Orlando Ayala Cant Read said:
TXTransplant said:
I agree - don't try to drive in the Amalfi Coast. Positano and Sorrento are good bases for that area. Don't try to stay in/base out of Naples.
We did two weeks just in Sicily. With only 10 days in total and the other cities you have planned, I don't know that the travel time is worth it. The best places in Sicily are a decent drive from the two airports. I did a trip report when we went that I will link below.
If you let me know what specifically you're interested in Seeing in Sicily, I can give you some recommendations. For being an island, the options are amazingly diverse. Even though the island is not that big, travel time is significant because it's still pretty rural and speed limits are pretty low.
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In Sicily , we just wanna see the Godfather shooting locations and stay at a resort on the water that has close proximity to markets/shopping.
Ok...google tells me that the main shooting locations are near the city of Catania. This is important because their are 2 main airports in Sicily - one in Palermo and one in Catania. And they sort of divide accessibility of the island into two parts
If the shooting locations are important to you, fly into Catania. This will put you close to the cities of Taormina (to the north) and Syracuse (to the south). We visited Taormina, and white beautiful, it was the most crowded, touristy, and expensive (in part thanks to The White Lotus tv show). We did not make it to Syracuse.
For a beautiful beach, I was going to recommend Cefalu, but if you go there, the closest airpot is Palermo. Beach resorts ,like we know them here in the US, aren't as common in Italy, but there are some. I looked at a few when planning our trip but ultimately opted for an Airbnb in Cefalu and Taormina. The beach resorts I did look at did not get great results, and tend to cater to German/Dutch tourists, since those are their biggest customers.
There is a stunning resort called Verdura, but it's all the way on the far southwest part of the island, not convenient to either airport. It's also $1000/night.
Cefalu is such a gorgeous town, I would hate for anyone visiting Sicily to miss it, but if the shooting locations are of more interest to you, I can't really recommend it.
Taormina is up on a cliff, so the nicest hotels aren't right on the beach. But, you might try Unahotels Capotaormina. It's right near where our Airbnb was, It's not convenient to the main part of town (you can walk, but it's a lot of stairs), but it would put you right on the beach.
If you want more info on Cefalu, let me know and I'll go back and look at it again. A good part of the city is right along the water, and I know there are a couple of beach resorts on the outside of town. They aren't going to be in walking distance to the main part of town or to markets, though. There are plenty of hotels in Cefalu that will give you access to the public beach, but they aren't resorts like we know in the US.
Driving in Sicily isn't hard, because it is pretty rural, but I will say driving in Taormina was the most challenging. Since we were staying at an Airbnb, parking wasn't an issue, but i suspect it is in other parts of town.
You mentioned riding the ferry - the shortest ferry crossing is north of Taormina at Messina. Closer to Cefalu than Catania airport, but still not close (a 2+ hour drive IIRC). And this puts you further away from the shooting locations. You also have to get your self to Villa San Giovanni on the mainland, which is at the very tip of the boot.
You can also cross at Palermo, but this is a 14-15 hour trip from Rome. I personally wouldn't waste that much trip time.
I'm not trying to discourage you from visiting Sicily. I loved it there and would go back in a heartbeat. But, as with most islands, it can be logistically difficult (and time consuming) to travel there. It's also pretty far from the other places you mention you want to visit.
Getting to the Amalfi Coast is also logistically challenging. Depending on where you are going in the Amalfi Coast, It's a 2-3 hour drive from Naples (which is a 1-ish hour high speed train ride from Rome). Google maps will tell you this travel time is shorter, but you absolutely cannot expect that, especially in high tourist season. But the trip from Rome is totally doable, and more tolerable if you spend a few nights in Sorrento, Amalfi, or Positano.
I would not spend any time in Naples, if I were you. There are parts of the city that are absolutely horrible - the poverty and living conditions will shock you. We simply used the train station as a gateway to the Amalfi Coast. I know there are interesting things to see/do there, but considering your limited travel time and the other places you want to go, you will be disappointed if you stay in Naples. If you want to do Pompeii, you can do it as a day trip from Rome, or from Sorrento if you decide to base there for the Amalfi Coast.
Our Amalfi Coast itinerary was Rome - Amalfi Coast - Florence. We only did Rome on our own, as the other two locations were part of a small group tour. So, they handled all the transportation once we arrived at the Naples train station. But, it should be easy for you to arrange a car service to/from Naples. We visited Pompeii on the day we departed from the Amalfi Coast, and then took the high speed train to Florence.
A day trip to the island of Capri is a beautiful excursion, if you decide to stay somewhere along the Amalfi Coast for a couple of nights. Otherwise, in a day trip, you'll probably just hit the main church square in Amalfi and then the beach in Positano (for the iconic picture). Both beautiful sites, but it's gonna be rushed. Part of the charm of the Amalfi Coast is slowing down, taking leisurely strolls all through the little nooks and crannies of the cities, and taking a boat ride along the coast.
