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Thinking About Sicily

artnbarb

1000+ Posts
It's either a sign that things are returning to normal, OR I've just run out of patience, but I'm back to planning for next years travel before this years travel is completed. We've never been to Sicily and we feel like it's now (well, next year!) or never!

This one will require some research and some difficult decisions. In a perfect world we'd fly to Italy only once, and visit Sicily either before or after our usual time in Umbria but there's no way I'm going to Sicily during August because of the heat, and so many things will be closed in November, plus the days are so short. This year we're using FF miles for our trip to Italy, so flying twice next year would definitely be more expensive, but I don't see any way around it.

After our March trip to Morocco this year, I started thinking that we could do another trip next spring, and Sicily's at the top of the list. I think March might be a little early for Sicily (it was cooler than we anticipated in Morocco), and I'm leaning towards early May.

We've never flown to Sicily, and I'm rather overwhelmed by the choices of itineraries. Flying out of Tampa via Lufthansa seems like a good starting point. They have a direct flight into Frankfurt, then we could continue on Lufthansa to Catania. I know nothing about Lufthansa, so that's a whole other thing to explore, but I do know I don't want to have the second leg of the flight on a budget airline. Regular airlines are dicey enough these days, but a budget airline really seems really scary.

I know it's far off, but if anyone has any ideas or comments to get me started I'd be most grateful!
 
Early may should be a great time, for warm but not baking hot (and Nespole will be in season, so you'll have the best fruit in the world).

Not all budget airlines are the same, so check the Ts & Cs carefully. The better ones are perfectly fine (and nothing like Ryanair). Key to this would be ensuring that the luggage you plan to take there and back is compatible in weight restrictions. As for the flight, it's probably ~ 2 hours so although you'll be tired, the relative economy of the budget airline shouldn't be too onerous.

Catania airport had a major facelift after we visited (back then it was definitely bare bones 1960s style). The other alternative is Palermo, so perhaps your holiday plans might dictate which one.

p.s. if August does come back into the options, it might be worth looking at the islands, in particular the Aeolian islands (Lipari, Vulcano, Stromboli, Salina, and others). The sea breeze will cool things down and island hopping is easy on quite regular ferries, along with specific charters e.g. to see Stromboli at night (aka natural fireworks display!)

Palermo and Catania are very much southern cities - if you love Napoli then you may love them, but if it scares you witless, then minimise the time spent in them.

Others will have more to add on the mainland
 
Thanks, @Ian Sutton , useful information as usual!

Regarding the budget airlines, if it's possible to book it all through Lufthansa, that would be my first choice. The FRA-CTA leg could be operated by their regional carrier, but should be more reliable than Ryan Air.

August is definitely off the table because of weather, and also because when we do go we need to see and do all the typical first-time-tourist stuff - Greek temples, ceramics, Baroque churches and Mt Etna, for a start!
 
I spent a week in Sicily at the end of October in 2017I went with Riviera Travel, so everything was planned for me, which did make it a lot easier and I didn't have to worry about getting around.

It was pleasantly warm, shirt sleees all week, with sunshine everyday apart ferom the blast day when the cloud came down and there was drizzle in the morning. Of course that was the day we were doing Mount Etna too...

Everything was open and there were plenty of other tourists still around. I loved it and there was so much more we could have seen too...

You can see my report with pictures here.
 
I spent a week in Sicily at the end of October in 2017I went with Riviera Travel, so everything was planned for me, which did make it a lot easier and I didn't have to worry about getting around.

It was pleasantly warm, shirt sleees all week, with sunshine everyday apart ferom the blast day when the cloud came down and there was drizzle in the morning. Of course that was the day we were doing Mount Etna too...

Everything was open and there were plenty of other tourists still around. I loved it and there was so much more we could have seen too...

You can see my report with pictures here.
Thanks @Eleanor , I read your report yesterday. We may consider a small group tour. I guess I have plenty of time to decide between a spring or fall visit - I just hate taking any time away from Umbria in the fall!
 
Even at the end of October, you weren't really aware of it being fall. I think Spring might be rather nice?
Two reasons I'm thinking about spring:
  1. In spring the days are getting longer, not shorter
  2. Less time deducted from our time in Umbria
But - I'm not going to take a transatlantic flight for less than 2 weeks.. Too expensive, too hard on my body! So, I really have to figure out how to coordinate Sicily with - what??? Perhaps visit my son and his wife who'll be stationed in Garmish, or maybe meet up with them somewhere in Europe. Working Vienna into the scenario is also in the back of my mine - another city we still haven't visited!

As you can tell, still a lot of moving parts to wrangle, but I have plenty of time.
 
We've done one short trip to Sicily in 2014 and saw the main things I was interested in - Siracusa, those Baroque towns in the south east and the main Greek temples. I loved all of it but haven't felt the call to return.

If we went back I would visit Taormina, Palermo and some of the west coast I think.

Here is my trip report:

 
We've done one short trip to Sicily in 2014 and saw the main things I was interested in - Siracusa, those Baroque towns in the south east and the main Greek temples. I loved all of it but haven't felt the call to return.

If we went back I would visit Taormina, Palermo and some of the west coast I think.

Here is my trip report:

I just re-read it! I'm getting more interested by the minute!
 
I enjoyed Sicily a lot more than I thought I would. The Greek and Roman remains were amazing. The churches were beautiful. There was La Martorana and st Mary of Gesu in Palermo. (Unfortunately I didn't have chance to visit the Norman Palace in Palermo, but was rather put off by reports of how busy it was). The highlight was Monreale Cathedral with its gold mosaics and carved pillars in the cloisters.

The cathedral in Ortygia is completely different to anything I've seen. It was originally a Greek temple that later became a church. The original temple can still be seen on the outside of the north wall and arches were carved through the walls of the 'cella' to form the nave.

As well as the sights everyone has heard of, there were surprises to be found everywhere. Our trip didn't take us to the Aeolian Islands off the north coast of Sicily - somewhere I'd love to visit as again, they seem very different.
 
WE went to Sicily in August 2018. yes the heat was stifling, but staying at our friends place with a pool helped. Yes it did make sight seeing difficult (though frequent granita stops also helped) and we vowed to return in a cooler season to a) see more of Sicily and b) be able to eat more amazing food due to not feeling overheated constantly! I really loved Sicily and felt it had the BEST food I have tried in Italy (been to a few parts north and south and in the centre). The history is incredible. I enjoyed delving into historical novels that were set in Sicily or told Sicilian stories before we left and I loved doing that. My friend and resident of Catania told me, in Sicily you cry 3 times.... one for the rubbish you see everywhere, two for the scales when you get on them! And the third time is when you leave. Still crying. <3
 
Ciao Amici,
It is pretty rare that I get to give A & B advice on Italy, but we've been twice, though the most recent was many years ago.

Stand out place from my very dim memory:
Taormina. Really beautiful. The theatre overlooking the town and ocean, and the town itself. A gem among many in Italy, and that is saying something.
Cefalu. It is (was?) a small, colourful village. The Google suggests otherwise now, but it is the jumping off point to the ...
Aeolian Islands. Lipari, Vulcano etc. Very much worth the time and boat ride.
Agrigento. Amazing Greek temples, and not all ruins.
Syracusa. We didn't have much time there, but it was quite captivating.
Inland there is Enna, which was apparently a spot of bad luck for Persephone. Abduction and all that.

We remember strong coffee and the best pastry in Italy. The language will test even your Italian, so get a bit of Greek and Arabic into your daily vocabulary.

Oh, and I hate Lufthansa. Our flights last fall were among the worst I've had. I didn't know 'food' could be so bad, even on an airplane. I'd rather swim the Atlantic than fly with them again.
 
Ciao Amici,
It is pretty rare that I get to give A & B advice on Italy, but we've been twice, though the most recent was many years ago.

Stand out place from my very dim memory:
Taormina. Really beautiful. The theatre overlooking the town and ocean, and the town itself. A gem among many in Italy, and that is saying something.
Cefalu. It is (was?) a small, colourful village. The Google suggests otherwise now, but it is the jumping off point to the ...
Aeolian Islands. Lipari, Vulcano etc. Very much worth the time and boat ride.
Agrigento. Amazing Greek temples, and not all ruins.
Syracusa. We didn't have much time there, but it was quite captivating.
Inland there is Enna, which was apparently a spot of bad luck for Persephone. Abduction and all that.

We remember strong coffee and the best pastry in Italy. The language will test even your Italian, so get a bit of Greek and Arabic into your daily vocabulary.

Oh, and I hate Lufthansa. Our flights last fall were among the worst I've had. I didn't know 'food' could be so bad, even on an airplane. I'd rather swim the Atlantic than fly with them again.
Thanks for all of that Damon! Any chance we'll see you in Umbria this fall?
 
We loved our trip in 2019 so much that we are planning to return in October for another visit. This time we'll visit Western Sicily, then move on to Cefalu and further eastwards to visit Taormina again, the southeast area near Ragusa, and spend our last three night in Ortigia (another return visit) before flying to Rome for four nights. It's a lot of moving around, but we travel light and prefer that to spending longer periods in one place and traveling each day to sightsee.
 
We'll be in Sicily for 15 nights this trip. In 2019, we there for 13 nights. The longest drive on this trip will be from Cefalu to Taormina, because we're planning to stop in Randazzo, in the Etna region, for lunch on the way which will add about an hour to the trip, so about 3.5 hours total vs 2.5 hours.

We're doing mostly two-night stays, with three nights in Ortigia. So we're staying in a total of 7 different lodgings -- which would make the folks on the TripAdvisor Sicily forum apoplectic, but we know our travel style really well and this itinerary should work for us. For example, we'll be in Western Sicily our first 4 nights but are breaking it into 2 nights in Castellamare del Golfo when we first arrive, and then 2 nights in Trapani. We will be exhausted on arrival day, and Castellamare del Golfo is about a 30-minute drive. Quiet town on the water, picturesque and Hotel Marina di Petrolo looks lovely, very reasonably priced and a good choice for us. It's a short drive to the Zingaro Reserve where we hope to hike the next day. On the second morning, we will drive to Trapani via Segesta, where we'll meet our guide and also visit Erice, before checking into a hotel in Trapani that looks very nice, Residence La Gancia, where we'll "splurge" on a room with an oceanfront terrace. From Trapani we'll visit Mozia and the salt flats.

In Southeastern Siciliy, we'll be 4 nights near Ragusa, two nights at Baglio Occhipinti (another small splurge) to relax and enjoy some wine tasting and walks along the coast near Marina di Ragusa, and then 2 nights in Ragusa Ibla, in a hotel in the old part of town. They're only 30 minutes apart, but very different experiences.

Totally agree with Alpinista about the rich legacy of the different cultures which have made their mark on Sicilian history, culture and food. We were blown away by the richness of the history, the amazing ancient sites (Valley of Temples! Selinunte! Villa Romana del Casale!) and the warmth of the people.
 
We just returned from our Bologna/Modena/Mantova/Padova/Ferrara trip in early June and have already booked flights for Sicily in late April/early May 2023. (Well, actually, we've just booked the direct flight from Boston to Rome on Delta on FF miles, but you have to snag that one early.) This will be our first trip to Sicily, too. We're just sketching out the trip now, but we're thinking we'll fly from Rome to Palermo, spend a couple of days there, then pick up a car for the rest of the trip. We want to see Cefalu, then Taormina, and Siracusa, particularly Ortigia. After that, we'll probably find a base to explore Noto, Ragusa, and Modica for a few days. For the last part of the trip, we plan to stay somewhere near Trapani so we can visit Erice, Segesta, the Zingaro Nature Reserve, and perhaps Favignana. It's a pretty long trek from Modica to Trapani, so the present plan is to stay along the coast and break up the journey with a stay in Agrigento.

Would love to hear about your Sicily plans as they develop. We've been thinking about Sicily for years and are excited that we can finally make this happen.
 
@lisaonthecape , our plans have completely changed! We're still thinking about Sicily, but not until the fall of 2023. If we can combine Sicily with our usual fall trip to Umbria, that would be a win-win, but it's way too early to tell. It sounds like you have a pretty good idea of your plans - best of luck, and keep us posted!
 

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