Has anyone done the RC "Explore Taormina" excursion from SIRACUSA port?

[fishiecrackers]

Hi all! Maybe this would be better on the Italy board, but I'm curious specifically about RC's excursion which is now leaving from Siracusa instead of Messina, which seems to be the more common port. We wanted to do Taormina when the port was Messina, but rethinking now that the port is Siracusa. Royal Caribbean has this excursion at 5.5 hours, so I'm wondering once all the driving is done, how much time you actually had in Taormina, and if you felt it was worth the driving? From Google Maps, it looks like the drive can be at least 1.5 hours each way, if not longer, which seems like it wouldn't leave very much time to actually walk around Taormina. 

 

We're spending a week in Italy before the cruise, so at this point I feel like we'll be tired and I'm leaning toward sleeping in, having a leisurely morning, and just exploring Ortigia, but my husband really wants to do Taormina still, so I was hoping to get some personal experiences from people who have done this excursion.

 

Thanks! 

[lakelorain]

I did this tour in October.  You have plenty of free time to walk around, shop and even have some lunch.   I don't think it took 1.5 hours.  Seemed shorter.

[taglovestocruise]

Might check this out if you want to spend all day.

How to get from Syracuse to Taormina?

From travel advisor. 

The best way to get from Syracuse to Taormina without a car is to train which takes 1h 50m and costs €9 - €18. How long does it take to get from Syracuse to Taormina? The train from Siracusa to Taormina-Giardini takes 1h 50m including transfers and departs every four hours.Mar 8, 2023

[d9704011]

17 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

Might check this out if you want to spend all day.

How to get from Syracuse to Taormina?

From travel advisor. 

The best way to get from Syracuse to Taormina without a car is to train which takes 1h 50m and costs €9 - €18. How long does it take to get from Syracuse to Taormina? The train from Siracusa to Taormina-Giardini takes 1h 50m including transfers and departs every four hours.Mar 8, 2023

The train schedule and timing don't tell the full story.  Typically, people want to visit the upper portion of Taormina not the train station, which is at the bottom of the hill.  A taxi would be required back and forth from/to the train station to enjoy the sights and get back to Siracusa.  Really, this is not a good candidate for a DIY excursion.

 

Oh yes.... don't forget about travelling back and forth to the Siracusa rail station.

Edited March 22, 2023 by d9704011

[fishiecrackers]

7 hours ago, d9704011 said:

The train schedule and timing don't tell the full story.  Typically, people want to visit the upper portion of Taormina not the train station, which is at the bottom of the hill.  A taxi would be required back and forth from/to the train station to enjoy the sights and get back to Siracusa.  Really, this is not a good candidate for a DIY excursion.

 

Oh yes.... don't forget about travelling back and forth to the Siracusa rail station.

Yes, we have ruled out doing it as a DIY, but thanks to the previous poster for the info! The options at this point are the RC excursion or a day in Ortigia. 

[fishiecrackers]

8 hours ago, lakelorain said:

I did this tour in October.  You have plenty of free time to walk around, shop and even have some lunch.   I don't think it took 1.5 hours.  Seemed shorter.

Thank you! I’m not sure how it would be faster, but that would be great if that’s the case! Spending 3 hours of a 5.5 hour excursion in a bus doesn’t seem fun, honestly.
 

Is it enough time to take the tram down to Isola Bella, do you think? Did you feel it was worth the money as opposed to just exploring Ortigia?

[lakelorain]

On 3/23/2023 at 2:40 AM, fishiecrackers said:

Thank you! I’m not sure how it would be faster, but that would be great if that’s the case! Spending 3 hours of a 5.5 hour excursion in a bus doesn’t seem fun, honestly.
 

Is it enough time to take the tram down to Isola Bella, do you think? Did you feel it was worth the money as opposed to just exploring Ortigia?

I didn't take the tram.  Can't remember how much free time we had but i walked through the entire town and stopped in many stores and the church.  Also had a cocktail and lunch with friends.  

 

[d9704011]

On 3/22/2023 at 11:38 PM, fishiecrackers said:

Yes, we have ruled out doing it as a DIY, but thanks to the previous poster for the info! The options at this point are the RC excursion or a day in Ortigia. 

Ortigia is a great place to spend the day.  Plenty to see.