Are you curious to know the distance between Taormina and Messina and which means of transportation are useful for covering this interesting route? Well, then you’re in the right article! But let’s start by talking about the beautiful city of Messina (also known as the Gateway to Sicily), located near the extreme northeastern tip of Sicily.
The city is situated right on the Strait that shares its name, and from its port, we often see numerous cruise ships passing through. The origins of this city date back to 750 BC, when Greek colonists from Chalcis founded it under the name Zancle.
It’s important to note that Messina had to wait for the Roman conquest of Sicily to be proclaimed a free and allied city of Rome. Additionally, we know that Cicero described it as a grand and wealthy city, envied by many.
However, it was under the Ostrogoths and later the Byzantines that Messina became rich in monuments. At this point, it’s worth mentioning that the Muslim world’s conquest ambitions prevailed, leading to the city’s capture by the Saracens, which resulted in a gradual decline, with some churches being completely transformed into mosques.
With the Arab domination, the city was fortified to protect it from further invasions, and the fortifications were so imposing that Messina appeared as a fortress city as well as a renowned port city. With the Norman occupation, the city began to revive, and the Crusaders’ ships would dock at the port before departing for the Holy Land.
It was during this time that the city was struck by a series of calamities, such as the bubonic plague in 1743, which claimed the lives of over 40,000 people, and the devastating earthquake in 1783, which resulted in up to 1,200 deaths.
What is the distance between Taormina and Messina?
The distance between Messina Centrale Station and Taormina-Giardini is 47 km, while the road distance is 49.6 km. To cover this route, the most economical option to reach Taormina-Giardini from Messina Centrale Station is ridesharing, which costs around €4 and takes just 1 hour and 29 minutes.
However, speaking of the quickest option, taking a taxi from Messina Centrale Station to Taormina-Giardini would be useful, with a cost of €60 to €75 and a travel time of 38 minutes. Nonetheless, the best option to get from Messina Centrale Station to Taormina-Giardini without a car is undoubtedly the train, which takes just 1 hour and 3 minutes and costs €4 to €9.
Yes, there is a direct train that departs from Messina Centrale and arrives at Taormina-Giardini, with hourly connections running every single day. The journey on this route takes about 1 hour and 3 minutes, and these train services are operated by Trenitalia.
As for direct buses, they depart from Messina’s Piazza della Repubblica and arrive at Giardini-Naxos. In this case, the connections run twice a day and operate daily, with a journey time of about 45 minutes. While the train services are operated by Trenitalia, the bus services are operated by SAIS trasporti S.p.A.
