer's guidebook. Time to get the may out!
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