What to see in Sicily with only three days?
 

We are flying into Sicily this September 2016. it is our plan to stay on near Tarmonia for three days before heading down to Pozzallo to take the ferry over to Malta.

Suggestions on what to see?

Has anyone taken the ferry to Malta and if so, how do you get the proper time table and fares?

Thanks
Ciao

That, is a very bad plan.

I really dont understand. Why bother? It seems like you have other priorities. Malta and where ever you are flying in from.

Ok, so you don't agree with our plan but it is not helpful to be critical and yet offer no suggestions.

We are spending the beginning and end of our trip in Sicily and a few days in Malta in between.

Might fly to Malta instead of taking the ferry that is not finalized yet.

We will have three days in the Taormina area, we don't plan to see all of Sicily of course that would be impossible to do in three days. I was hoping for suggestions as to another area we might want to see at the end of our trip. Maybe I was not clear in my first request. But based on what I have read, we will make our own plans... enjoy your day

http://www.virtuferries.com/

Don't you love it? I would go down the coast and take the ferry. Not really any bad places. Enjoy.

Sorry, was working and didn't have time to fully answer.

http://www.travellector.com/ortigia-...racuse-sicily/

I would at least stop here for a night and then drive to the ferry port.

cagreco - where do you fly into? if it's Catania, I believe that you have quite a few more options than going to Taormina, though we're intending to go there too on our trip there in September.

There is not just Ortygia as Macross says, but also the Baroque towns of of Ragusa, Noto and Modica, Catania itself, the Villa Romana del Casale at Piazza Armerina, and a lot of smaller places.

if you do pick Taormina, there's the railway round Mount Etna, the mountain itself, possible day trips into the hills, or up to Messina. Then you could go south to Ortygia and end up in one of the Baroque towns before getting your ferry.

As ever, the problem is deciding what to leave out, not what to see!

Cagreco,

In order to get constructive suggestions, you do need to provide more information.

Now we under stand that you are intending to spend 3 days in Taormina, ferry from Pozzallo to Malta, then return at some point in the trip to Sicily.

How many more days do you have for Sicily part two?
How and where do you plan to return from Malta?

Overall what are your interests? Sicily has so much to offer that its extremely difficult for people to plan their trips regarless of how much time they have, or do not have!

What is it that makes you want to visit Sicily? How did you decide to spend 3 days in Taormina if you have no ideas of what to see or do? Maybe a different 3 day location would be better?

Its very hard to make good recommendations without knowing more about your overall itinerary and interests.

Can you share more? Personally I have planned 4 different trips by first reading guidebooks, then trip reports here, then posting questions. All my trips have turned out very well thanks to the generous and knowledgable Fodorites here.

>>Ok, so you don't agree with our plan but it is not helpful to be critical and yet offer no suggestions.<<

Well said Cagreco!

When I was researching Sicily on this site, the first response I got about spending 3 nights in Sicily is that they wouldn't "only" spend 3 nights in Sicily. Like you, I find the fact that many cannot answer the question at hand but feel compelled to interject an irrelevant thought is at times frustrating.

I just returned from my first visit to Sicily. Personally, I can spend 3 days anywhere in Sicily and just enjoy walking around, eating the local food (tomatoes, fresh fruits and blood oranges in particular as well as the seafood)and drinking the great and inexpensive wine. Taormina is beautiful but the high end shopping is a turn-off to me. Never really understood why someone would like to shop for the same items they can purchase at home. Anyway, I would say you need to decide what you would most like to see and head there. Don't think you can go wrong with any choice in Sicily, even if you try.

If the only information provided is that the OP has decided to spend three days in Taormina it is close to impossible to make useful suggestions. If the OP provdes the information Dayle has outlined, then it will be possible.

ok, I like how lively these conversations have gotten.

1. I don't plan to spend all three days in Taormina, our hotel room is in that area The Hilton hotel in Giardini Naxos, one of the locations we wanted to visit was Taormina. Not sure yet about how we plan to travel in Sicily, we really don't want to rent a car so we might just hire a driver to take us around. I am not adverse to public transportation but most of what I was reading people said they were driving.

so I was looking for other points of interest in that area of Sicily.

We will be spending three days in Malta (flying over and then taking the ferry back) We only have two more days on the other end of our trip in Sicily before we fly home so we hoped to stay close to the airport. Flying out of Catania ... since we are staying at the shore on the first leg of the trip, I was hoping for a city center hotel when we returned.

I hope this gives you all a better understanding of the small trip the 6 of us plan to take.

We will be spending three days in Malta (flying over and then taking the ferry back) We only have two more days on the other end of our trip in Sicily before we fly home so we hoped to stay close to the airport. Flying out of Catania ... since we are staying at the shore on the first leg of the trip, I was hoping for a city center hotel when we returned.

I hope this gives you all a better understanding of the small trip the 6 of us plan to take.>>

sorry, not really no. but then it may be me.

Have I got this right?

Day 1 - fly into Catania. 3 nights in Giardini Naxos.

Day 4 - fly to Malta

Day 7 - ferry back to Pozzalo

Day 9 - fly out of Catania.

From Pozzallo take the regionale train to Siracusa. Stay 2 nights on Ortigia, then get your hotel to arrange a transfer from there to the airport. They can no doubt find someone with a van, and it takes less than an hour to get to the airport.

Well, one of the biggies for me in Sicily was Agregento. Not easy without a car and likely expensive for car and driver, but if you have an interest in Greek temples and ruins, these are awe inspiring, especially for the setting.

You don't need a car to visit Sicily. Consult rome2rio.com for your options. And look at trip reports on this board by those who visited the island by public transportation -- I think GAC and Marija both posted such reports.

Cagreco,

With 3 days in Giardini Naxos, and not knowing what your interest are, possible options:

Go early to the Greek Theater in Taormina and hope to miss the cruise ship hoards
Wander Taomina, have lunch and do some expensive shopping
Return to your hotel and enjoy the beach
Another day do an excursion to Mt Etna and the Alcantara Gorge, seems to be quite popular

Fly to Malta amd ferry back
Have to assume the ferry trip itself is the attraction, otherwise you would just fly back to Catania

I have not visited Malta myself, but several of my coworkers have gone for extended work trips. I understand the historical center of the main city has lots of Baroque architecture, so perhaps that will do it for those in the group you might enjoy that. Therefore perhaps no need to visit the Baroque towns of southeast Sicily.

If you decide not to do any excursions out of Taormina, i would give it just 2 days and spend 3 days in Ortigia/siracusa. There is so much to see and do there that everyone in the 6 should be happy. If someone wanted to do a day trip to one of the Baroque towns, I understand its easy by train. If someone has an interest in Greek history they can go to the Archeologial Park and outstanding museum. There is much more.

I think its time for you to do some research and decide what interests your group.

Sicily has such depth of history and culture I would seriously consider visiting Malta or Sicily. To have seen Etna, Taormina and the Alcantara Gorge yet not have time for Agrigento, Selinunte, Palermo, Cefalu, Modica, Catania....it makes me weep just to think of it.