Messina - 7 am to 6 pm - DIY need advice

[hubofhockey]

We will be docked in Messina from 7 am to 6 pm. I have seen private shore excursions online where they do both Mount Etna and Taormina. There will be four of us (the kids will be 13 & 11) and I would DIY, if it makes sense. For four people, a tour is pretty expensive. I have seen group of eight at 55 euros per person. I guess I could set up a roll call excursion. But the preference here is DIY as the kids would enjoy Mount Etna (to be honest, I would too) and Taormina sounds great too.

 

Does DIY make sense here? I don't want to stretch it or worry about time. Thanks.

 

Len

[Cornishpastyman1]

I only had a very short day there so could really only look around the Piazza and environs

which was pleasant enough as it was the last stop on a fascinating and intensive cruise.

 

Hopefully others will say whether you could do both Etna & Taormina on a D-I-Y basis. It very much looks like you can, as you've got a long day there, especially if the trains to Taormina run from say 7.30 am. If you can only do one then it seems that Etna is the pick, especially as you may well have seen an ancient theatre elsewhere on the cruise.

[operafan]

Great video! I just checked and we'll be there between 10am and 7pm next May. Time to start planning the day!

[hubofhockey]

Thanks. That is a great video. Hopefully, someone posts who has done Etna and Taormina in one day as a DIY. But we'll go to Mount Etna as early as we can and then see how we're doing on time. I don't know how long an experience at Mount Etna really is. If we have enough time for Taormina, great. If not, we can certainly spend some time in Messina.

[euro cruiser]

Would you consider renting a car and driving? That may be the only realistic way I think you can do both.

[hubofhockey]

Would you consider renting a car and driving? That may be the only realistic way I think you can do both.

 

Thanks. Probably not. We'll pick one and then spend some time in Messina or do a tour that includes both.