I'm just starting to plan our second trip to Italy, which will most likely be in May 2007. Our first trip, last year, was to Florence, southern Tuscany, Bologna and Venice. This time around I think we're focusing on Rome and Sicily. My husband has been to Rome a couple of times, briefly, and did not like it at all, which is why we didn't go there last year, but now he is willing to give it another chance. I think what might make it more enjoyable for him is to rent an apartment for 5-7 days and live like a Roman, seeing the city at a more relaxed pace, and being able to cok a couple of meals at home. As for Sicily, I need help figuring out where should I focus our time, which will probably be the remaining 7 - 10 days. I don't want to be rushed, preferring to change hotels no more than twice. What kind of itinerary would you suggest for first-timers to Sicily?

If you only wish to stay in three places in Sicily, I would suggest Palermo, Taormina and Siracusa.

Palermo is hectic; it may not be to your husband's taste, but there is quite a bit to be seen there, and the cathedral in Monreale (you take a local bus) is a must-see.

Taormina is a charming resort town, with a superb setting and a Greek theater with a splendid view of Mt. Etna and the sea.

Siracusa (the old part on the island of Ortygia) is a little rundown around the edges but has great charm. On the mainland, there is a well-preserved Greek theatre and other ruins.

From Palermo, you can take a day trip to the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento (two hours each way, by bus or train).

Fly into Palermo, fly out of Catania. Or vice-versa, of course.

There are fairly good connections by train or bus between the three points.

My first recommendation would be to skip Rome....not because I don't love it (I do).....but because Sicily has so much to see and to do, that you will not do it justice in 7-10 days.

I also think that having a car in Sicily is a big advantage for the flexibility that it gives you to explore the interior and much of the coast. If you have two weeks, you can cover most of the island....and be able to poke around some of the hidden treasures--like Ragusa province and the west coast.

You might find my report of our three week trip to Sicily from 2004 valuable for giving you some ideas about your itinerary.

http://zurer.com/Italia%202004/index.html

If only 3 destinations then I agree with Eloise.
Here is my trip report from May 2005 that may help, but we had 15 days. See the photo gallery attached to the report. Good luck !

http://www.slowtrav.com/tr/tripreport.asp?tripid=634

Last year I stayed 4 nights on the Island of Ortigia (which is connected to Syracusa by bridge)at the "Il Cortiletto" apartments B&B, Ortigia, Siracusa (www.ilcortiletto.com; loved it and the island!

What has your husband enjoyed most while traveling in Italy? And what bothered him most about Rome?

Sicily has a lot of variety, so it is easy to plan a trip that gives both of you the most of what you want.

If you or your husband most enjoys good food and wine in a relaxing setting, or natural wonders as opposed to ruins, or fascinating mosaics instead of art museums, or beautiful cities off the tourist track -- or vice versal to all of that, it's possible to arrange 7 days that focuses most on what you already know you prefer.

Although it's true that 7 days is not enough to see all of the great and famous parts of Sicily, neither is two weeks! (A month or six weeks is more like it, unless you like zoom travel.) And if your husband has the confidence to announce he doesn't like Rome, I'd be reluctant to commit him to a new and quite different part of Italy for your whole vacation.

By the way, I didn't much like Rome when I first went to it. I much preferred northern Italy and small, rural towns. But in my return visits, I found Rome to be a much more varied place than I had suspected, and I've sort of been seduced by it. Good for your husband for being willing to give it another go.

You have definitely come to the right place for info and help with planning. I will add my resource to those of Jim and Bob and others, I am sure. Sicily
There you will find our report, some pictures and some recommendations. Have fun in the planning!

Thanks so much for all your thoughtful replies. I always know I can count on good advice from you guys! Your trip reports are indeed a great resource and I'm making copius notes from them to kick start my planning. I agree that a week or 10 days is nowhere near enough time to see this vast island, but I think it will turn out to be enough to seduce us to come back for another visit in the future. I'm definitely an advocate of the slow travel philosphy, preferring to limit the number of cities I visit in order to enjoy them in a more leisurely fashion. Rome beckons to me, however, hence the week devoted to the Eternal City. My husband and I took a community college course in Italian before our last trip, and he's gotten very good, so I think this will also help him with giving Rome another shot, as well as in Sicily, where I understand English is not as widely spoken as in mainland Italy.

Sicily can be managed with a lot of day trips if you have a car. I found a delightful agriturismo west of Catania near Paternó called Gianferante http://www.gianferrante.it/ It's a working citrus grove and is managed by Ranieri Berghinz. The agriturismo facilities were brand new when I stayed there in 2004.

You could daytrip from there to Siracusa, Mt Etna, Taorimina, Caltagirone (pottery), Agrigento (outstanding Greek temples) Cefalu etc.