We are flying into Rome two days after Christmas. We have 11 full sightseeing days. Would you:
1- go south to Naples/Sorrento/Pompeii, etc. which we backpacked around 20 years ago and loved.
Or
2- Fly from Rome to Sicily, which we’ve never been to?
Not sure which area is more beautiful that time of year? I don’t think we can do both in 11 days.
Posted by
5848 posts
I don't like to fly within a vacation, and you would have to be so very selective to choose what you could see on Sicily, so I would do Rome and Naples, both great winter/holiday destinations.
Posted by
Portland
3665 posts
Back in 1994, I was an exchange teacher in London. By the December break, I was sorely in need of sunshine and warmer temps. We flew to Sicily, and found it to be fabulous., with great food and sights. As I recall, we also had 11 days, which did not give us time for the entire island. We spent time in Palermo with day trips to Monreale, Segesta, Erice, and Cefalu. After that we drove to Agrigento, and Siracusa. We ended our trip in Taormina, flying back to London from Catania. The weather was mostly sunny, with high temperatures in the 50’s.
One highlight for me was the cathedral at Monreale. Despite being a non-believer, I was blown away by the beauty of the mosaics inside and those of the cloister outside. Also, the precepe in many of the local churches are fun to see.
I would recommend being in Palermo for New Year’s Eve. Early in the evening, people, many in folk costumes, began arriving at a central piazza, along with various entertainers, jugglers, musicians, dancers, etc. At the crack of midnight, the church bells began ringing. People broke out bottles of bubbly and began to drink and sing. Such fun!