Itinerary advice for Sicily

It does feel rushed to me, but you'll have a car. That will make a lot of difference.

On Dec. 22 and 23, perhaps hit Monreale and Segesta on the first day and Trapani/Erice on the second, still spending both nights in Erice. Somehow that seems smoother to me, but I'm just musing; I've never been to Segesta. You'd want to be sure you'd have enough time in Segesta.

On Dec. 26 I think you mean the Villa Romana del Casale that's outside Piazza Armerina, right? The official website has a downloadable guide in English. Staying in Caltagirone would work, I think. I visited it briefly last summer and found it an attractive town. Someone else on the forum spent a night or two in Piazza Armerina itself and has commented positively about that. There's a lightly-visited Iron Age/Greek/Roman site in that area, Morgantina, that you might want to check out since you'll have your own wheels.

Since Ragusa has a lot more to see than Noto (and Modica), I'd suggest making it your base for the three towns unless there's a specific reason for staying in Noto.

Ortygia/Siracusa are worth a bit of extra time (good archaeological museum as well as the large historic district), and Taormina is lovely if not overrun, which I'm guessing it would not be in late December (check cruise-ship schedules, though). No idea about New Year's celebrations, though. You're probably right that Rome would be a lot livelier.

I think it looks pretty good, don't know where Piazza Romana is - do you mean Villa Romana del Casale? It's only a few kilometers from Piazza Armerina, and Morgantina is a few kilometers in the opposite direction, so I would spend one or two nights there. There is an interesting museum in said one, a couple of kilometers from Morgantina, which has recovered the illegally procured (by the Getty Museum) Goddess of Morgantina.

If you want to move around a little less, visit Noto, Ragusa and Modica from your base in Ortigia/Siracusa. One long day trip by car could fit in all three.

If you want to move around a little less, visit Noto, Ragusa and Modica from your base in Ortigia/Siracusa. One long day trip by car could fit in all three.

IMHO, that would be way too much in one day even with a car. It would make a great "whirlwind" trip, but I honestly wouldn't recommend seeing all three in one day (if for no other reason that they'll start to blend into each other and you won't have time even to reflect on their differences). Ragusa and Modica can take a whole day each if you really want to visit the UNESCO churches and stroll around in a leisurely fashion and stop at cafes, take your time with meals, and just let yourself get lost in the winding streets. Caveat: I walked both the upper and lower towns in Ragusa and took the train there from Siracusa, so it really did take all day. Noto is much more compact with a mile long straight pedestrian street and smaller side streets and could be seen in a half day (easy 1 hour bus ride from Siracusa). I guess it depends what your travel style is, but I'd rather not jam too many towns into one day.

PS. It would make more sense to stay overnight in Ragusa rather than Noto just because Noto is too close to your next base, Siracusa. Ragusa is only a half hour or so from Modica, so you can stop by and see Modica on the way to Siracusa.

Agnes' idea is better than mine, for the reasons that she gives. You could visit Noto from Siracusa in a half-day.

PSS. Yes, spend the extra day or two in Siracusa. There are lots of cultural attractions in Siracusa and it's a wonderful base.

I'm just not sure how accessible Mt. Etna will be in mid-December given all sorts of issues (visibility, temps, etc). I would try to find some info about whether it's worth considering it at that time of year.

Probably much more likelihood of a more pronounced New Years Eve atmosphere in Rome than Taormina simply due to the size and population of Rome (Taormina is really tiny in comparison). Google both and see what events are planned to confirm this.

Kaye, your itinerary in Sicily looks basically great, but does seem quite rushed to me, a lot of driving from place to place, and not much time at the places themselves. Another reason to base yourselves someplace for 2 or 3 nights, and visit a few towns and sites from there, is this: I was warned to not leave my baggage in my car, even locked in the trunk, at an open parking lot or on the street, as there are some people who wait and watch, and then prey on tourists' parked cars, stealing baggage or specific items. So, better to go from one lodging direct to the next, then unload, and go touring. I also planned to stop at Segesta on the way from Palermo to Erice, but was advised to spend the afternoon and evening in Erice (which I loved by the way). Then the next day I did a circular drive from Erice to Segesta to Selinunte and up the coast by way of Marsala and Trapani, back home to Erice for dinner. However, I had a sense that Marsala and Trapani were small places, and then found they were mid-sized cities with very congested traffic, no available parking, ZTLs, the whole bit. I was driving around without any detailed city maps for those places, and ended up not even stopping my car in either place, and felt lucky to just find my way out of town and back onto the highway. So, my advice is to be sure you are well supplied with maps or really good GPS before you head out by car.

If you cannot tour Mount Etna, you will probably be able to see it (depends on weather) from the airport waiting/boarding area.

Thank you all so much. I did mean Piazza Armerina...oops. Guess I combined those names in my head.

I think I will do this:
One night Palermo
Two nights Erice
Two nights Agrigento (since Valley of the Temples is open on Christmas day)
One night Caltagirone or nearer to Piazza Armerina
Two nights Ragusa
Two nights Sircusa
Fly to Rome on 12/31 and take my chances with New Years crowds!

Again, thanks to all of you!! Kaye

You may have already seen this site..... but I used it a lot for my planning for Sicily and for info while I was there:

Best of Sicily