Mt Etna view from hotel

Just a little tip for anyone looking at reasonably priced budget accompaniment in Florence ( *not easy!)

We booked into C Hotel diplomat for 5 days at around €50 euros per night with breakfast.

However, when we arrived we found it is closed at present, and there was a note on the door redirecting us to its sister hotel next door.

This is the ambasciatori hotel florence and it’s a much nicer hotel, where the rooms seem to go for well over double that.

I assume it’s temporary due to low numbers/ keeping costs down on running several hotels.

But it’s a nice little bonus for anyone on a lower budget and I can highly recommend it. Nice staff, great place, located right by the train station.

We also got a room upgrade to a larger room with a balcony view over the Duomo!

Thought I would share the luck for anyone looking at the meme to. Obviously can’t guarantee how long this will last.

Thanks again to all those who have helped with planning the trip so far :)

Just booked our first trip to Sicily and will spend 7 nights in mid-November 2021. I realize not enough time, so looking to probably focus on the eastern part of the island and fly into Catania. Have some questions to help with planning

1)Thinking of spending around 3 nights in the Syracuse, Noto, Modica area. Which city/town is the best place to stay and explore from there? Planning to most likely do local buses to explore during the day

2) We'd like to spend 2 to 3 nights in the Mount Etna area and possibly stay in Taormina for part of it. Thinking of renting a car from Catania for this part of our trip. If not, anyone have a tour group they recommend for tours of Mount Etna.

3) We hate to miss Palermo, but realize with only a week you need to make choices. Will there be get similar food markets in Catania to those you find in Palermo.

4) We would not to spend a day sampling wines and wondering which region to target in the areas we plan to visit.

Thanks much for any comments you can provide!

Greetings

I’m seeking recommendation for my last 2 nights which will be in Catania. Unfortunately my flight was already canceled once by Delta. Therefore the only flight out to Rome is KLM, ticket already purchased.

I’m looking for an accommodation that would be feasible to explore Catania historic city center as well as be able to get to airport in time fir 6:35 departure. In USA it’s recommended to be at airport now 3 hrs preflight. I’m not sure how it works in Sicily? So any hotel resources or airport support direction greatly appreciated .

ThankYou for any feedback in advance.

Looking for a mid-range hotel in Florence for two nights in June. Would like clean, comfortable beds and breakfast included for myself, my husband and our 18 yr old son.

Anyone have opinions about the Hotel Unicorno vs the Hotel Paris? We will be coming and going to Florence on the train.

Hi, planing to visit Catania in February. Won't be travelling to Palermo. Will visit Etna and Taormina. Is 7 days too long or just enough? Many thanks

Due to the unique current offerings airline wise we have 6 nights/7 days in Sicily as part of a broader trip. We fly into Catania midday day 1, and our departure is from Palermo at 8pm, offering a near full-day in Palermo on day 7 (with bags safely stored with our hotel)

My dilemma is allocating the 6th night.

So far we’ve settled on 2 nights in Ortigia, 2 in Taormina, 1 in Palermo. For our 6th night I cannot determine if we should devote 3 nights to Ortigia as our base to have more time for places such as Noto etc or place a 2nd night to Palermo to have 2 full nights between transfers.

My current thinking if 3/2/1 is arrive Catania middday day 1, head to Ortigia and spend afternoon/evening there.

Day 2 - visit Noto, Ragusa, Marzememi or so one (1-2 of these).

Day 3 - visit another couple of places

Day 4- drive to Taormina, staying there.

Day 5 - visit Etna or gorges etc

Day 6 - to Palermo, spending part of the day in Cefalu

Day 7 - Palermo till leave for our flight late in day.

Is this a wise itinerary or should we forego the 2nd day of exploring behind Syracuse in favor of 2 nights based in Palermo?

Is there a big screen in Catania or a village near it. We are landing in Catania airport at 18 on sunday and have a rental car. Match is obviously at 21 o'clock. We need a hotel close to a public screening of the final, we have 2 kids. Im thinking a small local piazza with a big screen. Any good ideas? Forza!

Hello,

We will have 10 days in Sicily in August and we won´t rent a car. We don´t want to spend too much time traveling, and we prefer beach destinations (sandy than pebble), therefore I have Pozzallo and Avola on my list. Those are not the typical touristy locations - I chose the towns mainly based on some good accommodation options and proximity, but I am hoping it has also cosy astmosphere, good food options, nice beach etc - I will appreciate any apinion on that.

Do you think this itinerary is fine and what trips would you recommend on the go?

Catania - 2 nights (late night arrival, I was thinking Etna the next day, sleepover, short city tour and travel to Pozzallo)

Pozzallo - 4 nights

Avola - 4 night (last day travel to airport)

Thanks! :)

I am planning a trip for late September or early October 2022 and am wondering if the hotel swimming pools are generally in operation at that time. I have seen only one hotel wesite that specifically says that the pool is open only through September 15. Others are silent on the issue. What have TA visitors experienced that time of year?

Thank you.

Hello all,

Planning a trip to gorgeous Positano. We understand stairs. We can and will do stairs. But we want to try and hit the sweet spot of a wonderful few and the fewest stairs possible. (surely such a thing exists?)

Looking for a very good+ hotel or rental without too much of a knee-busting vertical climb up hundreds stairs (for example - while the Miramare has great views, it must be accessed via 200 stairs, which just sounds too strenuous to be worth it). We are mostly interested in good restaurants, wine bars, a little shopping and maybe a little beach time. And breakfast / sunsets on a great balcony or terrace. Walking up and down Via Pasitea or Cristopher Columbo would not be a problem for us.

We would like to keep the cost at not much more than $1K per night. Therefore, Sirenuese is not an option, lol.

Not sure about Ancora, either - rooms look pretty dated and it appears only one room has a full terrace with a view. Also unsure about Buca di Bacco. (so close to the beach. Assume it is noisy - am I wrong?)

I’ve checked Summer in Italy for rentals, and, unsurprisingly, there are few options left for our dates in mid-September. ( I do love how this company’s transparency about the number of steps to reach lodgings. Wish there were more options for our dates).

Finally - how long is the staircase from Via Cristopher Columbo down to Piazza Mulini, for example?

I’ve tried research on google maps and have learned that much of Positano is not mapped. Unsurprising since auto traffic is blocked in the town. (Have they ever heard of GoPro, lol?)

Thanks for suggestions!