HI! I would love some input on my Southern Italy and Sicily trip scheduled for this November. We will be traveling the week of Thanksgiving. Any input/suggestions would be greatly appreciated! This is our second trip to Italy. My husband and I were in Venice/Florence/Rome several years ago and had a great time. Traveled by public trans. the entire time. This time we will have my in-laws with us, so rental car is the choice.
Fri. 11/17 flight
Sat. 11/18 arrive Naples at 11:15am, pick up rental car, drive to Monte Cassino (we have family there, will be visiting and spending one night)
Sun. 11/19 depart Monte Cassino for Pompeii. Spend the first part of the day exploring Pompeii. Check in at hotel in Sorrento (Hotel Bristol). Enjoy Sorrento.
Mon. 11/20 Either full day here in Sorrento exploring Capri, or morning in Capri, followed by long drive to Sicily. (any input on whether ferry or train would be better? worried about rough waters in Nov.?)
Tues. 11/21 Taormina/Mt. Etna (stay in Taormina, want Villa Shuler's but they are closed for the season)
Wed. 11/22 Day trip to Siracusa/Noto/Modica/Ragusa - back to Taormina for night
Thur. 11/23 Drive to Enna/Piazza Armerina/Agrigento (spend the night in Agrigento)-Valley of Temples at night
Fri. 11/24 Drive to Palermo - explore, plus Monreale or Cefalu (stay in Palermo)
Sat. 11/25 Day trip to Erice. Stay Palermo another night.
Sun. 11/26 Depart for USA (drop car at airport)

Lucky you! Have a wonderful trip...a note of caution re: the Sicily end of things, you have a very ambitious agenda, esp. November 21-23. This is an area I know fairly well and I think you are way over-scheduled. For example, the day with Noto, Siracusa etc. is more realistically 2 or even 3 days worth of sightseeing and driving with many hours of fine dining sprinkled in between. This is a spectacular region with much of historical interest, ruins, volcanoes, (surely you are planning on seeing Mount Etna?), resort beachfronts, little sea port communities, magnificent churches, agritourismo, and some of the finest cucina in Sicily-go slow!!!

We were in Sicily in Nov a few years back and I'd suggest that you've packed your schedule way too much. Siracusa deserves 2 days to itself! We found Agrigento had enough to occupy us for 2 full days. We spent a whole day at Piazza Amerina- the mosaics are fabulous!
The roads are not exactly easy to drive so distances can be deceiving.

Bellini, how was your weather in Nov?

Mild days, cool evenings, esp. nr the water...be prepared for rain every day and then you will be pleasantly surprised when you have 5 days in a row of sun, like last year.