Can you take public transport from Messina to Taormina?

[gam888]

Could anyone please tell me if we dock at Messina, is it possible to take a bus or train to Taormina. I heard that you still need to walk a long way uphill to Taormina once you get off the bus or train. Do they run regularly and does anyone know how much a return taxi fare would cost for 2 people if we take it all the way from Messina, or from wherever the bus or train stop near Taormina into the town itself?

Thanks in advance.

[thebrits]

Hi,,

 

I don't know the answer to your question but we are on a Celebrity cruise that docks in Messina on 3 November and would be interested in sharing a taxi if it is the same cruise. We docked in Messina on a cruise last year and went to Taormina which we loved. We don't need to do a formal tour this time so sharing a taxi for a couple of hours there would be ideal

[gam888]

Hi,,

 

I don't know the answer to your question but we are on a Celebrity cruise that docks in Messina on 3 November and would be interested in sharing a taxi if it is the same cruise. We docked in Messina on a cruise last year and went to Taormina which we loved. We don't need to do a formal tour this time so sharing a taxi for a couple of hours there would be ideal

 

Hi, Thebrits,

 

Sorry, we are not on the same cruise, we are going in October. We have been in Taromina before as well 2 years ago and we loved it as well. This time there are only 2 of us and not worth hiring a private tour company for two people only. I think we are just going to take the ship excursion, they have one that just drop you off there and we can explore on our own.Have a nice trip in November!

[Bobal]

Whilst it's feasible I wouldn't recommend it. I did a lot of research on this before our visit earlier this year and the general consensus is that public transport is infrequent and unreliable. We reluctantly opted to take the cruise ship excursion as it seemed to be the best/most economical way to get there are taxis are very expensive.

[AlwaysReadyToSail]

We did it two years ago. It was very easy and a nice train ride. I live in a very rural area, so just the thought of public transport was a little bit intimidating to me initially but overall we didn't have any problems. On our ship there were plenty of people taking the train to Taormina, so we mostly followed the crowd.

 

Word of advice, don't take the latest train back and give yourself a little extra time for the return. We took the latest possible train back and barely made it back on the ship...I think we were the last ones on. The train was running a little late by that time and we were really stressed out. Had we planned accordingly and left extra flex time we would have been fine, but in hindsight we should have taken the earlier train.

 

All in all I would take public transport again. Much cheaper, nice scenic ride, and much more enjoyable than a ship tour.

 

 

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[gam888]

We did it two years ago. It was very easy and a nice train ride. I live in a very rural area, so just the thought of public transport was a little bit intimidating to me initially but overall we didn't have any problems. On our ship there were plenty of people taking the train to Taormina, so we mostly followed the crowd.

 

Word of advice, don't take the latest train back and give yourself a little extra time for the return. We took the latest possible train back and barely made it back on the ship...I think we were the last ones on. The train was running a little late by that time and we were really stressed out. Had we planned accordingly and left extra flex time we would have been fine, but in hindsight we should have taken the earlier train.

 

All in all I would take public transport again. Much cheaper, nice scenic ride, and much more enjoyable than a ship tour.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Would you mind telling us how much the train ticket is per person round trip. I presume it takes about an hour to get there? Is the train station walking distance from the Messina port, and once you get off the train at Taormina, do you have to walk a long distance uphill to get to the town? Thanks.

[euro cruiser]

The train fare between Messina and Taormina is €3,95 each way, or just uner €8 round trip.

 

The ride takes between 40 - 60 minutes, depending on the particular train.

 

The train station in Messina is located at Piazza dell Repubblica, very close and walkable (about a half mile) from the cruise port.

 

The train station in Taormina, on the other hand, is about a mile and a half from town and most of that distance is steeply uphill. You can get a bus or a taxi at the station to take you up to the town.

 

There is also the cable car from the beach up to town, but you'd have to walk nearly two miles from the station to the bottom of the run. The view over the water would be lovely for most of the walk, but there are no sidewalks so I don't know how comfortable it would be.