Airport pick up Catania Sicily

CHKIWI

CHKIWI

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Hi can some one tell me the best place to anchor or get a marina. So as i can pick up my wife from the Catania airport. She will be coming in late that night all the way from New Zealand so will not want to move for day or so
Also is taxi the best do I need to pre book one? What do need to look out for?
thanks :rolleyes:
Cheers
Colin
 
Best place (IMHO) is to anchor in Siracusa and either catch train, coach or taxi to Catania. Alternatively if strong nerves hire a car (but Sicilians are pretty **** drivers).

Marinas round there are expensive and pretty decrepit, Siracusa anchorage is free, well-protected and good holding. Usually other yotties to keep an eye open for you (or go into the marina for the day).

City is probably the most interesting in Sicilia (which is probably the most interesting provincia in Italy) and well worth a week's stay and explore.
 
jaba said:
you may want to try this. very expensive, but safe and confortable and (if I remember correctly) somehow connected to Catania Airport. Ok for 2-3 days (seen price)

http://www.artemare.it/marina di riposto.htm

best
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Did exactly this with SWMBO in August 2007. Get a taxi to and from the station, or walk there and taxi back. We got ripped off by the tourist office on the marina - they organised a taxi for 20 quid, for what turned out to be a 5 minute drive, and a 20 minute walk.

Or anchor in the bay below Taormina next to the railway station. Dinghy ashore to the cafe, walk through the tunnel to the road, turn left and a couple of hundred yards to the station. Train to Catania, taxi to airport, and back. With hindsight, that's what I would have done.

Then get a bus up to Taormina, and show her one of the expensive holiday destinations in Italy.

BTW Riposto is a lovely Marina, with possibly the best showers in the world? And great views of Mt. Etna.. Expensive, just like most Italian marinas.
 
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Taormina bay?

Hi Richard it looks like 4 bays 3 small ones and one big which one do you mean?
(Taormina) I also like the sound of the marina for a night with alll bags and that.
Do you remember the cost. Had a look at the websit but could not find prices
Just you're best guess will do
Cheers
Colin
 
There's a picture of it here - the beach is on the right and the station on the left. A couple more photos follow that one.
 
Catania has a choice of marinas which were cheaper than Raposto a few years ago and nearer the airport. There is also a small harbour about 5 miles north of Catania called Aci trezza which was free of charge a few years back and a nice town. Just dont leave the area without exploring Syracuse, a real gem.
 
We did this 2 years ago. We went into Catania to a Marina on the starboard side which was not expensive. You can get more fuel from the fishing port over to Port at the entrance. (you will see a petrol station down by the harbour front)

There is a regular bus from the airport, but you may well find its just as cheap to hire a car for the day and go and collect her - and use the car to reprovision as the shops are a good hike from the marina.

Tiamina bay - can be very roly in that bay, not a good start for a first night.

Some people don't like Catania, but I was pleasantly surprised and liked the place. Good base to visit Mount Etna.

Syracuse is to far away by train especially late at night - don't think its an option.
 
Chris_Robb said:
We did this 2 years ago. We went into Catania to a Marina on the starboard side which was not expensive.
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We went there too. Friendly and cheap as I remember. I didn't suggest it because it was 5 years ago when it looked like this.
Tiamina bay - can be very roly in that bay, not a good start for a first night.
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Yep. Anchors fore and aft.
Some people don't like Catania, but I was pleasantly surprised and liked the place.
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We liked it too. Pleasant to walk round with handsome buildings and some interesting ruins. Not touristy.
 
Catania

Last year we had to leave our boat in Catania - family problems in the UK. We were moored in Circolo Nautico (NIC), which is the second marina on the starboard side - on the Molo Nuovo. There is another smaller (single pontoon) marina over towards the main port, but it's more expensive than NIC and has fewer facilities.

NIC is a family-run affair, headed by Sancho and an expanding family of tail-less cats!: no English spoken but there are a few live aboards who are happy to act as interpreters. Facilities are sparse but adequate - showers, loos, water (and hoses) and electricity on the pontoons, clubhouse with machines dispensing soft drinks, coffee etc. Last year we were paying €35/night (Nauticat 35 10.65m), compared with Riposto at €95.

Despite struggling with the language, we were treated with great courtesy and the friendly approach included lifts into supermarkets arranging for emergency late night taxis and keeping an eye on our boat whilst we returned to the UK.

As others have said, Catania is a handsome city, from which you can visit Etna (via bus from the railway station; it has interesting architecture, decent restaurants. Taxi from Catania airport back to the marina was €22 - a better bet than the bus, which still leaves you with a bit of a hike to get to the marina.
 
DaveRo said:
Of volcanic ash.
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Quite a Freudian slip eh?

You are, of course, correct. If Etna is erupting the showers are of ash.... As I found out to my cost. Took 5 days to hose it off, and was still finding the stuff in 2010, 30 months later :(

I think it was about €90 per night in August 2007, reducing to €60 on Sept 1st.

I spent most of August in the bay below Taormina, and didn't roll at all. Left after a couple of nights in September when I woke up to her rolling like a pig.

I'd definitely agree that a marina in Catania would be ideal for meeting crew at the airport - but I didn't call there, so can't really comment.

Syracusa is perfect as an anchorage, with the amusement of the jumping fish, and a city full of historic old rocks and buildings, plus great for supplies. Beware though! After 3 weeks my hull was covered in barnacles which took my max speed from 7 knots under engine to about 4.5 knots. So can't recommend staying for long.
 
I have sent a email to the marina in Catania (NIC) about booking for 3 or 4 days.
That way she can get a good rest its 34hr fly time + time on the ground
It Will also give me time to clean the boat before she arrives. And I bit of restocking
Thanks for all your help so far
If you see us around come and say hi
Shapeshifter
Colin And Christine :)
 
The airport has a terrible reputation for loosing luggage. Friends warned us and I was sceptical, but after 3 flights with lost luggage each time I was convinced. The items all eventually turned up, but it's worth considering an address wher it can be delived (maybe a coffee shop near the boat).
 
That's a disappointment, but hardly surprising

...Riposto was about €90 per night in August 2007...

We stopped there in June 2006 when I believe it was fairly recently opened. At the time Messina and the other harbour/marina across the Straits on the toe of Italy were about €80/90 a night and had reputations for being awful places, so we pushed on to Taormina only to find it rolly and rough, so in desperation we took a chance on Riposto andonly got charged about €20/night!
We were so impressed that we thought to leave the boat there for a quick trip back to the UK, but were disappointed to discover that there were only 12-14m berths free at about €45/night for the following week. Shrugging our shoulders and preparing to leave, the Manager then came down and explained that he heard oof our dilemna and so we could move to the bigger berth at the >10m price and that as we we'd be away he'd make sure the marinieros kept an especial eye on the boat for us too.

Riposto was/is far and away the best and our favourite marina of the whole trip from the UK to Turkey; a pity we can't afford to stay there when we pass this coming summer.
 
noelex said:
The airport has a terrible reputation for loosing luggage. Friends warned us and I was sceptical, but after 3 flights with lost luggage each time I was convinced. The items all eventually turned up, but it's worth considering an address wher it can be delived (maybe a coffee shop near the boat).
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My crew all lost their luggage there, it meant we had to stay 3 days in the marina waiting for it to come from Rome, (this was Al italia).
 
CHKIWI said:
Hi can some one tell me the best place to anchor or get a marina. So as i can pick up my wife from the Catania airport. She will be coming in late that night all the way from New Zealand so will not want to move for day or so
Also is taxi the best do I need to pre book one? What do need to look out for?
thanks :rolleyes:
Cheers
Colin
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List of possibilities and their pluses and minuses at http://www.jimbsail.info/drupal/mediterranean/west-med/sicily-malta-s-italy

Corrections and updates welcome, but I think it's fairly up to date. Nice town, Catania.
 
Catania has the biggest most picturesque market I have even seen.
In 2001 much of the traffic from and to the market was done by horse and wagon.
I was moored for days just inside of the big harbour, nobody cared.
 
Interesting Old Bawley! I'm amazed to see several cats lifted out at the top of Catania on Google Earth. Should be possible to negotiate a one night stay to pick up crew.
Has anyone tried anchoring at the top of Augusta!?
 
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