Sicilty

Our trip to Sicily was only 7 nights and we missed a lot of the island. We had two nights in Palermo, two in Trapani (near Marsala), and 3 on the east coast in Acireale (between Catania and Taormina). We really enjoyed Palermo and used the time to walk the city and see Monreale-an absolute don't miss site. Trapani was our base to see Erice and Selinunte. We had to completely miss Agrigento and the ruins there. On the east coast we drove to Siracusa for a day, went up a little bit of Mt etna and had dinner in Taormina. I really wanted to see more of the Baroque area around Siracusa (nola, ragusa) but we didn't have time and we also completely missed piazza Amerina and the islands. A week was a really nice quick taste of Sicily but there was so much more to see and do. Check over at the fodor's boards-I got great ideas from some of the posters there. I'm sure you'll find enough to do for 12 days!

Some have spent a whole lifetime and not seen all Sicily has to offer. Palermo is wild (pay the extra to reduce your car hire liability should you have an accident- one look at the other vehicles and you'll see why) and make the rest of Italy look like a sanitized film set. Even with a car getting around Sicily always seems to take longer than expected. Googlemaps tends to underestimate driving times due to the condition of the roads and mountain regions inland. There aren't that many roads which could be described as highways- a handful perhaps. Do some study. Yes, buy a book and read it so that when you are in front of a 2,500 year old temple you understand what you are witnessing rather than looking at a pile of old stones. This will pay dividends. Balance your trip. Sicily has it all: history, culture, food, beaches- mix it up and you'll find 12 days won't nearly be enough.

I've been to Sicily several times, never with a car. Having a car will be an advantage over public transportation because trains in Sicily are slower than on the mainland, and bus companies are mostly privately owned and schedules don't always coordinate conveniently. Twelve days is not a lot of time, but with a car you can choose a few cities as bases and daytrip from there. I would suggest Palermo, from which you can easily get to Monreale, Erice (small medieval town on top of a mountain), Segesta (Greek temple and theatre), and Cefalu (beautiful mosaic in the cathedral and another "rock" to climb if you wish, plus beaches). You can even get to Agrigento in a long daytrip, but I think it really deserves a couple of days (extensive ruins and a good museum, plus other sites in town). If you stay in Agrigento, Selinunte is an easy trip. I love Siracusa, try to stay in Ortygia (the old island). Lots to see here, a world-class museum and archaeological site, plus the towns of Noto and Ragusa are not far away. I would choose Acireale over Catania as a base city. From there you can get to Mt. Etna, Taormina, and go inland to Piazza Armerina and the mosaics of the Villa Casale. In two weeks, you might have to limit some choices, but for me, these are the highlights of a first trip to Sicily.

I've spent a total of around 30 days or so in Sicily over the last couple of years and still have missed alot. 12 days is only scratching the surface. Would definitly recommend staying a day or two in Palermo, yes rent a car when you leave there.

as a starting point, you could check the RS 10 days in Sicily Tour itinerary that is right on this website! Gives an overview of what Rick thinks the highlights are...

W spent 10 days in Sicily a few years ago and easily could have been there longer. We particularly liked Scopello, a small town west of Palermo, great for relaxing. It is at the entrance to some good hiking trails and I remember some nice outdoor restaurants in the piazza. Also, we liked Marinella, a smaal beach town on the south coast, about 40 miles east of Marsala. There were wonderful Greek ruins nearby that we could walk to from our hotel and wander around in. pretty much alone. Villa Romana del Casale with its amazing Roman mosaics should not be missed. Enjoy Sicily!

I spent 10 days in an amazing apartment last September in Taormina a beautiful town. [email protected] The broker, Claudio, is a life-time resident and loves his beautiful town. From there we went to Mt. Etna (it has been spouting lately!) and also to a beautiful farm with a guide, (Angelo) who is a fantastic guide (almost forgot he took us to a beautiful vineyard/luncheon/winetasting, honey farm,)to all of the surrounding areas, including the town where the 1st Godfather was filmed. I cannot recommend this more highly, and there are greek ruins (teatrico grecco), gardens, fantastic restaurants....and a great home base for this side of the island. Taormina is safe after dark, and a little more sophisticated.........recommended by a cousin who resides in Italy. Truly the very best vacation
I have ever had and I've had many!