Amalfi Coast/Sicily Itinerary Feedback

Taormina doesn't need 4 days. Better to stay in Syracuse and do day trips to Taormina and towns like Noto.

• day 3 trip to Pompei is there something else to combine with this?

Depending on your interest you could easily spend a good chunk of the day there, we spent 12 hours over 2 days in Pompeii. You could also visit the Villa of Oplontis which is one train station north off Pompeii. It's a rich guy's villa that was also destroyed by Vesuvius. The Archeological Museum in Naples helps tie together what you'll see in Pompeii.

day 7 bus or car trip/tour (to get to see from on high) (I would love
to walk around Ravello) to explore some towns (suggestions
appreciated)

We used Mondo Tours. https://www.sharedtrips.com/shared-city-tour/sorrento/10/amalfi-coast-and-pompeii-max-19-people#tour-details

1. Is basing ourselves in Sorrento the best approach or should we consider spending a night in one of the Amalfi coast towns?

If you're not visiting Pompeii or Capri from Sorrento then I'd probably stay on the Amalfi Coast to visit the towns.

1. We didn’t spend as much time as Allan but still Pompeii was all we did for that day. We commuted from Sorrento and once you add travel time it was a whole day.
2. We visited Amalfi coast from Amalfi which is better located than Sorrento. We took a bus to Amalfi and a bus to Ravello. They both were very crowded. You might also look at Salerno. The issue is getting to Palermo. I don’t know the ferry schedule there.
3. You have only one day after an overnight ferry where you are unlikely to sleep. We spent four nights (with a day trip to Cefalu) and it wasn’t long enough
4. We went to Taormina from Catania airport so not terribly familiar with what you are proposing. I do wonder if you might be better off spending night in Cefalu (as opposed to day tripping from Palermo) and going from there.
5. We spent 3 nights in Taormina and unlike many really enjoyed our time there. But we did a day trip to Mt Etna one of those days. One day is enough for the town. I would take one night and add to Palermo.
6. I would stay in Ortigia (Siracusa) rather than Catania. You can take a bus to the train that takes you to Siracusa. It was pouring when we left and took a taxi instead that we arranged ahead of time. The train station is walking distance to Ortigia although it could be a long walk depending on where your lodging is located.

Day 11 - You do not need to go from Palermo to Catania and then double back to Taormina. Seems like a waste of time. You can take a bus or train from Palermo through Messina and then on to Taormina by bus or train with no need to doubleback. Another idea is to spend night 10 directly in Cefalú and continue from there on Day 11 to Taormina by bus or train combo, as Cefalù is already on your route. I did the reverse. I took a bus from Taormina to Messina. The bus station is right next to the train station and then I took a train to Cefalù.

I would spend just two nights in Taormina. It is quite small. If you are planning a daytrip from Taormina to Etna or Etna area vineyards then keep your extra night. I like Catania and was just there in March but since this is your first Sicily trip go directly to Siracusa and stay in beautiful Ortigia. There is lots to see and do in Siracusa/Ortigia and Ortigia is very pretty all lit up at night. So take that extra night from Taormina and add it to Siracusa. From Siracusa you can take a bus directly back to the Catania airport. I remember it being maybe an hour or a little more to get there. This works if you have an afternoon flight out. If you have an early flight out then either hire a driver from Ortgia to the airport or spend that last night in Catania as you originally planned. The Catania airport is just a short distance from downtown Catania itself. There are direct airport buses from the Borsellino bus parking area very near the duomo. I took a taxi from my B&b and I think it was a flat fee from city center to airport of about 25€ but I don't remember the exact fare. Catania and Ortigia are two very different experiences. Catania is much more urban and busy and spread out with lots of hustle and bustle of folks going about their everyday lives. Ortigia is small, has limited car traffic, narrow alleyways, with scenic historical buildings, lots of tourists. Siracusa itself has a very interesting archaeological park.

Day 5: Sorrento is built on a cliff and is not a "beach town." The public (sand, at least) beach, reached by a long walk, a bus, or a few-Euros elevator, is about 50' wide and 30' deep. It is between two busy marinas, with a whiff of diesel fuel.

Sorrento is an ideal location for day trips, and is closer to Capri than is Naples. Upscale clifftop hotels have private swimming platforms in the gulf. We were happy with an 8 hour car and driver to see the Amalfi Coast, and had no desire to sleep there. This entire area is unbelievably crowded from May to September.

I would swap Sorrento for the Amalfi Coast--in Minori or Maiori if you want beach time. No need stay in Sorrento since you are staying in Naples and will visit Pompeii and an island from there.

Naples and Sorrento is an either/or choice, both well suited as a base for sights on the Bay of Naples. So, I would stick with Naples and use your Sorrento nights on the Amalfi Coast. It’s much easier to get around the Amalfi Coast when you’re on it as opposed to a day trip. The bulk of the crowds are day trippers, so you’ll avoid the worst of that. If you’re interested in Ravello, Amalfi Town makes a logical choice (or Ravello itself!) Amalfi town is the transportation hub of the AC, so it’s efficient if you’re bouncing around versus staying put for a few days.

All that time in Taormina is probably overkill, unless you just really want to beach it up for a couple days. There’s nothing wrong with that, and will probably be your best beach on the trip. I’m not able to compare, but Cefalu also boasts some charming sand beaches. It’d be a decent stand-in if you’re struggling with the overall logistics.

Catania might be under loved, but Ortigia (Siracusa) is unstoppably enjoyable and charming. I would base there 100%. Also, I know you’re fighting for time already, but if you can give yourself an extra day in Palermo I would. From Taormina would be my choice, but they’re your priorities.

Thank you all for the feedback - it's super useful!