Best of Italy and Sicily — Self-Launched
15 days · Italy & Sicily
Trafalgar charges £4,330
No-markup version: ~£1,810 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 15-day route from Palermo to Venice, recreating Trafalgar's coach tour using trains, buses and ferries plus independently bookable guides and experiences. You cover the same ground — Palermo, Monreale, Agrigento's Valley of the Temples, Taormina and Mount Etna, Sorrento and Capri, Pompeii, Rome, Assisi, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Florence and Venice — staying in well-located hostels, guesthouses and budget hotels, joining small-group walking tours where a local expert genuinely adds value, and travelling on Italy's excellent public transport. Costs are rough per-person estimates for shoulder season.
Day-by-day
Arrive Palermo
Palermo
Fly into Palermo Airport and take the Prestia e Comandè bus or Trinacria Express train into the city centre (~£5). Check into a budget guesthouse near the Centro Storico, then spend the evening wandering the Kalsa district and Quattro Canti.
🚌Airport bus or Trinacria Express train into Palermo, then walk
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Centro Storico, e.g. dorms or private rooms around Ballarò (~£25)
- →Independent evening wander of Quattro Canti and Kalsa
- →Arancina and street-food dinner at Ballarò market
Palermo & Monreale
Palermo / Monreale
Join a self-bookable Palermo walking tour (GetYourGuide, ~£20) covering Teatro Massimo, the markets and La Cala harbour. In the afternoon take local bus 389 or AMAT A1 to Monreale and visit the Norman Cathedral with its golden mosaics (~£2 entry, bus ~£2 return).
🚌Local AMAT bus to Monreale
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Centro Storico (~£25)
- →Small-group Palermo old town walking tour
- →Monreale Cathedral mosaics
- →Cappuccini Catacombs (optional)
Palermo to Agrigento
Agrigento
Take the regional train or SAIS bus from Palermo to Agrigento (~£12, 2-2.5 hrs). Check in near the station, then head to the Valley of the Temples. Book a GetYourGuide local guide (~£25) or just use the audio guide to see the Temple of Concord and Temple of Juno at golden hour.
🚌Regional train or SAIS bus Palermo–Agrigento
🛏Budget B&B/guesthouse near Agrigento station or Via Atenea (~£28)
- →Valley of the Temples entry (~£12)
- →Optional local-specialist guided tour of the temples
Agrigento to Taormina (Giardini Naxos)
Taormina / Giardini Naxos
Take the train from Agrigento to Taormina-Giardini via a change at Palermo or Caltanissetta (~£20, 4-5 hrs). Settle into a hostel or guesthouse in Giardini Naxos, cheaper and quieter than Taormina itself, and take the local bus or cable car up to Taormina for sunset over the bay.
🚌Regional trains with a change, then local bus to Taormina
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Giardini Naxos (~£30)
- →Evening in Taormina old town
- →Corso Umberto stroll and the Greek Theatre exterior
Taormina, Mount Etna & lemon farm meal
Taormina / Etna
Book a GetYourGuide Mount Etna half-day trip in the morning (~£45) — they collect you from Taormina and drive to the craters at 2,900m. In the evening book a farm-to-table dinner at one of the family-run lemon or olive farms on Etna's slopes (~£35), the independent equivalent of the 'Be My Guest' experience.
🚌Guided minibus pick-up; local bus back
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Giardini Naxos (~£30)
- →Guided Mount Etna summit excursion
- →Family lemon-farm dinner on Etna's slopes
- →Optional Savoca (Godfather villages) tour
Taormina to Sorrento
Sorrento
Train to Messina Centrale (~£5), walk or take bus 79 to the port and cross the Strait of Messina by ferry to Villa San Giovanni (~£3). Continue by train to Naples (~£35) and then the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento (~£4). Long travel day, but you see the same ferry crossing the coach tour uses.
🚌Train + ferry (Messina–Villa San Giovanni) + train + Circumvesuviana
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Sorrento or Sant'Agnello (~£35)
- →Strait of Messina ferry crossing
- →Evening passeggiata in Sorrento
Capri day trip
Capri / Sorrento
Take the hydrofoil from Sorrento to Capri Marina Grande (return ~£35, 20 mins). Diy-skip the group coach: ride the funicular up to Capri town, walk to the Gardens of Augustus and Belvedere di Tragara, and take a public boat to the Blue Grotto if the sea is calm. Optional afternoon ferry over to Positano.
🚌Public hydrofoil Sorrento–Capri, funicular, local buses
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Sorrento (~£35)
- →Capri hydrofoil crossing
- →Funicular to Capri town and Gardens of Augustus
- →Optional Positano ferry and Amalfi Coast bus
Pompeii and on to Rome
Pompeii / Rome
Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii Scavi (~£3). Book a 2-hour small-group Pompeii tour with an archaeologist via GetYourGuide (~£30) or take the official audio guide (~£12). Afterwards continue by Circumvesuviana to Naples and take a high-speed Frecciarossa or Italo to Rome Termini (~£25-35).
🚌Circumvesuviana + high-speed train Naples–Rome
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Termini / Monti (~£40)
- →Guided or audio-guided Pompeii ruins visit
- →Free evening in Monti
Ancient Rome
Rome
Book a combined Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill timed ticket (~£18 direct from the official Colosseum site) or a small-group tour (~£35). Walk to Circus Maximus, then head to St Peter's Basilica (free entry, dress code). In the evening join a free 'fountains and piazzas' walking tour (tip-based, ~£10 tip) finishing at the Trevi Fountain.
🚌Metro and walking
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Termini / Monti (~£40)
- →Colosseum and Roman Forum entry
- →St Peter's Basilica
- →Piazzas and fountains walking tour
- →Trevi Fountain and Pantheon
Rome to Pisa via Assisi
Assisi / Pisa
Take an early regional train to Assisi (~£12) and visit the Basilica of St Francis (free, modest dress required). Continue by train to Pisa via Florence (~£25). Drop bags, then walk to the Piazza dei Miracoli to see the Leaning Tower and Duomo at dusk.
🚌Regional trains Rome–Assisi–Florence–Pisa
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Pisa near the station (~£32)
- →Basilica of St Francis, Assisi
- →Piazza dei Miracoli and Leaning Tower
Pisa to Cinque Terre to Florence
Cinque Terre / Florence
Train to La Spezia (~£8) and buy the Cinque Terre Treno MS card (~£16) for unlimited travel between the five villages. Walk the coastal trails between Corniglia and Vernazza if open, or hop the train between villages and swim at Monterosso. Late afternoon train to Florence (~£12).
🚌Regional trains + Cinque Terre train card
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Florence, Santa Croce / Santa Maria Novella (~£38)
- →Cinque Terre villages by train and trail
- →Swim at Monterosso
- →Vernazza harbour viewpoint
Florence
Florence
Join a small-group Florence walking tour (~£22) covering the Duomo, Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria. Book Uffizi or Accademia tickets in advance (Accademia ~£16, Uffizi ~£25) to see Michelangelo's David and the Renaissance collection. Evening in the Oltrarno for a cheap trattoria dinner.
🚌Walking, occasional bus
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Florence (~£38)
- →Florence old town walking tour
- →Accademia (David) entry
- →Optional Uffizi Gallery
- →Oltrarno food and wine evening
Florence to Venice
Venice
High-speed train Florence to Venice Santa Lucia (~£30, 2 hrs). Base yourself on the Lido or in Mestre (budget option, ~£35) rather than central Venice. Afternoon: take vaporetto line 2 down the Grand Canal (~£8 day pass) and get lost in Cannaregio.
🚌High-speed train + vaporetto
🛏Hostel/budget hotel on Lido or Mestre (~£38)
- →Grand Canal vaporetto ride
- →Cannaregio and Jewish Ghetto wander
- →Optional Burano lagoon boat from Fondamente Nove (~£15 public ferry)
Venice sights
Venice
Visit St Mark's Square early to beat crowds, then Doge's Palace (~£22) and St Mark's Basilica (basilica free, ~£3 to skip the queue). Cross the Bridge of Sighs from inside the palace. Watch a free glassblowing demonstration on Murano (public vaporetto ~£8 return). Evening: share a gondola at the standard fixed rate (~£70 for up to 5 people) or just enjoy the canals on foot.
🚌Vaporetto and walking
🛏Hostel/budget hotel on Lido or Mestre (~£38)
- →Doge's Palace
- →St Mark's Basilica
- →Bridge of Sighs
- →Murano glassblowing demo
- →Optional shared gondola ride
Departure from Venice
Venice
Final coffee in a campo, then take an Alilaguna water bus or ATVO bus from Piazzale Roma to Marco Polo Airport (~£12-15). Or add an extra night if you want to see the Biennale, Burano or Torcello.
🚌Alilaguna boat or ATVO/ACTV bus to Marco Polo Airport
🛏—
- →Last Venetian breakfast
Self-launched vs. Trafalgar
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Trafalgar | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,810 | £4,330 |
| Duration | 15 days | 15 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,520 per person (58%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Trafalgar-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,810
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Best of Italy and Sicily — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,810 per person for 15 days in Italy & Sicily. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Trafalgar?+
Yes — Trafalgar charges around £4,330 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,810 — a saving of roughly £2,520 (58%) per person.
How long is the Italy & Sicily trip?+
This itinerary runs 15 days, covering 15 day-by-day stops through Italy & Sicily.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, foodie trip through Italy & Sicily, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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