Planning a trip to Sicily for January/February 2026.
Putting together the final touches and want a place to stay for only one night in Taormina or nearby before we return to Palermo and return our rental car before flying back to Rome and returning home.
We will be leaving Syracuse and thought of touring around Etna or maybe visiting some wineries or visiting Savoca and seeing some "Godfather" sites. Just don't want to drive all the way to Palermo.
I would welcome any suggestions.
Thanks.
With only one night at your disposal in Taormina you can’t do all those things.
I prefer to stay in Giardini as it is less expensive and more likely to have parking on premises. I then drive up to Taormina and park in the huge multistory garage called Porta Catania and walk to the city center.
Check hotels with parking using the booking.com filtering options. I don’t remember the name of the one where I stayed, it’s been a few years.
Driving from Taormina to Palermo is super easy. It’s all freeway very similar to interstates in the US. I prefer the coastal route via Messina, along the north coast. It’s a bit longer than the Catania-Palermo freeway but less traffic and very scenic (when you are not inside the many freeway tunnels). The driving time is about 3.5 hours from Taormina to Palermo airport, plus pit stops. You can break the trip half way with a short visit of Cefalù. it’s very easy drive, I wouldn’t do it by bus or train if you already have a car. Too much hassle to drive to Catania airport, drop the car, then take the bus to Palermo. Keep the car and drive directly.
We stayed at Hotel Bel Soggiorno in Taormina. The hotel itself is older, but the view of Mt. Etna from the breakfast balcony is great. It’s about halfway up the hill from the beach and has its own on-site parking. The parking can be tricky with regard to maneuvering. We got the very top spot right off the road leading up to town so for us, parking was a breeze. Maneuvering would be easier if you got there earlier in the afternoon before most spaces are taken. From the hotel, the main part of Taormina is a 10 minutes uphill walk.
