We are both in our young 70's and flying to Milan end of September 2024 for 24 days in Italy. We loved Lake Como last year so much we are going back for more time. Need advice on the direction of this trip which will include 4 nights in Bellagio, time in Sicily and the Amalfi Coast before likely flying back from Rome(spent 1 week Rome last year) or Naples if airfares right.
1. Thoughts on after finishing 4 nights in Como flying from Milan to Palermo(or other Sicilian city) for 7 nights exploring Sicily and then up the coast to Amalfi for another 10 nights in Capri, Positano and Sorrento with another 2 nights in Naples before coming home. My thought process here is starting up north in Como and then going to southern most point Sicily and back up North thru the Amalfi coast so I am not back tracking.
Question 1- Which airport in Sicily to fly into from Milan?? Question 2- After finishing tour of Sicily taking train back to Amalfi coast or Naples to explore Amalfi Coast(long train ride) or flying from Sicily to Naples to start Amalfi Coast time? 3. We want to slow down on this trip so thoughts on 4 nights Capri mid October, 3 nights positano and 3 nights Sorrento? 4. Question 4- We both grew up in a big city. Is Naples worth 2 nights to explore? Question 5- Is it worth it in Sicily to rent a car to explore or hire a driver in each region of Sicily to have as a driver -guide? In Sicily best way of transport to get between areas- train, rental car, or car hire? Thank you in advance for your advice, Lawrence and Elaine
Posted by
State of Washington, USA
257 posts
Regarding train from Sicily to Naples, we chose the day train for our 2019 trip and enjoyed it. More information is in our trip report (part 2, final paragraph): https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/italy-2019-sicily-sorrento-amalfi-pompeii-rome-orvieto-tuscany-siena-florence-cinque-terre-milan
Posted by
Irving
3039 posts
There are nonstop flights from Milan LIN, BGY and MXP airports to Catania with LIN being the closest to Milan’s city center and BGY the furthest.
There are no ferries from Catania to the mainland but there are overnight ferries from Palermo to Naples and Salerno. The advantage of taking the ferry is you can rent a cabin and get a good night sleep while in transit. When you wake up, you’ll be back on the mainland.
Posted by
Washington DC
27393 posts
Seven nights will not be long enough to explore Sicily fully; it's a very large island without express trains. Since it's awkward to get to, I'd suggest giving it a lot more time (at least 2 weeks). Aren't you more likely to return to Rome/Naples in the future?
A car can be helpful in some areas of Sicily, but don't attempt to drive in Palermo.
I haven't been to Positano, but it seems that most people mentioning it here found it extremely hilly and worth just a few hours. Three days there on top of three days in Sorrento sounds like a lot of time to me since you won't be day-tripping to Capri. However, I'm more of a see-the-sights person who doesn't really plan to relax in a beauty spot when I'm traveling.
Posted by
Portland, OR
1106 posts
I’ve been to all areas on your itinerary and I personally would elect to train from Milan to Naples and then taxi to the Amalfi coast for 5 nights so that you can allocate more time to Sicily. Amalfi is a great place to base yourself. Then I would fly from Naples to Palermo. I agree with the other poster that you don’t want to drive in Palermo, but will need a car or tour for the rest of the island. Public transportation isn’t as prolific in Sicily as in the mainland. I’ve taken several rick Steve’s tours (including the Sicily tour https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/italy/sicily) and I always use his itineraries as a frame of reference for cadence and locations to visit. Then fly home from Catania.