First time to Sicilia

Fred, I'll try to answer at least some of your questions..... (1a) Especially in July, I'd prefer to pre-book accommodations as that's peak tourist season in much of Europe. (1b) You could check Trip Advisor or Lonely Planet (or other) Guidebooks for Sicily. You should be able to find these in larger bookstores in your area. Note that Lonely Planet also sells smaller "snapshot" versions via PDF files, so those may suffice also. (1c) As I understand the ratings, the "star" system is unique to each country and a two-star property in one country may not be of the same level as two-star in another country. Trip Advisor ratings are your best bet to find reliable lodgings. (2) I'd use perhaps four "home base" locations and then take day trips. I don't like packing up and changing location that often. Not sure about the other questions. Given your location, I would highly recommend taking the short drive up to Edmonds and speaking with Rick's travel experts. You may find it worthwhile to pay the small fee and have a personal travel consultation. That would absolutely be the best way to sort out the details. They'll also be able to provide information on reliable Hotels, good restaurants and travel tips. If you're free on January 14th, you could also attend the presentation on Sicily at the "Test Drive A Tour Guide" sessions (10:15 in the Edmonds Theatre). While they're primarily intended to promote tours, it would be a good opportunity to have a look at Sicily and perhaps speak with Rick's Guides (who live in Italy). You'll need to register, but the sessions are all FREE. Click on the link on the home page for details. Happy travels!

We did the entire circumference of Sicily by car a few years ago and found all of our accomodations in Karen Brown's guide books. All were excellent and each had really unique charm. If you use her recommendations, you should definitely book in advance as they're highly likely to sell out. Yes, you won't miss anything if you skip Catania. But I would definitely add Siracusa, Segesta, Erice, and the Villa Romana del Casale near Piazza Armerina to your list of places to see. You'll have plenty of time with 10-14 days. http://www.karenbrown.com/ (Be aware there are many more listings in her printed guidebooks than on her website, although the website gives you a good sampling.)

Ten to fourteen days may not give you enough time to see all the great sites in Sicilia. In your case yes, I probably would skip Catania. We enjoyed Ragusa, but its sites are not as compelling as the others you've mentioned, in my opinion. I would definitely try to hit Piazza Armerina and Siracusa (Ortygia). Your bases will be determined by the distances you're willing to driving each day, of course. From Cefalu, head up into the Madonie Mountains - wonderful villages up there.

Fred, I hope you love Sicilia! It's a big island, so having several bases is a good idea. From Catania you can go to Taormina and take a side trip to Giardini/Naxos. Cefalu has the beautiful cathedral and some good beaches, and if you decide to base there, you can get to the ruins at Tindari easily by car. Using Palermo as a base, you can get to Segesta, Monreale, and Erice (on a mountaintop above Trapani). I would suggest a couple of days in Agrigento, the ruins are quite extensive and the museum is good. Siracusa (try Hotel Posta in Ortygia) has a great museum and great ruins, I made several daytrips while staying there (Noto, among other places). Piazza Armerina or Enna would be good bases for Villa Casale (Roman mosaics, more being uncovered and restored every day) and Morgantina. I like the Lonely Planet guides, but I've also used Booking.com and found that when a problem arose (only twice in three months), the hotels seemed more eager to help (I was walked to upgraded properties).