We are barging in Italy for 10 days then doing cinque terra for 4 days. We want to then take a car and go from Lucca
through Tuscany and include Sorrento on our way to Sicily. We will be travelling by car. Suggestions for the best route and best ferry to take the car or do you advise leaving the car and hiring another one in Sicily.?
We go in September for this trip All suggestions welcome.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11240 posts
Probably a lot easier and cheaper to rent a car once in Sicily than to ferry one there, (Assuming the rental car company would even permit it)
Posted by
Woodbury, NJ, USA
26 posts
Check with the rental company first. We did the drive from Sorrento to Sicily several years ago, with a rental car, without restrictions from the rental company. Rules may have changed.
The best and just about only route that makes sense is the Autostrada from Sorrento to Sicily. You pick up the ferry in Villa San Giovanni, a few miles above Reggio. I would add the caveat that the drive from Sorrento to Sicily is at least 7 hours! Even the drive from Tuscany to Sorrento is at least 5 hours. I'm hoping you have the time to devote to this amount of driving.
If the rental company does not allow their cars to do ferry crossings, your better option is to leave the car in mainland Italy, fly and pick up another car in Sicily.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15260 posts
How much time do you have to do all of this?
Tuscany needs a minimum of a week to see. Add more if you want to see Umbria too.
The gulf of Naples area needs at least 4 or 5 days.
Sicily cannot possibly be visited in less than 7 or 8 days, and not even all of it.
Assuming you stay on freeways only, without stopping except for gasoline, You need 6 hours to drive from Tuscany to Sorrento. You also need the same amount of time to get from Sorrento to Villa S.G., and you still need to ferry across.
So, assuming you have several weeks to do all of the above, I would probably try to fly from Naples to Sicily.
Posted by
seattle
2048 posts
Be aware that flights to Sicily (Palermo or Catania) from Naples or Rome cost $100 or less. We flew into Palermo from Naples and the rented a car to drive around Sicily. If you book a flight well in advance, they go for as low as $60.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32913 posts
italy to Sicily
but Sicily is in Italy
Posted by
Woodbury, NJ, USA
26 posts
Nigel:
Not sure what you are trying to say - we may be splitting hairs here about the Italy/Sicily location. But, you still have a sea between mainland Italy and Sicily which must be negotiated and Sicily is not "in" Italy, it is part of Italy. Some still do consider Sicily a separate "country".