Sicily

Hi Katie,

I just recently returned from Sicily but was on the other side of the island in Trapani/ Marsala. Flew Ryan Air from Bologna to Trapani. Cheap flights but they do tack on fees and get you on baggage. Still cheaper than other airlines and they are very strict with their rules.
Just a heads up on things. Expect it to be trashy and run down,laundry service is very expensive (we did alot of bathtub washing during our two weeks there)and driving in the cities can be pretty friggin crazy. We drove in Palermo which has been the craziest I've experienced so far but people have told me Catania and Messina are far worse. Once you are out of the cities though it's not too bad. The autostrada was a fairly nice ride (and free).People were fairly friendly,prices cheaper than other parts of Italy(for the most part)and great food. We very much enjoyed Sicily and look forward to the next trip to see the other half of it.

For flights between Rome & Catania you might check out the regional airlines Meridiana (www.meridiana.it) or Blu-express (www.blu-express.com).

Yes 5 days is enough. There's not much to see in Catania, but Taormina is beautiful & Agrigento (the "Valley of the Temples") is one of the must-see destinations in Sicily. Agrigento is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The distance between the two is about 125 miles. We did it by rental car; the roads weren't bad at all.

I was in Sicily with the RS tour last Sept. I flew Rome to Catania and then Palermo back to Rome. Taormina was my favorite place-the polar opposite of Palermo. Traffic in Catania was terrible-very like Palermo. I was glad we only went there to see a WWII museum. For a nice overview of what to see go to the Tour tab and check out where the RS tour stops.

Thanks to all for the very helpful advice!!!!