Help With Sicily, Please

Have been to Sicily twice, always using public transportation but never by train over the straits. I have heard that trains often run late by the time they get that far south. However, you're spending four nights in Taormina, so it probably wouldn't be a huge deal if you were late getting there. We loved Cefalu but also Syracuse and Palermo. I think there's more to see in the latter places so I'd probably give 2 nights to Cefalu and 3 to one of the others - not a big deal, really. In that part of Sicily we found the public transportation very reliable. We only had a problem trying to find one bus out of Cefalu, and I'm sure it was us, not the bus. I think you'll have a wonderful trip.

Gio, I agree with the previous poster...give yourself another night or two in Siracusa. I have had 2 nights and 5 nights there. A longer stay will allow a local bus trip to Noto, or Ragussa or to Palazzolo Acreide. The island of Ortigia is a gem in itself. Eitherway, you will love Sicilia.

Begin in Siracusa (3-4 nights), then Taormina (3 nights). From Taormina, take Interbus to Messina and the train to Cefalu (2-3 nights) and Palermo (2 nights). Public transport, especially buses, are very good in Sicily.

The biggest SECRET which foreign tourists don't know about Sicily is that you can reach 90% of the Island's important tourist destinations by excellent public transportation (especially buses).

The greatest impediment is that many tourists don't take the time to FIND the bus schedules on the web: the vast majority of schedules can be located online, but you must know or locate the specific website.

There are, of course, also train services in Sicily, but these are actually much less significant than the buses (except between Messina/Palermo and Messina/Siracusa). The long-distance trains ARRIVING on the Island from mainland Italy often run very late, so it's advisable to NOT plan to take these (e.g. an EXP or ICN train arriving in Messina and bound for either Palermo or Siracusa).

Local train service between Siracusa and Ragusa; between Trapani and Castelvetrano; and between Palermo and Agrigento is OK. Most other connections are better serviced by bus lines.

I would take a day off Taormina and add it to Siracusa. But, I guess I'm in the minority who things Sicily is MUCH easier with a rental car. Parking and road signage is 1000% better than mainland Italy. It also opens up so many possibilities of places to stay and spontaneous detours. The only exception is Palermo, but that's usually the point of entry or departure so you can ditch the car or pick it up as your leaving.

Gio -

No major problems with that itinerary, though renting a car to see parts of it would be my choice.

And for an additional locale that you really should consider, let me just say one word - Erica. It is in the far western part of Sicily and you will thank me later.

John - I'm guessing it's Erice you're referring to and yes, it's wonderful, but I think Gio is going to need a second trip to Sicily to do the west and south!

Parts of Sicily would be easier with a car, but not Palermo, and even with a car, there’s just so much you can see. You could see Cefalu from a day trip from Palermo, and add the Cefalu nights to Erice.

Here's a site for Sicily buses. You can search bus companies by province, routes containing a specific place and routes joining two different places:
http://www.sicilia.indettaglio.it/eng/autolinee/autolinee.html.

Thank you SO MUCH for all of the help. I love this site! One final question: what do you think about another night, then, in Siracusa (3 nights, then) and reducing Palermo to one day and one night, the night before we fly home?

Siracusa deserves the third night, especially if you’d like to see Noto, and especially if you start there and basically just arrive to sleep on your first night.

One night will not be very productive in Palermo, and you won’t be able to see Monreale. You could shorten your time in Cefalu for the extra night in Siracusa. There’s less to see in Cefalu.