spinch

Thanks for the reply, Dutyfree. Unfortunately, most of the good places are already full for the days we need. We've gotten reservations at the Ortigia Camera Con Vista. I hope it's as good as the others that I've tried to get in.
Bob- love the photos!

bobthenavigator

Grazie !

galaxygrrl200

uggghhhhhh....everyone don't forget the lipari islands. They are amazing too. ;-)

galelstorm

bobthenav - thanks for the link to your wonderful report. Your pics are beautiful! I could wander around ruins all day but DH must have a little more and I'm sure he'll be amazed at the food and the people.
I am going to have to investigate Ortigia now with everyone recommendations!
Sounds like we can stay out of Taormina and not miss too much.
Total vacation time will be 21 days less 2-3 for travel time. My thoughts are Venice 4 nights, Rome 4 nights, Amalfi 4 nights, and Sicily 4 nights. Where would you fly into and out of if you want to have some relaxation towards the end of the trip? Also if we had an extra day or two where would you spend them?
Thanks everyone for your answers and thoughts. I love this site and love reading the trip reports!

galaxygrrl200

Just as a suggest, I would fly into Palermo, drive about 2 hours to argentino see the temples, drive to Seracusa and see the town and theather for the day and drop the car off, stay at a nice resort and go sailing and see the volcanos. Then take the ferry back to palarmo and fly out.

Happy travels

cmstraf

I'd reccomend against a day trip to Taormina--too crowded unless you are staying overnight and can do the get up before everyone else does thing. While you are in Venice--go to early Mass on Sunday as a way of seeing St Mark's cathedral, take a walk along the Zattere (where Venetians take their evening stroll), try to arrive at the Accademia museum at 8am before it fills up, consider a splurge (big splurge) lunch at Da Fiore, orer hot chocolate and a croissant for a late breakfast/snack at Caffe Florian on the Piazza San Marco, buy stylish inexpensive clothes at ProMod, let yourself get lost on small streets and canals, see the Haulocaust memorial in Canareggio.

cmstraf

baldrick

Galelstorm,

If a 3-hour drive one way suits you, you can always make your daytrips from Cefalu to Agrigento, Taormina and Siracusa. But you won't have time to go to the sea.

We visited the three sites last October.

In a recent popsting I mentioned the time from Palermo to Agrigento.
Palermo-Agrigento is a 2-hour drive for some 130 km, of which hardly 5 km on a motorway. Just add the distance from Cefalu.

With the few days you have, you will have to choose.
You could base in Cefalu and simply stay at the beach.
You could base in Siracusa (Ortigia) and see as much as you can of Siracusa itself with daytrips to Noto and Ragusa, if you can mana 2somewhere on the southcoast and tr

baldrick

Sorry, strange hing happened!!
I continue

You could base in Cefalu and simply stay at the beach or have a daytrip to Palermo and Monreale.
You could base in Siracusa (Ortigia) and see as much as you can of Siracusa itself with daytrips to Noto and Ragusa and Pzza Armeria.
You could base in Agrigento, visit the Temple Valley and maybe have a day at the beach.
You could go west and see the coastal Salt route (Erice, Trapani, Marsala).

You can have a look at my trip report if you want. http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=35087997

galelstorm

baldrick-your trip report was very helpful indeed, thank you! With three, perhaps four nights I think it would be wise to base two in Palermo and two in Ortigia.