Sicily itinerary comments plus tips!

Posted by Rob (Vancouver, BC, Canada) on 08/02/23 05:37 AM

Hi folks - thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Our current plan is below. Is this feasible, or any other recommendations/tips either for the itinerary or things to do/how to best get around? We have a week in Sicily in mid-September, don't want to rent a car, and have to fly into Catania then off to Panzano for a week with friends. We like food, wine, architecture, history, art and music. We're 50s/60's, fit, active, fun, like the offbeat and unique, and are engaged with the world around us. We want to experience the local culture - not big on group tours or chain hotels. We want to see as much as we can, but find a 3 night/2 day minimum stay per location is our preference to get a feel for a place.

Here's what we're thinking now :

Catania - 5 nights/4 days, including day trips to Mount Etna, Taormina and the Villa Roma del Casale plus 1 day touring Catania

Ortigia - 2 nights/1.5 days, all touring Ortigia/Siracusa

Thanks again for any comments - R.

Posted by Roberto da Firenze ⚜

San Francisco Bay Area (USA)

08/02/23 05:52 AM

15874 posts

I don’t care much about Catania. I’d stay in Taormina, or, even better (Taormina is very touristy), in Giardini Naxos, the beach town down the hill below Taormina, so I could enjoy some beach time (September is great beach time).

The Villa del Casale and Piazza Armerina is kind of a challenge to reach without a car, but maybe there are buses from Catania airport.

I would add one extra night to Siracusa (Ortigia). Siracusa is the prettiest city in Sicily (IMO). The Archeological Park alone will take the best part of a day. You can borrow one night from Catania (or Giardini, if you follow my advice).

Posted by Suki

08/02/23 11:05 AM

11504 posts

Focus on Ortigia/ Siracusa not Taormina. Skip Catania.For Sicily, it is much easier to rent a car to get around. I can’t imagine trying to see the important places without a car.

Posted by k2wilde

08/02/23 11:49 AM

80 posts

As others have said, Catania is good for one night. Try it the day of arrival or the night before you leave. Ortigia is a lovely place to stay and a good base for exploring the southeast towns==Ragusa, Modica, Villa Roma del Casale and even Etna. If you don't rent a car you will rely on buses or private shuttles. No train service and check bus schedules for they can be inconsistent to some areas.

Posted by Wanderlust58

Ashburn VA

08/02/23 12:28 PM

801 posts

I disagree about Catania. We really liked it for its gritty atmosphere, the fish market and architecture. The main piazza in front of the cathedral was very nice in the evening. We also had the best food of our time in Sicily there. Unfortunately, the WW II museum was closed the entire time we were there (power outage), but it is pretty widely recognized as one of the best, and few, in Italy. I think the day trip from there to Etna and Taormina is ok; Taormina is overrun with tourists and souvenir shops. A word of warning on the trip to Etna -- we had an unfortunate experience with the trains running so late, we actually missed any time at all there. Maybe a canned tour would be better., even if you don't like crowds. Depending on your goals there, a small guided group tour would be the most economical time-wise. We didn't see Villa Romana del Casale from Catania, having done it with a driver enroute, but without a car, maybe a day trip with a driver might be an option for you. That way, you could leave very early. The crowds there are pretty thick, 4 or 5 people deep on the catwalks overlooking the mosaics when we were there in September. It was every man for himself to elbow through the crowds. That was at midday. I'd go again, but make a big effort to get there before the tour busses do. Only a day and a half in Siracusa is a shame; there's so much to see there.

Posted by jaimeelsabio

Mid-Atlantic area

08/02/23 01:14 PM

7049 posts

One day is all it takes to tour Catania, so you got that right. It is a gritty city and gets grittier when Etna erupts. I remember being there a couple times in the late 70s when everything was covered in ash. I might reduce Catania by a day and add it to Ortigia. From it you can day trip to Villa Roma Casale and Noto. In 2018 we had a rental car so can’t speak about public transportation between Catania and Ortigia.

Posted by acraven

Washington DC

08/02/23 08:11 PM

27648 posts

As of late June 2015 there was bus service from Catania to Piazza Armerina. There was also a bit of bus service between P.A. and the Villa Romana, though not timed to line up with every bus from Catania. I ended up taking a taxi to the villa, which wasn't exorbitant. For some reason there were very few other visitors at the Villa Romana when I was there. I suspect it was between noon and 2 PM when I arrived.