Page 52 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

ACCOMMODATION ALTERNATIVES

CouchSurfing couchsurfing.org

Vacation Rentals by Owner vrbo.com

Airbnb airbnb.com

Crashpadder crashpadder.com

Self-catering villas and apartments

Private holiday apartments and villas are available in places like Taormina, Cefalù,
Siracusa and the Aeolians, and are generally rented for anything from a couple of
nights to a month. Although these can be very expensive in the peak summer season –

when Italian families come on holiday – real bargains can be found in May or late
September, and during the winter. Good websites are homelidays.it, casa.it,
homeaway.it and casavacanze.it.

Tour operators and villa companies also have self-catering villas, farmhouses and
apartments located right across the island, usually in beautiful locations, often with
swimming pools. Rates vary wildly, from €600 a week (sleeping four) to thousands

for a place suitable for a house party. For an idea of what’s available, contact
companies like Think Sicily ( thinksicily.com), Bridgewater ( bridgewater-
travel.co.uk), Travel Sicilia ( travelsicilia.com), Italian Breaks (
italianbreaks.com), Solo Sicily ( solosicily.com) or Dolce Vita Villas (
dolcevitavillas.com).

Rural accommodation

Rural tourism has expanded significantly in Sicily in recent years, and every region

now holds a choice of interesting places to stay, from working farms and wine
estates to restored palaces and architect-designed homes. Accommodation is in
private rooms or apartments, and many establishments also offer activities such as
cooking courses, horseriding, mountain-biking, walks and excursions. Hosts often
speak English or French, and sometimes offer meals (or there might be a restaurant

attached serving home-produced food, as is the case in many farmhouse-style places).
We’ve recommended some of our favourites in the Guide, but many others fall within
various umbrella schemes like Agriturist ( agriturist.it) and Agriturismo (
agriturismo.com), whose websites have sections on Sicily, with links to the
properties. Rooms usually cost €80–120, depending on the establishment, and note that
some places require a minimum stay of three nights.