Messina to Taormina best transportation
 

What is the best way to go from Messina to Taormina. We will be there from 10 to 6. How can I get time schedules for the Train and bus? What is the cost? Where is the station located? How easy is it to get a taxi? What is the cost of the taxi?

TOPPING because I also would like to know the answer to this question.

Thin

Go to Taormina

Here is some information I have found, hope it helps. From the research I have done I have determined that it is best to go on the ship tour, a private tour or taxi. The bus takes two hours each way so it limits your time as you should be back to Messina 1 hour before the ship leaves as you need to take the cable car down and then the tender. The train is ½ hour and then you need to get a taxi, bus or shuttle to take you up to the town as the train is at sea level. None of the schedules seem to be reliable and you need to make adequate arrangements to get the right train to be back on time. Another issue is the bus and the train can be full and you can not make it on. At least from our time we have: it get’s in at 10 AM and leaves at 6:00 PM we do not have many options to see and I would not risk it. From Sicily Limousine Service Transfer from Messina dock to Taormima is 89 Euro (4 people) each way Ext. time 45 min. The option I am incline to do is to go to Mt Etna and then to Taormina

See additional information below and on another posting I did located at http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ily-cruise.cfm
Here they recommend the Godfather tour.

THE ETNA EXPERIENCE & TAORMINA:
Mt Etna Volcano is one of the world's most active volcanoes, and the most
active one in Europe . It has been erupting for several million years.
Mt Etna is one of the greatest and most beautiful volcano adventure tour
destinations in Sicily .
It has more than 400 craters, split all over the Catania county.
We will drive from Messina to mount Etna through several Sicilian towns
(Santa Venerina, Zafferana, Milo ...) visit some old lava flows, and during
the ascent different kinds of vegetation can be noted. We will reach 2.000
meters ( 7.000 ft ) where we then take a walk together to visit the
"Silvestri" craters (1986) and the latest new lava flows and craters from
2001/2002/2003 - We will then visit a local family farm where it is possible
to taste local Etna wine, a selection of different types of honey (orange,
lemon, eucalyptus, strawberry.), almond pastries, olives, extra virgin olive
oil. We then take you to one of the most well-known vineyards, the "Tenuta
San Michele del Murgo" where it is possible to tour the wonderful property
overlooking the sea and the volcano and taste some of their local table wine
(Optional). Driving down from the mount through a wonderful pine tree
forest, we get to the highlights of Taormina . Our introduction to Taormina
today will take us around the beautiful town of Taormina , situated on a
rocky plateau on the slopes of the steeply dropping Monte Tauro, dominating
the Ionian coast from Capo Sant'Andrea to Capo Taormina with the Etna
Volcano rising majestically in the background. The downtown centre
represents a variety of historical periods, from the early Greek settlements
and the Ro man age, to the remains of Byzantine and Medieval constructions up
to the 15th Century Catalan buildings and 17th Century Baroque churches and
Palaces.
Not to miss is a visit to the Greek Theatre, a stroll to the mean street
"Corso Umberto" with several art and designers shops, Baroque churches and
Palazzi. You can have an excellent meal at one of the local Sicilian places
pointed out by your expert local guide.
The entire price of EURO 340,00 for 1/2/3 persons, 360,00 for 4 persons,
390,00 for 5/6 persons, 420,00 for 7/8 persons, includes a private deluxe
auto with English speaking driver/Guide. From Sicily Life

Sicily Limousine Service 299.00 EURO



Re: Private Taxi Tour to Taormina
Posted: Sun February 15, 2009 11:51 AM UTC
A tip from a VTer:

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel...sina-BR-1.html


by bus: http://www.interbus.it/interbushtm/ricerca.asp. Sorry, in Italian only. Fares for a return ticket around 7€

By train: http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/cms...0080a3e90aRCRD
.
VT by going to the web page: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/736c8/24364/g/
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/ae2c2/40/8/

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/ae2c2/24ba8/9/

mappy.com


Here is a blog with some opinions about how to get around to Taormina from a cruise ship:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=177005


There is a bus company running from Messina to Taormina. Here the webpage, in the drop down menu insert Messina first and in the second Taormina and then the timetable will appear.
http://www.interbus.it/

Here are the contact numbers for a company that rents cars with drivers in Messina:
Tel: +39 0933 825.562
Tel. +39 0933 06.41.31
Fax: +39 0933 833.188
mobile: +39 349.730.13.19
e-mail: [email protected]
Company name: E.C.S. Italia

The list of major taxi companies in Messina:
http://ww2.unime.it/dipfisica/TAXI1.htm


Tour and transfer services
http://www.tourshuttle.com/EN/italy/...r_messina.html



The clock tower with the animated statues (12 noon) is worth a visit. The grounds also have fountains. The Messina Regional Museum has many artworks. 2 hours tops.
It is only a 30 minute train ride and there many trains during the day that go from Messina all the way to Siracusa. The trains are on time. Sicily has a very efficient rail system.
Arrival by Public Transport. Interbus have regular services
Take the bus. When you take the train it does not go to Taormina, but stops at the bottom of the hill, a few miles away. Then you have wait for a bus to take you to Taormina. "Interbus" is just outside the Messina Train station..............it is cheap..............the busses are clean............and they run every 1 hr during the week...........and they let you off right in Taormina.
We only saw the old town up the hill, and didn't go to the sea-front area.
We were there for 2 hours or so and managed to see it all apart from the amphitheatre although it was rather rushed.
I would say that half-a-day would enable you to see the town, the lovely shops, little alley-ways, the fountain etc and get a great view of Mt Etna from the small garden at the end of the town, or the lovely public gardens - as well as the amphitheatre.
I'll have some photos on my web site soon so will let you know when you may see them.

We arrived by coach at the coach/car park half-way up the hill where you transfer to a free bus service to take you the rest of the way. The town has a main street with a gate at each end and the far end seemed to lead to a main road with plenty of traffic. I suppose it depends how you reach the town from the ship.
Do visit the gardens though - they are beautiful with wonderful views along the coast and over to Mt Etna. The restaurants are used to visitors on a time-limit and seem to cater for those who are in a hurry. There is a nice little snack bar at the far end of the town where you can buy (very cheap) pizza slices, pastries, sandwiches and drinks to take over the road to the small garden near a hotel entrance. It was there that we stopped to eat and take-in the view.
look at my Sicilian page - http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/ae2c2/40/
has a link to Interbus which has a Messina - Taormina service. There is other stuff there about the location of the railway station at T.(at the bottom of the hill). Also the reliability of public transport (don't put too much faith in timetables). The train we selected from T. to Messina still hasn't turned up. LOL. I suspect your decision to confine your day to visiting T. is very wise & bus probably better than train as it terminates close to the entry gate. Leave Etna until you have time to get right to the top! have fun de p.
When we were in Taormina in April we used a taxi tour service at 'www.sicilylife.com' There number is 0039 3284137533. They use nice air-conditioned vans and they primarily do tours. But as we found out a taxi trip is the same price as a tour so we combined getting from A- B with a tour in between! Ask for a driver named 'Nicola'
I'd definitely recommend taking the cable car down to the beaches below Taormina - great way to cool off after a busy morning's shopping and strolling! The beach at Isola Bella is lovely and snorkel ling great, but yes do take some suitable waterproof shoes /sandals that you can wear in the sea, it is very pebbly.
First of all, the cruise director of the Carnival Liberty will tell you that there aren’t any trains that run to Taormina. This is not true. The train stops just below Taormina where you then take a shuttle up to their bus stop which is at the base of Taormina. I felt that this was very misleading and I’m glad we did the trip on our own and opted not to go for their shore excursion which was quite pricey considering how reasonable you can do it on your own. We took the bus there, which took almost 2 hours!!! It stopped a lot along the way to let passengers off and on, so on the way back, we opted for the train which took about 1/2 hour to get back to Messina and it was lovely views along the way. My point is, don’t believe everything the cruise director tells you because I found his suggestions not accurate on three of the ports. I guess it’s their way of having you book their shore excursions that are way over priced!!!!

Wow lots of advertising here…I am a local who is not employed by the tourist industry so I am not selling anything.
You can take the “interbus” as recommended above or you can take the train. If you take the train you will arrive at the Taormina-Giardini station and still need to go up to the tourist trap AKA Taormina corso. For 2 people a taxi will cost about 20 euros, an outrageous price but it is Taormina so get used to it. Best bet you can take the interbus from the station they pass by about every half hour except during siesta, it will cost about 1.20 euro each way per person, buy the tickets from the driver. The view on the train is worth the extra transportation change and the train service is more frequent between Messina & Taormina. Unless you have tons of money to leave in the hands of the greedy and pretentious inhabitants a short visit is enough. Best bet, bring a lunch and enjoy the view from the public garden. Taormina’s old store fronts are mostly fakes, the Greek theater was rebuilt with bricks, although the view of Etna and the bay of Giardini Naxos is wonderful the same view can be had almost anywhere in the town, everything is double the price you will find elsewhere! There are great things to see and expirences to be had in Sicily if you get off the beaten track a bit.