Any advice? Where to visit, where to stay, where to eat, what to do, vineyards, etc.?

Thanks all.

 

Time of year for your visit?

 

Jerry Seinfeld was referred to this guy. Perhaps he has a place in mind?

 

Early June.

 

At the beginning i'm not from there but visited Sicily a few times.

Catania is nice for shopping and to see a little of the culture
Selinunte (old temple of the Greeks)
Taormina is a very cool place (Isola Bella / Beach) to stay a few days
Etna (go on the top of the vulcan)

Hotels are not to difficult to find but be aware that the stars of a hotel is normally one lower as usual so a 4 star hotel is a 3 star hotel.
Also you should be aware that you can''t expect a big breakfast in Italy (no rule without exceptions).
I would suggest that you go in a small coffee shop or take directly lunch.

Food;-) I think there you can't do something wrong
Try Salsiccia with a little bit lemon (sausage) or Arancini (rice ball with tomato filling) and of course all kind of pasta and fish.

Enjoy your stay there

Adri

 

As above, but I really like wandering around Ortigia Island which is the old bit of Syracuse. The SE baroque interior towns are beautiful ie Noto, Ragusa etc. The mosiacs at Villa Romana del Casale near Piazza Armerina are wonderful and fairly unparalleled in the Roman world. The drive along the South coast passes the fantastic Greek remains at Agrigento which make those in Greece look ramshackle. The way Enna is perched precariously on a rocky spike in the central plain with a charming Norman ruined castle is thought provoking and evocative. The towns the west such as Trapani and Marsala have real charm and amazing food and drink. The amphitheatre and temple at Segesta have amazing views. Monreale above Palermo is one of the most stunning churches it the Western World.

I rather like Sicily, shall I go on?

 

As much info as possible. Any hotel or resort suggestions? Restaurants?

Thanks guys.

 

I visited something very cool in the inlands:

Masseria Sussafa

Great food, friendly people and all for a very nice price.

 

More? Ok then. If you have a car go see the ancient cave houses/tombs in the sides of the gorges in Pantalica. There are tens of thousands and it is an amazing sight. The salt farms out by Trapani are interesting and make a nice trip if you are over in the West. Erice is a hill town directly above Trapani and it a fun cable car trip up from the edge of town and is a very romantic spot to wander around with amazing views across the coast unless it is foggy that is. Visit a Marsala wine producer if you can (obv in Marsala) but book ahead. Taormina high street is very up market and the Roman amphitheatre there is pretty special but will doubtless be very touristy.

 

Scicli & Ragusa are some of the most beautiful places i've been. Well worth spending a few days there.

 

Oh man, reading this I definitely want to go. Please post pics when you return of the places recommended above...

 

Haha, leave your watches at home ;-)

 

That may be sound advice for certain parts of Palermo and Catania but not really necessary elsewhere in my experience. Don't believe the movies, it isn't like downtown Naples, it is mostly a lot more up market and very friendly.

Oh if you do get a hire care, make sure you have good insurance as you will have a bump or crash if you drive there for any distance, particularly in Palermo, it is almost inevitable.

 

You're going to have a blast, it's an amazing place. It depends how long you stay and where do you land: Palermo or Catania.
I landed in Palermo last September & visited some places that blew me away: Erice is a must, Cefalu is a spectacular little city where you can spend the day, take a one-day-trip to Favignana (one of the most beautiful islands you're ever going to see), visit some tiny beaches between Scopello & San Vito lo Capo, Segesta has a nice very ancient temple, Palermo & Monreale are influenced by 3 different civilizations and are amazing to visit...
Once you know where you'll go PM me if you wish and I'll give you some restaurants you cannot miss. La Tonnara in Castellammare del Golfo served me the best fish and the best Cannolo I've ever ate...

 

Naples is indeed a different story, hovever I definitely would avoid leaving any valuables in your hotel and be generally aware of your surroundings. I've never had any trouble in Italy but there is quite a lot of petty crime. I recall when we rented a car in Rome they informed us the insurance on the car would not cover us in Naples, I had to laugh!