My husband and I would like to go to Southern Italy for 2 weeks and Sicily for a week. We will rent a car while we are there. We are looking for suggestions on places to go and some fun things to see. We love wine, so we are always looking for a winery to visit. We also love the small towns. We have been to Rome, so we do not feel we need to go there again. Thanks.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Where are you flying into? You might consider splitting your time more evenly between Sicily and the mainland. Perhaps fly into Palermo, rent a car when you are ready to leave the city (visit Monreale, Erice, Segesta, perhaps Agrigento in a long day), drive to Cefalu, Taormina, perhaps Villa Romana del Casale, then take the ferry to across the Straits of Messina, visit Tropea, go inland to Matera, if you want to see trulli go to/near Alberobello, and visit some of the hill towns from a home base in Puglia. Or from Matera, head back east to Paestum, visit the Amalfi Coast on your way to fly out of Naples. Bases would be Palermo, Taormina, Tropea, Matera, somewhere near Alberobello, and a last night or two in Naples. Many people like Sorrento as as a base, you could essily visit Pompeii, Herculaneum and the Amalfi Coast from there, giving up a night or two elsewhere.
This itinerary is too rushed for me, but it would give you a taste of many different areas. It would take me at least three weeks at a good pace, but the car will be very convenient. Make sure the company you rent from doesn't charge extra for dropping off on the mainland. Ditch the car before your stay in Naples, it's easy to get into the city from rental places at the airport.
Any nights you can add would be worth the time.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
We were thinking of flying into Naples and do southern Italy first and then over to Sicily. Do you think it would be better to start with Sicily and then end up in Naples? We really can't do more than 3 weeks. Based on what you stated, do you think we should do 1 1/2 weeks in each area?
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Sure, you can go in either direction. I like to get to the furthest point first if that is an option (sometimes events or conferences don't work out that way).
As for splitting your time, I think 1.5 weeks in each place would be best, but that depends on what you want to see.
I suggest that before you put any advice into practice, read up a little on the areas that will be recommended to you by posters here, and then see what appeals to you. I gave you lots of place names without much description, but you can see what you might be interested in (I sometimes google images and decide I want to go to a place). I love churches, ancient ruins, water and the people I meet. You've been to Italy before so you know the basics. Both Sicily and southern Italy are beautiful.
Posted by
2 posts
Hi Tadams,
I'm Sicilian so I can gve you some worth informations for you.
Sicily is very big, and if you want visit it you need more than a week.
October is a great mount: in several cities you will find festival with local prodocts, mushrooms, pigs, and of course a lot of wine.
10 places to see (1 everyday): Palermo, Erice - Trapani, Agrigento - Valley of Temples, Piazza Armerina - Villa del Casale, Taormina and Gole dell'Alcantara, Catania and Etna, Randazzo and Floresta, Siracusa and Noto, Ragusa and Marina di Ragusa, Modica and Scicli.
I can suggest a website where you can find more details about a lot of places in Sicily www.visitsicily.travel
If you need others infos... tell me!
Gabriele
Posted by
San Diego
1540 posts
Here is a link to the site I used for most of Sicily planning. There are hundreds of links to tons of info on all parts of Sicily, lodging, maps, sites, hours of openings, prices.
You can spend hours on this site.
Best of Sicily