Messina, Italy - What to do?
 

One of the stops on our cruise in in Messina, Italy, which is in Sicily. Any recommendations on what to do there?

Hello Sandra, <BR> <BR>Will you have a whole day? I'd say catch a train to Taormina (45-70 mins.). It's one of the gems of Sicily. <BR>Are you going soon? You might even have the added bonus of ... watching Etna errupt! <BR> <BR>Steve

Seriously - is the volcano affecting the Messina area? If so, I would expect the ship will skip it.

Messina is a considerable distance from Etna and is unaffected. The main threat is to the nearby village of Nicolosi. Catania airport has been closed for short periods several times in the last couple of weeks to allow clearing of volcanic ash from the runway. <BR> <BR>Steve

Messina is beautiful by itself, but definitely go to Taormina, it is a gem, Steve is right.

The train to take to Taormina is easy to find from cruise port?

The bus service to Taormina is actually better than the train, since the bus goes into Taormina town, while the train leaves you at the station at the bottom of the hill. From the station, you then need to take a taxi or another local bus into town. The bus terminal in Messina is adjacent to the train station, a short walk from the harbor.

Gac:<BR>Boy that bus tip was a plus!!! I assume they run regularly? H

affirmative. Every two hours at a minimum