Port of Messina

[gf42]

Has anyone visited the port of Messina (Sicily) ? Can anyone suggest something that would be interesting to do or see .

[Kroosin]

I'm going to Messina in July and I have a friend whose family is from there. She says Taormina and the Greek Theatre are not to be missed! She also raves about the ride there and advises us to wear our walking shoes. Have a great time!

[DonLou]

Definitely see Taormina. It is a wonderful little walking and shopping area. When you reach the Greek theatre, you can go to the top and get a great view of Mt. Etna in the distance.

[24butterfly]

Has anyone visited the port of Messina (Sicily) ? Can anyone suggest something that would be interesting to do or see .

 

Go to Taormina. There's really NOTHING in Messina. IT's not a tourist town like Rome or Paris. Messina is just a port.

[gf42]

Is there public transportation to go there ? Taxis or set up something in advance ? Does anyone know anyone there ?

[Hlitner]

I agree with the other posters that say "go to Taormina." Its a good distance from Messina (about 25 miles) but you can do it on your own by taking the train from Messina. The train will deposit you below the city where you can either use a bus, taxi, or the cable car to get up to Taormina. If you are a shopper, keep in mind that most of the stores in Taormina close in the afternoon from about 1:30 or 2 until 5pm.

 

Hank

[cougfan]

We went to Messina in Oct. 2004. In the morning we walked down to the little museum they have (approximately 1.5 miles from where the ship docked) and than back to the Duomo to see the astronomical clock in the bell tower at noon. We took an afternoon ships tour to Taormina to see the Amphitheatre. It was a fun day, one of my most enjoyable days on our cruise.

 

Julie

[Shorty52]

We went to Messina 2 years ago. Other than the Clock Tower, there is nothing to do in Messina. We took the tour to Mt. Edna. NOT TO BE MISSED! It was 86 degrees in Messina. When we got to the top of Mt. Etna it was snowing. Quite a difference in temp. Good luck and don't forget to bring something warm if you decide to take the tour.

[patqrq]

We went to Taormina last week while docked in Messina.We got a cab for 8 of us and spent the morning. Awesome views at the top with Mt. Etna in the background.I study the ship excursions for each port to see what's not to be missed,then make my own itinerary.I find it less expensive and more comfortable going by taxi(mini-van).

[gf42]

Thanks all for your suggestions. You all seem to be in agreement. Does anyone know of transportation that can be set up in advance or is taxis the best way to Taormino ? We are 14 people, but I am not sure we will all go.

[patqrq]

You can definitely set up private tours in advance but we had no problem finding a taxi at each port.We looked over the ship's excursions and prices for each city we visited and basically did the same tours on our own for much less.We were a group of 8 with a 6 year old and my 71 year old mother so the convenience of a taxi for the day worked well for us.Make sure to find someone who speaks good English and always negotiate the price beforehand.We had wonderful drivers who were very friendly and provided us with information on all the sights along the way and stopped for photos and restroom breaks at our request.They will even recommend a good restaurant and gave us tips on the best shopping in the different towns we visited.Keep in mind that we were in Europe last week which was still off-season.If you are thinking of private tours,the earlier you get off the ship at each port the better your chance of getting a taxi right away.We were off each day as soon as the ship was cleared at 7:30.Most of the major tours are at least 30 mins from where ship is docked.Hope this helps.

[bonnieg]

Patqrq: Thank you for all the good advice you have given me. How much did the taxi cost you to Taormina? We already have reserved a rental car, but I'm curious what the difference would be. Thanks.

Bonnie

[patqrq]

bonnieg-The price for 8 of us to go to Taormina was 350 euros for about 7 hours.Keep in mind last week was still off-season so the prices may have been a little lower than in peak season.Any other questions-ask away!

[bonnieg]

patqrq, thanks for the info, but I think we'll stick to our rental car for $50usd.

Bonnie

[Host Karen]

Posts regarding tour sharing can only be made on the roll call for your sailing. Feel free to repost your message to gf42 there.

 

Karen

HostKaren@CruiseCritic.com

[JHUNTGOLF]

Thanks all for your suggestions. You all seem to be in agreement. Does anyone know of transportation that can be set up in advance or is taxis the best way to Taormino ? We are 14 people, but I am not sure we will all go.

 

gf42,

 

We took the Liberty last August, and I had 16 in my group. Here's what I wrote in my review about Messina:

 

"I had previously arranged via e-mail with Salvatore Lucibello to have a private tour of Taormina and Mt. Etna. Our guide, Gaetano, and driver, Sebastian, picked us up at 8:00am at the pier. We headed off for Taormina first. We spent some time walking through the city, taking pictures and walking into one of the churches. We ended up at the Greek Theatre (entrance was 6 euros per person). The views were just spectacular from the seats of the theatre looking at the stage and to the sea beyond. We were told that Elton John and Diana Ross had just had a concert here about a week ago. We had lunch at a small café in Taormina. We then headed for Mt. Etna. It was a long ride, and it started to rain the closer we got to Mt. Etna. When we got out of the bus, it was very cool because we were about 6,000 feet above sea level. It had started raining a little harder at that point. We just took a few photos before heading into a restaurant. I also did pick up a couple lava rocks to give to my daughter who teaches 2nd grade. I thought her students might find it interesting, when they have a lesson on volcanoes, to see and touch some real lava rocks from an active volcano in Sicily. We were all disappointed with the adverse weather and would have liked to have been able to spend more time at Mt. Etna. As it turned out, this was the only rain we had during our entire stay in Europe so there wasn’t much we could complain about at all. It took about an hour to get back to the ship, and we arrived at about 4:05pm. The cost for the 16 passengers was 1,000 euros, or 62.5 euros per person."

I used Salvatore Lucibello of Drive Amalfi for tours in Rome, Messina, Naples, and Livorno as well as for transfers to and from the ship. His prices were very reasonable compared to what Carnival was offering. If you care to contact him, he can be reached at salvatoredriveamalfi@hotmail.com or *****. I hope this info proves helpful.

John

[cruiser620]

Bonnieg,

 

I'm also thinking about renting a car in Messina, but haven't looked into it yet. What company did you rent from? How far from the port are they located. Thanks for any info you can give me!

[carraizo99]

We just came back from a cruise on the Liberty and there is nothing to do at Messina. We went to the local bus and train terminal and rode a bus to Taormina about 1 1/2 hours. Seeing to countryside and the ride up to Taormina made the trip great. Interbus is the name of the bus company. Get to the terminal early so you can spend more time at Taormina. The bus will take up to the town, the train will not. Roundtrip cost us about 5.5 euros per person. If you decide you can take a bus down to the train station(same fare) and come back on the train. carraizo99@yahoo.com

[pounder207]

Don't hang around Messina. Rent a car. Go to Taormina. Was there on my honeymoon 25 years ago. You may not have as great a time, but it's the best place in Sicily which is the best place in Italy(except possibly Venice).

[grandmadarlene]

Bonnieg,

 

I'm also thinking about renting a car in Messina, but haven't looked into it yet. What company did you rent from? How far from the port are they located. Thanks for any info you can give me!

 

Apparently the best game in town is www.argusrentals.com However be patient. They only operate on Italian time so you have to put in your online request when they are open. I was able to get a 7 passenger Fiat confirmed for July 11th. Bonnieg said that the rental office is walking distance from the port. My rental is only about $100 plus gas. Mileage is included. I was quoted a stunning :eek: $755 by Budget for a single day. If anyone has experience with this company your words of wisdom will be appreciated by many cruisers.

[bonnieg]

Cruiser620, I am using Argus rentals which was recommended to be by Hlitner on these boards. Argus did have the best prices. They told me they were within walking distance to the ships and the location on mapquest showed them to be located along the sea. There are a few people on these boards using them before me. I should be able to get the exact info on location when they get back in late June. I also looked at a map of Taormina and there seem to be lots of parking areas. I am really looking foward to our day in port.

 

Now for another question. Besides Taormina and the Nazos beach below town, are there any other places along the route from Messina that would be of interest to see? I'm going to pass on Mt Etna and the godfather tour area is in the opposite direction of Messina. Thanks.

[ZZROX]

Can anyone tell me, how far the car rental location is from the Port in Messina.

[rgreenba]

I have read that the buses from the Messina to Taorima do not run on schedule and that traffic along this route is very congested. Is it safe to rely on the bus schedule in light of the need to get back to the ship in a timely fashion?

[Hlitner]

I feel a need to comment on an earlier post regarding the cruise line's afternoon tours to Taormina. If it possible, you do not want to go to Taormina in the afternoon,, but rather should try to do a morning tour (or take the train or rent a car) so that you arrive in the town before lunch. Why? Taormina is a very cute tourist town and its main street (nearly the only street) is full of interesting shops and boutiques. But, as is typical in most of Italy, almost all these shops close by 2 for their afternoon "Siesta." When you take an afternoon tour they will get you to town, take you to the Greek/Roman Amphitheater and let you go just in time to find most of the shops closed. My suggestion is get to Taormina as early as possible, do your shopping and browsing first,,, while everything is open, and than walk to the Amphitheater and perhaps have lunch or a snack at one of the cafes. As to the last post, I do not recall much traffic on the road between Messina and Taormina...but at any rate if you are going to do this on your own the train probably makes more sense. Renting a car offers even more possibilities since you can than drive to some other places such as Mt Etna or some of the other area villages.

 

Hank

[ZZROX]

Hank,

Do you know of any car rental's near the Pier?

Thanks,

ZZ