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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Sicily anyone?

72 replies

AvonCallingBarksdale · 19/03/2023 17:50

Hi. Thinking about Sicily in July - anyone been and if so any tips/recommendations? It would be me, DH, DS 19 and DD16. We like pottering, sightseeing, beaches, pools, swimming, cocktails (me!) somewhere nice to go in the evening for food.

OP posts:
Choconut · 19/03/2023 18:01

We loved it. We went to Taormina which was a lovely little town for pottering, lovely restaurants and very nice in the evening, Roman theatre ruins, gorgeous but crowded beach at Isola Bella and did a day trip to Etna as well from there. Then we went to Agrigento with amazing ruins, then to Palermo.

Original poster
AvonCallingBarksdale · 19/03/2023 18:06

Thank you! We wouldn’t want to hire a car - is that an issue there?

OP posts:
ohxmastreeohxmastree · 19/03/2023 18:08

We did 10 days around Palermo. Did Palermo city for 3 nights and then stayed for a week at the most amazing B&B which was within 20 mins drive of lots of lovely small towns to go sightseeing - Castellamarre, Balestrate, Terrasini etc. It was rural so you would need a car and wouldn’t be able to walk out anywhere for a drink as have to drive, which wouldn’t normally be for us but it was just so seriously gorgeous it was worth it. Gorgeous pool for only about six rooms, gorgeous sunsets… PM if you’re interested!

We were prepared for it to be very expensive as several friends who have been to Taormina had warned but the side of the island we were on by Palermo was pretty cheap if I am honest.

privateeyeeye · 19/03/2023 18:08

It is amazing but will be boiling hot !!!

car hire - they drive like mentalists and the car hire place will try to rip you off. Take photos before you pick up the car. They go round with a Clíp board at drop off doing a full inspection.

ohxmastreeohxmastree · 19/03/2023 18:10

If you don’t want to get a car you could stay in Palermo city for a few days (very easy train from Palermo airport to Palermo city like we did as we did not have a car for this leg of the trip). I believe there is then a bus from Palermo city to Castellammare (and a bus from there to the airport) as we explored this at one point early on in the planning. They aren’t frequent and do take about an hour and a half I think but it is an option! On the contrary to what PP said we found driving to be far better and calmer than mainland Italy.

Original poster
AvonCallingBarksdale · 19/03/2023 18:23

How boiling hot do you reckon? I was imagining high 20s/low 30s??

OP posts:
gogohmm · 19/03/2023 18:25

Same as @Choconut

Highly recommend 2-3 centres and a car as the distances are large considering it's an island and lots of road works. Taormina is one of my favourite places in the world

ohxmastreeohxmastree · 19/03/2023 18:26

It was 36 on the hottest days we were there but only for an hour or two. I’d say mainly 32/33.

EggyBreads · 19/03/2023 18:26

It'll be high 30s. I was there last June and it was mid to high 30s the whole time

DelilahBucket · 19/03/2023 18:31

We fully self catered in Floridia near Syracuse in 2020 and it was fantastic. Loved going round the supermarkets, it was a very cheap way to holiday. It was very hot in August, and no breeze, so it felt even more so. I was burnt to a crisp on the first day as I seriously underestimated how fierce it was. The beach was unbearable.
Highly recommend car hire, we booked ours with our flights with Jet2. I can't find the name of the company though. I imagine unless you are just staying in a city centre, you're going to need a car to get around.
Etna was an excellent day trip. We went on a cloudy day. I couldn't have had much of an active holiday beyond swimming in the pool though. Far too hot.

Original poster
AvonCallingBarksdale · 19/03/2023 18:42

Lots of tips thank you 😊. Temperature might be an issue though. I’m rubbish at booking holidays - DH usually does it but has handed over the reins and I’m finding it rather overwhelming 😬. First world problem of course.

OP posts:
TheBirdintheCave · 19/03/2023 18:51

We're going in June! Very excited! :) We have six nights in Palermo and are using the trains to do a few day trips from there. Then we're spending two more nights at the beach in San Vito lo Capo.

Pinkywoo · 19/03/2023 19:01

We spent the whole of last July there visiting family and it was in the 40s most of the time, it also makes UK humidity feel like the sahara!

LondonMummer · 19/03/2023 19:24

Had a wonderful fortnight last July in South East Sicily (with a car). Details of all our findings here

affordacool.wordpress.com/2022/07/27/sicily/

Beebumble2 · 19/03/2023 19:48

Thanks for the thread. We’re going to Cefalu in June and hope to do some train journeys to different places. Can’t wait!

Hoolihan · 19/03/2023 19:55

Went to Cefalu & Etna region in August last year - first week was 39/40 degrees. Luckily we had an amazing villa with pool & aircon but it was basically too hot to move for most of the day and the temperature barely dropped at night. Then the second week was stormy and rainy! The beaches were so crowded you literally couldn't walk across them and covered in fag butts. The food was nice though!

Hobbesmanc · 20/03/2023 09:01

It was one of our best holidays. We stayed in Taormina for the second week which is stunning but we toured the first week. Loved the Roman villa, Syracuse, the baroque towns. Not so keen on Palermo

It was really hot in July. And I think without a car youd need to plan as public transport didn't seem great

My favourite memory was staying in a agri turismo. Like a farm B and B near Piazza Amerino and having the most amazing food.

maranella · 20/03/2023 09:07

Sicily is amazing, I've been four times. So much to see and do, lovely food and drink, beautiful beaches and views. However, I wouldn't go in July/August (too hot for me - particularly for sightseeing) and I would hire a car unless you're either doing a city break or you just want to lie by the pool the whole time/not explore. Driving there is no worse than driving in France, Spain or mainland Italy (i.e. you get a few crazy drivers, but mostly it's fine). The ideal time to go IMO is Apr-Jun or Sep-Nov.

CharlotteMullen · 20/03/2023 09:10

I haven’t been but good friends were there with their children (16, 14, 11) early last August and said they liked it, but they wouldn’t go again at that time of year, as the heat was debilitating.

Anotherdayanothernight · 20/03/2023 09:17

Have been to Sicily many times and it is amazing! Palermo is a great stop for a few days at least then you can take the train to Cefalù, which is a pretty seaside town, or bus to Trapani and then hydrofoil to one of the Egadi islands where you definitely don't need a car. Once in Trapani you can get the cable car to the historical Erice

maranella · 20/03/2023 09:25

Something like this would be a great itinerary OP (if you can cope with possibly 40-degree temps):
Citalia - Palermo, Cefalu & Taormina

OxygenthiefexH · 20/03/2023 09:33

Palermo is awesome - I didn’t feel very safe there, there were a lot of street beggars and the poverty was gut wrenching.

The food was amazing. Like, really really stunningly good. And the history of Palermo is mind bending. Norman architecture, Viking runes!

OxygenthiefexH · 20/03/2023 09:34

We went in January and it was COLD, by the way. Properly jumper and big coat territory.

Original poster
AvonCallingBarksdale · 20/03/2023 12:33

Well I’m definitely sold on it as a holiday destination (also loved S2 of White Lotus which was set in Sicily), but revising time of year. July sounds like it will be too hot for us tbh. Sounds like an amazing place 😀

OP posts:
Blanketunderstars · 20/03/2023 13:02

I went to Palmero and Cefalù in August last year, it was blistering hot. However I am absolutely desperate to go back. We didn’t hire a car and just used trains, which we found really easy, however appreciate that’s not for everyone.
The main thing for me was the businesses- I would want to go at a much quieter time as it was just so busy.

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