Celebrity stop in Messina. Are there tours to Palermo?

[Lazz]

I am looking at a Celebrity Silhouette Med cruise that stops in Messina.  I wanted to get to Palermo to visit the city where my grandfather was born.  Does anyone know if their are ship tours to Palermo or the best way to get to Palermo so I can get back to the ship on time?

[ECCruise]

20 minutes ago, Lazz said:

I am looking at a Celebrity Silhouette Med cruise that stops in Messina.  I wanted to get to Palermo to visit the city where my grandfather was born.  Does anyone know if their are ship tours to Palermo or the best way to get to Palermo so I can get back to the ship on time?

We've been to Messina many times and I cannot recall any kind of tour to Palermo.  Likely because the drive is 2 1/2-3 hours each way since Palermo is on the other side of Sicily.  Which means that unless you have a very long call in Messina (like 8 AM to 8 PM or later), such a tour would not be practicable. 

 

I do see that some of the Silhouette calls are from 07:00 to 19:00 so technically it may be doable on your own.  However, we have driven all over Italy and Sicily many times and would never even consider such an endeavor. And since the rental car facilities in Messina don't open until 8 or 9, would render even that virtually impossible.

 

Celebrity does have sailings with stops in Palermo, though, so that's really how it can be done.

Edited June 16, 2023 by ECCruise

[George C]

We just found a taxi driver who spoke reasonable English and had him take us around then to a good local restaurant, it was a fun day but nobody in restaurant spoke any English took a while for us to order,

[ECCruise]

19 minutes ago, George C said:

We just found a taxi driver who spoke reasonable English and had him take us around then to a good local restaurant, it was a fun day but nobody in restaurant spoke any English took a while for us to order,

He drove you to Palermo?

[tfred]

Palermo is too far and too risky for a day trip. Traffic in the city is impossible. Taormina or Catania are better choices 

[George C]

30 minutes ago, ECCruise said:

He drove you to Palermo?

No it was a port on our cruise.

[ECCruise]

41 minutes ago, George C said:

No it was a port on our cruise.

OK.

But OP is docking in Messina, about 150 miles away from Palermo.

[MisterMet]

4 hours ago, Lazz said:

I am looking at a Celebrity Silhouette Med cruise that stops in Messina.  I wanted to get to Palermo to visit the city where my grandfather was born.  Does anyone know if their are ship tours to Palermo or the best way to get to Palermo so I can get back to the ship on time?

Taormina is the place to go.  Palermo is far away and not as nice as the eastern region of Sicily

[Lazz]

12 hours ago, George C said:

No it was a port on our cruise.

Which cruise line?

[tinaclose]

Costa and MSC both visit Palermo. 

[George C]

4 hours ago, Lazz said:

Which cruise line?

It was Renaissance which unfortunately no longer sails , great line adult only non smoking, went under shortly after our cruise in 2001.

[soniam]

The upcoming Beyond Italy/Turkey/Greece July 17th cruise was moved from Messina to Palermo. Many of the Celebrity med cruises this summer had their ports moved from Messina to elsewhere in Sicily due to "port overcrowding" in Messina.

 

EDIT: Palermo is too far from Messina for a port day trip.

Edited June 18, 2023 by soniam

[TeeRick]

On 6/16/2023 at 2:01 PM, Lazz said:

I am looking at a Celebrity Silhouette Med cruise that stops in Messina.  I wanted to get to Palermo to visit the city where my grandfather was born.  Does anyone know if their are ship tours to Palermo or the best way to get to Palermo so I can get back to the ship on time?

How important is this to you?  If very important maybe consider a separate trip there for a couple of days before or after your cruise?  

[terrydtx]

If you have enough time to do a 4-5 hours RT visit by car, look into a private tour. Tours By Locals is a good one and so is Viator.  If time is an issue I would recommend you visit Taormina and or Mt Etna.

[Alanr204]

It’s three hours from Messina to Palermo by train, it would be very tight but technically doable. The good news is the Messina Centrale train station is only about a ten minute walk from the port. If you think you can make it to the station by 07:55 the train will get you to Palermo just before 11:00.  You’d have to be back at the Palermo station by 14:30 to catch the train that will get you back to Messina at 17:38.  Personally, I wouldn’t risk it as any delay will mean you miss the ship but if you’re desperate….

[vwlmember]

Was in Sicily for two weeks last month. Have been 27 times so I do know the island well. Palermo is not worth the trip unless you port there.

 

Taormina is incredible but can be packed this time of year.

 

There is also Cefalu and Tindari on the north coast. Both could be done on a 8+ hour trip.

 

Near Cefalu is Santo Stefano di Camastra, a town dedicated to beautiful ceramic items. At very reasonable prices. 

 

There is also Milazzo that is only 15-20 minutes from Messina. Great boardwalk with many restaurants and some shopping. As well as an ancient fortress open to the public and Capo di Milazzo is the point of the peninsula that has amazing views and a small church built into the cliff side, Santo Antonino. There are a few "bars" there to get a bite to eat, a Gelato or a granita. 

 

Montalbano Elicona is a great Baroque town with a restored castle and spectacular views as it is on a hilltop. About an hour from Messina. The ride there is fun as well. 

 

Basically,  there is more to see and do within 60-90 minutes from the Messina port that puts Palermo to shame. While the city does have great street food and sights, including the Monreale cathedral just outside of the city and the Cappuccini catacombs in Palermo proper,  you can get the same things (minus the catacombs) much closer. 

 

Feel free to PM me for more info. I love the island dearly and will be retiring there in a few years. Sharing it with others gives me pure joy as it is a paradise that is very overlooked and extremely affordable. 

 

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by vwlmember
Added info

[happyyaya]

As someone else mentioned, we are on the Beyond in July and will now stop at Polermo instead of Messina.
Is anyone familiar with the terminal in Polermo? Will we be able to walk off the ship and walk in to Polermo to explore the city? What would you suggest we see in Polermo if we are walking and not doing an excursion?

[Hlitner]

As a frequent European traveler (sea and land) I am sometimes shocked to see threads with absurd topics.  We would suggest that anyone going to Europe with such questions (as Messina to Palermo) simply look at a map!  It is about a 2 1/2 hour drive (each way) between the two cities, and that assumes little traffic, no road construction, and no accidents.  I have actually driven the route (with a rental) car and it took just over 3 hours (one way) because of some construction.  I doubt if you will ever find a cruise that includes an excursion between Messina and Palermo.  It there was such an excursion it would likely be cancelled for lack of bookings!

 

My advice to the OP (and the answer to their question) is that if you want to see Palermo either book a cruise that actually stops in Palermo (a relatively common cruise port) or just fly to Italy and make your way to Palermo.  As to Palermo, it is not on our list of favorite places, but we will admit that a visit to the Capucin Catacombs is a real hoot.

 

Hank

 

 

 

 

[Treasure Hunter]

We did a Tauck tour of Sicily that starts in Palermo. You spend three days before going to much more beautiful places. There is a very good hop on hop off double decker bus. The main stop was in front of our hotel (Hotel Wagner). It is insanity to even think of trying to travel there on a port day from Messina. Taormina is so lovely, go there. 

[soniam]

On 6/19/2023 at 7:12 PM, happyyaya said:

As someone else mentioned, we are on the Beyond in July and will now stop at Polermo instead of Messina.
Is anyone familiar with the terminal in Polermo? Will we be able to walk off the ship and walk in to Polermo to explore the city? What would you suggest we see in Polermo if we are walking and not doing an excursion?

 

I have heard it's very close and walkable to town. I looked it up on Google maps to confirm, unless there's another port that I didn't see. The opera house is supposed to be nice. La Rinascente department store has a top-floor terrace food court that has great views and a mozzarella bar. I always find great souvenirs, including snacks, at department stores in Europe. Here are some other things I read about:

Palatine Chapel and Norman Palace

Palazzo Conte Federico

Il Ballaro market

Capuchin Crypt

[MarleneMarshfield]

On 6/18/2023 at 10:36 PM, vwlmember said:

Was in Sicily for two weeks last month. Have been 27 times so I do know the island well. Palermo is not worth the trip unless you port there.

 

Taormina is incredible but can be packed this time of year.

 

There is also Cefalu and Tindari on the north coast. Both could be done on a 8+ hour trip.

 

Near Cefalu is Santo Stefano di Camastra, a town dedicated to beautiful ceramic items. At very reasonable prices. 

 

There is also Milazzo that is only 15-20 minutes from Messina. Great boardwalk with many restaurants and some shopping. As well as an ancient fortress open to the public and Capo di Milazzo is the point of the peninsula that has amazing views and a small church built into the cliff side, Santo Antonino. There are a few "bars" there to get a bite to eat, a Gelato or a granita. 

 

Montalbano Elicona is a great Baroque town with a restored castle and spectacular views as it is on a hilltop. About an hour from Messina. The ride there is fun as well. 

 

Basically,  there is more to see and do within 60-90 minutes from the Messina port that puts Palermo to shame. While the city does have great street food and sights, including the Monreale cathedral just outside of the city and the Cappuccini catacombs in Palermo proper,  you can get the same things (minus the catacombs) much closer. 

 

Feel free to PM me for more info. I love the island dearly and will be retiring there in a few years. Sharing it with others gives me pure joy as it is a paradise that is very overlooked and extremely affordable. 

 

 

 

[MarleneMarshfield]

I’m cruising into Messina in Oct.  do you recommend Taormina?  I would hire a driver or taxi. Our interests our mostly food, wine, small quaint towns ( with shops and cafes). What itinerary would you suggest if you were my travel agent?  We will be there on a Saturday from 8 to 6. Thanks

[chemmo]

On 6/16/2023 at 7:01 PM, Lazz said:

I am looking at a Celebrity Silhouette Med cruise that stops in Messina.  I wanted to get to Palermo to visit the city where my grandfather was born.  Does anyone know if their are ship tours to Palermo or the best way to get to Palermo so I can get back to the ship on time?

What a lovely idea. It is always nice to see your roots!
 

We have visited Sicily a few times and loved it but Palermo was not our favourite stop. We found it lacking in charm but probably we didn’t know where to look….Do you have background information of the district he was born in or the church his family attended?  If you haven’t you may be able to find out more and even locate some relatives before you travel…Just visiting the port area, in my humble opinion, would not give you the ‘flavour’ of where your grandfather grew up…You definitely need some background.

 

I agree with others a day trip from Messina would be hard…a cruise that stopped in Palermo better…
 

 

 

 

 

Edited Thursday at 05:30 PM by chemmo

[vwlmember]

3 hours ago, MarleneMarshfield said:

I’m cruising into Messina in Oct.  do you recommend Taormina?  I would hire a driver or taxi. Our interests our mostly food, wine, small quaint towns ( with shops and cafes). What itinerary would you suggest if you were my travel agent?  We will be there on a Saturday from 8 to 6. Thanks

Yes and no. Taormina is really touristy and has lots of shops and restaurants, but it is not small town style.  Lots of designers (Gucci, Prada, etc.) and there are some smaller local stores, but they are way overpriced.  There is quite a selections of restaurants that have some really great food choices that include local ingredients. I can give you a few recommendations for places I have frequented as I was just there in May. PM me for more details.

 

Just understand that it may be packed full of tourists and there will probably be long lines for entry into some places. Even in October, as that is when many retirees will go figuring all of the families will be gone due to school being back in session. That being said, I still go every time I visit the island as it has become a staple, but this year the crowd was so thick I left after eating as it was too difficult to navigate all of the people. I did spend some time photobombing "influencers" that though they could personally try to shut down a street or alley for their convenience. 

 

There is a town further up the mountain from Taormina called Castelmola.  This is more like a small town with lots of small shops, great restaurants, and spectacular views. It is one of my favorite places.  

 

About 15-20 minutes further south is Naxos. This is a seaside town that has a great lungomare (boardwalk) with shops and restaurants. Plus you can dip your feet in the Mediterranean by walking on the beach.  

 

You could visit all three of these areas within the time you have allotted and can also have the possibility of seeing some of Messina on the return trip if there is time available. Specifically the Piazza del Duomo and the Astrological clock attached to the cathedral. This is right near the port and is actually walkable within 5-10 minutes.

 

If you are a wine afficionado, please order the house wines when you visit restaurants. It will be locally made and most times are not available as a bottled product for consumers to purchase. The best wines in Sicily have no label on the bottle. I have had some spectacular Grillo, Nero d'Avola, and Frappato wines that cost less than $10 for a half-carafe. Don't forget the limoncellos and grappas!

 

There is another choice as well. If you went across the northern coast of the island you could go to Cefalu and a few other towns along the way that may be less crowded, but are more focused on local shops and restaurants as well as being on the water for spectacular views and outstanding seafood. I can make recommendations for eating locations there as well. Let me know if you are interested and I will provide more information.

 

Either way, I am sure you will enjoy the experience, just be prepared for some crowds at either location.

 

 

Edited Thursday at 07:52 PM by vwlmember
added photo

[ItalLine2Cunard]

I think it's almost impossible to visit Palermo.

 

I have driven that route (2.5 hours each way) and taken the train (3 hours each way).  You would have no time left for the key sights in Palermo and there are many:  at the very least the Norman Palace, Teatro Massimo, Palermo Cathedral, and even Monreale up on the hill above the city.  Some of these even have tours. 

 

You'd miss the ship's departure.  Don't do it.

 

I'm almost sure a Messina port of call would have Taormina (an hour south) as its focal point for excursions.  It is compact, easy to manage, and the views are probably the best you'll have in Sicily.