Independent travel is great, but searching for the right travel options can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. We'll find the choices for you! It's the perfect solution for independent travel in Sicily. Having your entire itinerary planned before you arrive in Sicily is easier than you think. If you want to visit Sicily "on your own" without a tour group, but don't want to deal with all the details that your travel agent (and that "complete" travel guide book you bought) simply can't handle, our personalized planning service is for you. It's as unique as you are, like having a travel agent and concierge in one. Somebody who can set up a week of sailing, hiking, riding or just plain, old-fashioned relaxation. And because we don't represent specific hotels, resorts, sail charter firms or other travel-oriented establishments, our advice and service is objective and balanced, designed to meet your needs, not those of a self-interested marketing program. (Each week, we receive dozens of requests for free information and advice. Please note that this is a paid service.) Time is very important, so please contact us well in advance of your arrival, especially for the busy Summer season, when four or five weeks may not be sufficient to reserve a villa near Taormina or a hotel suite in Lipari.

Quick Links to Topics
(but please read all of them)
What we can do.
Why it's convenient.
How much it costs. € £$
Why choose us?
"Secret" Information.
To begin.
Conditions and Contact.

What we can do:
Suggest an itinerary based on your interests.
Propose hotels (and even restaurants) suitable to your needs.
Recommend interesting places and experiences (agritourism, sailing, winery excursions).
Find and purchase tickets for events like concerts.
Suggest cultural events like art exhibits.
Arrange for a personal tour guide and driver (as well as airport pick-up).
Search for (and find) a unique villa or other location for your stay in Sicily.

Why it's convenient.
Our highly trained staff is as close as your computer, telephone or fax machine, before and after your arrival here in Sicily. Our fixed fee is billed to a major credit card. Simply Sicily is the only Sicily-based travel service in the world that offers anything this complete, convenient and personalised for visitors (we don't think of you as a "tourist") coming to Sicily.

How much does it cost?
Our planning service usually includes the actual travel-related features you select (hotels, theatre tickets, guides, etc.). The itinerary service itself is charged as a flat fee. For clarity, the fees described here are for itinerary planning only. A 4% reservation surcharge of the total billed is made if we handle actual bookings. (This is to cover the cost of credit card fees and other expenses.)

While every itinerary is unique, it takes more time to plan a longer one than a briefer one, and our fees are based on this principle. The following rates, expressed in euros (presently one euro equals approximately one US dollar), presume a change in lodging location every two days. If your entire stay in Sicily is to be at a single location (hotel, etc.), the minimum rate would apply. And, of course, our English-speaking staff is always available to assist you by phone during your stay.

Itinerary up to 4 days or nights (or single location)	€220.00
Itinerary from 5 to 8 days/nights	€300.00
Itinerary from 9 to 12 days/nights	€390.00
Itinerary from 12 to 15 days/nights	€500.00
Tour guide or driver (per day)	€240.00 plus expenses

Why choose Simply Sicily?
Because we'll find what you're looking for. Travel agents, especially the kind that offer specialised excursions like cooking courses, farm visits, winery tours and other "active holidays," are fantastic --as long as their "menu" (package) of selections happens to have what you want. In other words, if your requirements fit their "pre-selected" choices. But we don't know of many travel agents or travel consultants who, for the standard 10% commission, will actually venture very far out of their ways to find what you're looking for. And that's not always their fault, because some of these professionals are very competent. It's just that since they work for commissions, they're not paid to make a special effort for you, the client. (From a business perspective, they may hardly "work" for you at all, as their real clients are the hotels, but don't tell anybody that you read that here!) One of the best reasons to choose us is simply that our staff of planners and guides is exceptionally qualified, far beyond what's required by law to work in this field, and we recommend only the best travel options. The kind of choices we'd choose for ourselves.

Most of our travel planning clients choose Simply Sicily to plan creative itineraries. You may wish to commission this service and drive around Sicily yourself. However, we can also provide a personal guide to drive you from one destination to another.

"Secret" Information.
Secret information? Well, almost. Travel books, your "local" travel agent and destinationguides (websites) have their place. In fact, we work with several travel agents outside Italy. But few of these fine sources of travel information have access to the wide range of choices we can offer you. The more you know about Sicily, the more you'll benefit from our service. Being in Sicily is a natural advantage which allows us more immediate access to the kind of information that makes your holiday stay on this charming island more enjoyable. We're constantly searching for the best choices to offer you, and that means we're personally familiar with most of those we recommend --whether it's a particular hotel, country retreat, event or restaurant. (We try not to eat too much in "familiarizing" ourselves with dining spots!) But since we're not paid to promote particular establishments, we're free to offer you the best ones.

Some recent projects: We found a restored medieval watch tower for a couple that was looking for a romantic honeymoon getaway on the Sicilian coast, and we reserved a rustic mountaintop villa near a beach for a group (of twelve) in search of the real Sicily but too large for most residential villas. (In both cases, our clients' "local" travel agents had searched for similar solutions but couldn't find them.) For a group of six, we organized a 10-day vacation consisting of sailing in the Aeolian (Lipari) Islands followed by horse riding in the Madonie Mountains. When you "hire" us, what you're really paying for is the benefit of our experience. For example, if we recommend a villa or rural retreat, you can be sure it's the real thing, not just something created to exploit the tourism market. The sail charter companies we work with offer Sicily's best skippers and newest fleets of catamarans and sail boats (or, as they prefer to say here in Sicily, small 'yachts'). Everybody on our team is a competent professional. We're not corrupted by commissions. Instead, we work for the best client in the world: You!

To begin...
Email us with the following information:
Your name, postal address and telephone number,
Date of your arrival and number of people in your party,
Your requirements (places you'd like to visit, duration of your stay, etc.),
Credit card information (card type, card number, expiration date, name of cardholder).

Conditions.
Time is very important, so please contact us well in advance of your arrival, especially for the busy Summer season, when four or five weeks may not be sufficient to reserve a villa near Taormina or a hotel suite in Lipari. This service is generally intended for individuals, couples or smaller groups (up to 8 people). For larger groups, please consider our customised tour service. Our flat rate fee applies per party (group), whether this is one person or eight, and does not include applicable Italian taxes or the 4% reservation surcharge. We accept major credit cards. In the event of a cancellation, the planning fee is non-refundable. For credit card billing information, please consult the Billing section of the page About Us.