My tour of Italy terminates in Taormina, Sicily. I'm booked on a 11:50 am flight to return home Canada. The distance between my HELLENIA YACHTING hotel to the Catania airport seems to be around 60 kilometres. Is there any public transport, or a shuttle bus servicing the Catania airport from Taormina? Would a taxi be an expensive option?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Yes, there are buses running from Taormina, through Giardini Naxos, Catania, and then the airport. I took the bus (I believe it's an Interbus) back to the airport. Luggage goes on side of the bus. Just check the schedule once you're on the ground and build in enough time to get to the airport on time. Bus stop ("Recanti") should be a quick walk from your hotel. The bus will be much cheaper than a taxi, obviously.
Here's the website (set language to English):
http://www.etnatrasporti.it
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Recanati+Bus+Terminal/@37.8185306,15.2659795,3a,75y,112.16h,72.31t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sPs9Z0BAZ5LZs1vvFmFpOUw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m19!1m13!2m12!1sbus!3m6!1sbus!2sHellenia+Yachting+Hotel+Giardini+Naxos,+Viale+Jannuzzo,+41,+98035+Giardini+Naxos+ME,+Italy!3s0x13140fd52bcc79d9:0x8083a0bea0c94d65!4m2!1d15.265995!2d37.816896!5m3!5m2!4m1!1i2!3m4!1s0x13140fd54fb64c85:0xe33e5306cd36a963!8m2!3d37.8186163!4d15.2657108
And yes, the 60km distance is correct. When I drove it, it took about 40 minutes to get to the airport exit, but could take longer if there is a lot of traffic.
I traveled the other way from the Catania Airport to Taormina. The bus schedule was not convenient for me--two hour wait until the next one--so I arranged a private transfer. They were waiting for me outside customs even though my plane was early and the driver spoke excellent English.
I used Sicily Life. I think it was 80 Euro.
Hey, we used Sicily Life too, in October 2010, to be transported from Catania Airport to Hotel Villa Schuler in Taormina. Then at the end of our stay, we were transported back. Seem to remember the cost was around 65 Euro each way.
At that time, I couldn't believe how well they were connected in Taormina, seemed to know everybody. We took a cooking class at Ristorante Licchio's (now closed, owner does the same thing at Rosso Peperoncino), and the Sicily Life owner at that time--Sebastiano--came to see how we were doing.
Not sure which tour you're on, but tour guides (all RS tour guides) typically help arrange transfers to the airport for those departing at about the same time. Those in the taxi or shuttle share the cost, making it an affordable option. Personally I wouldn't rely on a bus to Catania airport for your flight since you have no wiggle room. I once had to take an expensive taxi ride back to my hotel from Taormina as the scheduled buses never arrived. I never did figue out why.
Personally I wouldn't rely on a bus to Catania airport for your flight
since you have no wiggle room.
I'm not sure I understand this comment. There are multiple buses scheduled to get in within 2 hours of the flight. It's like any other public transport - yes, you do have to time the bus, but you don't only get a single chance. Plus, a taxi is always a last resort option.
I plugged in a random dummy date of August 13th and got the following:
Departing Giardini-Naxos at 6:25, 7:55, 8:25.....
Arriving Aeropuerto Catania at 7:45, 9:10, and 9:40...., respectively
One-way fare is 8,20 EUR
I would check the schedule on your dates because it may vary. If budget is an issue, I would not write off the bus. I depended on it for many of my trips in Sicily and it was predictable once I had the schedule. The only day buses and trains were severely curtailed was on Sundays, so definitely keep that in mind.
As noted in my last 2 sentences, I had a personal experience where unexpectedly none of the multiple buses scheduled to stop in Taormina during an almost 2 hour wait ever arrived. Based on that experience, I wouldn't want to hang my hat on a bus ride when I had to catch a flight. I'd instead try to share a taxi or shuttle ride with other tour members departing at about the same time. It's simply advice based on my personal experience, not commentary on anyone else's advice.
We also used Sicily Life for transfer Taormina to CTA and Siracusa to Taormina. Recommend them.
Thank you so much for all of this! Very helpful!
