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It was a good introduction to Sicily, prices for food and drink were extremely reasonable and the quality was excellent. Be prepared that in many establishments English is not widely used or understood. Menus can be a challenge if you have a preconceived idea of what constitutes 'Italian' food.

The place is nice to spend a week there, you can enjoy small beaches, a lot of restaurants and shopping in historical city center, nice atmosphere. There are lots of options to do if you don't stay in Trapani - Erice, Islands, Palermo, SanVito lo Capo and other places are avaliable to visit in a day tour.

Trapani is a good destination with interesting museums and archeological sites nearby, the bus and train service is excellent. We stayed at Trapani destinations B&B which is a well designed apartment with lots of interesting features. Very comfortable and spotless, with air conditioning and an excellent breakfast served by Davide who is a really helpful host, with, fortunately for us, very good English. Nothing is too much trouble, he is very keen to help with directions, travel arrangements etc. A mine of local information. The old town is about 5 minutes walk away, with lively bars and good restaurants. The sea at the port is just a short distance away but the port quietens down around 10.30 so the apartment is peaceful. The small town beach is okay. We went to guilliano beach but really the next beach along is better. You can get a 21 bus from just across the road from the apartment or a 23 to the cable car for Erice. Just up the road is a small very popular snack shop takeaway, superb chips and panatelle a kind of potato pancake, really delicious, eat them down by the waterside. Cheap as chips. If you are on a budget we think you would find it hard to get better value than Trapani Destinations B&B.

In September, Trapani was not completely overun with visitors, so it was possible to get the feeling of the 'real' town. Trapani is full of things to look at- buildings, fishing boats; beaches; shops. Plus, it's possible to visit other interesting sights less than an hour away by public transport. Cafes and restaurants abound. Within Trapani, pretty much everything is accesible by foot. Taxis are available and buses (though these need some perseverence to find out the details ! We were lucky- there was nothing we would avoid another time.

Great place for a short visit and to take the cable car up to Erice ( which was brilliant and excellent price- definitely better than driving up). We arrived on a Sunday afternoon so no traffic and easier to park- roads were very busy the next day. The old town was vibrant at night, buzzing with cafes, wine bars, restaurants but very few shops. Super smaller bars and restaurants in side streets so it’s best to wander around and do try the cous cous- with some Grillo wine, deliziosa! A walk along to the tower (Torre di Ligny) was great at sunset with great views of the city. What we never realised was that there’s a beach at Trapani- didn’t use it but it looked ok. Trapani is a real Sicilian city not the soft tourist package with lots of sights which the less adventurous may not like but it was great for us. Try to speak Italian - not everyone speaks English and it’s rude to assume they do but if stuck use Google translate!

Honest, approachable, friendly people, everywhere. We stayed just outside the atmospheric old town - which has its own very attractive beach beneath the castle wall - by a short walk and also close to the main shopping street which was also very convenient. Lots of cafes all around, especially in the old town, with really excellent ice cream. Trapani is on an isthmus so you have water on both sides, about 15 minutes to walk from one side to the other. We used the private beach nearby, where you can rent sunbeds and parasols, and use the saltwater shower, plus get coffee and food throughout the day, for very little expense. However, the bottom is very rocky so you need to swim as soon as the water is deep enough or take swimming shoes, or both. Plus they have a children's swimming pool and lots of toys, lifeguards, attendants, restrooms, whatever you need, or you can use the public beach next door at no charge. We would also recommend a visit to the mountain top village of Erice, on the cable car. It seems semi-mediaeval with a number of very interesting churches and a castle, all worth a visit and with tremendous views. Also recommended - about 45 minutes away by (hire) car - is San Vito Lo Capo, for a really excellent beach where you can walk out on sand as far as you want, and swim in emerald and cobalt water. Also highly recommended is the day trip to the islands nearby, which again is not expensive, which includes food, and where we seemed to be the only tourists among a sea of Italian families. We never got around to a visit to Corleone, home of Don Corleone from The Godfather, or a visit to Marsalla, because we had plenty to do. For the first time ever, out of all the places we have visited, including Hollywood, Beijing, Hong Kong, Nice, Budapest, Mexico City, Moscow and many others, Trapani is the one place we are seriously considering moving to...