Help settle a husband-wife disagreement...Mt Etna vs. something else to do in T

My husband and I (and another couple, all in our early 60's) are going from Venice to Rome in July. My husband wants to do the whole Mt Etna experience (bus ride, cable car, 4x4). Mind you, we are mobile but not athletic. We are not dare devils. The idea of taking hours to see ash and perhaps some floating lava sounds dangerous and boring. I fall easily (Grand Canyon, Parthenon, you name a place, I fall). Anyway, I turn to you, my CC family and ask for some help here. Do you think the trip to Mt Etna (this full trip) is worth the day? Or can you please make a recommendation for something wonderful to do at this port? I have seen some posts regarding half way up to Mt Etna and then the rest of the day in Taormina. I presented this to my husband and he pouted (in that adorable way he has.....). I look forward to hearing back from you so that I can finalize my plans for this port. Thanks so much! Linda

Having done both, I would recommend Mt. Etna. Taoromina is very touristy. I can understand you concerns, but I am balance challenged (clumsy), and was still able to do it

If you are going from "Venice to Rome" you are not going to be anywhere near Mt. Etna since that is located well south of Rome (about 500 miles) on the island of Sicily. You would need to revise your itinerary and perhaps spend a couple of days in Taormina...which is a good base to explore Mt. Etna.

Hank

If you are going from "Venice to Rome" you are not going to be anywhere near Mt. Etna since that is located well south of Rome (about 500 miles) on the island of Sicily. You would need to revise your itinerary and perhaps spend a couple of days in Taormina...which is a good base to explore Mt. Etna.

 

Hank

Our itinerary is from "Rome to Venice" and one of the ports is Messina, Sicily. By land, going between Venice and Rome takes you nowhere near Sicily but on a cruise you will stop at / sail past Sicily.

I spent a holiday in Sicily a couple of years ago and stayed in Giardini Naxos which is not far from Taormina. We hired a car for our entire stay and drove up mount Etna on one of the days.

If I were to choose between a whole day on Etna or a combination between Etna and Taormina I would choose the latter. Yes, Taormina is fairly touristy, but it is also very pretty and you can reach it by cable car if you want.

There are nice shops, but also some interesting Roman ruins, including an impressive amphitheatre.

Many of the Sicilian towns have beautiful Baroque architecture which I find much more appealing than a pile of lava.

To me, spending a full day on Etna sounds like less fun than a day at work. :o But it sounds like your husband is really into having the full experience.

Is this possibly a day where you could each go your own way (e.g., via private tour and/or ship tour?)

To me, spending a full day on Etna sounds like less fun than a day at work. :o But it sounds like your husband is really into having the full experience.

 

Is this possibly a day where you could each go your own way (e.g., via private tour and/or ship tour?)

My thought exactly...let him do his thing and you do yours..problem sloved and both happy campers!!

If you are going from "Venice to Rome" you are not going to be anywhere near Mt. Etna since that is located well south of Rome (about 500 miles) on the island of Sicily. You would need to revise your itinerary and perhaps spend a couple of days in Taormina...which is a good base to explore Mt. Etna.

 

Hank

My apologies...we are on a cruise and the port in question is Taormina. This is where the Mt Etna dispute comes into play. Unfortunately, hubby likes to stick together during all the trip excursions (except during the shopping part) so going our own ways at this port will not work. Thanks so much.

We took a tour with SicilyLimousineService out of Catania that began with time at Mt. Etna that allowed us to hike around the small crater (Silvestri?) with lovely views to the sea from there. We then went to Taormina for lunch and options to visit the Greek Theatre.

There is a lift that goes further up Etna and options for 4-wheeling to the top of the crater.

We were there in June and both places were quite crowded. I was glad to get close to Etna but equally glad to have time in Taormina for a nice lunch and some shopping.

My apologies...we are on a cruise and the port in question is Taormina. This is where the Mt Etna dispute comes into play. Unfortunately, hubby likes to stick together during all the trip excursions (except during the shopping part) so going our own ways at this port will not work. Thanks so much.

LOL, I was having some fun with you and replying specifically to your post. DW and I love Taormina and Castlemola (a small village above Taormina). As to Mt Etna, it is exciting if it happens to be a little active when you are in the area, but otherwise it holds little charm for me. But some do find the area quite fascinating.

Hank

If you end up going to Mt. Etna, you can let your husband and other volcano lovers go

up in the cable car, while you stay at the level where the gift stores are which is older lava. Everybody should bring jacket, gloves and hat; it's real cold and windy up there. While you are waiting for the volcano lovers, try all the flavors of the local honey. My favorite was orange blossom, but chestnut was delicious too.It's the best honey I'v ever had and much better than the honey in the gift stores in Taormina. Inside the gift stores you can use the toilet-bring small Euro coins-and try out the delicious pistachio brittle. There are other things to browse for. Also the drive up to Etna is very interesting and beautiful, many changes of flora, fauna and climate. I don't like volcanos and I am clumsy, but I felt ok staying at the gift store level where the buses/cars are parked.

If you can coordinate with your friends, I really suggest you take a private excursion that includes some time at Etna and some time in some other places, like small villages. If it's nice weather,Taormina does have beautful views up and down the coastline as well as the Greek/Roman theatre that itself has great views of Etna. Private excursion will let you customize the experience both to your desires and to weather conditions, so you don't end up having to visit a volcano in the rain or empty plain if it's broiling hot.

Use search feature for Sicily excursion companies; there are several with wonderful reviews of individually tailored tours.

We were there in Oct. and did both, I wanted Etna and she wanted Both so it worked out well . You will get a feel for Etna and enjoy the ride to get there (bring a coat it was cold up there) . Taormina is touristy but nice and worth a visit, it was a long and very nice day for both of us . P.S. many people on the ship who just stayed local and poked around town were sorry they did not do an excursion.

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I think I have talked my husband into the half tour and visit to Taormina. I love the honey tasting idea! Would be nice to find a little place where you could have a glass of wine, some honey with crackers and people watch. That sounds delightful to me!

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I think I have talked my husband into the half tour and visit to Taormina. I love the honey tasting idea! Would be nice to find a little place where you could have a glass of wine, some honey with crackers and people watch. That sounds delightful to me!

Honey? When we think of Taormina we think of Cannolis....arguably some of the best in the world. Oh geez.....just gained another pound thinking about it :)

Hank

We are spending 7 days in Giardini Naxos and will do both. September 15, 2014 until September 22, 2014. Local bus to Taormina and private tour with hotel janitor to Mount Etna.

Mt Etna has been erupting and rumbling with some frequency lately. You may not be able to get too close depending on the status of the volcano when you are there.

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Honey? When we think of Taormina we think of Cannolis....arguably some of the best in the world. Oh geez.....just gained another pound thinking about it :)

 

Hank

now that is funny :D

love, love, did I say love the cannolis in Sicily! I would say the BEST in the world.

OH YEAH !!!!!! Cannoli !!!!!! Taormina cannoli !!!!!!!!!

We ate a wonderful lunch in Taormina and then walked around to walk some off. We had 2 wonderful cannolis and walked some more :D

I bought 2 extra and brought them back on the ship with me…… was a nice late night snack and my sil and her husband were JEALOUS (they were on the trip with us ) ;)

Honestly, if someone could give me back the time I spent traveling/listening/seeing Mt. Etna, I would be happy. Alas, that's not possible. Our tour guide was obsessed. He stopped at every hole, told us every crater/rock etc. He was angry when we insisted we leave for Taormina. You would have thought we personally kicked him!

My plan for our stop in Sicily this year is either a winery or Taormina. Something not Mt. Etna.

We are going on a cruise with a party of 6 in July stopping in Sicily... Is it possible to get a private tour for oth in one day?

Honestly, if someone could give me back the time I spent traveling/listening/seeing Mt. Etna, I would be happy. Alas, that's not possible. Our tour guide was obsessed. He stopped at every hole, told us every crater/rock etc. He was angry when we insisted we leave for Taormina. You would have thought we personally kicked him!

 

My plan for our stop in Sicily this year is either a winery or Taormina. Something not Mt. Etna.

I couldn't agree more. We split our day between Mt Etna and Taormina. I wish we had spent the day at Taormina. Amusing that a 12-month old thread arose from the dead, but I hope others who are planning their summers with a Messina port day decide on other options than Mt Etna.

I swore I posted on this thread but maybe not. We went to Mt. Etna last May and it was snowing, and absolutely freezing. Couldn't wait to get out of there and down into Taormina. Didn't see a thing. Of course YMMV!

My husband and I (and another couple, all in our early 60's) are going from Venice to Rome in July. My husband wants to do the whole Mt Etna experience (bus ride, cable car, 4x4). Mind you, we are mobile but not athletic. We are not dare devils. The idea of taking hours to see ash and perhaps some floating lava sounds dangerous and boring. I fall easily (Grand Canyon, Parthenon, you name a place, I fall). Anyway, I turn to you, my CC family and ask for some help here. Do you think the trip to Mt Etna (this full trip) is worth the day? Or can you please make a recommendation for something wonderful to do at this port? I have seen some posts regarding half way up to Mt Etna and then the rest of the day in Taormina. I presented this to my husband and he pouted (in that adorable way he has.....). I look forward to hearing back from you so that I can finalize my plans for this port. Thanks so much! Linda

We did a Taormina for part of the tour and then Etna for the rest of the day. It suited us and would be a compromise. :D

We are going on a cruise with a party of 6 in July stopping in Sicily... Is it possible to get a private tour for oth in one day?

I would recommend Sicily with Mario

http://www.sicilywithmario.com/default.asp?lang=en&p=default, We have toured with him several times and I can't say enough about how much fun we've had.

If your looking for a winery/tasting google Gambino Winery, they do a nice wine tasting with food pairing. The drive is quite nice.

We enjoyed a private tour that featured locations in Sicily where the Godfather was filmed. We had time for a few hours in Taormina as well.