Hello, I’m planning on visiting southern Italy next September for three weeks. We’ll have family at different points in the trip, so I’d like to use each week in a different base location and do road trips from each base. I would like to incorporate Puglia and Sicily. I’m looking for suggestions for the third base, and if you think I should choose another location in place of, or in addition to Puglia and Sicily. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thanks :)
Posted by
6122 posts
A week will barely scratch the surface for either of those, so unless you are traveling overland and want to break up the trip in Calabria, I would spread it out among Puglia and Sicily in whatever locations floats your boat--but likely Sicily will get the lion's share, as it's a big island!
Posted by
Citizen of the World
3508 posts
I agree with Valadelphia. On a minimal dive into what the two regions offer, one can easily spend two weeks or more in Puglia and, well, three or four weeks in Sicily to just barely scratch the surface. Neither region lends itself to fast travel.
Coordinating family members into the trip
is all the more reason to focus on just one or two regions.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you, your replies have been helpful. Do you have any suggestions for specific towns in those regions that might make a good base for sightseeing?
Posted by
Citizen of the World
3508 posts
In Puglia: Lecce, Monopoli or Polignano a Mare, Ostuni.
In Sicily: Palermo or Cefalu, Catania, Syracuse or Ortigia, Trapani, Agrigento for its Greek Temples.
All these locations can be reached by train.
Posted by
6122 posts
On the Puglia spots, if you will use public transport only, then I would include Bari. It really depends on your own wish list. There is not one spot where you can see all in a week. I think you'll have to choose "north" or "south" (these are rough approximations.
Posted by
794 posts
Calabrian highlights could be: Tropea, Pizzo, Capo Vaticano (beach/spa), Scilla and for something more rarefied 'Pentedatillo', which is sort of the Matera of Calabria down on the periphery of Aspromonte Park.
We were there last May and can recco two rentals. In Tropea we had a killer splurge house to slay all others, while in Scilla our unique rental was in a fantastic location.
I will be soon be posting one of our looong TRs about Calabria and Rome.
Tante belle cose
I am done. the end
Posted by
Seattle, WA
598 posts
Agree that Sicily and Puglia each deserve more than a week. That leaves you with no time for a third area to visit. Not sure that Puglia requires at least two weeks and even longer for Sicily. Perhaps you might be able to extend your time.
We managed a squeeze of three areas in a 30-day trip, though we had the advantage of RS’ Sicily tour (11 days, now going to 12 for 2026) and a commercially organized “self-guided” e-bike tour of Puglia. Our 6-day visit to Campagna was a little on the breezy side and skipped the Amalfi Coast, Capri and Salerno.
FWIW, our TR might be of some use. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/southern-italy-30-days-three-ways-to-travel
Jean, from Idaho, has numerous TRs on Puglia, so you may want to use the search feature for those.
Posted by
794 posts
OP NS, please allow the following brief diversion. Our poster here 'Becky' and her pals are Calabria-bound and just PMed me asking for further clarification about that above Tropea villa rental. I twice tried to respond but a tech-oriented message popped up stating that I 'was not allowed to send this message' due to vague reasons. Long groan....
So, here below is my message for Becky. In the event that it threatens national security or whatever, then I take full responsibility:
'Hi Becky,
That Tropea villa/house rental 'Villa Bragho' is owned by lovely Ginevra. Seldom do my wife and I get so excited to pass along a rental recommendation such as this - it is truly top-shelf, a vacation unto itself! We paid $525 Canadian per night to rent it for 2 weeks last May before heading down to our other rental in Scilla. The VRBO photos do not do Villa Bragho justice. It is one of the most amazing rentals that we have ever splurged on and would be perfect for a group of four. It is not just one house - a fantastic close by annex is also part of the deal. So is the excellent pool, set within a garden maintained by a pro gardener. When not in Rome, Ginevra literally lives in a cool apartment beneath the pool. Mima the maid also comes as part of the deal.
The house overlooks the train station, which is about 60 yards below. One accesses that station by a 5 minute detour stroll. Just a 10 min. walk into the center of town brings one to a parking lot area which has dual features: a) the permanent adjoined market comprised of a handful of the usual suspect food shops and b) the outdoors weekly market.
Be aware that the home is gated and the driveway/entry path into Ginevra's property is somewhat steep. My 73 yr old wife with knee issues could handle it. Just.
*I have a request should you ever be in communication with Ginevra. Plz might you tell her that our promised (and now long-overdue) Trip Report/photo essay on Fodors, RS plus Lonely Planet will be posted by the end of summer? She had suggested that we also this spring consider renting her uncle's similar property within a winery up in le Marche, but we pivoted and plans changed. Lost touch afterwards. I just hope that Ginevra does not think that we were unreliable flakes when we mentioned our intended detailed Trip Report.
Happy to answer further questions.'
I am done. the end