Erice is 60km west of Palermo and, by night especially, could not be further away from Palermo in terms of its appeal and attractions.
Unlike many other Sicilian towns, Erice has not suffered over the last 150 years or so through being "added to". The feel and atmosphere of the hill town are authentically medieval. Many of its narrow cobbled streets are free from traffic, and it is an ideal escape from the noise and hubbub of Palermo. For the first time in a while, you may notice that the continual whine of the Vespas has disappeared. Worth the trip on its own.
We were lucky enough to be driven to Erice one night by our host, Giorgio (see my journal "Giorgios House"), along with another guest, Candy, so long as we chipped in for the gas. I think Palermo gets under Giorgio's skin as much as it did ours, and I think he enjoys this particular excursion as much as his guests, even though he must do it every week.
Arriving by car at Erice, after you have wound your way up to the top of the hill, you park in a car park at the edge of town (Porte Trapani). You are then free to stroll the quiet, eerie (where is everybody?) streets and take in the atmosphere. You must take care to wrap up warm for the trip. Erice is high up and has its own microclimate, tending to be mistier and cooler than its neighbours at lower altitudes. This all adds to the atmosphere, of course.
The town itself is the highlight - it is beautiful, quiet, clean and full of character, its Norman Castello di Venere being its most specific attraction. Other than that, another notable highlight is the view over the west coast and Trapani down below that it gives. Strangely, despite the fact that there may be nobody around from 8pm onwards, there is a reasonable selection of trattorias in which to take a bite. We used the Ulisse (see its own journal).
A very, very highly recommended excursion and a wonderful contrast to the attractions of Palermo.