Wish Rick covered Sicily! We just spent 4 days in the Taormina area seeing Agrigento, Mt Etna etc with Odyssey tours. Fabulous. We want to return to the Palermo area this mid to late October on our own. Any suggestions for places near Palermo (Monreale,Erice, Cefalu etc??) Does public transportation work as we don't want to rent a car. Suggestions for hotels,safety in Palermo tours etc? I'd appreciate any thoughts. Thanks Judy
Posted by
Toledo
653 posts
Judy, I went to Palermo on my own for the first time last summer - loved it! The Norman Castle and Palatine Chapel are just two of the great sights in Palermo. Monreale is about an hour away by bus. Cefalu (on of my favorite places) is on the train route, and has a beach in addition to the fabulous mosaics. Segesta, also easy to get to from Palermo by bus or train, has a Greek temple ruin and a theatre. The hilltop town of Erice is beautiful, and probably better in October than in July. Trains and buses will get you to all of these places. As for hotels, check the reviews at booking.com and the map locations. I've made reservations for myself and two cautious friends at a hotel near the public gardens (between the train station and the waterfront). Hope this helps.
Posted by
Edmonton, Alberta
797 posts
Judy, I did the Rick Steves Sicily tour last fall and really enjoyed it. Cefalu was my favorite place. Not sure if the tour is continuing this year; have a look on the site.