ginabee

A new version on my original thread... based on advice of helpful posters, we are thinking of taking a new approach to our 7 day visit to Sicily, potentially picking 2 villas that allow shorter stays and doing 3-4 days in each. ThinkSicily is tempting us with some lovely options for our adult family of 5.

Which cities would you pick as a base? Palermo and Taormina? Siracusa? Something else? And why? I'm reading all the posts but I'm just getting more confused!

Really the only mandatory is a trip to Patti (my dad's father is from there), which is on the northeast side of the island, on the way from Palermo to Messina. We're happy to do some driving but want a trip that allows us some time to relax and enjoy the island!

Thanks for your opinions.

TravMimi

The reason you are getting confused is, although Sicily is about the size of New Jersey, it takes easily 2 weeks just to get enough of a taste of the island to know where you want to go when you come back. 7 days is a very tall order. I've been going back and forth most of my life and I still find new things to see, plus all the old things. If I come up with something I'll post.

IdyllicItaly

I think you would enjoy being close to Taormina, although staying in Taormina as a base and making day trips from there could be frustrating. Taormina is up a steep, winding, highly trafficked hill. Maneuvering that more than once or twice would not be fun.

There are many villas in the area near Taormina, including in Aci Castello, Acrireale, and Acitrezza.

In the Palermo area, you might want to stay in Mondello to be close to the beach or in Monreale, above Palermo with spectacular vistas and cooler evenings.

ginabee

Ok, thanks to the advice of all of you knowledgeable experts, I think I have talked my parents into flying directly from London to Sicily. They keep focusing on the fact that they want it to be relaxing - not consistent with spending a day and a half in Rome before heading to the airport.

Looks like we can fly for $620 per person to London and about $150 more on RyanAir to Palermo. Score! Low cost and a few extra days in Sicily.

ThinkSicily has the following itineraries which look interesting and like we would hit most of the major areas of interest.

Option 1 (need to shorten by one day):

3 nights at Masseria Pernice, a winery in the hills south of Palermo (B&B - dinner on reservation)
• day trip to Palermo
• wine-tasting and tour of the winery with the owner
• day trip to Selinunte
• relax by the pool and soak up the peace and quiet

4 nights at Giara (a luxuriously furnished apartment with wonderful sea views) in Letojanni, a small, charming seaside town on the coast under Taormina (self-catering - cook available on request).
• visit Catania, Taormina and Siracusa
• day trip on Mount Etna

3 nights at Mandranova - Farmhouse, a beautifully restored “casale” that is set in a large, active olive oil producing estate south-east of Agrigento (B&B - dinner on reservation).
• visit the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento
• boat trip with the owners
• relaxing by the pool or on the beaches nearby
• cooking classes

Second option (considerably less $$):

4 nights at La Soprana, Petralia Soprana (self-catering).
• go back in time and discover the small hill top towns of the Madonie Mountains
• go walking in the Madonie mountains

3 nights at Eryx in Erice (self-catering).
• visit Erice, Segesta, Trapani, Marsala, Mazzara del Vallo and Selinunte
• have a day by the sea on the wonderful beach of San Vito lo Capo

2 nights at Palazzo Federico, a historic aristocratic palace dating back to the 12th Century - Palermo (B&B).
• sightseeing in Palermo
• half day cooking class in a Sicilian house in central Palermo

What a lovely feeling to know that you really can't go wrong!

IdyllicItaly

Congratulations! Either itinerary looks lovely.

Have you checked the driving distances and times to Patti from Palermo and from Petralia Soprana? That might help you with your decisions.

fall06

Can you fiddle with those ThinkSicily tours?

I think option One is the more interesting one, but I would want to see Monreale while in the vicinity of Palermo. Could it be added?

Near Taormina, I would want to make sure that the tour included Ortyigia, which is the island that connects to Siracusa, and would skip Catania.

For me, I would prefer staying in or near one of the "baroque" towns (Noto, Ragusa or Modica) and merely visiting Agrigento on a day trip.

With Option Two, you could have a lovely experience of eating and socializing in Sicily, but not see some of its spectacular sights. However, if you are going anytime after the first of May, the heat may be so intense you will be happier with mountain retreats and boat rides than touring ruins in the treeless sun.

TravMimi

Option 1 looks great. Any chance to stay in Letojanni is a great option!! Lovely town and it also has a little train station right on the Messina to Catania line. Bus goes right up to Taormina. The beach is nice. Beautiful little pebbles of many colors and patterns, fun to pick through. The main piazza is fun at night and the lungomare is a nice stroll. You've done well.

ginabee

Thanks for the positive feedback! I do think the itineraries are flexible, and it's not certain these exact places will be available (we are looking at the first week of May - not exactly planning ahead).

I'm bringing materials home with me over Easter weekend to run everything by my parents, but now I'm feeling like we're working with options that will be relaxing/beautiful either way we decide to go. Once I have an exact itinerary I will hit everyone up again for restaurant recos (and markets if we do end up staying in self-catering properties - we all love to cook).

Thanks to everyone SO much for the "tough love" in recommending against Rome. I think as a result we will have a vacation that is cheaper and more relaxing!

Mimar

So where does your RyanAir flight leave from? Stansted? I'm assuming you're spending a day or 2 in London, because otherwise you'll have to deal with getting from Heathrow or Gatwick to Stansted.

ginabee

We arrive Heathrow in the evening and depart Stansted the next AM - we'll get a car service to pick us up at LHR and deposit us at a hotel on-site at Stansted. Sleep there, then head out that next AM.

Not ideal, but better than the alternatives - direct to Rome is now about $1,000 more per ticket... and the connection to Rome has us spending a day in NY, where a ground transfer is also required. Apparently no airline flies from LHR to Palermo or Catania.

TravMimi

I might have mentioned it before, but euroflyusa.com flys non-stop JFK-Palermo. Not every day, but it's priced right.

rialtogrl

If you are flying Ryan air be very careful as to how much you pack because their baggage limits are low and believe me, they will charge you for any overages.

I would choose option 1 - 3 nights in Erice is too long IMO. Not that it's not a nice town but it is a long and windy road to get up and down every day.