Planning a trip to Taormina

Getting There

Arriving -- If you plan to arrive by air, the most convenient airport for Taormina is Catania's Fontanarossa airport, which has numerous connections to mainland Italy and major European cities. Nine daily buses operated by Etna Transporti run up the coast from there to Taormina, stopping in downtown Catania (trip time: about 1 1/2 hours; tickets about 5€ one-way).

If you’re arriving by car, the A18 highway connects with Messina from the north (45 min.; take Taormina exit) and Catania from the south (50 min.; exit at Giardini Naxos and follow signs up hill to Taormina). If your hotel offers parking, get very clear instructions about how to arrive—Taormina is a mind-boggling maze of tiny one-way streets and hairpin turns. Otherwise, take advantage of the large public parking garages just outside the old town, both clearly signposted with blue “P”s on all roads that approach Taormina. On the north side of town, Parking Lumbi (tel. 0942/24345) charges 14€ per day (16€ per day in Aug) and has a free shuttle from the garage to the Porta Messina gate of Taormina proper. On the south end of town, the multilevel garage Parking Porta Catania (tel. 0942/620-196; 15€ per day/17€ in Aug) has the advantage of being practically in town, just 100m/328 ft. from the Porta Catania city gate. Down by the beach at Mazzarò, in the vicinity of the lower cable-car station, is Parking Mazzarò (14€ per day, 16€ in Aug).

Taormina is well served by buses from the rest of Sicily, usually connecting through Catania (visit www.etnatrasporti.it for schedules). Taormina's bus station is on Via Pirandello, near Porta Messina, on the north end of town. Trains to Taormina run on a line between Messina and Catania, each between 40 minutes and 1 1/2 hours away, depending on the speed of your train. See www.trenitalia.com; tel. 89/2021 for schedules; service on Sundays is infrequent. Taormina's train station is shared with the seaside town of Giardini-Naxos, so it’s 1.6km (1 mile) away from town—you’ll have to take a bus up the hill to Taormina (infrequently from 9am–9pm; 2€ one-way), or a taxi (about 15€).

Visitor Information -- The tourist office is in Palazzo Corvaja, Piazza Santa Caterina (tel. 0942/23243 or 0942/24941; Mon–Thurs 8:30am–2pm and 4–7pm; Fri 8:30am–2pm). Here you can get a free map, hotel listings, bus and rail timetables, and a schedule of summer cultural events staged at the Teatro Greco (Greek Theater).

Fast Facts

American Express -- The travel agency La Duca Viaggi, Via Don Bosco 39 (tel. 0942-625250), handles AmEx clients Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 7:30pm. However, the most comprehensive travel agency in Taormina is Dr. Silvestri Travel Bureau, Corso Umberto I, 143-145 (tel. 0942-23052). Established in 1905, it offers services ranging from car rentals and airline tickets to currency exchange and bus excursions. It's open Friday to Wednesday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 8pm.

Currency Exchange -- There are dozens of possibilities, especially at the banks along Corso Umberto I and Via Pirandello. Cambio Valute, Corso Umberto I, 224, near Piazza Sant'Antonio (tel. 0942-24806), has ATMs and is the most convenient; it's open Monday to Saturday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 8pm. You can also get money exchanged at the post office at Piazza Sant'Antonio (tel. 0942-213011), open Monday to Saturday 8am to 6:30pm.

Emergency -- Dial the Carabinieri at tel. 113 or the police at tel. 112.

Hospital/Medical Needs -- Serving the entire Taormina area is Ospedale San Vincenzo, Piazza S. Francesco Di Paola (tel. 0942-628040). In an emergency, call Guardia Medica (tel. 0942-625419), open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 24 hours.

Internet Access -- The best place to go is the Internet Café, Calle Umberto I, 214 (tel. 0942-628839), which charges 4€ per hour.

Left Luggage -- A kiosk inside the Taormina/Giardini-Naxos train station is open daily from 8am to 9pm; it charges 4€ for an hour per piece and up to 11€ over a 24-hour period.

Pharmacy -- The most central drugstore is Farmacia Ragusa, Piazza Duomo 9 (tel. 0942-23231), open Thursday to Tuesday 8:30am to 1pm and 5 to 8:30pm. It posts a schedule of other pharmacies open at night and on weekends; this list changes weekly on a rotating basis.

Post Office -- The post office is at Piazza Sant'Antonio (tel. 0942-213011). Hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 6:30pm and Saturday from 8am to 12:30pm.

Getting Around

Everything is within walking distance in Taormina, though you might encounter a steep climb now and then -- this is a hilltop town.

Just about everything to see in Taormina unfolds from the main drag, Corso Umberto I, which slices through town from Porta Messina, in the north, to Porta Catania, in the south. It only takes 15 minutes to walk the length of the Corso. Taormina is also a handy base for trips to Mount Etna—the high-altitude visitor areas are only about 1 hour away by car.If you're venturing off on day-excursions, a network of buses goes to such places as Giardini-Naxos and Mount Etna. The tourist office has a complete list of brochures and timetables.

The more distant parts of Taormina are linked by minibus, which leaves from the terminal at Via Luigi Pirandello in town and costs 1€ for a one-way ticket. Most visitors use the minibus that goes from the terminal to Madonna della Rocca, since it passes most of the major hotels.

Taxi ranks are found at Piazza Vittorio Emanuele and at Piazza San Pancrazio. These are used primarily if you're leaving the heart of Taormina and venturing into its hinterlands. A typical fare -- say, from the center of Taormina to Madonna della Rocca -- is 15€.

If you prefer to get around by moped, Jet Car, Via Nazionale 8 (tel. 0942-56190), rents scooters. It's open year-round daily 8am to noon and 4 to 8pm.