Advantages: The Volcano, the food, the black beach
Disadvantages: the horse meat stall in the market (don't buy anything from a butchers with a cute photo of a horse outside!_

...Catania lies on the eastern coast of Sicily and is, historically and culturally a part of the 'Greek' part of the Island (as opposed to the arabic West of Sicily). The most striking thing about the city is the constantly puffing, and frequently erupting volcano which colours (sometimes quite literally) the city in a magical manner. Some people don't have the temperament for Sicily, the cities here don't have the manicured edges of Tuscany or the Emilian hills, but can provide far more beauty and exhiliration than any other part of Italy. So Catania itself takes a little getting used to. It doesn't have the beauty of Syracuse and Palermo probably has more immediate attractions in it. It has a fine Sicilian Baroque architectural style, best seen around the Piazza del Duomo with it's famous elephant statue - the symbol of the city... Read review

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Advantages: historicaly interesting, prety town, great views
Disadvantages: long train journet from Palermo

...from the main drag of shops and restaurants. Typically for Italy there is a vast range of prices. This can also be quite a touristy town so it worth picking your restaurant carefully as quality sometimes suffers as a result of the high demand. If you like shopping there is a good range of shops from clothes and leather shoes to a myriad of shops selling local ceramics with very distinctive patterns. Again there is a vast range of prices so it is worth shopping around as you could find the same items in several different shops. If you only have a short time in Sicily I would recommend visiting Taormina from Catania rather than Palermo, but if you have a little longer then it is well worth stopping in Taormina for a few days to take in the atmosphere. There are plenty of hotels centrally located to choose from. We found a charming B&B run... Read review

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Advantages: Nice people, good food and wine, weather
Disadvantages: Driving is scary

...or a boat and race across the water. When you arrive in Sicily you realise that the rhyme was in fact wrong and Italy must be a bit of a wuss as it has effectively managed to kick Sicily about 3 km into the sea. To fly to Sicily you have a number of options. We booked using Expedia and were able to select flights (one way) for the grand total of £142 for 2. We flew with Air Malta to Catania and found the experience perfectly satisfactory. If you would like to take your own car to Sicily you could potter through France, go under the mountains and then potter through Italy until you get to the Strait of Messina. Once there you would have to jump on ferry and sail across this narrow bit of water. There is talk of a bridge connecting Sicily to the mainland although it hasn't been started yet. Due to be finished in 2012 the bridge will become... Read review

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Advantages: Beautiful scenery, hot climate, so much to do and see
Disadvantages: Can be expensive

...If you're looking for something a little different out of a holiday then why not immerse yourself in some sicilian culture and customs by visiting some of their smaller towns on the island. Within the province of Caltanisetta lies two towns which are worth exploring. First things first I go to Sicily regularly to visit family and often go via plane from the UK to either Palermo or Catania and hire a taxi. However the last couple of trips we decided to go via car taking it through the channel tunnel, driving through France, up through the Alps and Mont Blanc taking in some of the most spectacular views, driving through the top of Italy and taking a fast cruise ship from the port of Genoa in Italy and relaxing for approximately eight hours until reaching the busy port of Messina, Sicily. I would personally recommend staying in one... Read review

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Advantages: Beautiful Culture and Scenery
Disadvantages: Mad Drivers in traffic choked streets!

...of getting about, but there are quite reasonable taxis, and buses to get around, and the cable car service between Taormina and the beach at Mazzaro is not to be missed. This cost us 2.60 euros return. We found a very good Trattoria "Al Giardino" just by our hotel in Via Bagnoli Croce, opposite the Public Gardens, which is well worth a visit also. On the downside of travelling here though, we found Air Italia's service very dissapointing indeed, especially when a group of our friends joining us were diverted the Palermo airport instead of Catania due to the baggage handlers goining on strike, subsequently causing them to drive from Palermo to Taormina - which they all described as a nightmare of a journey ! More direct flights also should be available, as we had to fly via Rome last time (never again). Next time we will be alot fussier about our... Read review

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Advantages: Good characterisation, writing and descriptions of Sicily.
Disadvantages: Poor plot.

...If "Blood Rain" had been the first Aurelio Zen mystery that I'd read, it would also have been the last. I finished the book but it was with more of a sigh of relief than enjoyment. Aurelio Zen is the Italian detective who stars in a long-running series of novels by Michael Dibdin. They're set in various parts of Italy and I've enjoyed every one - until now. Zen has been given the posting that's he's always dreaded - to Sicily - where's he's been sidelined into a meaningless liaison job. To complicate matters, the woman who might, or might not, be his daughter is responsible for the installation of a computer network in the building where he's working. A decomposed and unidentifiable body is found in a locked railway carriage. Is it the son of one of the local Mafia families? Zen is not officially on the case, but he can't help... Read review

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Advantages: near city centre
Disadvantages: very dangerous area

...Catania is a rough city in Sicily and the Liberty Hotel is in a bad area of the city. I tried to stay there but was carjacked right outside the Liberty Hotel!!! A man blocked the road while his team of thieves opened my car doors and stole our bags. Because of this incident, I drove off and didn't stay at the hotel that night. My girlfriend was terrified. When I told the hotel about this incident, they would not refund my money for that night. The manager said it was not his fault that I was robbed and that I should have stopped at the hotel to "discuss what happened" even though the hotel was a few feet from where I was robbed!!! That is the craziest thing I have ever heard. Pathetic how bad their customer service is. Please do not stay at the Liberty Hotel. I don't like supporting people that profit on other's misfortunes... Read review

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Advantages: hearbreaking at times
Disadvantages: none

...why do i support Italy with tears in my eyes, as yet again they managed to blow it again. Throw out the tournement the pundits did not rate Italyif you had listiened to them you would have thought that they would be lucky to come bottom of their group but Italy proved them wrong. it was with hope and some trepidation that i supported italy throw out Euro 2000. Some people might wonder why since the nearest I've got to being Italian is a passion for pasta. But italian football - league and their national games are just magical and so skillful at times . it can be a heart breaking experience watching Italy play when they throw it away or just play defencively like they did during the Euro 2000 tournment> Italy should have won the french were just so dam lucky . watch football italia on channel 4 if you want to see real footie... Read review

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Advantages: Very comfortable beds
Disadvantages: Location, Poor room service

...deserted in the evening once everyone had come home from work. I think in hindsight I would have been better staying in Taormina as walking round Catania wasn't that pleasant, as it seems to spend most of the day gridlocked with traffic belching out fumes.... Read review

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Advantages: See opinion
Disadvantages: See opinion

...Writing about my experience on a day trip to Catania could prove cathartic. There'a also a chance that it won't and at some point I'll run screaming from the computer to seek solace elsewhere and sleep with the lights on for a week. Quite a few personal nightmares converged in the one place, on the one day and if you want to hear about them, pull your chair a little closer to the monitor, and I'll begin. Whilst on an out of season holiday in Malta, we made a last moment decision to take a day trip to Sicily. The price was reasonable, plus an up-grade to first class was only £10 extra, and the Catamaran, The Virgin Butterfly, looked at right tasty little number on which to travel. I'm not comfortable being on the sea and so being told that this was the quickest way to get there, I decided that it'd be okay, just as long as it was quick... Read review

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