Sicilia Travel Forum

We are a family of 2 adults & 2 children 9 & 12 yrs. We are flying into Trapani and want to stay in a charming hotel or apartment, preferably beside the sea and preferably with a pool. we would like to be within walking distance of a town and we love our food! we arrive in the evening. we arrive in the evening. should we base ourselves in trapani for the first night and then go elsewhere or is there somewhere that fits the bill near Trapani. We can either hire a car or take public transport. I did like the look of the hotel kalura in Cefalu but it's a bit pricey. any ideas ?

Hi there,
We were in Trapani last year- there isn't really that much to it to be honest..I wouldn't say it's a particularly beautiful city..it's quite small,run-down and shabby. We would advise staying one night there and going to visit any of the many beautiful places in the area.
We stayed in lovely b+b on the main street-the Ai Lumi- we rented an appartment there- it was huge and very reasonable in price-in an old building it had lots of character and lovely restaurant attached
The Egadi islands- an hour away by boat are v. beautiful+ relaxing with a few nice beaches. We stayed there and loved it..you can hire out bikes and cycle round- its not that big though.It seems very safe and child friendly You can also take a trip over to the other islands..It is quiet and traditional.
Erice a lovely mountaintop medievel town with spectacular views is about an hour or 2 from Trapani is well worth a visit.
I would do a bit of research and go outside Trapani definitely.
best of luck!rose

The medieval town of Erice is really only about a 30 minute drive from Trapani--straight up! It has beautiful views, mysterious winding stone streets, and even an area of town purported to be haunted. Good restaurants and a couple of charming hotels, but no swimming pools, and the sea is far below! Nice hiking up and down the hill, however. I loved Erice, and was glad to get out of Trapani.

That's interesting re the islands. where did you stay?
we are now looking at either I Mulini Resort near trapani, the nh tonnara di bonagia or trying to find somewhere in castellammare del golfo (hotel punto nord-est) or san vito lo capo. so any feedback anyone has on these would be appreciated.

the NH Tonnara di Bonagia looks stunning, but we are worried that will be too expensive for dining so wondered what the restaurant possibilities are within walking distance.

The I Mulino has transfers to airport and the train etc, is well positioned for a lovely beach and for exploring using public transport. it looks simpler than the NH and has lots of restaurants nearby.

the Punto Nord Est has a pool and is in Castellamare so there would be restaurants nearby.

we're not looking for a big exploring hol, just simple and by the sea but with access to good local restaurants within walking distance and options to do our own sightseeing easily enough.

if anyone has any advice or comments or alternatives, we would be delighted to hear them.
thanks.

My reply is late. Sorry new to the game and I think you may have already booked. The other replies were spot on, Trapani itself not too pretty and Erice is a wonderful day trip. We visited Catellmare del Golfo (check spelling) and initially we were going to stay there but ended up only visiting. Wished we had stayed there near the Port. It is a beautiful fishing village. It will be an easy trip from Trapani. Give it a go. Good luck.