Lodging in Sicily

Not sure what all you plan on seeing so the places you have should work well. If you want to visit Agregento you may want to stay there. If going to Trapani or Erice, you may want to stay there too. With a car, you may not want to stay in Palermo proper, rather, stay someplace like Monreale and take the bus in. It would also be a little closer to Segesta from there. On my upcoming trip, we have hotels in the Catania area, Agrigento, Marsala, Erice, Monreale, Cefalu, and Taormina. Surprisingly, hotels in some of the locations were fully booked (via both the hotel’s and 3rd party websites) 5 months in advance so we didn’t get our 1st choice in Cefalu or Agrigento. We too will have a rental car.

I think your three bases are about as good as you can do for the limited time you have available, assuming you want to spend multiple days in Taormina (way too touristy in June for me to do that--may be a lot better in November) and don't much care for the classical Greek sites. I wouldn't want to add a fourth base. You just can't see all the corners of Sicily in eleven days.

You should not plan to drive in Palermo (eek), and I'm not sure how much use you'll get out of the car while you're in Taormina. Perhaps it will allow some sightseeing in the interior on the day you shift from Palermo to the east coast. I'd plan to pick up the car as I left Palermo. There are public buses to Monreale, and if you want to squeeze in a visit to Cefalu, that's easy by train. The car will allow you to enjoy the Baroque towns in the southeast without having to depend on public transportation from Siracusa. There is bus and limited train service in that area, but it requires extra time.

In 2014 we stayed at a nice b&b in Taormina and took day trips around the eastern part of the island. The view of Taormina from our balcony was beautiful during the day and absolutely stunning at night. The b&b's name was Villa Sara.

Buon viaggio,

Here is my very detailed trip report from my visit of April-May 2014. Near the top (so you don't have to read everything if you don't want to!) are my accommodation reviews. I would stay in all of them again.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/sicily-palermo-caltanisetta-siracusa-taormina

We rented our car on leaving Palermo, and it stayed parked while we were at Taormina. So, you may only want a car for the Siracusa portion.

I think at least Palermo and Siracusa are ideal. I flew into Catania, got a car and went to Siracusa. From there you can day trip to Etna and some great towns, plus the island of Ortygia is a wonderful place to stay. Then we drove to the west for beaches, Erice and the temple at Segesta. Stayed in Scopello, but may not be a November destination. Anyway, we then returned the car at Palermo airport and spent 4-5 days in Palermo. Bus to Monreale one day, the rest of the time in the city itself.

So... Siracusa, Palermo and maybe one more place would be my suggestion for 11 days. Agrigento area is a possibility. Taormina isn’t a bad choice either.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Now I have to winnow through it all and come up with an itinerary. Would Monreale and Taormina be good bases to see the areas surrounding them? My husband does not like staying in big cities (he will visit them) and after 2 nights in Rome before Sicily, his tolerance will be tested.
Happy travels,
Julie

About your most recent plan, I think Monreale would be one great base, for visiting Palermo and other nearby areas and sites. Taormina is fun but quite touristy, and probably not as well located for visiting other places than Siracusa/Ortygia is. Just my own experience, but my very favorite spot in Sicily was the small, ancient stone hill town of Erice, on the upper west coast, where I spent 2 nights. Wonderful town, especially early morning and evening, great cuisine, and I did a daytrip from Erice to the ruins at Segesta and Selinunte, and then up the west coast.

Taormina's OK for visiting Taormima, Catania and Mt. Etna. It might work for the Villa Romana del Casale outside Piazza Armerina in the interior. It's really too far away from Siracusa and the Baroque villages. I don't know what parking is like in Taormina. A lot of the tourist zone seemed pedestrianized.

Monreale would be fine for visiting the areas nearby. I don’t find the town all that charming, but it’s convenient and not unpleasant. I prefer staying in Palermo but it is urban and intense so if that’s not your thing then Monreale might work fine. Easy cab or bus ride into the city.

Seriously look into Ortygia section of Siracusa. It feels like a small, charming coastal town not a big city. The mainland part of Siracusa is bigger and more city-like (but not close to the level of Palermo) but the island is different. It’s connected to the mainland by a very short bridge, so easy access. You might not know it’s an island just by driving to it. But it has its own feel.

If your husband doesn't like big cities, you may want to skip Palermo entirely. With only 11 days, you won't run out of other places to see. I really enjoyed Palermo, but I'm a big city person.

You may do well at an agriturismo. The one I stayed at (Agriturismo Silvia Sillitti) is right in the center of the island, and can be used as a base for lots of places. Details are in my report, so I won't repeat them, except to say that it was a great place, and I think your husband will enjoy some time here. Silvia's husband is a doctor and he commutes to Palermo from the agriturismo several times a week. While I wouldn't want to use it as a base for Palermo sightseeing, you certainly do a daytrip to Monreale from there.

I haven't been to Cefalu, but it gets only glowing reports. That may a better base than Palermo for you.

I agree that Ortigia feels like a very small city rather than a big one, and is a great place to stay.

We were in Sicily with a car this past March. We stayed in Cefalu for several nights at the Tourist Hotel. There was free parking next to the hotel which is right across the road from the ocean. It is a worn hotel, but we has a balcony that opened onto the beach side with wonderful breezes and views. An ok breakfast is included. We enjoyed wandering around Cefalu’s old town. Cefalu is about a 60 minute train ride from Palermo, so you could easily day trip into Palermo. We also visited Taormina, but found it too touristy for us, but sounds like you got some good suggestions where to stay above. Near Noto, we stayed in a wonderful b&b complex with cabins (Terra dei Limoni) close to the beach. We then did day trips into Noto and Ragusa. We also stopped into Syracuse which is lovely.

Would looking for lodging outside of Siracusa make sense, since we'll have a car? We could park in Siracusa to see Ortegia, and could take day trips to Noto and Modica. Does anyone have suggestions for a vacation rental. We like mixing up hotels, bnb's, and vacation rentals (mainly to have access to a wash machine)

I have never driven in Europe so am not the one to comment on staying outside Siracusa and day-tripping in (though I suspect it is workable). I want to be sure you're aware that Siracusa has not only the medieval district of Ortygia but also a very good archaeological museum and an archaeological park that I found very interesting (and I am not big on archaeological sites at all). Those three highlights are not co-located, though the museum and arch. park are only about 1/2 mile apart. (It will seem longer if you're traveling during hot weather, though. ) If you will not have time to get to places like Agrigento, Segesta and Selinunte, I really recommend the park in Siracusa. They're still using the theatre for performances.

My point is that there's enough to do in Siracusa that you might end up traveling into the city on at least two occasions.

Great experience in Ortigia (Syracuse) at Talia Ortigia Apartment.