Can anyone reccomend an apartment or hotel in Palermo?
We are a group of six planning on spending 7 days / 7 nights in Sicily next summer. We were considering renting an apartment versus staying at a hotel because of the duration, but I have not been successful in finding an apartment for 6.
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Originally posted by oncebitten: Can anyone reccomend an apartment or hotel in Palermo?
We are a group of six planning on spending 7 days / 7 nights in Sicily next summer. We were considering renting an apartment versus staying at a hotel because of the duration, but I have not been successful in finding an apartment for 6.
Posts: 13 | Location: New Jersey Shore | Registered: 01 June 2006
BEWARE: This hotel is in Termini Imerese, a town 43 kilometers EAST of Palermo.
It is NOT "just outside" Palermo!
There is frequent train service into Palermo from Termini Imerese. Travel time is approx. 30 minutes, and round trip train fare is 5.50 Euros (local train).
I just returned from Palermo this past weekend and I have to say I was not very impressed. I wanted to be!
There was some lovely architecture and the sea is lovely, but the city was very dirty, smelly and a bit rough & tough for me. We did stay at the nicest hotel in town, Grand Hotel Villa Igiea whihc was very pretty, a bit worn but a nice luxury at the same time. We also ate at a fabulous restaurant called Lo Scuderio where I has the best dessert of my life (maybe): semi-freddo with an almond crunch inside and hot choclate sauce on top - YUM!
Just 7 miles west of Palermo is a nice beach area called Mondello Beach. It might be nicer and less hectic to stay there.
I should mention I also stayed in Taormina and thought it was gorgeous and charming!
I just returned from Palermo this past weekend and I have to say I was not very impressed. I wanted to be! Frown
Sorry to hear that Megan....Palermo is indeed a bit gritty in places but in fact has "cleaned up its act" tremendously in the past dozen years. I wonder if you would have felt differently if you stayed closer to the center. My clients who were there last week staying near the Teatro Politeama just sent me an e-mail (from Ragusa) telling me what a great time they had in Palermo.
What is your impression of Naples? How about Genova?
Also interesting is your take on Taormina....I agree that it is quite pretty, but--based on my last visit, with cruise ship groups crowding the main street--much too touristy for my taste.
Just shows you that we all have decidedly takes on places to visit and it is important for readers to take into account the preferences, likes and dislikes of individual posters when seeking advice.
Last summer we stayed in Cefalu for 4 days. The people I am traveling with got bored with the little town and thought that staying in Palermo would give them more to do.
We are not planning on renting a car at this time because last year we rented one and only used it once. So we will be depending on train and bus service to do some day trips. We are open to suggestions, if this is not a good idea or if Palermo is not a good base.
If you and your friends were not completely satisfied by staying in Cefalu for 4 days, I think that staying in Palermo makes EVEN MORE sense.
In my opinion, Palermo makes for an excellent base from which to explore much of the western party of Sicily. And there's enough in town to fill up at least three days.
You can indeed spend an entire week (and more) in Palermo, take several day trips to places like Mondello, Monreale, Segesta, Selinunte, Agrigento, Solunto/Santa Flavia/Porticello, Bagheria, Cefalu, Castellamare del Golfo, Trapani/Erice, Marsala, Ustica, Piazza Armerina/Roman Villa at Casale, Enna, and never get bored. Done it myself (10 days).
You also don't need to rent a car. Public transportation is fine (and not expensive).
If you want specific bus/train information for any of these daytrips, let me know and I'll post the info (I've already posted such information for daytrips to Segesta, Selinunte and Piazza Armerina).
I don't think it will be very easy to find an apartment in Palermo suitable for six adults for only one week.
You'll be better off simply staying at a hotel. Consider these centrally located properties in Palermo (all three star, all very reasonable):
GAC, Thank you so much for your information. I loved Cefalu last year; but my travel companions were not into doing day trips and they got bored staying put. Hopefully they will venture out a little more this time.
I am glad to see that you think public transportation will work well for day trips. I am already looking into some of the towns you suggested.
I think GAC's advice is right on target. We stayed in Palermo for only 3 days, and wished for longer. It is a thriving, exciting city with a fascinating history.
We stayed at La Giara B&B, and had a large studio with 3 beds, TV, dining area, stove, sink and refrigerator. The location was fabulous - we felt very comfortable there and were able to walk everywhere we wanted to go. The day we went to Monreale the bus was easy to figure out.
There were some good restaurants, too! Check the SlowTrav.com site for my reviews.
Oncebitten, What's your budget for a hotel? In the 3 star category I like www.hotelpostapalermo.it both for the hotel and the location. If you are looking for 4 star try the very lovely www.principedivillafranca.it - Marie
I actually enjoy both Naples and Genoa and was hoping for the same with Palermo, but it just didn't work for me. It was so dirty (and I am not talking about the bombed out buildings or the markets), I was surprised and taken back by it. When you can't even walk on the sidewalk due to the amount of dog wasteand trash in general plus the constant smell of cat urine, that is a problem for me. And this happened no less than a dozen times.
I admit I did not have enough time there and I missed out of several things I really wanted to do (my friends had other ideas and I was tagging along). But after a day of sightseeing, I was ready to move on. I realize this is not everyone's opinion. I am expressing my recent impression of the city.
Taormina was lovely and not very crowded (only one cruise ship below!). It could be the time of year, but I found it very pleasant with a few small exceptions (the restaurants we chose were not great and the men were a bit aggressive). I would defintiely go back. Did I mention I got to see Mt. Etna erupt?!
I'm sorry that Palermo didn't work out for you....perhaps you can give it another chance down the road. I think it is worth the effort.
Diana had the same feeling the first time we visited (in 1995) and also complained about the noise and the traffic. On our 2004 trip, she was very enthusiastic about Palermo.
This is a long shot, but worth a try. We were in Palermo this spring and rented a small apartment called Chez Jasmine (www.chezjasmine.biz). It will sleep 4, but is tiny and is actually best for 2. In a vibrant area of the city, it's a fabulous base and we plan to return next year.
Mary, the Irish ex-pat who owns the apartment and lives in another larger apartment a stone's throw away, might have some leads for you, or else know of people with suitable houses or apartments who might be in a position to rent you a vacation home for a week. Mary is a wonderful hostess, gave us tons of suggestions, and I'm sure she would be happy to help you if she can. Try emailing her to see what she suggests.
I echo Megan's enthusiasm for Lo Scudiero. See my review from March 2006.
We stayed nearby at the Mercure hotel. Yes, it's a corporate place but that suits us well in the "grittier" cities. You can find it through www.mercure.com.
cubbies
Posts: 418 | Location: California | Registered: 29 December 2005
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