Shuttle Taomina.

[vival]

Hi we are visiting Taomina on Nautica next month and I was wondering if Oceania provided a shuttle from the tender port into town and if so what the cost was. I was just reading that Azamara charged $49 per person on a recent cruise and they advertise free shuttles where required!

[TERRIER1]

Hi we are visiting Taomina on Nautica next month and I was wondering if Oceania provided a shuttle from the tender port into town and if so what the cost was. I was just reading that Azamara charged $49 per person on a recent cruise and they advertise free shuttles where required!

 

There is a shuttle but not into Taormina only into the town Giardini Naxos where the ship tenders. From there you need to take a cab or public transportation. We were there on a Sunday in April and the public transport was pretty much non-existent and there weren't a lot of cabs.

[vival]

There is a shuttle but not into Taormina only into the town Giardini Naxos where the ship tenders. From there you need to take a cab or public transportation. We were there on a Sunday in April and the public transport was pretty much non-existent and there weren't a lot of cabs.

 

Thanks for your quick reply. It's disappointing if it's difficult to DIY as that was our plan. We just wanted to go into Taormina and have a relaxed wander around. What did you do?

[TERRIER1]

Thanks for your quick reply. It's disappointing if it's difficult to DIY as that was our plan. We just wanted to go into Taormina and have a relaxed wander around. What did you do?

 

In retrospect we should have found and shared a cab up to Taiormina or arranged a private tour ahead of time. If you are there and it isn't a weekend then the bus runs on a schedule. Go on your roll call and see if any others have aranged for a tour. We ended up walking around Naxos.

[vival]

In retrospect we should have found and shared a cab up to Taiormina or arranged a private tour ahead of time. If you are there and it isn't a weekend then the bus runs on a schedule. Go on your roll call and see if any others have aranged for a tour. We ended up walking around Naxos.

 

I'm starting to look at a private tours. Thanks for the advice I foolishly assumed if the itinerary said Taormina that we would be very close or there would be a shuttle.

[TERRIER1]

Oceania provides shuttles (or the town does) to where you can pick up local transportation not necessarily to the town listed on the itinerary. For example, the itinerary may say Florence with Livorno in parentheses. O will shuttle you to the square where you can pick up a bus to the train station. Florence is about an hour and half away. Oceania will offer excursions to these places but they are very expensive and you will do better on your own and with sharing excursions with others on your roll call.

[vival]

Oceania provides shuttles (or the town does) to where you can pick up local transportation not necessarily to the town listed on the itinerary. For example, the itinerary may say Florence with Livorno in parentheses. O will shuttle you to the square where you can pick up a bus to the train station. Florence is about an hour and half away. Oceania will offer excursions to these places but they are very expensive and you will do better on your own and with sharing excursions with others on your roll call.

 

I appreciate what you are saying but as taormina is just over 4 miles from Giardini Naxos I just assumed there would be a shuttle. This is our first cruise with Oceania having previously sailed a number of times with Azamara and in our experience they have always provided shuttles.

[TERRIER1]

I appreciate what you are saying but as taormina is just over 4 miles from Giardini Naxos I just assumed there would be a shuttle. This is our first cruise with Oceania having previously sailed a number of times with Azamara and in our experience they have always provided shuttles.

 

I totally understand. I thought so too when I first cruised. We will be cruising on Azamara for our first time in 2014 and looking forward to it.

[vival]

I totally understand. I thought so too when I first cruised. We will be cruising on Azamara for our first time in 2014 and looking forward to it.

 

We love Azamara it is very relaxed and friendly and so much more inclusive. We booked Oceania because the dates were better for us. We are really looking forward to a change and hope we won't be disappointed, which I'm sure we won't with all I have read on this forum.

[TERRIER1]

You will have a great time on Oceania. We like the R ships and I hear good things about Azamara. Just to clarify, there were some ports where O shuttles all the way into town. Two that I recall offhand is Valencia and Bilboa.

[Noxequifans]

We were on the Riveria 3 months ago. We used the O excursion to get to Taromina .... Not inexpensive but easy to book and afforded us a few hours on our own in Tarominna.

[Caroldoll]

but I don't remember if it was Taormina or Naxos. All I want to do the next time is go sit in a square and enjoy the Italian lifestyle. We did have a guide the last time in Taormina and we saw some historical sites. This time as I said, I just want charm? Is Naxos charming?

[lovelyjubbly]

Hi we are visiting Taomina on Nautica next month and I was wondering if Oceania provided a shuttle from the tender port into town and if so what the cost was. I was just reading that Azamara charged $49 per person on a recent cruise and they advertise free shuttles where required!

 

We were in Taormina a few weeks ago off the Riviera. Its an easy walk into the centre of Naxos (prob 10 mins max) and from there we caught a bus up to Taormina for @ 1.8 euros each which can either be bought on the bus or from the little roadside hut opposite the bus stop. The last stop is the bus station in Taormina which is where you'll get the return bus from. We loved everything about Taormina especially stopping for a canoli and coffee in one of the cafes. Hope this helps, enjoy your day.

[Caroldoll]

I would hate to get stuck and not make it back.

[lovelyjubbly]

I would hate to get stuck and not make it back.

 

When you get off at the bus station, just check the return times at the ticket office. We spent a good few hours there. Headed there straight from tendering into the port, had enough time to look around the town, visit the greek amphitheatre and be back to the ship before 2pm. All in all it was a very easy day.

 

I would recommend that before you disembark, make sure you see the Representative on Deck 5 and they'll give you a map and lots of information. This applies to every port as their information is invaluable to DIY days.

[vival]

We were in Taormina a few weeks ago off the Riviera. Its an easy walk into the centre of Naxos (prob 10 mins max) and from there we caught a bus up to Taormina for @ 1.8 euros each which can either be bought on the bus or from the little roadside hut opposite the bus stop. The last stop is the bus station in Taormina which is where you'll get the return bus from. We loved everything about Taormina especially stopping for a canoli and coffee in one of the cafes. Hope this helps, enjoy your day.

 

Thanks that's exactly what we want to do. Were the buses quite frequent or was there a timetable where you could check the return times? I take it it's only a shortish bus journey and 2-3 hours is enough time to spend in Taormina so if we leave the ship quite early we will have loads of time.

[TERRIER1]

I would hate to get stuck and not make it back.

 

The bus runs fairly frequently UNLESS it is a weekend or holiday. We were there on a Sunday in April which is pre-season. The bus is a good way to get from Naxos to Taormina as long as it isn't Sunday. I am pretty sure Saturday had a light schedule as well.

[vival]

When you get off at the bus station, just check the return times at the ticket office. We spent a good few hours there. Headed there straight from tendering into the port, had enough time to look around the town, visit the greek amphitheatre and be back to the ship before 2pm. All in all it was a very easy day.

 

I would recommend that before you disembark, make sure you see the Representative on Deck 5 and they'll give you a map and lots of information. This applies to every port as their information is invaluable to DIY days.

 

 

Hi you were answering my questions as I was posting :-) thanks for your help.

[Noxequifans]

Just a word regarding the local bus. There may be a number of cruisers with the same plan ... from your ship and perhaps any other ship that is also tendered there. Regardless of how you get to Taromina, cabs there for the trip back are usually available.

[Caroldoll]

It really helps. Much appreciated

[bethsanfrancisco]

 

I would recommend that before you disembark, make sure you see the Representative on Deck 5 and they'll give you a map and lots of information. This applies to every port as their information is invaluable to DIY days.

 

are the maps quite detailed or would it be a good idea to bring a map from home? specifically for florence and rome.

thanks

[JimandStan]

are the maps quite detailed or would it be a good idea to bring a map from home? specifically for florence and rome.

thanks

 

The maps will be rather basic, and having been supplied by the local equivalent of the Chamber of Commerce, they feature shops and stores more prominently than historical or scenic highlights of the area.

 

That said, particularly if you are a novice traveler, hiring a Guide will help you to maximize your experience, and in the long run will give you the best value for money in a large city like Florence or Rome.

 

If you were asking about Ibitha or Santorini, I would not have the same opinion.

[vival]

The tourist representative is usually quite helpful and will answer specific questions about public transport and mark bus stops on the map. However you might have to queue.

[orchestrapal]

The tourist representative is usually quite helpful and will answer specific questions about public transport and mark bus stops on the map. However you might have to queue.

 

You can learn a lot from the questions asked by the folks in front of you in the queue. Many times I have just listened, picked up a map and left.

[RachelG]

Have been to Taormina twice, once on a cruise and once on a land trip. There have always been plenty of taxis in the square in Taormina, so if you can get youRself up there either by bus or taxi, getting back to port should not be a problem even on Sunday.