Palermo or Rome?

Palermo is far better for swimming. Mondello's half-moon of pale sand and clear, shallow water is a short bus ride from the centre. For deeper water, the flat rocks towards Sferracavallo and Capo Gallo have ladders straight into the sea, and Cefalù's long town beach is an hour away by train.

Rome's sea is a day out rather than part of the stay. Ostia is quick to reach by train, but its dark volcanic sand is mostly divided into paid lidos and the water is rarely clear. For prettier coves you have to travel as far south as Sperlonga or Sabaudia.

The two cities eat equally well, but in different ways. Palermo's cooking happens in the markets of Ballarò, the Capo and the Vucciria, with fried chickpea panelle, spleen sandwiches and dishes such as pasta con le sarde that still carry the island's Arab sweet-and-sour flavours. Its pastry shops, with cannoli and brioche with granita, are a reason to go in themselves, and Sicilian wines give it the edge in the glass.

Rome's strength is the trattoria and its four classic pastas, together with Jewish-style artichokes in the Ghetto and offal in Testaccio. The catch is the centre, where food near the big sights is dull, so it pays to walk out to Trastevere or Monti for dinner.

Palermo's Arab-Norman monuments are unlike anything else in Italy: the gold mosaics of the Palatine Chapel under an Islamic carved ceiling, the red domes of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, and Serpotta's stucco oratories. They can be seen properly in a few days.

Rome works on another scale. The Colosseum, the Forum and the Pantheon are only the ancient layer. On top of them come early Christian mosaics, Bernini's piazzas, Caravaggios in side chapels, and the Vatican and Borghese collections. Palermo is a fascinating single chapter, while Rome takes weeks and still leaves things unseen.

Both cities spend their evenings outdoors with a drink rather than in clubs. Palermo's version is rougher and more seasonal: the Vucciria market becomes a street party of grills and cheap beer, the Kalsa has wine bars, and in summer the dancing moves out to the beach venues around Mondello, while winter weeknights go quiet.

Rome has more distinct quarters to choose from. Trastevere has the crowds, Monti the cocktail bars, San Lorenzo is the student quarter and Pigneto the arty one, with the few clubs gathered in Testaccio and Ostiense.

Palermo has wild country much closer to hand. Monte Pellegrino rises straight above the streets, with an old path up to Santa Rosalia's sanctuary, and Capo Gallo offers cliff walks and snorkelling. Further out are the Zingaro coastal trail and the Madonie peaks of nearly 2,000m, though you need a car for most of them.

Rome's green spaces are gentler and more cultivated: the villa parks, the cycle along the Appian Way past tombs and aqueducts, and the crater lakes of the Alban Hills. Real mountains in the Apennines are about ninety minutes away.

Both cities make excellent bases, but Rome is the easier one. Ostia Antica and Tivoli's two great villas are close, the Etruscan tombs, Orvieto and Civita di Bagnoregio lie to the north, and high-speed trains put Florence and Naples within reach for a day.

Palermo's list is remarkable in its own right: Monreale's mosaics half an hour away, Cefalù by train, the lonely temple at Segesta, hilltop Erice, and Agrigento's Valley of the Temples about two hours away. The difference is access. Many of Palermo's ancient sites really need a hire car, while Rome's excursions mostly run by rail.

Neither city is built around children, but Rome has slightly more for them to do. Villa Borghese has the Bioparco zoo, rowing boats and space to run, there is a children's museum, and gladiators and catacombs catch young imaginations.

Palermo's best card is Mondello's shallow, sandy bay, which beats anything Rome offers small swimmers, and the puppet shows of knights and Saracens appeal to older children. Away from those, its narrow lanes without pavements are hard going, and a seaside base often works better than the old town.

Both centres are best seen on foot. Palermo's main sights line two straight streets between the Norman Palace and the sea, but beyond them the buses crawl, the trams serve the suburbs, and a car becomes almost necessary for Segesta or the interior, despite the difficult driving.

Rome is somewhat easier. Its metro barely enters the historic core, but it does reach the Vatican, the Colosseum and Termini, and the train network covers the day trips, so a car is more burden than help. In both cities, expect cobbles and scooters underfoot.

Rome is a real shopping destination. The big fashion houses line Via Condotti and the streets around the Spanish Steps, Monti has young designers and vintage, Via Margutta and Via dei Coronari keep their artisans and antique dealers, and Porta Portese is a huge Sunday flea market.

Palermo's Via Libertà has some Italian fashion, but what is worth carrying home is regional: painted ceramics and moor's-head vases, marionettes from the puppet workshops, coral jewellery, and capers or almond paste from the markets.

Palermo is clearly the cheaper stay. Market street food makes a filling meal, family trattorie and local wine cost far less than further north, and old-town guesthouses are fairly priced for most of the year. The main costs are a hire car for day trips and the July and August demand at Mondello.

In Rome, the expense comes mainly from small, costly rooms in the centre and the entry fees at the Vatican, the Colosseum and the Borghese. Standing espresso, pizza al taglio, free drinking fountains and free churches help to balance it.

Rome has the broader programme. The Teatro dell'Opera moves outdoors in summer to the Baths of Caracalla, the Santa Cecilia orchestra plays in Renzo Piano's Auditorium, which also stages jazz and world music, and the churches hold frequent organ concerts.

Palermo's Teatro Massimo is a grand opera house where tickets are easy to get. What Rome cannot match is the Opera dei Pupi, the hour-long marionette battles from the Charlemagne legends performed in small family-run theatres.

Neither city has a bathing tradition of its own, but Palermo makes rest harder to find. Its nearest thermal water means a train ride east to Termini Imerese, and in town there is little calm between the market noise and the scooters. Travellers who want a proper rest usually stay outside the city.

Rome is easier for a few quiet hours during a city stay. The sulphur-fed outdoor pools of Bagni di Tivoli are just past the edge of the city, and the free hot springs around Viterbo make a good day out. Back in the centre, the large villa gardens and the Aventine hill have more shade and room to sit than anywhere in Palermo's old town.