For two to three weeks. Exploring without a car.
Interests: Food, local culture, wandering, art and music. We go to bed early and enjoy mornings. Not big city folk.
Searching for destinations in the Mediterranean in late February to April.
Many thanks
Been to Sicily and Sardinia. Rented a car on both. Going to Corsica in September, will rent a car there, too.
Unfortunately, I think it would be challenging to "wander" any of these places very effectively without a car. There's some public transportation, but it's limited and set up for locals, so slow, and not very efficient for tourists.
I’ve been to Corsica and Sicily - would say our Corsica trip was more nature focused (beach going, walks, natural beauty, swimming - was there in Sept) - while Sicily offers that but more options in the arts, food and music since it’s a much bigger island with many cities, historic points of interest. We had a car for both islands and felt it was needed so maybe others will chime in regarding what it’s like exploring without a car.
The eastern side of Corsica -Porto Vecchio/ Santa Giulia to Bonifacio is very nice.
I haven't been to Sardinia or Corsica, but I loved Sicily when I spent 17 or 18 days there without a car back in 2015. It's not the most efficient way to get around, and there didn't seem to be any buses running from city to city on Sundays; I'd have seen more if I'd been willing to drive. However, I still saw a lot. I stayed multiple nights in Catania, Siracusa, Palermo and Trapani and took side trips from Catania to Taormina, Mt Etna, Enna and the Villa Romana del Casale outside Piazza Armerina; from Siracusa to Noto, Modica, Ragusa and Scicli; from Palermo to Cefalu and (just a few hours) to Monreale; and from Trapani to Erice and the Egadi Islands. I was 63 at the time.
Palermo definitely has a big-city vibe; I wouldn't recommend skipping it, because it has some important sights, but I suppose you could make Cefalu one of your bases and take 2 or 3 day-trips to Palermo, then retreat to Cefalu at the end of the day. That would mean some extra train trips back and forth, each one taking roughly 45 minutes to an hour, one way. The fare on most of the Palermo-Cefalu trains is currently about 7 euros. It's something of a walk from the Cefalu train station to the center of the historic part of town (just over half a mile to the cathedral), and you'd be doing that walk repeatedly if you based in Cefalu rather than in Palermo.
I have visited all three islands, at various occasions.
Considering that you plan to go in late winter or early spring (therefore not beach weather, or nature weather in general), and considering that you do not plan to rent a car, I would say that Sicily is the only viable option.
Neither Sardinia nor Corsica have the wealth of things to see outside of nature (wonderful beaches and mountains and countryside), compared to Sicily.
If you were going in late spring or summer it would be a totally different story.
Also both Sardinia and Corsica are difficult to visit using public transportation only. Sicily, although it doesn’t have the efficient train system as the mainland, has plenty of public transportation options, being the 5th mosto populous Region in Italy with two major metropolitan areas.
I would go to Sicily. We rented a car for part of our time there this past May but with another week (we had two), it is very doable without a car. There are a number of people on this board who have done so.
Sicily has wonderful variety in relatively close proximity.
Fabulous replies. Thank you.
Last May we found a new travel system we enjoyed—but a very different country, Ireland.
We planned and tried out four weeks in County Cork: 6 days in Cork City, 6 days at a writing retreat on Inchydoney, 6 days in Skibereen, 6 days in Bantry, 5 days near Crookhaven, and a last night at a nice hotel at the Cork airport.
Lots of walking, buses, taxi, and no anxiety driving on the left side on skinny roads. If possible, we want to repeat this plan. So, your comments have been very helpful. Thanks.
Sardinia and Corsica without a car would be tiring and complicated. I've been to Sicily several times without a car. It just requires careful planning and flexibility. When you get stuck with your plans, come back to the forum here and ask.....
In Italy people drive on the right side, if that helps.
Two lane highways must have lanes that are a minimum of 2.75 m (9 ft) wide to a max of 4 m (13 ft) wide (each lane). New roads must have lanes that are 3.50 m (12 ft) wide min.
There are old local ancient roads that are narrower, but you don't need to go there.
