My husband and I are making our way through southern Italy as I type. Our original plan was to rent a car and drive out to the Calabria/Basilicata border and stay in an agriturismo. But we have decided it would be too stressful to drive as we have had bad experiences driving outside the U.S. in the past.
I know that we are deep in the off-season and this is also very "last minute" but I am hoping someone can tell me of a tour operator who could pick us up from somewhere and take us out to do a little rural exploring (e.g. hiking). We are specifically thinking of heading to Palermo in 4 - 5 days but would be interested in any suggestions for Sicily, Calabria or Basilicata. (Judging from what I've read, Palermo might be great for a few days but then we'll be dying for a respite. We also recently met a fellow English-speaking traveler who said driving in Sicily was very difficult.)
Many thanks for any recommendations.