Need quick answer. How much time Sicily

My vote is to spend the entire time in Sicily - it's big and diverse enough that it will be time well spent without needing to add any more locations.

I agree with Agnes. May 29 to June 6 is not nearly enough time in Sicily. It needs all the time you have; even more would be better.

Agree with the other two, spend all 12 nights in Sicily, that's a good amount of time to see many of the main sights. I wouldn't shortchange Sicily for time in Tuscany if you've already been there.

If you have not been to Roma before, you could spend a couple of nights there at the end of your trip; most flights from Sicilia to the US change at FCO anyway.

You will not see most of Sicilia in the time you have, even if you spend all your time there. Decide what you most want to see; a car would save you some travel time (fly into Palermo and out of Catania). Most sights are on or near the coast. Keep in mind that Sicilia is the largest island in the Mediterranean.

You have 12 nights on the ground.
Generally, I'd say that is barely enough for Sicily only, but, I agree with Zoe, if you have never seen Rome before, you should spend at least the last two nights in Rome. It will make it easier to fly home, too. You have to come back to Rome to catch a flight to North America. That way you can have a flight to NYC without layovers.

It pains me to say it, but I guess Zoe and Roberto are right about spending the last couple of nights in Rome if you've never been there. But Sicily is sort of awkward to reach for a return visit, compared to Rome...

I love Rome, but the OP did not express an interest in Rome (yet), only Tuscany (I think Rome was mentioned only because it's a gateway to Tuscany). So the choice sounds to me like 1) Sicily only or 2) combination of Sicily and Tuscany. Not all airlines use FCO as a gateway to Sicily. For example, Turkish Air and Air Berlin don't fly through Rome/FCO on the way to Catania, so stopping in Rome is not inevitable depending which airline is ultimately selected. I'll stick to my original advice to not try to do both this time around, absent of any new info from the OP regarding prior experience or interest in Rome.

12 days in Sicily is truly a short time there. Of course, it depends on what you are - or are not - interested in. Are you ready to rent a car (the most efficient way to see much of this big island -- the largest in the Med.

The OP did mention flying into Roma as an option.

Tom, I echo other comments recommending that you maximize your time in Sicily. By the way, in 2014 I flew JFK through Munich to Palermo. This was on a United ticket, but the flights were actually Lufthansa overnight to Munich, then Dolomiti (a Lufthansa regional affiliate) two hours to Palermo. Very smooth.

Thanks for the replies. We have been to Rome and Tuscany twice. Love them both, two of my favorite places but took the advice you all offered and booked the trip just to Sicily. We don't like to jump around too much, we like to get the feel for an area so staying the whole time in Sicily will allow us to do that. Hopefully, our budget will allow a future trip back to Rome and Tuscany. Love those areas. By the way, we booked this week because fares were super cheap for late May to early June for NY. Round trip Rome $663! Round trip to Sicily from NY $700. I know there is one airline that is a little less expensive (won't mention there name here) but reviews are horrible for them so we go with a major. Thanks again, the people on this site always so helpful.

Congratulations Tom! I think you'll be really glad with this decision. Even so, you'll have to decide what to fit into your trip and what to exclude because it's easy to spend all the time you have and still not see quite a bit (if you want to see all the corners of Sicily you'll have to move around a lot no matter what, say every 2-3 days. See the RS tour itinerary to get a perspective of what a tour can cover in that timeframe - it's quite an aggressive schedule). By the way, I found the Lonely Planet guide to be very helpful for planning my time there since Rick Steves doesn't really cover Sicily. I also borrowed a National Geographic Sicily book from the library and used another great Sicilian culinary/food book to learn the names of the distinctly Sicilian dishes. This link is also a great resource (providing you just ignore all the promotional stuff on it): http://www.bestofsicily.com

Can I ask what airline you got the great fare on? And are you flying into and out of the same city or into Catania and out of Palermo (and vice versa)?

You're going to have a great trip, Tom. And congratulations on snagging such a wonderful airfare. It certainly starts the trip out on a very positive note.

I think you'll be very happy with your decision to spend the whole time in Sicily. I was there for 10 nights in April-May 2014, and even rushing around just got a taste of the island (still had a wonderful trip). If you're looking for ideas, here's my VERY detailed trip report: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/sicily-palermo-caltanisetta-siracusa-taormina

Thanks all I will look at the trip reports and reference material.