in spring of 2022 I'm thinking of going to Taormina to take a 2 week Italian course. Anyone been there and can give a review? The posts were all over 5 years old. Thanks!!
Posted by
11153 posts
I have no knowledge of this school but I would not want to spend two weeks in Taormina, two nights was enough. I loved the rest of Sicily.
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7049 posts
It depends what atmosphere you're looking for, and I imagine you are comparing different programs by a variety of factors that include price and reputation (which I can't comment on). The upside of Taormina is that it's very, very small so there wouldn't be the same distractions as a big city (you can walk the main drag in about 10 minutes). But it's also extremely expensive (and very touristed) by Sicilian standards, and that includes food, lodging, shopping, etc. Taormina is not far away from some notable sites (Mt. Etna, Siracusa, Catania, etc), but it depends how much extra time you'll have for travel...it's not centrally located like Florence or a larger city. The buses work just fine, the trains are slow and outdated (but still adequate except on Sundays). Taormina is stunningly beautiful, but I would prefer a bigger location - but that doesn't mean it may not be just fine for someone depending on what type of atmosphere/ feel they are looking for.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6530 posts
No idea about the school, but personally, if I was going to spend two weeks in one place it wouldn’t be Taormina. I’d want to be in a larger city where I could get away from the tourists and use the Italian I was learning. In Taormina being as touristy as it is, it would be too easy to slip into English since most shop owners speak a little of it. I’d also like a place with more things to see and places to wander. One can see all that Taormina has to offer in a day, especially if it’s a day the cruise ships are not in port.
Posted by
OP
129 posts
thanks for the feedback. I've been to language schools in big cities (Rome, Sienna) and small towns (Montepulciano and Lake Como) and like the small towns better. I'll be in Italy for 3 months so one place in Sicily for a 2 week class works well. And I'll be there for the last 2 weeks of March, 2022, so it won't be as crowded, especially since Easter that year isn't until April 17th.
If anyone has been to Babilonia I'd love to hear your experience. Older posts had mixed reviews.
Can't wait until we can travel again!