What's this place like? A cruise that I'm potentially interested in stops there for a whole day. Is it a handsome port? Is the scenery around the town handsome? Or is it the history that one goes for? Are there places to hike? (We have no interest in shopping and not much interest in inside museums.) Thank you.

I loved Trapani, which was a surprise! The old town is full of interesting buildings. However, you also have the option of taking a bus up to Erice, which is magical. See my TR (http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-sicily.cfm?62 - near the end) and (unedited) pix(http://kwilhelm.smugmug.com/Travel/519560 - passwords trapani and erice).

Great to hear (and see)! Thanks for the full reply. Hoping to hear from others.

I agree about Erice ! Another option is the island of Favignana, short ferry from Trapani. Haven't been there yet but it is definitely on my list !

Trapani per se is just OK, but Erice to the north and Selinunte to the south are first class destinations. I would assume that the ship will have side trips to those destinations.

Just FYI, last month my husband and I were trying to drive up to Erice and were turned back by police blocking the road (it may have been due to a Formula One race underway). They directed us to Tripani's "funivular," which was a neat little cable car (like a ski lift?) that took us up to Erice. My husband almost had a heart attack but the view of the port was phenomenal. And of course Erice is delightful. Have fun!

"Another option is the island of Favignana" - I stayed on Favignana (see TR linked above) and would not recommend it - unless you like to hike in full sun. Or, if you're there at the right time of year, want a completely deserted beach.