Travel to Sicily in December

Can't help with car advice other than this: For heaven's sake don't try to drive in Palermo!

Sicily is totally worth more than 2 weeks even with a car. Days will be very, very short in late December, somewhat limiting your sightseeing time. Your car will be a burden rather than a help in the larger cities; finding parking and walking from the parking space to your hotel or sightseeing attraction will sometimes slow you down. Also consider that you will probably run into limited opening days and hours around Christmas, so your sightseeing may not be as efficient as it would be at some other time of year.

I traveled to Sicily in the summer (not my best decision, weather-wise) so I don't have personal experience with visiting during the winter holiday period. The temperature should be reasonably mild, but December is the wettest month of the year, at least in Palermo (based on historical statistics). That argues for keeping your daily plans as flexible as possible. When you're visiting spots outside the major cities, having a car will provide a certain degree of weather protection. However, the usual advice applies: Do not under any circumstances leave anything visible in the car when you park it, and do not wait until you arrive at a parking space to open the trunk and put something in it.

My trip to Sicily was in 2015, before Rick published his first guide to Sicily. I do have a copy of the book and am looking at what he suggests as "Sicily's Best Two-Week Trip by Car". I don't believe in "best" routings. It all depends on the travel group's priorities. I have very, very little interest in classical sights, so I didn't go to Agrigento, Segesta or Selinunte. That doesn't mean you shouldn't. Rick suggests seeing Segesta and Agrigento. I was happy to see the archaeological park in Siracusa, which has a Greek theatre still in use. The city also has an archaeological museum that's worthwhile, plus there's the medieval district (Ortygia), which is where you should stay if parking challenges don't make that impossible. Two nights is the minimum I'd want in Siracusa; Ortygia is great for wandering around. Two nights there work only because Rick also suggests two nights in Ragusa, during which he expects you to see that town, Modica, Scicli, and the Villa Romana. I suppose that is possible with a car, but I think it will keep you hopping.

The major issue I have with the proposed itinerary is having just two nights in Palermo at the beginning of the trip. Spending the last night there after driving from Taormina to Cefalu for sightseeing then on to Palermo doesn't really provide sightseeing time in Palermo that day. Palermo has many sights--the island's best archaeological museum, two interesting markets, the fabulous cathedral in Monreale (outside town, so you'll spend time for that, the #1 sight on the island), the Palazzo dei Normani and many striking churches and chapels. Two nights is simply not enough time there.

Opinions are very mixed on Taormina (I'm in the a-short-visit-is-more-than-enough camp), and Etna also divides people. That section of the trip could do with some thought, based on how you feel about gorgeous little towns full of tourist boutiques and walking around a volcano in December when it could well be quite windy and cold. Catania gets short shrift, but it has a nice historic center and market place. The World War II museum is said to be good, but I missed that.

I'd spend additional time in the interior, which is much less touristy than the coastal cities. Piazza Armerina, Caltagirone and Enna give you a look at the Sicily of Sicilians.

I'm sorry not to have gotten to the Aeolian Islands but don't know what they would be like in December. That might not be a good time for them. There are some nature-oriented destinations in the NW part of the island, but I also haven't been to them and don't know how weather-dependent they are.

I think you can focus on Siracusa and environs (tops), Palermo and environs (like a small Rome but mostly Italians) and Trapani and environs (surprising) have plenty to offer for a successful trip. There are good day trips from each. Do not bother with a car in Palermo. I have seen enough of Catania to respect it, but it can easily be skipped. Taormina would be a nice treat and is worth a splurge.

We enjoyed visiting Palermo, Segesta,
Trapani, Selinunte, Agrigento, Villa Romana Casale, Noto, and Ortigia Is/Siracusa. We did not enjoy Taormina other than it’s sweeping ocean views.
Happy to answer your questions. We had two and half weeks and rented a car when leaving Palermo.

We were in Sicily in late December 2012, before Rick even had a Sicily book, for about a week and a half. That was our first trip, but I went back in October 2018. Lonely Planet was our main resource in 2012. We stayed at several of their recommended lodging, mostly calling ahead, or just showing up. Maybe that was easier to do 9 years ago, maybe that’s how it still is in December, which was clearly low season. Our rough itinerary, after visiting Rome for a week:

1. Flew from Rome to Sicily. Picked up Europcar rental at the Palermo airport, located many miles west of the city, and drove west. Never saw Palermo that trip (but did on trip 6 years later), stopped at Segesta Greek temple/theater site, then got salami and prosciutto at a butcher in Valderice, before driving up to Erice for our B&B stay. Saw the town’s presepi manger scene displays, and walked the town. Every town and city in Italy has an overhead Christmas (“Natale”) light display over the streets, and presepi. Next day, included the famous Maria Grammattico bakery in our visit.

2. Left Erice, drove thru Trapani just downhill from Erice, and headed south. The Selinute Greek ruins site was closed that day, although it had a staffer at the gate to turn us away. Headed to Agrigento.

3. Agrigento, Valley of the Temples. It was sunny, and the only day that was actually fairly hot. Rest of trip was warming, but jacket was helpful every day, and needed each evening.

4. Drove to Il Vecchio Frantoio in Parco delle Madonie, the agriturismo where Rick stayed in his old TV show from 1999. He did a video long before he had a Sicily book! We were there for Christmas Eve, then went to Christmas Day lunch. We were the only people staying on Dec. 24, and only one other family stayed Dec. 25, but the Christmas Lunch was us two Americans and a roomful of dozens of Italians who came just for the lunch. Memorable, huge lunch, and we didn’t need dinner.

5. Caltigirone, two nights. Famous for its ceramics, and the long, tiled stairway up into the upper parts of town. More Greek and Ancient Roman sights, including Villa Romana del Casale, in Piazza Armerina with the stunning mosaics. We were one of maybe a half dozen cars in a huge parking lot that’s clearly intended for tons of cars in the summer. We passed a lot of closed-up souvenir stands (or snack stands?) on the way from the parking lot to the sight, a gangway that, again, must be packed in high season, and virtually empty in December - good time to be there.

6. After a brief, unremarkable stop at Noto, we reached phenomenal Modica. The chocolate there, true to the Mexican style that originally came to Europe, before the Belgians, Austrians, French, etc. redesigned it, is phenomenal. We stayed in a palace, owned and run by the aristocrat whose family had had it for a long, long time, and the price was less than €100, including breakfast. Charming town, wonderful dinner just down the street, and a shame we were just there for the night and part of the next morning.

7. Stopped at Siracusa - didn’t get into Ortigia or the center - and passed through Cefalu on the way to Taormina that night. It started pouring rain during dinner, and we got wet running back from the restaurant to our hotel. Parked in the garage, just outside the city wall.

8. Next day, we hopped in the car and drove down to the docks, and caught the car ferry to the mainland. We drove up to Sorrento over the next 2 days, and then spent New Year’s there. Turned in the car in Sorrento before taking train to Rome for return flight home.

No extra charge from Europcar for renting in Sicily and turning in car on mainland. Same on 2nd trip, renting at Palermo, returning Cefalu. Could be different now, or with different rental company.

Second time in Sicily, with a girlfriend for about a week, included stays in Palermo, Agrigento, Modica, Cefalu, and Taormina, plus Villa Romana del Casale visit.

We spent about 2 1/2 weeks in Sicily, and only rented a car for about a week of that. You really do not want a car for Palermo, Catania, or Syracuse, or even towns like Cefalu or Taormina. A car is handy for the interior and south coast, especially Agrigento and Villa Romana Casale at Piazza Armerina. You could easily do that segment by picking up in Palermo and dropping off in Catania, vice versa, or renting and returning in Catania.

In December, beach would not be the top attraction and the highly touristic towns will be in off-season, so Cefalu and Taormina could easily be skipped, unless the Greek theatre at Taormina is high on the list.

You could still spend 3 or 4 nights in Palermo with a day trip to Monreale, some time in Trapani and the area, a couple stops as mentioned in the interior, and wrap up with time in Syracuse.

In 2018 we spent nights at a military facility outside of Catania, Agrigento, Marsala, Erice, Monreale, Cefalù, and Taormina. We flew in to and out of Catania. We didn’t drive in either Palermo or Catania, rather, took a bus into the cities. We enjoyed Erice after the day trippers left at 4pm every day. Taormina is nice when there are no cruise ships in port. We were in Sicily for 2+ weeks and could have used more time. If you want to see photos from our trip they are at: http://jaimeelsabio.com/vac_pages/2018vac2.html

I think I would stay at least a few nights in Palermo without a car. Besides Palermo and Monreale, you can probably visit Cefalù by train and Segesta by bus while staying in Palermo. At the end of your Palermo stay you could rent a car and travel first west to Erice, Trapani, then south to Selinunte and Agrigento. In that area you could also swing by Piazza Armerina, Villa Romana del Casale, then further south East to Ragusa, Caltagirone, Modica, Noto. Siracusa deserves a few nights. Ortigia is a nice spot. You can park your car in the two level parking garage as you cross the bridge. Most hotels in the island have no parking. Taormina is also nice to visit for a couple of nights.

a lot of good information has been posted already so i will refrain from mentioning too many personal favourites. i was in sicily for 28 days between june and july this year. i travelled entirely by public transportation. the first comment i'll make is about the rick steve guide. i purchased the online version. in a nutshell, it's ok-while it has some useful information, don't rely on it entirely. it is biased towards his own taste and worldview (obviously) so he tends to hype some elements and disparage others. i suppose he caters to a certain type of 'tour-ist', very lucratively too. if you fall into his demographic then all is good. others, like myself, who sway to a more independent tune need to consult additional sources. i used the 'blue guide, sicily'. i actually found it more useful. hardly any personal anecdotes, for one. a lot more places are listed with pragmatic descriptions of the most interesting elements of each place. i also did a lot of 'research' (yes, the most abused word in the dictionary these days) on the internet, especially looking at pictures of each place i was intrigued by. you should think about what interests you. for me, it's architecture and art. especially, in the case of sicily-greek, roman, arab-norman and baroque. i can't get enough of church interiors and museums for specific art and artists. i am not at all interested in beaches, wine, agriturismo, shopping, resorts, nature parks, etc. E.g. i, ignored rs attitude that the only thing interesting in catania is the ww2 museum. my point is, you should make your itinerary based on your taste. i am glad that i 'discovered' mazara del vallo and randazzo and bypassed taormina. i still missed salinunte, polizzi generosa and many others. well, i hope there will be another time. anyway whatever you do and see, i am sure you will fall in love with sicily and its people. i have! good luck and enjoy!