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6 days in Sicily

Posted by on

Hi,

i'm looking for some itinerary and transportation advice. I'll be in Sicily in late August for about 6 days. One stop has to be Palermo where we'll be doing some genealogical research as well as seeing the sites. Beyond that, I'd really like to see Etna and if I can fit them in, some of the Greek ruins.

I don't want to be stuck with a car in a city, but I'm having a bit of a problem try to figure the best ways to get to the different location I'd like to see via public transportation. Is it possible to pick up a car in Palermo and drop it in another city? I can fly into and out of either Palermo or Catania and I can certainly fly into one and out of the other if that makes more sense. If I travel directly to Sicily when I arrive in Rome, it's a short flight to either destination.

A part of me wants to spend some time in Palermo, make a stop in Cefalu and then move onto Taormina to see Etna and then fly out of Catania. Or perhaps reverse that and fly into Catania and take the bus to Taormina. Of course, I'm also thinking about Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples, but I don't think I have enough time for all of it. Clearly I need some advice and suggestions from some seasoned Sicilian travelers. What would you recommend

Posted by
11613 posts

You can definitely fly into one and out of another. If you don't have time for the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento, you can get to Segesta from Palermo. Cefalu is only an hour from Palermo by train.

If you want to rent a car, you could drive to Agrigento (rent it on your way out of Palermo), then drive to Taormina, but it will be too long a drive from Palermo if you stop in Agrigento. Siracusa is another option for ruins, and is closer to Taormina.

If you fly out of Catania, you will see Etna from the airport waiting area.

Good luck with your search!

Posted by
7054 posts

It's very easy to get to your places from Catania - the airport has buses going just about everywhere (Palermo, Siracusa, Agrigento, etc). I think it's a very easy and convenient airport to fly into and out of. I took a bus from there to Siracusa and to Taormina (on separate days) and it was a breeze. It was actually easier to get to places on the bus from Catania than Siracusa (not surprising, since Catania is bigger and "the" gateway). Knowing what I do know, I probably would have taken more advantage of that fact (I could not easily get to Agrigento from Siracusa without a rental car). Siracusa has excellent ruins and Taormina's theater will be a nice complement (since you have very limited time and too many destinations to fit 6 days comfortably). Don't miss the Paolo Orsi Archeological Museum in Siracusa - it was comprehensive and excellent (I could have spent the whole day there). Good luck!

Posted by
255 posts

YEah Id rent a car and just drop it off in Catania. Look at my trip I just posted for details and pics

Posted by
2 posts

Thanks everyone for the tips and suggestions.

After poking around some more, I think I found a non-driving solution. I found a private transfer from Taormina to Palermo that stops to allow you to tour the Valley of the Temples and the Villa Romana del Casale.

So the plan now is to fly into Catania, take the bus or transfer to Taormina, spend a few days there then do the tranfer through Villa Romana and the Valley of the Temples, landing in Palermo for the remaining days.

Donna

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