we are planning a day trip from acireale to acitrezza, sicily this summer. information I am getting says buses run every 2 hrs..but, visitors are saying they do not run on a regular basis. they were having financial problems..if so, are there any other suggestions. would prefer NOT to take taxi, as there are 10 of us.
Posted by
Washington DC
27062 posts
You could rent two cars. I don't know that there's an agency in Acireale, but it would certainly be possible in Catania or at the Catania airport. The airport is on the south side of Catania, whereas Acireale and Acitrezza are to the north, so that's not an ideal pick-up point, I guess.
Ten is a lot of people to have to move around without your own transportation. It would take 3 taxis unless you can find two taxi-vans, which might not be the case in Acireale. I have no idea how full the buses usually run, but if you were not boarding at the origin (I couldn't find the bus route online, though I'm sure it's out there), you might need some luck to find 10 empty seats when you board.
I had no problem with bus reliability when I visited Sicily in 2015, but that was 3-1/2 years ago, and conditions could have changed.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
thank you for responding...Catania would be out of the way, as we are coming by train to aci reale from Rome, and want to spend the day in acireale and acitrezza, and train doesn't stop in acitrezza. hopefully we can figure something out.
Posted by
Washington DC
27062 posts
In that case, if you want to consider car rentals, see what's available in the Taormina/Giardini Naxos area. You'll pass through there on the train before you reach Acireale.
Posted by
Centennial, CO, US
2123 posts
Acireale is not a very tourist-accessible place. The train station is a good distance out of town, so you’ll need taxis to pick you up there. You can ask your hotel to arrange this or to give you driver contact info. There will likely not be taxis waiting at the train station, as is common in larger towns.
Maybe in the summer Acireale will be more lively but it was very quiet in April. Not a lot of restaurant choices.
We took a tour in a golf cart to Aci Trezzo; it’s only maybe 10 minutes from Acireale. If you don’t want to rent multiple cars, I would think your best option would be taxis.
Unless you have a family connection or some other reason for choosing Acireale, there are lots of other places in Sicily that would be easier to visit.