violetduck

Seeking info for friend attending concert in Taormina in July. Flying into Catania and would like to know if he should stay in Taormina or Catania and take train to concert. It is less than an hour by train. He has a difficult time walking and after I did a little research feel Catania would be the place to stay. Taormina is a hill town and usually not the easiest to manage walking. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

annhig

what time is the concert, Voiletduck, and where is it?

PalenQ

I'd stay in Taormina -if I recall the town on a hill is fairly flat in the main square area and where hotels are located. After all he will still have to walk to and from the concert -presumably in the Roman Arena which could be a tad sloping to get to perhaps but he has to do that anyway - though a taxi from the train station on the sea below the hill could take him right to the concert. there is a cable way linking station area with town center.

I liked Catania but it is a large city? At foot of Mt Etna, Catania is flat as a pancake however.

Taormina will also be absolutely full of tourists at that time -I stayed there and rather enjoyed the nightly passage with many strollers out at night in a perceived safe environment.

Those are regional trains - no reason to buy ticket ahead of time -just at station and validate it himself in date-stamping machines before boarding the train -buy a return ticket and do it each way.

sundriedtopepo

I didn't care for Catania, but if he's just going for the purpose of a concert and nothing else, then I guess it wouldn't matter.

Taormina has it for views and beauty over Catania, if that makes a difference. But it is more challenging, for sure.

There are a few hotels along the main street, Corso Umberto, in Taormina where he could stay without having to do stairs.

Corso Umberto, the pedestrian main street, is about 800 meters from the Porta Catania to Porta Messina, fairly level, with some descent towards Porta Messina, if that helps.

From the train station, you must take a taxi up to the town of Taormina.

PalenQ

From the train station, you must take a taxi up to the town of Taormina.>

don't the gondolas still do that route?

sundriedtopepo

Pal the gondolas will take you down to the lower level of town where the beach and Isola Bella are. But the train station is 2 miles from there at Giardini Naxos.

kja

Once in Taormina, much of the town is relatively level. But as sundriedtopepo notes, a bit of planning would be needed to identify a hotel that didn't require a hill or stairs.

One other consideration: Taormina is stunningly beautiful, but can be so packed with daytrippers that walking is literally a challenge -- even in late May, I found myself crushed between people and unable to move of my own volition, and honestly, that's not a pleasant experience. I enjoyed Taormina once daytrippers had left, but NOT when they were there.

Hope that helps!

violetduck

Thank you to all, will pass on information.

annhig, sorry I don't have that information right now.

neckervd

All Taormina bound buses start at the airport.
Easiest solution: take the bus from airport to Taormina bus terminal and book a hotel just there (Miramare or so). Call then a local taxi for the ride from there to the theatre.

annhig

annhig, sorry I don't have that information right now.>>

well, violet duck, you've had a lot of info here but without knowing exactly where the performance is, and at what time, it's not really that useful is it?

for example, if the performance is at night and won't finish until 10pm, I for one would not want to be getting a train or bus back to Catania and going back to a hotel there at well after 11pm. OTOH if it's in the afternoon, and your friend has other things planned in Catania, that might be a better option.

We were not overwhelmed by Taormina, but we probably stayed in the wrong place [in Castelmola, even higher up the hill so we were not able to enjoy Taormina at night when all the tourists had gone away]. Others here, especially those who have stayed at the Villa Schuler or other similar boutique hotels, really enjoyed it.

Were I going to a performance there, I'd stay there the night before and the night after, and if the hills are a problem, use a cab to get me back to the hotel after the show.

kja

Without knowing the traveler's preferences, I agree that no <u>advice</u> will necessarily make sense, including what time it would make sense to do anything. ;-) <u>Information</u>, however, can be valuable, and it would seem to me that the traveler can put that information to whatever use he thinks best. JMO.