Sicily ?

[jackal]

Anyone been ?

People keep telling me its amazing.

I love Italy but am considering Sicily for a sunshine hols next summer.

[Puggit]

It's lovely - Taormina is great, climbing Etna is a must, and Agrigento is jaw dropping.

Food and drink are typically Italian and cheaper than mainland, by and large.

[Joey Ramone]

It is, broadly speaking and with the exception of a few spots, as rough as a badger's arse.

Tired, dirty, and takes you ages to get anywhere.

[RicksAlfas]

Puggit said:

It's lovely - Taormina is great, climbing Etna is a must, and Agrigento is jaw dropping.

Food and drink are typically Italian and cheaper than mainland, by and large.

This.

[jackal]

I've been told that the dilapidation is all part of its charm.

Looks like its between this or Iceland. Thanks for the tip, Taormina looks great.

[Eleven]

jackal said:

Anyone been ?

People keep telling me its amazing.

I love Italy but am considering Sicily for a sunshine hols next summer.

Yes. It was hot. Very, very hot.

If you know Italy you'll know that the south and the north are quite different. The south often seems a bit rough round the edges which has a lot to do with mafia control I suspect. Hotels never seem quite good enough for the price and public amenities are often compromised, again I suspect due to the mafia having their fingers in the pie. Sicily is no different.

But if you like hot and don't mind the points I mention above you'll have a great time. Even if you don't at least you'll have seen the place.

[Stephanie Plum]

Hire a car and don't consider driving down in a sports car - the roads are shocking. Food and wine is largely really nice- the coastlines are far better than the inland areas. Agrigento is worth seeing. Taormina is very touristy - depends whether you want busy or peace and quiet really.

When we went there had been some sort of strike for months so most laybys were full of festering piles of rubbish, some dead animals, and flies. Horrid and quite spoilt some of the smaller towns. As said before the mafia must take the blame I believe from Italian friends.

[anonymous-user]

Taormina is OK for a couple of days. As said, very touristy.

Roads not good, slow to get anywhere. Etna a bit of a trek but good if wether OK.

Food good and as said cheaper than mainland. Touristy places more expensive than normal as usual.

[Stephanie Plum]

Ref Etna we got chatting to a couple who had visited Sicily about six times - not once had they managed to get up Etna. Weather spoilt it every time, so it's not a given. The day we tried the weather had closed the cable.cars and trips up.

[Puggit]

I managed to get up Etna, but as it started chucking bombs out I managed to stay all of 2 mins

[chris7676]

Didn't find it amazing, it's definitely Italian, so if you like it you may enjoy it.

[iguana]

Great place, sums up all of italy, the good & the bad, in one manageable island.

I've been pretty much all over bar messina & tormina.

South east is my fave, modica, ragusa, noto.

Palermo I like, stupid traffic but love the markets & little bars etc, not felt as safe last visit tho as lots of displaced north Africans about the place but had no issues.

Also stay in cefau old town as a base for targa florio route.

Edited by iguana on Saturday 15th November 21:24

[DJFish]

Way too hot in the summer, wait until the end of September if you don't want to roast.
It can be a bit manky in places but you soon get used to it.
Palermo & surroundings are ok, Agro-tourism is fast becoming popular in the surrounding area, might be worth looking into.

Hire the cheapest smallest hire car you can, insure it up to the hilt, don't show any fear when driving!