Catania-Taormina buses

[isutru]

We will be in Catania in July from 6a-3p and want to get to Taormina and back, possibly by bus. I believe there is a bus station near the train station in Catania, but I can not find a schedule, and where do the buses let you off in Taormina? We generally do ports on our own and walking is not an issue for us. Trains seem to be a problem here since the train station in Taormina is far from the town, and it seems one would need a taxi to get up to the town if you took the train. Is that correct? Thank you!

[isutru]

C'mon!!! Someone must have an answer!!!! Thank you!!!!!

[GSPLover]

We will be in Catania in July from 6a-3p and want to get to Taormina and back, possibly by bus. I believe there is a bus station near the train station in Catania, but I can not find a schedule, and where do the buses let you off in Taormina? We generally do ports on our own and walking is not an issue for us. Trains seem to be a problem here since the train station in Taormina is far from the town, and it seems one would need a taxi to get up to the town if you took the train. Is that correct? Thank you!

 

Cannot give you a definitive answer but can give you some clues. First of all, there probably is not a 'bus station', probably more like a covered shelter. There is a bus that runs between the station in Taormina to the old town area but I have no idea of frequency. Numerous different buses came and went near the plaza in old town when we were there. Appeared to be a regular stop. We took the bus from Civitavecchia to/from Taormina and it dropped us off/picked us up right near the central plaza in old town.

[isutru]

Thanks for the reply, GSPLover!!! Your answers to questions are always excellent, and your breadth of experience is obviously remarkable. Your Italian train website is terrific. However, I'm not so sure I want to take the Civitavecchia-Taormina bus because I can't hold my breath that long!:D. I really do appreciate your reply!!

[hat776]

When we were in Catania some time ago, the buses were pretty frequent and they take you right up the winding hill and drop you off just outside the town.

Why don't you go to Trip Advisor and the Italy, Taormina forum. I'm sure someone will have the schedule.

We had been up the hill an number of times by car and I was fine. However, on the bus ride I got car sick - how pathetic !

Anyway, if anyone of your group suffers from travel sickness take a pill.

[GSPLover]

Thanks for the reply, GSPLover!!! Your answers to questions are always excellent, and your breadth of experience is obviously remarkable. Your Italian train website is terrific. However, I'm not so sure I want to take the Civitavecchia-Taormina bus because I can't hold my breath that long!:D. I really do appreciate your reply!!

 

Thanks for the compliments. Much appreciated.

 

The bus from Civitavecchia to Taormina is really quite nice. New buses, very clean, very comfortable. It is about a 20 minute drive on mostly straight roads.

[cruisemom42]

Thanks for the compliments. Much appreciated.

 

The bus from Civitavecchia to Taormina is really quite nice. New buses, very clean, very comfortable. It is about a 20 minute drive on mostly straight roads.

 

 

Ok, I'm confused .... you said twice now that you took a bus from Civitavecchia to Taormina; isn't Taormina in Sicily?? :confused:

[ab0si]

We will be in Catania in July from 6a-3p and want to get to Taormina and back, possibly by bus. I believe there is a bus station near the train station in Catania, but I can not find a schedule, and where do the buses let you off in Taormina? We generally do ports on our own and walking is not an issue for us. Trains seem to be a problem here since the train station in Taormina is far from the town, and it seems one would need a taxi to get up to the town if you took the train. Is that correct? Thank you!

 

Bus schedule (in English, even). I do not recommend trains in Sicily (I always take the train on the mainland when possible and always take the bus in Sicily). The bus station in Taormina is on Via Luigi Pirandello below (towards the sea) from the town center. If you do take the train .. station is in Giardini Naxos on the sea -- there is a bus to the Taormina. It is a very steep walk otherwise.

[GSPLover]

Ok, I'm confused .... you said twice now that you took a bus from Civitavecchia to Taormina; isn't Taormina in Sicily?? :confused:

 

OK - you got me. Don't know where my head was when I wrote the first (didn't read back on the second). Senior moment, I guess. Sorry.

 

The bus to Taormina stops below the city. It is about a 10-15 minute walk (uphill but not too steep) to the main street. Yes, a winding road but not all that bad. There are buildings on the downhill side that prevent you from looking down a better part of the way.

[ab0si]

Ok, I'm confused .... you said twice now that you took a bus from Civitavecchia to Taormina; isn't Taormina in Sicily?? :confused:

 

GSP simply misread the question, I'm sure. He/she saw Tarquinia, I bet, rather than Taormina. I've done similar things myself. Of the point completely, but Tarquinia is worth a visit.. from Civitavechhia, but not Catania. :)

[kingart55]

What is wrong with the train in Sicily. Last June we took the train from Palermo

to Cefalu. It was a fast ride along the coast and was a fraction of the cost

of the ships bus tour.

[KCcruisin07]

It is not far from the small bus station to the district of Taormina you will want to see. The bus system is called Interbus, and the schedule is in Italian. Here is the link: Interbus: http://www.interbus.it/.

I second the suggestion to go to Trip Advisor, sister to Cruise Critic, and go to Taormina forums. Vagabonda, a Destination Expert there, will probably be the one to help you to find the information you need. He's really great.

BTW you are very lucky because you will probably be able to spend more time there than most of us on cruises. Taormina has much to offer, and with travel time, we have a few hours there at the most.

[ab0si]

What is wrong with the train in Sicily. Last June we took the train from Palermo

to Cefalu. It was a fast ride along the coast and was a fraction of the cost

of the ships bus tour.

 

I certainly was not comparing the trains to ship-sponsored tours, but to the intra-city bus service. Note also that the original question referenced the east coast of Sicily. In general, the buses go city center to city center; this is not always true for the trains. Trains in Sicily, in general, are older stock than on in the north and are much less likely to be on time. Finally, for most trips on the island, buses run more frequently than trains.

[lylou01]

We will be in Catania in July from 6a-3p and want to get to Taormina and back, possibly by bus. I believe there is a bus station near the train station in Catania, but I can not find a schedule, and where do the buses let you off in Taormina? We generally do ports on our own and walking is not an issue for us. Trains seem to be a problem here since the train station in Taormina is far from the town, and it seems one would need a taxi to get up to the town if you took the train. Is that correct? Thank you!

 

We will be in the same situation on may 26 and I found the schedule on the site of Interbus. There is a bus leaving Catania at 7h00, 7h15 and 8h00 for Taormina. It takes around 1h10 minutes. You will find the timetables on this site.