Hi Plambers, Glad the Ortigia info was helpful. I’m sorry to hear that the cost of private drivers no doubt has gone up a lot. I was last in Sicily in early spring 2022 and I can imagine that I was still benefiting from end-of-pandemic/welcome back to tourists pricing (and generally lower inflation, and maybe a pre-white lotus sicily).

—It’s good that you are mapping a route from agrigento to Syracuse/ortigia (I don’t think it’s a problem to have one long day of travel in a trip as long as yours) and ortigia to Ragusa should feel like a breeze in re travel time.

—NOT to complicate things further (I DO remember being overwhelmed by Sicily planning), but just mentioning (at the risk of adding to overwhelm) that I recall a thread a while back on the Sicilian baroque towns w/o a lot of steps. Several people mentioned Scicli as being beautiful, mostly flat, and a very liveable baroque town. I also recall some beautiful photos and that someone mentioned a great hotel (I don’t recall it’s name and I didn’t save the thread unfortunately). I was really tempted to base there, esp because there are many Detective Montalbano spots (I’m a fan of the show) in Scicli (but also some in Ragusa). In the end, I didn’t even visit Scicli (just too little time and I was happy where I was). Granted, I only spent half a day in Ragusa, but I do not remember a feeling of intense verticality there as in Modica. I remember one semi-steepish walk with a beautiful view (and it might be that a taxi from your lodging can take you on a driving tour of any more key vertical sites). But others who based there can give you better info on Ragusa. (Apologies for the italics that popped up in my response-can’t seem to remove them just now for some reason. My computer seems to have a gremlin inside this morning,)

thanks again for your thoughful response. i remember reading ek's trip report with ragusa and think she mentioned steps and getting lost. so modica is even hillier and with more steps? i will check out scicli. steps are fine with me but my husband has a heart issue and too much steep climbing winds him.

its unfortunate how expensive drivers have become. we have used private drivers in other countries so had expectations but wasn't thinking what they are quoting.

we can't get detective montalbano on any of our streaming services unfortunately.

i just wish omio or trainline listed all options. it doesn't seem that there is one stop shopping in Sicily for public transport options.

I have a solution for you (maybe). There are little touristic trains. It was about 3 Euros and about half hour. Not my usual mode of seeing a city, but it was beyond hot and completely uphill. One option is to jump off once it gets to the top and walk down: we had a long day and so we stayed for the whole ride. A bit cheesy but we had fun! I will look for the link.

I can’t seem to copy the link but if you look up Trenino Barroque Sicily. Sorry I think it is my phone!

Modica is wonderful (there's way more of interest there than chocolate), but I guess if you can't do hills, it wouldn't make sense to visit. The best stuff is in the hilly parts. The main drag through the middle, where the most famous chocolate shop is, is a little uninspiring. JMO.

I might have watched the Montalbano series on DVD. Old-fashioned, I know, but it was recommended at my Italian school, and once I started watching I was hooked. Scicli looks wonderfully flat in the series!

Hi. He can do hills. We did some hiking in Patagonia last christmas! I assume its steep then some level or is it all very steep?

I really appreciate your feedback. So hows this? Seems public transport will work, Will fly Into Palermo and out of Catania. I have an extra night buffer in Catania in case of missed ferry from Lipari. Is this enough? Return flight from Catania will be around 6 pm for a bit more buffer...

6 nights Palermo with day trips to Cefalu, Agrigento, Monreale. Will most likely do a tour to Agrigento.

Palermo to Ortigia - Ortigia 4 ngihts with day trip to Noto

Modica or Ragusa Ibla 3 nights with day trip to the other

Modica or Ragusa Ibla to Milazzo- looks like theres an early bus/train at 7:19 from Modica that gets me to Milazo at 2 pm. ferry to Lipari (assume ferry schedule will work out

Lipari5 nights

Lipari to Catania for final night and next day 6pm flight to Linate.

This seems to work. Only issue might be ferry schedule. No Sunday connections. All transfers showing on Omio. Do you see any issues with this? So appreciate your help.

Plambers, Most welcome-my recollection (though, as noted, my knowledge of Ragusa is very limited) is that Modica is steeper and hillier than Ragusa (but others will surely know more about this). However, even in Modica there were various stopping points, i.e., landings so it was never in my recollection a straight unrelenting walk. (Also, I don’t recall the stone stairs being slippery as they were, by contrast, after a rain in Matera.) And if some hiking in Patagonia was OK, then I think either Ragusa or Modica would be totally fine, and the tourist train seems a nice backup plan as per Kelsey22. I can imagine that your lodging can give you info on the tourist train options once you settle on a place to sleep.) But still, taking a look at a few TRs where folks might have mentioned Scicli might not be a bad idea (though again the Patagonia trip suggests that you might not need to shift your focus for your base.—Agree that it’s challenging to plan w/the info coming from so many different sites. —On Montalbano—like Leely2 I had to watch it on DVDs (which I borrowed from my local public library, which was a little cumbersome). —Though I absolutely LOVE this forum and have gotten what seems like infinite guidance, information, and inspiration here, I also found the TripAdvisor Sicily forum helpful as an add’l resource when I was planning my trip to Sicily in 2022. Hope that’s OK to say here. It was a few years ago and I haven’t been back to that forum, but there was at the time a destination expert with a screename of Vagabonda who was extremely knowledgeable and generous.

Hi again. I am posting there too but haven't gotten too much help from Vagabondo but am sure she will when she is able.
I will be sure to look into all 3 baroque towns and think this plan might work as i can see all trasportation options on Omio, which is a huge refief.
Thanks again!

I know you were having trouble with the bus schedule on http://www.aziendasicilianatrasporti.it/ . I just ran a sample weekday schedule search in case you decide you want to go from Palermo to Modica and then on to Siracusa/Ortigia.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2575673c38.png
This is same route on a Sunday schedule:
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0812047ef1.png

FYI, I get the warning about the site not being secure too--I wouldn't buy tickets or enter any personal/bank info on it but for me it's okay to run a search and check schedules

Just using Modica as an example, it's about 2H45M by bus from Modica to Siracusa. Then you could then do Siracusa to Milazzo by train--about 3.5 hours.

I personally try to avoid super long bus/train rides so would probably route as above. But those who visited Sicily using public trans can advise you better (we drove).

Leely, when I click on the link and input inormation it just keeps spinning so I cant see any schedules. Also, I have read that even if buses show as running on Sundays, they don't, adding more complicaitons.
Appreciate your help!

I'd love to see the times of the departures if you could include them. I would prefer to go from palermo to Ragusa but then I'd only stay 2 nights bc I'd want to get on a saturday bus. Now we'd be in Ragusa Mon-thurs and I am worried alot of restaurants will be closed Monday.

Well, you're planning for next year, right, so you will want to check the schedule closer to your actual trip. But just checking for Saturday, 31 August 2024, I see departure from Palermo 11:45 arr Ragusa 15:50 OR departure Palermo 18:15 arr Ragusa 22:20.

Weekdays:
Partenze da: PALERMO 07:30 11:45 18:15

From Ragusa to Siracusa on a weekday you have a number of choices, although some include a transfer at Rosolini and you would need to buy separate tickets. So given luggage, I'd probably just go with the direct, even though it's a little longer of a journey.

The direct departure times are:
Partenze da: RAGUSA : 14:10 19:00

Understood, Plambers-hopefully some folks at TA Sicily forum will respond. But as usual the Fodors group comes in like gang busters!

Leely, thanks so very much. Our lodging in Ragusa confirmed that there is a bus from agrgento to ragusa so we will do Agrigento overnight and then go to Ragusa for 2 nights. Wish we could do 3 but departure is on a Sunday and no buses.

this works out better bc then we head to Ortigia and then to Milazzo for Lipari transfer.

I know ferries get cancelled going to Lipari so thinking I need a 2 night buffer. We can fly home from Catania most likely. For our final 2 nights do we stay in Catania or someplace a bit calmer? thanks again