Polish Versus Range
The Amalfi Coast is a single masterpiece of scenery. Pastel towns stack up the cliffs, lemon terraces drop to the water and almost every hotel terrace frames the same blue sea. It feels finished and stylish, especially in Positano. The trade-off is sameness: after five days, most couples have seen the best of it.
Sicily covers far more ground. The east coast has Taormina on its cliff above coves, with Mount Etna, Europe's tallest active volcano, smoking in the background. The southeast has honey-colored baroque towns and the island-city of Ortigia. The west holds Palermo's markets and Arab-Norman churches, plus the temples of Agrigento and Segesta. Beaches range from sandy bays to black volcanic rock.
Sicily is also a little rough around the edges, which is part of its appeal. Couples who want everything smooth and pretty lean toward the coast. Couples who like contrast, chaos and a story behind every stone tend to love Sicily.
Distances and Getting Around
On the Amalfi Coast you will not need a car. You will be glad of it. The coast road is narrow and congested in summer, with limits on non-resident vehicles on busy days. Private drivers handle transfers and day trips, while ferries link Positano, Amalfi, Salerno and Capri in season. Most hops take under an hour.
Sicily is the opposite. A rental car is the best way to see it, because trains are limited beyond the main coastal routes. Highways link the major cities, although secondary roads can be slow and driving inside Palermo and Catania is chaotic. Taormina to Siracusa takes about 1.5 to 2 hours and Palermo to Taormina about three, so the island is larger than it looks on a map.
The practical fix in Sicily is a one-way rental, flying into Catania and out of Palermo or the reverse. If neither of you wants to drive at all, the Amalfi Coast is the more relaxing choice.
Flights From the US
Neither has many nonstops, so plan on a connection for most dates. For the Amalfi Coast, fly into Naples International (NAP) through Rome or another European hub, or take the high-speed train from Rome to Naples or Salerno. A private car from Naples reaches Positano or Amalfi in about an hour and a half.
Sicily has two main airports: Catania Fontanarossa (CTA) for Taormina, Etna and the southeast, plus Palermo (PMO) for the west. United flies seasonally from Newark to Palermo. Other summer routes from New York have served the island in recent years. Check what is running for your dates. Taormina is about an hour by car from Catania.
In total travel time the two are close. The coast wins slightly for a short trip because you arrive and stay put. Sicily asks for more of your days on the ground, which is why we suggest a week as the minimum.
When Each One Shines
May, June and September are ideal on the Amalfi Coast, with warm days, a swimmable sea and everything open. Early October can be glorious too. From roughly November to March most of the famous hotels close and ferries cut back, so it is a poor winter choice for a honeymoon.
Sicily has a longer season. May, June, September and October are its best months. October often brings warm water with fewer visitors, a favorite with couples who marry in late summer. April is lovely for towns and ruins, though beaches are better later. Winter is mild with some rain. It works for food and culture rather than swimming.
Both get hot and crowded in July and August. Sicily's inland heat can pass 95°F, so pick coastal bases with pools and sightsee early. On the coast, peak months mean the busiest roads and the highest rates. If your dates fall outside late spring or September, Sicily is the more flexible pick.
Hotels and Bases
The Amalfi Coast is famous for its hotels. Our four picks are Le Sirenuse in Positano, a family villa with the town at your feet; Hotel Santa Caterina near Amalfi, with cliff elevators to a private beach club; Caruso, A Belmond Hotel in Ravello, known for its infinity pool and gardens; and Monastero Santa Rosa, a 20-room former convent in Conca dei Marini. Most couples split their nights between two towns.
Sicily spreads its stays across very different settings. Taormina has the grand hotels, including Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo beside the Greek theater and San Domenico Palace, a Four Seasons hotel in a former convent. Ortigia has boutique stays in old palazzi. Around Noto, restored farm estates have pools among the olive trees. On Etna, Monaci delle Terre Nere, the estate we cover, is an 18th-century monks' property of organic vines and gardens near Zafferana Etnea, about 40 minutes from Catania airport. A typical plan pairs Taormina or Etna with the southeast.
Lemons or Granita
Food is a draw in both and they taste quite different. Amalfi cooking is built on the sea and the local sfusato lemon. Expect scialatielli with seafood, spaghetti alle vongole, grilled fish, lemon desserts and limoncello made from terraced groves. Campanian whites such as Falanghina and Fiano come with almost every lunch.
Sicily layers flavors from its many rulers. Breakfast is granita with a soft brioche, in almond, lemon or coffee. Snack on arancini, try pasta alla Norma in Catania and look for caponata, sea urchin pasta in season and cannoli filled to order. Bronte pistachios turn up in pesto and gelato. Wines are a highlight: Etna reds and whites, Nero d'Avola from the south and Marsala from the west. A street food walk through Palermo's Ballarò market is a fun half day.
For couples who travel to eat, Sicily has the deeper menu. The coast wins on the setting of each meal, often a terrace hanging over the water.
Cost and Doing Both
The Amalfi Coast's famous hotels are among the most expensive in Italy in summer. The area offers fewer bargains in peak months. Sicily has luxury prices too, mainly in Taormina, but outside the top resorts its hotels, farm stays and trattorias are often gentler on the budget. Add a rental car and fuel to Sicily's total. On the coast, budget for a private driver plus a boat day. Treat all prices as approximate ranges that rise sharply in July and August.
They combine well for a longer honeymoon. Spend four nights on the coast, then take a short flight from Naples to Catania or Palermo, or an overnight ferry from Naples to Palermo, for a week in Sicily. With fewer than ten days, choose one: the coast for ease, Sicily for range.
For a second honeymoon or anniversary trip, the other one is waiting.
