Siracusa Travel Forum

I am planning on spending 3 nights in Siracusa in June, 1st day is arrival from Central italy, 2nd day is to check out Siracusa , 3rd day I'd like to visit Mt Etna. Wanted to know the best way to do this from Siracusa-rent a car? Train? Or book a day tour? Ideally would like to hike up Etna a little bit as well

OK, there is a little railway called Cirumetnea which you can hop on in Catania only an hour or so by train from Siracusa. You can get off this here and there, but it won't take you up Etna, just around the slopes.

Renting a car is an option if you think you're a good enough driver to take the hairpin bends up Etna's northern side towards the peaks. It gets better later on as you get up the mountain but along the slopes it really is sharp bends to get up there.

Another alternative is to go with a guided bus tour but you have to pay quite a bit (something like EUR 60) for a place in the jeeps the last bit up to the sulphur fields at the peak (even if people say it's worth the money). Go to this site and click on "Saistours per tour operator" and you will see the English site with coach tours: http://www.interbus.it/

Hello!

I heard that it's not very clever to pay for 'gondola', which takes you on the top of the mountain. You see most of the beautiful things of Etna below begging of gondola. It's very expensive too.

OK, bye

Yes, the sulphuric fields are of course not BEAUTIFUL but nevertheless fascinating. It's green and wonderful on the slopes indeed.