We are in our 70's and will be in Sicily for 9 days staying in Cefalu and Taormina. We really don't want to drive. Is public transportation an option?
Posted by
11606 posts
Once your driver winds his way up the hill to Taormina you will understand that the terrain is difficult. You can take a gondola down to the beaches though. It is the one place in Sicily that I would not consider as a base rather you are there to enjoy the town. Consider staying in Ortigia as a base which we did for ten days.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16133 posts
Neither makes a good base without a car, if you plan to use them as base for day trips.
Cefalu can be reached from Palermo by rail.
Taormina can be reached from Catania or Messina by rail+bus to take you up the hill.
Posted by
NC
403 posts
We, also in our 70’s, did a self drive trip in Sicily last September. Unlike others on this forum we enjoyed two nights in Taormina. We found Cefalu crowded and the most touristy of our Sicily travels. Would not go back. There are so many amazing places to see in Sicily! We were happy to drive but we have friends (same age) who visited in 2021 who were not comfortable doing so and hired a driver. Worked out great for them. So that may be an option for you? Hopefully you will love Sicily as we did.
Posted by
Western Canada
3513 posts
I was in Sicily this April and we took buses and trains.
Stayed in Palermo first, got trains to Cefalu and Agrigento from there for day trips.
Then got InterBus coach bus …3+ hour trip….from Palermo across to Siracusa, stayed in Ortigia.
Took a train to Noto one day, then the bus back to Siracusa.
Didn’t go to Taormina.
Public buses around Palermo were very easy too.
It can be done!
Trains are hit and miss depending on the routes…a lot of track work going on, which is why we got the bus across the island.
Posted by
2816 posts
We took public transportation to both Taormina and Cefalù. We flew into Catania and took a bus from the airport to Taormina. That works very well.
We took a train later in our trip to Cefalu but from Palermo. There had been track work on the route so you might need to take the bus instead.
We took the train to Siracusa from Taormina which was was easy. We liked Cefalù but I think Siracusa has more to offer. We stayed in Ortigia which we enjoyed very much.
Personally, I would trade Cefalu for Siracusa. It is also on the water but has more to offer and is easier logistically from Taormina by public transportation.