From Catania airport, what is the best transportation to Taormina and how long does it take to get there. Taormina was recommended as a place to stay, but how is Augusta or Siracusa? We want to visit Vizzini where relatives are from.

You can get to Taormina from the Catania airport by direct bus, without having to change in the center of Catania. Departures every two hours circa. Travel time 75 minutes. You can also reach Siracusa from the Catania airport by direct bus in 60 minutes. Renting a car saves a few minutes. I would not recommend staying in Augusta.

Susyn, <BR><BR>Catania is approximately the same distance from Taormina and Siracusa (in opposite directions) on the east coast of Sicily. (Taormina is north of Catania and Siracusa is south). I understand there is a bus line called Interbus that goes from Catania Airport to Taormina but I haven't taken it yet myself. According to shellgeostar.com, driving time to Taormina from Catania is about 30 minutes and to Siracusa 45 minutes but I assume that the bus ride is longer. This is the website for Catania's airport - it may have some further information: <BR>http://www.cormorano.net/aeroporto.catania/home.htm<BR><BR>Taormina is a cliff-top town in a spectacular setting with lots of hotels, bars, restaurants, and shopping and a couple of worthwhile sights. Definitely a resort type of atmosphere. There's also a mediocre beach below town that you can reach by a funicular from the main part of town. <BR><BR>I haven't been to Siracusa yet but I understand that it has more cultural attractions than Taormina (museums and an archaeological park). Maybe someone else will post with personal insight for you on Siracusa. Good luck!

If you really want to visit Vizzini you must opt for Siracusa. Visiting Vizzini from Taormina takes up the best part of one whole day. You can always move on to lovely Taormina after you have said hello to your relatives !

Though I've never traveled directly from Catania to Taormina, I know there's good public transportation on that stretch--bus and I think train as well.<BR><BR>Though Vizzini, like Taormina, is in the province of Catania, it's much closer to Siracusa than to Taormina. It is slightly closer still to Ragusa. The old part of Ragusa, Ragusa Ibla, is lovely and worth visiting, though it doesn't have as many important things to see as Siracusa. I don't think there's too much of interest in augusta, a commercial port city, but I've never been there. I assume that you will be staying in beautiful Taormina at some point during your trip, and visiting Siracusa as well, unless you've already ben there.<BR><BR>If I were in your postition I'd stay at least one night in Vizzini. If you've never stayed in a little south Italian/Sicilian town, it's a fascinating life-changing experience that you should have at least once--unless of course you have reason to want to limit your contact time with the relatives. I just checked Google and found that there's an agriturismo place in Vizzini: http://utenti.tripod.it/sicilia_turismo/agriturismo.htm<BR>Maybe you can stay there, especially if you'll have a car. Often the only problem with an agriturismo is that since it is a farm, it generally may not have easy access by public transportation to the nearby town--but not a problem though if you'll be driving or if relatives can pick you up. Vizzini even sounds like an interesting little place to visit as a "tourist." It rates an entire 2 1/2 inch paragraph in the Michelin green guide to Sicily! ("My" little town of San Salvatore di Fitalia has a one-inch paragraph, and I thought that was exciting.) Then again, you could send me there on your behalf (if only I had more vacation days...).