Stop in Messina - Is going to Mount Etna worth it?

[Tour Eiffel]

RCL has different options offshore activities when spending the day in Messina.

 

we're hesitating between doing Messina and Taormina or going on a 2 hour (scenic drive to Mount Etna) . Is it worth it to see Mount Etna closely if you've done it before?

 

To me it is a waste of time to be in a bus 2h to go by the Mount Etna and 2 hour back (and they don't even plan for time for lunch). I'd rather stroll and visit the 2 little villages... but don't want to miss out on Mount Etna if really worth it.

 

Thanks!!!

[Goldygolfer]

We were in Sicily last May and did a full day private tour which took in both Taormina and the drive up Mt Etna.

While the drive up Mt Etna was interesting (the buses don't go all the way to the top), I thought Taormina was even more so. Taormina and surrounds are very scenic. The ruins of the Greek Theatre are well worth the look and the gardens neaby are absolutely beautiful. IMO the view down the coastline from the gardens is "picture-book" gorgeous.

If I had to choose between the two, then I would definitely go to Taormina.

PS - We were docked at Catania, but I think the trip from Messina to Taormina would be quite similar.

[CtheW0rld]

i thought mt etna was worth it, but i did an all-day tour that went almost all the way to the top and included a lunch stop. 1st there was a short tour of messina, then the bus ride (scenic). then there was a chair lift up the side of mt. etna and finally a 4-wheel bus ride to 2900 meters in elevation (about 9000 ft above sea level.) after that i was able to walk around and see live lava flows through some vents, up-close and personal.

[wantocruisemore]

i thought mt etna was worth it, but i did an all-day tour that went almost all the way to the top and included a lunch stop. 1st there was a short tour of messina, then the bus ride (scenic). then there was a chair lift up the side of mt. etna and finally a 4-wheel bus ride to 2900 meters in elevation (about 9000 ft above sea level.) after that i was able to walk around and see live lava flows through some vents, up-close and personal.

 

 

Who did you do this excursion with? Private or Cruiseline?

[CtheW0rld]

Who did you do this excursion with? Private or Cruiseline?

 

i did it on a ship's tour - it was on carnival, called 'mt. etna at 2900 meters'. i suppose you could do it privately, all you would need to do is arrange transport to the chair lift on mt. etna.

 

i generally avoid ship's tours. the reason i took a ship's tour was the distance involved.

 

one thing - it will be about 25 to 30 degrees cooler at the top than the bottom. the do rent coats for a couple euros. also, wear sensible shoe as you will be walking on volcanic sand and rocks.

[wantocruisemore]

Did both:D

 

 

DO tell more!:D

[hylasgirl]

RCL has different options offshore activities when spending the day in Messina.

 

we're hesitating between doing Messina and Taormina or going on a 2 hour (scenic drive to Mount Etna) . Is it worth it to see Mount Etna closely if you've done it before?

 

To me it is a waste of time to be in a bus 2h to go by the Mount Etna and 2 hour back (and they don't even plan for time for lunch). I'd rather stroll and visit the 2 little villages... but don't want to miss out on Mount Etna if really worth it.

 

Thanks!!!

 

 

Taormina is adorable! I would spend more time there!

[Tour Eiffel]

Thanks all for your advice!!! :)

[afcj1]

Ooops!

[itsjb1]

i did it on a ship's tour - it was on carnival, called 'mt. etna at 2900 meters'. i suppose you could do it privately, all you would need to do is arrange transport to the chair lift on mt. etna.

 

i generally avoid ship's tours. the reason i took a ship's tour was the distance involved.

 

one thing - it will be about 25 to 30 degrees cooler at the top than the bottom. the do rent coats for a couple euros. also, wear sensible shoe as you will be walking on volcanic sand and rocks.

 

 

We are looking at this for July. How cool was it at the top? Are we talking about 50-60F or cooler?

[Ballwin Babe]

We were in Sicily on our 2006 trip and through these boards, learned of a company called Sicily Life http://www.sicilylife.com

 

We booked the Etna tour with them in the AM, then had them drop us off mid-day in Taormina for lunch and sight-seeing. Cabbed back to the ship. Plenty of time for both and it was indeed a great day. Was very pleased with Sicily Life and am considering using them again for our stop in Sicily this June.

[TMLAalum]

We were in Sicily on our 2006 trip and through these boards, learned of a company called Sicily Life www.sicilylife.com

 

We booked the Etna tour with them in the AM, then had them drop us off mid-day in Taormina for lunch and sight-seeing. Cabbed back to the ship. Plenty of time for both and it was indeed a great day. Was very pleased with Sicily Life and am considering using them again for our stop in Sicily this June.

,

Being on our own in Taormina, after a morning tour of Etna sounds delightful. I realize you did this 5 years ago, but do you recall whether it was difficult to procure a taxi to take you back to Catania? It's quite a few kilometers distance-how expensive was the taxi ride?

[Ballwin Babe]

Although it was 5 years ago, I would have remembered if we had difficulty getting a cab back to the ship. I do not have any idea of the cost...we had a group of 5 at the time.

 

We'll be back in Sicily on June 8 of this year. We're planning on going into Taoromina for the day and have a leisurely stroll-around day. So, we'll be finding out the cost of the transportation to/from Messina VERY shortly!

[TMLAalum]

Thanks, Ballwin Babe- I look forward to your update (except we are in CATANIA)... Have a wonderful time in Sicily!

[CtheW0rld]

We are looking at this for July. How cool was it at the top? Are we talking about 50-60F or cooler?

 

more like 35F degrees cooler.

[CtheW0rld]

,

Being on our own in Taormina, after a morning tour of Etna sounds delightful. I realize you did this 5 years ago, but do you recall whether it was difficult to procure a taxi to take you back to Catania? It's quite a few kilometers distance-how expensive was the taxi ride?

 

it was about 1.5 hour back to messina from the chairlift at mt. etna. i would think a cab would be very expensive.

[wh1sp3r]

This might be a little late but useful for future reference, check out http://www.taorminatour.com they do shore excursions to pretty much any destination from Messina.

[bocatraveler09]

We are looking at this for July. How cool was it at the top? Are we talking about 50-60F or cooler?

 

I was there in July a number of years ago. It was very, very hot in Taormina, where we were staying, but much cooler up on Mt. Etna. Bring a sweater! We had a rental car during our stay and also went to Siracusa, which is worth seeing. Some of the oldest Greek ruins in the world are located there!

[CLUBVOYAGES]

Hi,

 

To visit Taormina, do we really need a guided tour or we can go by ourselves (taxi ou minibus) and missing not too much?

[Hlitner]

I will probably get flamed for this, but I think driving to Mt Etna is just not worth the money (or the drive). We would rather go up to Castelmola (we have taken the local bus from Taormina) where we think the views are even more spectacular...and we can enjoy them while sipping a drink in a nice café looking over the valley (towards Mt. Etna).

 

Hank

[drbillmc]

We were docked in Messina on the Reflection on August 10th. The six of us booked a full day tour of Mt Etna and Taormina with Sicily Life for 320 Euros. Paolo picked us up at 10:00 and we returned at 5:00. None of us had done Mt Etna before, so for us it was worth seeing. It was a long drive, but it was enjoyable seeing the little towns and driving up to My Etna. We didn't stay long. It wasn't too cold at the top, probably the 60's (90's in Messina). Wife wore a jacket but I didn't. It was a nice stop, but having done it, I would not do it again.

 

The highlight was Taormina, especially the view from the top of the Greek Theater (it was worth the charge to get in). I do wish we had more time to walk and shop in Taormina. Our guide Paolo spoke excellent English and was very informative. We could have stayed longer as the ship sailed at 7:00, but we wanted to be back by 5:00. We did stop on the way back at a little place where they made honey, wine, olive oil, etc. If we go back, I would do Taormina again and something else. I would also do Sicily Life again.