• CONTACT US if you have any problems registering for the forums.

Southeast Sicily May/ June 2018

Lisa in Ottawa

500+ Posts
I've been immersed in planning a trip for this spring. This will be our first time in Sicily. We will have close to 3 weeks. I think we will arrive in Catatania and then either using public transport or a private driver go to Taormina for several days. I am a little nervous about staying in Taormina as I understand it gets very crowded with crusise ships, coach tours, etc. But I've also heard it is extremely beautiful and not to be missed. I'd originally thought of Cefalu but it has same issues and is smaller. Sooo my thought is to stay at Residence Schuler(hopefully there will be availability).

As we will need a car I thought we would return to Catania and rent one before proceeding. My concern is parking in these towns at this time of year. Thoughts? experiences?

For the next step, I was thinking of renting an apartment in Scicili. I have bookmarked one but would be interested in knowing about apartments others have rented. Using this as our base, we could explore the baroque towns and environs.

I'd like to be in the countryside part of the time and staying at an agriturismo outside Acreiale appeals. There seem to be many but Fattoria Mose appeals. It seems authentic with large grounds to explore. Many of the others appear more like resorts.

I've also thought about several days n Salina part of the Aeolian islands.

I'd love to hear opinions, experiences etc. I'm especially interested in what people who have been there think of Taormina. How long to stay? Parking in the towns. Agriturismo experiences. And if anyone has been to Salina.
Thanks.
 
No worries about "Hijacking" of Trapani thread - feel free to contribute. Your trip looks great. On our last trip to Sicily, we flew into Catania and home from Palermo. We had a private driver take us from Catania to Siracusa - about 100 euros. After Siracusa, Modica, and Piazza Armerina, we stayed 3 nights at Villa Schuler http://www.hotelvillaschuler.com/ We thought it to be a great hotel at a moderate price. Similar name to your planned stay at Residence Schuler. I suspect same owners. A quick search reveals that they are about 14 minutes apart.

Parking is scarce in Taormina. Villa Schuler had a few parking spots for temporary unloading etc. I was so glad to leave my car in Taormina and get back to train travel. We rented car (Avis) in Siracusa.

BTW, if you are into hiking and exploring, be sure and walk UP to the nearby village of Castelmola, perched on hilltop above - one of most beautiful villages of Italy. It was strenuous (45 minutes to hour) but well worth it. Plan to have lunch there. Fabulous views!

There were many people in Taormina but was not particularly over- crowded as I recall. Nothing like the hordes from cruise ships in Venice. Perhaps it's the luck of the draw on any given day. By contrast, we found Cefalu to be really quiet and sleepy town. Cefalu had a nice beach, one of the better ones that I have encountered in Italy.

I also have interest in Scicili so will look forward to any information you receive.
 
How interesting. I assumed Villa and rRsidence Shuler were the same place but apparently not. It's the same family and the description is similar. The villa appears more upscale. Do you remember if you booked much in advance? I checked some dates and all they show is the Garden Villa which I think is one of their most expensive rooms.
 
My husband and I spent a week at a terrific apartment in Scicli last April that we rented through VRBO. Loved the apartment and the town. (Would be a nice place to spend Easter if that works out). It was about $44 a night at the time, which seemed an incredible deal. I tried to put in a link to the apartment and a review I wrote but not sure the link works so copied the review below. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have. The apartment is 807 square feet, 2 bedrooms and one bath, has Internet and a washing machine and a very nice kitchen and bathroom. It is really cute. Guglielmo was very responsive and a nice person to deal with. Even the neighbors were nice, wanting to speak with us and interested in our travels.

https://www.vrbo.com/1077229ha/reviews

We enjoyed our weeklong stay at Guglielmo and Rosalba's charming apartment very much. It looked exactly as pictured on the website and was quite comfortable, spotlessly clean and quiet. The location was perfect for exploring Scicli on foot and for day trips to the surrounding area. It was very well furnished and supplied with everything needed for our stay. We have rented many apartments, and have never stayed in one as well stocked with food (wine, oil, spices, garlic, juice, milk, jam, cookies, chocolate, tea, coffee, etc,) as well as grooming items, laundry supplies, washing machine and much more. It is clear they have tried to think of everything to make for a pleasant stay for their guests. Guglielmo met us in the plaza, directed us to parking, and responded very quickly if we needed assistance or information. We would highly recommend the apartment and would love to stay there again.
 
Some people love Taormina but we didn't. The Greek theater with its view of the mountain (weather permitting) was fabulous and well worth seeing, but we were glad we did the town as a day trip. Maybe we were unlucky, but the streets were so jam packed when we were there that all we wanted to do was get out. Also very expensive compared to the rest of the island if that is a consideration for you.

We flew into Palarmo ( our second visit there) and enjoyed it very much.
 
How interesting. I assumed Villa and rRsidence Shuler were the same place but apparently not. It's the same family and the description is similar. The villa appears more upscale. Do you remember if you booked much in advance? I checked some dates and all they show is the Garden Villa which I think is one of their most expensive rooms.
=================
I usually book hotels several months in advance. We got a deal on a junior suite with terrace seaview. I think it was about 200 euros per night, but do not specifically recall. Villa Schuler is closer to main part of town, for what its worth.
 
We spent a week in Scicli on our 2014 Sicily trip. Here is the link to my trip report (you have read it). It looks like I forgot to post a review of the apartment. We rented Carrubo from Ville in Italia. It was a nice apartment, spacious, good location - but no parking. Parking is difficult in this area. The owners live next door. We went in April and always found a parking spot on the street.

Scicli is a lovely town. Not touristy but well located and very beautiful.

Ragusa might also be a good place to stay. Jim Zurer stayed there on a trip recently.

We did not go to Taormina, but I would like to go someday.
 
I have booked Sydney's apartment in Scicili. It looks great and is reasonable. I have changed our itinerary a little. we will be going to the Aeolian islands for about 4 days as well as Taormina. Even though we are leaving for Grenada on Monday, I have been busily planning our Sicily trip. I want to have it all nailed down before Christmas. Then I can forget about it until just before we go.
Of course I read your TR and was surprised that there was not a review of the apartment.
 

How to Find Information

Search using the search button in the upper right. Search all forums or current forum by keyword or member. Advanced search gives you more options.

Filter forum threads using the filter pulldown above the threads. Filter by prefix, member, date. Or click on a thread title prefix to see all threads with that prefix.

Sponsors

Booking.com Hotels in Europe
AutoEurope.com Car Rentals

Recommended Guides, Apps and Books

52 Things to See and Do in Basilicata by Valerie Fortney
Italian Food & Life Rules by Ann Reavis
Italian Food Decoder App by Dana Facaros, Michael Pauls
French Food Decoder App by Dana Facaros, Michael Pauls
She Left No Note, Lake Iseo Italy Mystery 1 by J L Crellina

Share this page

Back
Top