Pensione Cundari

We only stayed the last night, but came away with a very positive impression and can recommend the pension. There's a bus stop about 30 m away with a direct ride to Taormina that takes 20 minutes, and the parking right in front is very handy. We wanted to stay another night, but it was fully booked. They kindly let us keep using the parking the next day.

Having private parking was a godsend, since driving around Taormina centro in that traffic isn't worthwhile. This is a friendly family-run place near the station, and the staff were welcoming and gave us lots of useful information. The rooms look a little dated, but have great A/C and a decent-sized bathroom. The railway runs just behind the hotel, so you hear some trains, though they don't run overnight and it wasn't a problem for us.

The staff were very friendly, and having private parking was useful. The room was clean, though a little old fashioned. It's well placed for the bus to Taormina, with a stop about 20 m away. The last bus back to the hostel is at 21.15, and that ride can be an adventure: the driver sped up before each corner and only just made the sharp turns. The fare was 1,80. The pizzería next to the hostel makes great pizza for 5 euros, recommendable.

For a clean, fresh room with AC and a good night's sleep, this was perfect for us and I'd recommend it to backpackers. The trains pass right outside the window and there's no view to speak of, but the place is really close to the train station, which suited us well. The bathrooms were wonderful, and this was nicer than the 3-star B&B we had in Catania.