Sicily with one nights stops?
Oct 8th, 2017, 11:10 AM
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Sicily with one nights stops?
I talked about my Sicily plans here before; we are going next mid April.
Right now, my itinerary looks like this:
Palermo... 3 nights
Erice..........2 night with nice long day for Segesta and Scopello
Agrigento...1 night
Piazza Armerina....1 night
Ortygia …..3 nights
We generally avoid one night stops but I can't quite make my desires work otherwise, on such a short trip.
How do you feel about one night stops? How to maximize our comfort and enjoyment during these two nights? Any suggestions?
I'm thinking of staying on the outskirts in both places, in agriturismo-type settings where we can see the actual historic sites but then relax and have dinner at the facility. I've found some nice looking affordable places outside Piazza Armerina, near the Casale Romana, but need a recommendation for Agrigento.
I don't really relish staying over two nights in either place, and had written an itinerary or two that left us in Agrigento for two nights, but made it harder to see Piazza Armerina.
Right now, my itinerary looks like this:
Palermo... 3 nights
Erice..........2 night with nice long day for Segesta and Scopello
Agrigento...1 night
Piazza Armerina....1 night
Ortygia …..3 nights
We generally avoid one night stops but I can't quite make my desires work otherwise, on such a short trip.
How do you feel about one night stops? How to maximize our comfort and enjoyment during these two nights? Any suggestions?
I'm thinking of staying on the outskirts in both places, in agriturismo-type settings where we can see the actual historic sites but then relax and have dinner at the facility. I've found some nice looking affordable places outside Piazza Armerina, near the Casale Romana, but need a recommendation for Agrigento.
I don't really relish staying over two nights in either place, and had written an itinerary or two that left us in Agrigento for two nights, but made it harder to see Piazza Armerina.
Oct 8th, 2017, 12:51 PM
#3
Tuscan - I agree that one night stands are undesirable, but Sicily is one of those places where they are almost unavoidable.
What exactly are your plans for each of those days/nights? would you be planning on seeing the temples on the day you arrive in Agrigento, or on the day you leave? I see that googlemaps is saying it's about 2 ½ hours from Erice to Agrigento, so you would have quite a lot of time to see the temples on the day you arrived there.
It also suggests that it's 1 ½ hours from Agrigento to P. Armerina, and a further 2 hours to Ortygia, so you would be able to leave Agrigento at a reasonable hour, get to the Villa Casale by 11am, tour, have lunch, and if you wanted to, tour a bit more, or better still, drive to Caltagirone for the afternoon, before getting to Ortygia. [Palazzo Acreide is a nice place to stop, too].
That's a long day; you might even consider stopping in Caltagirone or Palazzo Acreide for a night, rather than Piazza Armerina. [we drove from Ragusa via Caltagirone to Piazza Armerina where we stopped for 2 nights; I think that Caltagirone would be a nicer place to stay with more to see, but I can't state that for sure].
What exactly are your plans for each of those days/nights? would you be planning on seeing the temples on the day you arrive in Agrigento, or on the day you leave? I see that googlemaps is saying it's about 2 ½ hours from Erice to Agrigento, so you would have quite a lot of time to see the temples on the day you arrived there.
It also suggests that it's 1 ½ hours from Agrigento to P. Armerina, and a further 2 hours to Ortygia, so you would be able to leave Agrigento at a reasonable hour, get to the Villa Casale by 11am, tour, have lunch, and if you wanted to, tour a bit more, or better still, drive to Caltagirone for the afternoon, before getting to Ortygia. [Palazzo Acreide is a nice place to stop, too].
That's a long day; you might even consider stopping in Caltagirone or Palazzo Acreide for a night, rather than Piazza Armerina. [we drove from Ragusa via Caltagirone to Piazza Armerina where we stopped for 2 nights; I think that Caltagirone would be a nicer place to stay with more to see, but I can't state that for sure].
Oct 8th, 2017, 02:02 PM
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Some things I would be considering are that in mid-April, hours of daylight are not very long. The other is the possibility of rain.
Having never been to Erice, I can't really assess the charms of staying in the town as opposed to visiting as a day trip -- although, having looked at pictures, I think I might not want to book myself there for two nights if it turned out to be foggy or rainy.
I would look into the possibility of going from Palermo to an agriturismo or town closer to the A29/E90 highway, and making that a "base" for day trips to Erice, Segesta, Scopello (I might even try to see Scopello on the way to this 2nd stay).
Then I would leave there and head to Agrigento for sightseeing, but not spend the night. Instead, head directly to Piazza Amerina. I'd either spend two nights there or one night (and give the extra night to someplace else -- in my case, that would be Palermo or possibly Catania if you are flying out of there).
That's off the top of my head. If I got into the nitty gritty and couldn't find a way to make it work attractively, I'd go to your plan. (Although I would still think twice about being perched up in Erice at that time of year. I'd try to gather some local intelligence as to fog, rain and what the place is like in mid-April at night).
Having never been to Erice, I can't really assess the charms of staying in the town as opposed to visiting as a day trip -- although, having looked at pictures, I think I might not want to book myself there for two nights if it turned out to be foggy or rainy.
I would look into the possibility of going from Palermo to an agriturismo or town closer to the A29/E90 highway, and making that a "base" for day trips to Erice, Segesta, Scopello (I might even try to see Scopello on the way to this 2nd stay).
Then I would leave there and head to Agrigento for sightseeing, but not spend the night. Instead, head directly to Piazza Amerina. I'd either spend two nights there or one night (and give the extra night to someplace else -- in my case, that would be Palermo or possibly Catania if you are flying out of there).
That's off the top of my head. If I got into the nitty gritty and couldn't find a way to make it work attractively, I'd go to your plan. (Although I would still think twice about being perched up in Erice at that time of year. I'd try to gather some local intelligence as to fog, rain and what the place is like in mid-April at night).
Oct 8th, 2017, 02:10 PM
#5
It's true that much, but certainly not all, of the charm of Erice is the views. However, if the weather is really bad, Trapani would be a good last minute substitute. I liked Trapani nearly as much as Ortygia.
Oct 8th, 2017, 05:18 PM
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This is great feedback.
annhig: our plans are exactly what you describe: to see the Valley of the Temples on the day we arrive in Agrigento, and to see Villa Romana on the day we get to Piazza Armerina.
The reason for spending the night in both Agrigento and Piazza Armerina is this: I have no (like zero) risk tolerance and I don't want to park the car at major sites with luggage in the trunk. Have we ever done so? Yes, but we have been through quite a bit of trauma in the past year or so and I loathe the idea of taking chances. Feeling even just a little more safe and secure is a priority for me.
I think this is a lot of moving around, but it does seem that a one time trip to Sicily calls for it. I'm not being pessimistic saying that I might not get back to Sicily; rather, I'm older with health issues and feel that it's now time to get there.
massimo: I understand your point about Erice. I'm planning the two nights with the idea of potential rest time. I could shorten it to one night, but there you go: another one night stop to move around to somewhere in the itinerary. Also, I'm very fond of medieval architecture. I'm more intrigued by the medieval than the baroque.
thursdayd: thanks for the mention of Trapani. I would like to see some of it. Right along with medieval architecture, I'm big on sea salt. ;-)
I'm going to play more with our destinations. The only things settled on are the 3 nights in Ortygia.
annhig: our plans are exactly what you describe: to see the Valley of the Temples on the day we arrive in Agrigento, and to see Villa Romana on the day we get to Piazza Armerina.
The reason for spending the night in both Agrigento and Piazza Armerina is this: I have no (like zero) risk tolerance and I don't want to park the car at major sites with luggage in the trunk. Have we ever done so? Yes, but we have been through quite a bit of trauma in the past year or so and I loathe the idea of taking chances. Feeling even just a little more safe and secure is a priority for me.
I think this is a lot of moving around, but it does seem that a one time trip to Sicily calls for it. I'm not being pessimistic saying that I might not get back to Sicily; rather, I'm older with health issues and feel that it's now time to get there.
massimo: I understand your point about Erice. I'm planning the two nights with the idea of potential rest time. I could shorten it to one night, but there you go: another one night stop to move around to somewhere in the itinerary. Also, I'm very fond of medieval architecture. I'm more intrigued by the medieval than the baroque.
thursdayd: thanks for the mention of Trapani. I would like to see some of it. Right along with medieval architecture, I'm big on sea salt. ;-)
I'm going to play more with our destinations. The only things settled on are the 3 nights in Ortygia.
Oct 8th, 2017, 06:41 PM
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Hi tuscanlifeedit,
I spent my first three nights in Sicily in Erice mid-April and loved it. It was quiet and atmospheric. Not a lot of dining choice, but lots to see. I happened to hit two cold and one very rainy day. After that I had good weather my entire trip. The views from Erice were fantastic and I recommend you staying there. At some point it will clear even if you have less than perfect weather.
Are you going to stay at Erice Antiche Pietre? I highly recommend it and owner Massimo is a very helpful host.
Scopello will be basically shut down and there really isnt much to see in this TINY hamlet. The attraction is hiking in Lo Zingaro. Beautiful scenery, but are you two up to hiking on this trip?
Segesta is special. My favorite picture were taken there. Be sure to go up to the theater. There is a shuttle bus you can take if needed.
I would stick with your plan of the two 1 nighters based on my experience. I drove from Menfi ( Selinute) to Agrigento and it didnt take all day but it did take longer than I wanted. I checked in to my B&B, then headed off to see the temples. I probably spent 3.5 hours ther, plus a short lunch at a small cafe inside the site. Spent about two hours the next day at the Arch Museum whoch was outstanding.
Agrigento to Piazza Armerina was planned to visit the Villa Romana upon arrival, after dropping my bags at the Agritourismo. The drive took longer because my GPS decided to take me on the most direct route, which was through the mountains on slow roads. I did at least follow the map to stay on the main highway for the first half of the drive so that was faster. Then I had one heck of a time finding the Villa! I went round and round, up and down and never could get on the right road to get to it. I finally gave up and returned to my agritourismo. So, the Villa visit didnt happen until the next day after another effort, asking directions, and finally seeing the little brown sign indicating an impossible turn. Good thing I took to Sicilian driving and pulled the turn off while making traffic wait for me!
Anyway, trying to plan a drive from Erice to Agrigento and continue on to Piazza Armerina might not end up as planned. I would recommend two one nighters for several reasons. It wont be too bad. They are not back to back at least.
I spent my first three nights in Sicily in Erice mid-April and loved it. It was quiet and atmospheric. Not a lot of dining choice, but lots to see. I happened to hit two cold and one very rainy day. After that I had good weather my entire trip. The views from Erice were fantastic and I recommend you staying there. At some point it will clear even if you have less than perfect weather.
Are you going to stay at Erice Antiche Pietre? I highly recommend it and owner Massimo is a very helpful host.
Scopello will be basically shut down and there really isnt much to see in this TINY hamlet. The attraction is hiking in Lo Zingaro. Beautiful scenery, but are you two up to hiking on this trip?
Segesta is special. My favorite picture were taken there. Be sure to go up to the theater. There is a shuttle bus you can take if needed.
I would stick with your plan of the two 1 nighters based on my experience. I drove from Menfi ( Selinute) to Agrigento and it didnt take all day but it did take longer than I wanted. I checked in to my B&B, then headed off to see the temples. I probably spent 3.5 hours ther, plus a short lunch at a small cafe inside the site. Spent about two hours the next day at the Arch Museum whoch was outstanding.
Agrigento to Piazza Armerina was planned to visit the Villa Romana upon arrival, after dropping my bags at the Agritourismo. The drive took longer because my GPS decided to take me on the most direct route, which was through the mountains on slow roads. I did at least follow the map to stay on the main highway for the first half of the drive so that was faster. Then I had one heck of a time finding the Villa! I went round and round, up and down and never could get on the right road to get to it. I finally gave up and returned to my agritourismo. So, the Villa visit didnt happen until the next day after another effort, asking directions, and finally seeing the little brown sign indicating an impossible turn. Good thing I took to Sicilian driving and pulled the turn off while making traffic wait for me!
Anyway, trying to plan a drive from Erice to Agrigento and continue on to Piazza Armerina might not end up as planned. I would recommend two one nighters for several reasons. It wont be too bad. They are not back to back at least.
Oct 8th, 2017, 07:20 PM
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Personally, I have no problem with one-night stays and frequently indulge in them, but of course, others have different opinion. Admittedly, my view reflects that I’m a solo traveler who uses a room only for hygiene and sleep. I pack lightly and only unpack what I need, so packing / unpacking take only a few moments – 15 minutes max. And I like having a different memory of where I stayed to go with different destinations. In contrast, I hate using time to go back and forth when I could be going onward.
If you are willing to deal with 1-night stays, I think your plan makes a LOT of sense. My only comments are that you have less time in Palermo than I, personally, would want (but maybe enough for what you want to see / do?) and it seems that you are skipping Selinunte, which I really enjoyed (but maybe that's intentional on your part). Nonetheless, I don't see an obvious way to cut your time elsewhere, so take these comments for what they are -- tiny thoughts to be tossed into the wind.
I strongly encourage you to continue considering an overnight in Agrigento. The sites are extensive and can take quite a while to visit; the museum is, IMO, well worth seeing; the medieval town is well worth roaming (and perhaps particularly evocative after dark); and there are several lodgings that provide incomparable views of the temples lit at night. Awesome!
Hope that helps!
If you are willing to deal with 1-night stays, I think your plan makes a LOT of sense. My only comments are that you have less time in Palermo than I, personally, would want (but maybe enough for what you want to see / do?) and it seems that you are skipping Selinunte, which I really enjoyed (but maybe that's intentional on your part). Nonetheless, I don't see an obvious way to cut your time elsewhere, so take these comments for what they are -- tiny thoughts to be tossed into the wind.
I strongly encourage you to continue considering an overnight in Agrigento. The sites are extensive and can take quite a while to visit; the museum is, IMO, well worth seeing; the medieval town is well worth roaming (and perhaps particularly evocative after dark); and there are several lodgings that provide incomparable views of the temples lit at night. Awesome!
Hope that helps!
Oct 8th, 2017, 07:46 PM
#11
I think given your timeframe, interests and unwillingness to leave luggage in your trunk, this itinerary is fine. I am not an early riser, but I'd bet you are, so you can get up and moving onward on those Erice-to-Agrigento-to-Piazza Armerina runs.
I also took a long, slow, mountainous route to Piazza Armerina (from Modica). Pretty drive. We stopped in Caltagirone, somewhat accidentally but it was fun. And the Villa Romana del Casale is not that huge that you'd spend hours and hours and hours there. You'll be fine. Certainly ready for three nights of r-and-r with walkable sightseeing by the time you reach Ortigia.
I also took a long, slow, mountainous route to Piazza Armerina (from Modica). Pretty drive. We stopped in Caltagirone, somewhat accidentally but it was fun. And the Villa Romana del Casale is not that huge that you'd spend hours and hours and hours there. You'll be fine. Certainly ready for three nights of r-and-r with walkable sightseeing by the time you reach Ortigia.
Oct 8th, 2017, 09:48 PM
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I think you may end up adjusting your plans just a little for Agrigento. Google maps gives a time of almost 3 hours to get from Erice to Agrigento. I usually almost double that time because it always seems to take longer with photo stops, lunch stops etc.
When you arrive in Agrigento, an idea might be to visit the Archaeological Museum, then get up early and see the temples in the morning. It's then about 2 hours to the Villa Romana, so you could see that possibly when you arrive in Piazza Armerina.
I just think you might be underestimating your timing a wee bit, but it's always good to be a bit flexible in your plans anyways, I find.
But, as Leely says, "given your timeframe, interests and unwillingness to leave luggage in your trunk" I don't think you have too much choice with this itinerary.
When you arrive in Agrigento, an idea might be to visit the Archaeological Museum, then get up early and see the temples in the morning. It's then about 2 hours to the Villa Romana, so you could see that possibly when you arrive in Piazza Armerina.
I just think you might be underestimating your timing a wee bit, but it's always good to be a bit flexible in your plans anyways, I find.
But, as Leely says, "given your timeframe, interests and unwillingness to leave luggage in your trunk" I don't think you have too much choice with this itinerary.
Oct 9th, 2017, 12:20 AM
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Unless something has changed there is luggage storage at the train station in Agrigento.
Most of the life of Sicilian towns takes place in the morning or in the late afternoons, betwen 5 and 8pm. If you are going to an excavation site like Agrigento, doesn't much matter when when sun sets (in fact, the earlier the better, since sunset is a nice time to see the temples and that's easier before dinner). If you are hoping to enjoy the life of a town, taking a day trip there and then needing to leave before 7 or 8pm to drive back to your "base" means you miss that.
It's one of the reasons I preferred road tripping in Sicily in April, since I don't get up at 6.30 am when I travel. But although I spent a night in Agrigento, my interest in the sites didn't extend beyond about 2 hours, so had I arrived earlier in the day, I would have kept going.
Even if you decide you'd be more comfortable spending a night in Agrigento you might want to figure out how much time you'll be sightseeing there (whether you want to do other things than visit the temples). You might find you have time to see Segesta on your way to Agrigento. So then you won't be daytripping away from Erice if that's the kind of town you really enjoy exploring.
Most of the life of Sicilian towns takes place in the morning or in the late afternoons, betwen 5 and 8pm. If you are going to an excavation site like Agrigento, doesn't much matter when when sun sets (in fact, the earlier the better, since sunset is a nice time to see the temples and that's easier before dinner). If you are hoping to enjoy the life of a town, taking a day trip there and then needing to leave before 7 or 8pm to drive back to your "base" means you miss that.
It's one of the reasons I preferred road tripping in Sicily in April, since I don't get up at 6.30 am when I travel. But although I spent a night in Agrigento, my interest in the sites didn't extend beyond about 2 hours, so had I arrived earlier in the day, I would have kept going.
Even if you decide you'd be more comfortable spending a night in Agrigento you might want to figure out how much time you'll be sightseeing there (whether you want to do other things than visit the temples). You might find you have time to see Segesta on your way to Agrigento. So then you won't be daytripping away from Erice if that's the kind of town you really enjoy exploring.
Oct 9th, 2017, 12:34 AM
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PS: Or you might visit Trapani from Erice instead of the long day you are planning.
I don't know if you intend to visit Monreale as you leave Palermo, or if you will keep Scopello in the mix, but if you are looking forward to a bit of rest in Erice, then maybe seeing Segesta on your way to Agrigento works better if you decide to spend the night in Agrigento.
I think I've never taken a trip in Italy where something on my sightseeing list ended up not getting done due to some totally unforeseen occurrence. So I think if you really want to see something in particular, and would be crushed to leave Sicily without having done that, best to spend at least one night there.
I don't know if you intend to visit Monreale as you leave Palermo, or if you will keep Scopello in the mix, but if you are looking forward to a bit of rest in Erice, then maybe seeing Segesta on your way to Agrigento works better if you decide to spend the night in Agrigento.
I think I've never taken a trip in Italy where something on my sightseeing list ended up not getting done due to some totally unforeseen occurrence. So I think if you really want to see something in particular, and would be crushed to leave Sicily without having done that, best to spend at least one night there.
Oct 9th, 2017, 02:16 PM
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I'm leaning toward this:
4 nights Palermo (the first day will be a total wash and I want to make sure I get to Monreale. Churches and cathedrals are my thing. If we run out of fun, we can do a day trip to Cefalu, but I move rather slowly.)
1 night Erice (we shouldn't get there before noon, and I would like to leave the luggage and drive to Segesta, tour the archeological sites and come back to Erice for dinner and a stroll if the weather is nice enough.)
2 nights Agrigento (it should take a long time to get there and we would visit the archeological museum upon arrival, stay over, see the Valley of the Temples the next day and also visit the town or the sea. On the morning of our departure we would drive to Piazza Armerina, where I've scouted a hotel that will rent a day room for our luggage.)
3 nights Ortygia (We would leave Agrigento, drive to Piazza Armerina, tour the Villa Romana Casale, then drive to Ortygia.)
4 nights Palermo (the first day will be a total wash and I want to make sure I get to Monreale. Churches and cathedrals are my thing. If we run out of fun, we can do a day trip to Cefalu, but I move rather slowly.)
1 night Erice (we shouldn't get there before noon, and I would like to leave the luggage and drive to Segesta, tour the archeological sites and come back to Erice for dinner and a stroll if the weather is nice enough.)
2 nights Agrigento (it should take a long time to get there and we would visit the archeological museum upon arrival, stay over, see the Valley of the Temples the next day and also visit the town or the sea. On the morning of our departure we would drive to Piazza Armerina, where I've scouted a hotel that will rent a day room for our luggage.)
3 nights Ortygia (We would leave Agrigento, drive to Piazza Armerina, tour the Villa Romana Casale, then drive to Ortygia.)
