We are taking a three week trip to Italy in November. About half of it will be spent in Tuscany, but we also have three days planned in Rome as well as going to head up to Bologna for three nights and Venice for two nights. What we are torn on is if we should spend the additional 5 days in Sicily, split between the Noto/Syracuse area and Polermo, adding some time in the north, or spending more time in Rome. Of course, it's always a question of trying to balance seeing all that you can with not feeling like you're running all the time so we are hoping to get some input and opinions from people that are more familiar with the areas. Are we cutting any of our destinations too short? Should we cut out Sicily all together, or if it's worth sticking with our original plan and flying to Sicily to spend a few days there?
Posted by
4836 posts
This involves a sort of travel calculus--will you likely return to Italy? I am the kind of person who likes to do one area well, and I don't like to fly in the middle of a vacation. It is not a travesty to fly to Sicily for a taste, but I would rather choose somewhere in the vicinity of the places you are already visiting. More time in Venice would certainly be okay as well!
Posted by
Massachusetts
847 posts
There are two problems with the Sicily idea. One, it requires quite a bit to get there and two, it 'deserves' more than 5 days. So I would skip that idea. So I would do one or both of the other options. Three days is not much for Rome, even if you aren't a fan of large cities. I'd give it at least 4 or 5. The rest you could split between the northern Italy places, or even add another one. But from Tuscany both Rome and various northern Italian towns will be much faster/easier to get to than Sicily. Save that for another trip.
Posted by
Washington DC
27705 posts
I wouldn't go to Venice for just two nights unless this is a repeat visit. You need more time so you don't experience only the tourist-thronged areas. It seems that a lot of folks who have just one full day in Venice (which is what 2 nights give you) don't like the place much.
To me Sicily needs at least 2 weeks (with a car), and more time would be helpful. I wouldn't go there for just 5 nights even on a repeat visit because of the flight/ferry hassles. To me you've nailed the most interesting of Sicily's many wonderful destinations by mentioning Siracusa/Baroque towns and Palermo, but five days (I bet you mean 5 nights, which is just 4.5 days, right?) wouldn't really allow you to do them justice.
I enjoyed Bologna a lot for its huge medieval district (good walking tour offered by the tourist office), and it's also a very good base for day-trips. Although Ravenna is worth an overnight stay, it is a viable day-trip from Bologna, as are the much closer options of Ferrara, Modena and Parma.
I'd distribute the last five days among Rome, Venice and possibly Bologna (depending on your side-trip plans for the latter).
Posted by
Chicago
2061 posts
This I know: there is a huge difference in spending three days vs. eight days in Rome. Three days is merely a look-see, and if you've never been, in 3 short days you may view The Eternal City as a bustling-but-relatively-indifferent European capital.
Eight days? Ah, it's a blank canvas. Whether you stay in a hotel, B&B or apartment (I'd recommend the latter for that amount of time), you can do what we did when we stayed a week at a 2nd floor walk-up overlooking the Campo de' Fiori piazza in February 2017. Wake up early, take a brisk walk along the Tiber, double back, stop at your favorite caffe joint for an espresso & cornetto. By then the open-air markets are open--shop for your fruits for the day. Back at the apartment, shower and then lounge with the window open to the market below, nibble on strawberries, blood oranges, grapes, a little prosciutto and cheese with some strong black coffee, and leisurely decide what to do that day. We were never bored & didn't even come close to running out of places to go.
Sound good? I think we did that 6 mornings in a row, and never tired of it. Save Sicily for another trip--Roma is calling...and in non-tourist-frenzied November you should be able to experience the chill atmosphere that we did in February. Much better interacting with locals, minimal if any lines for attractions or restaurants. Enjoy, ciao ciao!