Mt. Etna and Taormina

Posted By : Michellecampbell25
Our group of four booked the Godfather/Taormina Tour with Joe Bananas out of Messina in June of 2019. Antonio was our wonderful tour guide who did a wonderful job looking after us for the day. I travelled with Joe Bananas on two previous trips to Europe. Two things distinguish this tour company - local, knowledgable guides and tour packages that are unique. Antonio's knowledge of the local area was impressive - he seemed to know people everywhere we went! as a result, he was able to get us into places no other tours seem to offer. We enjoyed a very full day and we seemed to be ahead of all of the full length tour buses along the route. Couldn't be happier with Joe Bananas and highly recommend them. Thanks, Antonio for looking after us!
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Posted On : 2019-06-10 19:02:00

Posted By : Odyssey770188
Joe Banana Limo service didn't disappoint on Sicily. Ricardo picked us up promptly for our Godfather and Taormina tour. He was very knowledgeable about all of the sites we visited, and we thoroughly enjoyed every minute. We highly recommend Joe Banana Limos, and plan to use them again in the future.
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Posted On : 2018-10-07 14:08:49

Posted By : starkman2017
I went on the Godfather tour and it was fabulous. Our driver was terrific knowlegeable and very helpful. I would return to Taormina in a heartbeat. Reliving the Godfather movies was fun. The streets were narrow and charming, the people ( mostly tourists ) were treated very well. I loved this tour. It was raining lightly and it made the atmosphere special. the winding roads were something else. I liked seeing the sculpures the local artist did as a nod to Scorsese director of the Godfather.
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Posted On : 2018-07-08 08:38:58

Posted By : mikee332
We had used Joe Banana tours in our other stops in Italy and were satisfied with them and they didn't disappoint here either. If you are a Godfather fan this is right up your alley. We were taken to the town of Savoca by our driver/guide who was also prepared for the day with umbrella's, as there was a chance for some showers, very thoughtful.
They shot 2 scenes here, The Bar Vitteli, and the church were he married Apollonia. We also went to Forza d'Agro, another small village with a church scene from Godfather 2.
From here we went to Taormina, a touristy town with lots of shops and some scenic views.
I recommended JB tours in our other stops and would do so again here.
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Posted On : 2018-07-02 20:44:32

Posted By : mura831
Luca was an excellent guide for this enjoyable tour to Mt. Etna and then Taormina. Since we'd been to Taormina just a few months earlier we took his advice for lunch at a small place a bit off the main road. Excellent English and plenty of information for our group of 8.
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Posted On : 2018-06-09 17:58:05

Posted By : lizwoods49
Our party of 4 prebooked a tour in Sicily recently while on a Celebrity Cruise. We used Joe Banana Limos for the tour. The driver was a great guy and a great driver who took us on the Godfather Tour and Taormina. The problem was we could not understand his English. The couple with us used Joe Banana for a private tour of Rome and one of The Amalfie Coast. Both of those drivers spoke fluent English. The company seems to be good overall but be sure to ask for an English speaking driver.
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Posted On : 2018-06-01 17:54:29

Posted By : FlynGonz
We were expecting an interesting, informative tour of these two areas in Sicily. We'd been looking forward to learning about the local history (ie: Greeks, Romans, WWII) for months. Instead, we got a chauffeured van ride with no narration. Luca, our "guide", merely drove us to Mt. Aetna, said no words on the long drive unless we asked, and dropped us off for a short hike (after giving us a minute or so of eruption history). So, we then proceeded on another long, silent drive. The only conversation was amongst the 6 tourists onboard. No history, no color, nothing from our driver (guide) unless asked. Too bad, as he grew up in this area. We were then deposited in the tourists/shoppers haven of Taormina for 2 hours, on our own, with no background or history provided. No tour of the town, just dropped off/picked up.
Basically, I knew more from Wikipedia about these sites than our "guide" was willing to share. We felt ripped off, as it was a long day with no history provided.
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Posted On : 2018-04-24 17:44:50

Posted By : Teri J
I have used Joe Banana several times in the past and I always highly recommend them to other travelers.

The first half of this tour was amazing! Luka our driver/guide picked us up promptly and got us to the villages before the crowds. The views were amazing and Luka provided excellent information. He even knocked on the door of an older women who had been in one of the Godfather films. She came to the door and showed us her framed photo of her scene in the movie.

We had one stop at an establishment for a taste of Almond Wine and to take in some amazing views. For some, this establishment would be offensive and pornographic. It is "adult" themed and in my opinion, is very inappropriate for a family with young children or for anyone who is very conservative. I'm not sure if this stop is included on all tours or if the driver gauges the tour group. The wine was excellent.

There were several spots where we asked about having something to eat and were told, we would eat later in Taormina and what was being offered in these other villages was not very good.

Taormina is where the tour fell apart for us. Be prepared to be dropped off at this overpriced, crowded tourist trap for 3.5 to 4 hours. That is half of your tour without a guide. If you are a shopper, you will be in heaven. If not, well, you know the name of the other place and that is what it was for us. At most, Taormina deserves to be a one hour stop. There are some nice views and a garden. Add another 45 minutes if you want to do the Greek Theater, but make sure the driver drops you off there and you have to navigate the crowds.

The good food we needed to wait for was at the restaurant where Luka dropped us off. The least expensive item on the menu was 12.50 Euros and that was for a plate of pasta with nothing on it but olive oil. One member of the tour spent 28 Euros on his lunch. The food was average at best. And be prepared to be charged a service charge in addition to the menu prices.

If you are a Godfather fan, but don't like to shop and/or want to avoid a long stay at a tourist trap, organize a private tour with Joe Banana--don't do the group tour. Be very specific that you only want to spend 1-1.5 hours at Taormina, and you don't want to eat lunch there. Ensure they don't try and fool you like our driver did by saying that you will only spend 1.5 to 2 hours there, and then later say the 1.5 hours budgeted for lunch was not in the "Taormina time.
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Posted On : 2017-06-10 13:45:50

Posted By : CatsAustralia
We take many cruises and usually take private tours which we have noted from the Cruise Critic Roll Call. Although the name sounds unusual, Joe Bananas Limos has shore tours departing from Cruise Ships at a number of Ports in Italy and nearly all reviews of their tours are rated excellent. Booking is simple through the website and the 8 seater a/c Mercedes van is ideal for 8 people. Not expensive for 8 people, but the cost is higher for less people. This beats ships tours as the van can access much closer to Taormina than large buses and as with our other Joe Bananas Limos tour was very professional.
Each person registers on the website with a credit card to guarantee payment, but payment is in cash and the credit card is only charged if someone who has registered and has not cancelled within the prescribed time, does not show. The organiser on the Ship should contact all participants on board and ensure everyone disembarks together so that the the tour leaves at the appointed time.
Giovanni met us close to the disembarking point and we travelled to the towns of Savoca and Forza D'Agrò.en route to Taormina. Savoca. is where Al Pacino filmed part of the Godfather film and a visit is made to the famous Bar Vitelli and the church of St. Lucy where the scene of the wedding between Apollonia and Michael was filmed.
The views along the way over the sea are spectacular from the steep cliffs, especially from the town of Forza D'Agrò. Taormina and this coast line are "must see" locations and although the recommended restaurant was closed on Mondays (lunch is not included in the tour), there are no end of restaurants and places to eat along with many interesting shops. We had an excellent lunch at Tutti cca, just off the main street. We did not visit the Greek Amphitheatre, but we probably should have. The food, Sicilian wine, the coffee and the gelato all added to a great day.
We were back in Messina in plenty of time before the departure of our cruise and I
don't think getting back on time should worry cruise passengers who use Joe Bananas Tours.
Highly recommended
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Posted On : 2017-01-03 19:55:57