Hi all! Newbie here. We will be on a Mediterranean cruise in September-October of this year. We will have a stop in Sicily in early October on a Saturday from 8-6. I bought Rick's book on Italy, assuming it would cover Sicily, and was very disgruntled to discover that is covered in a separate book. So, I'm hoping I can get the info I need without buying yet another book (already bought 4)! The only thing I know at this point is that I would be interested in seeing Mt. Etna. Hubby and I are in our late 60's, have some knee trouble but are otherwise healthy, and we like historic and geographic attractions (things we can't see in PA). Can you give me any ideas of what must-sees there are that could be visited in a day trip from Messina? TIA.
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Washington DC
30475 posts
Both Sicily and mainland Italy are fabulous, so I hope you will take future trips to that part of Europe and make use of Rick's guide to Italy. I can assure you it won't seem like Pennsylvania.
I haven't cruised anywhere, much less to Messina, so I am not a good information source for you. I will point out that in good weather Mt. Etna can be seen from a quite a distance away. If you don't need to get up close and personal with the volcano, you'll likely be able to see it before you get as close as Taormina; it certainly was visible from spots in Catania, which is farther away than Taormina.
There's a rail line running to Giardini Naxos (the coastal town below hillside Taormina), Catania and on to Siracusa. But Sicilian trains are neither fast nor really frequent, so it's worth considering buses as well, depending on your port schedule. Of course, you'll need to be careful to pad your schedule heavily so there's no risk of missing your ship's departure time. If you've taken even one previous cruise, you know more about that topic than I do.
Taormina is a very popular destination for cruise-ship passengers because it is a beautiful town in a beautiful setting. Alas, that means it is stuffed to the gills during day-tripping hours, especially when a large ship is in port nearby. I have no desire to return there but many people like Taormina a lot. Therefore, you will definitely have options for non-cruise-ship excursions including Taormina if you're willing to risk one of those. Perhaps some make stops in one or more small towns nearby as well.
I've only spent one night--just a very few daytime hours--in Messina and wasn't really impressed, but it's possible I didn't see the best part of the city. Still, I'd recommend trying to get to one or more destinations outside Messina on your port day.
I trust some others will have more specific and useful suggestions for you.