Is the Circumetnea worth doing?

[citycat]

Just looking for some advice. I am heading to Sicily with a friend later this month to do the train ferry via the Rome To Siracusa night train, and then stay one night in Siracusa. We will then be heading back along the coast in a regional train to Messina and onto Villa San Giovanni to pick up our night train to Genoa (starts in Reggio C.).

For anyone that's done it, is the Circumetnea railway worth doing? Specifically the bit from Riposto to Randazzo and return as we won't have time to do the whole circumference. Should we do that portion of the route, hopefully on one of the classic trains? Or are we better off just heading to Messina and exploring the city for a few hours before crossing the Strait as foot passengers and catching our night train from V.S.G?

Or should we stop off in Taormina for a few hours?

Thanks for any help.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I did a clockwise run on the Circumetnea, the same (classic) train running throughout, despite a posted change at Randazzo.
It's all spectacular, particularly if Etna is visible and smoking.
The impression I got was that mornings tend to be clear, but clouds build up by afternoon, spoiling the view.
I thought the section south of Randazzo, through the lava fields, was the most impressive, and with the widest views to the west.
Riposto-Randazzo is close in to the volcano which limits the views, though you do get close to some fumaroles on the slopes.
I'd say it needs time to soak in the environment, not something to rush.
Siracusa is a splendid city as well.

 

[Djgr]

Just looking for some advice. I am heading to Sicily with a friend later this month to do the train ferry via the Rome To Siracusa night train, and then stay one night in Siracusa. We will then be heading back along the coast in a regional train to Messina and onto Villa San Giovanni to pick up our night train to Genoa (starts in Reggio C.).

For anyone that's done it, is the Circumetnea railway worth doing? Specifically the bit from Riposto to Randazzo and return as we won't have time to do the whole circumference. Should we do that portion of the route, hopefully on one of the classic trains? Or are we better off just heading to Messina and exploring the city for a few hours before crossing the Strait as foot passengers and catching our night train from V.S.G?

Or should we stop off in Taormina for a few hours?

Thanks for any help.

Last time I considered this the line seemed to be riddled with bus substitutions. Perhaps that has been resolved?

 

[30907]

Last time I considered this the line seemed to be riddled with bus substitutions. Perhaps that has been resolved?

That affects the Catania end.
Randazzo to Adrano is the best bit by a long way and I'm surprised it's not possible to fit with your schedule (first find the timetable..... )
Definitely worth prioritising.

 

[JB_B]

We did the Giarre-Maletto section in an old railcar in 2009 which was good fun and very scenic in parts. I'm sure it would be quite weather dependent.

We were heading to Bronte for the pistachio festival on a rail tour from Messina organised jointly by Fondazione FS and the local slow food movement. It turned out the line through Bronte had just been closed ("because of the pistachio festival"!) - so we were bussed instead to a local agriturismo which turned out to be really lovely.

 

[Calthrop]

Devoid of advice here -- in fact pretty fatuous -- but anything to do with this line; and I think of the brief mention of it in Bryan Morgan's The End of the Line (brief-and-glancing -- he didn't actually visit Sicily): "the Ferrovie Circumetnea does just what its name suggests and runs in a circle below Etna". One of the many things I like about Morgan's book is that as well as much mouth-wateringly lyrical description and shrewd comment; now and again -- as per quote here -- he comes out with things which are just gloriously silly.

 

[citycat]

That affects the Catania end.
Randazzo to Adrano is the best bit by a long way and I'm surprised it's not possible to fit with your schedule (first find the timetable..... )
Definitely worth prioritising.

Having tracked down the timetable, maybe it is indeed possible to travel the full lenth of the line from Catania (Paterno) to Riposto in our time frame.

Thanks to all the other posters for their replies.

 

[wellhouse]

Enjoyed the Circumetnea last year, with a leisurely lunch stop in Randazzo.

Definitely recommended

 

[30907]

Having tracked down the timetable, maybe it is indeed possible to travel the full lenth of the line from Catania (Paterno) to Riposto in our time frame.

Excellent. I can't remember if there is a RRB from the city centre or only from the Metro.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Excellent. I can't remember if there is a RRB from the city centre or only from the Metro.

When I was in Catania in April this year, there was a bus where they were extending the metro further out to meet the Circumetnea, which therefore looks like it's about to become a little less "circum".