How to Get to Palermo
Although Palermo is further away from many of the other major cities in Italy, there are still plenty of great options for getting there. Even more, reasons why Palmero is worth visiting!
Flying:
There are 4 international airports on the island of Sicily and Palermo Airport is one of the biggest.
Palermo International Airport is 30 minutes away from the city centre. The best ways to travel between the airport and the city are by train, shuttle bus, taxi or private transfer.
Viator is a great option for pre-booking your private airport transfer;
Palermo Airport to Palermo city or vice versa, private transfer service
For shuttle buses between Palermo airport and the city check out Prestia e Comande. They have multiple services a day and prices start from 6 euros in peak season.
If you’re flying with a low-cost airline they may only fly into Trapani but that’s okay because Trapani is only 1.5 hours drive from Palermo and there’re shuttle buses that travel between the two cities.
Bus:
Buses in Italy are fantastic and usually very cheap. Although if travelling during peak season prices are much higher and I would recommend booking these in advance as they do sell out.
Flixbus is a low-cost option and in my experience, the bus was clean and reasonably comfortable.
Travelling from Rome to Palermo with Flixbus can take up to 13 hours. This is an overnight journey so you’d save money on accommodation.
Once the bus arrives in Villa San Giovanni it will drive onto a ferry, during this short trip you can get off the bus to starch your legs, grab an espresso and take in the beautiful views. And, after the ferry, the journey across Sicily to Palermo is 2.5 hours.
Train:
The train is another great transport option in Sicily and the main station in Palermo is within walking distance from the city centre.
A sleeper train from Palermo to the Amalfi coast takes 11 hours. These trains are awesome, so clean and provide fresh bedding, a comfort pack and breakfast.
Omio is an awesome site for transport schedules in Italy, here you can book train, bus and flight tickets.
Getting Around Palermo
Is Palermo worth visiting? Yes! Because it’s a very walkable city.
Another reason why Palermo is such a great city to visit is because it’s very walkable. Palermo is by no means small but if you want to explore one area at a time walking is a great option. Not only because it’s easy & free but also because there will be so many beautiful things to admire along the way.
There’s also a public bus system that operates in and around the city. These buses are cheap, 1.4 euros per trip, and once you validate your ticket on the bus it’s valid for 90 minutes.
You can purchase tickets from the bus driver, although this will depend if they happen to ticket with them! So it’s a very hit-or-miss option.
It’s better to buy bus tickets beforehand at newspaper stands, Tobacconists store or AMAT ticket stands which are usually close to bus stops. Then once on board you validate your ticket, I found buying a bunch of bus tickets at once was the most convenient option.
Whenever we said anything to locals about getting the bus they always said something along the lines of ‘Why would you get the bus? I never get the bus, they are so unreliable”.
And my husband and I were thinking about this after being in Palermo for a month they actually are pretty terrible, often running late or cancelled. And, there was even once when the driver took a completely different route to avoid traffic.
But saying that we were still happy to take the bus as we were never on a strict time frame and it was the cheapest transport option.
For Palermo’s public transport schedule, download the Moovit app (but take these times with a grain of salt).
Where to Stay in Palermo
Often what makes a city worth visiting is the accommodation and Palermo has so many great options. And, many are right in the city centre, giving you easy access to some of the best sights in the city.
To make the most of your time in Palermo, book somewhere within the Historic Centre of Palermo.
I stayed between Via Roma and Quattro Canti and it was incredible. historical sites, bars, restaurants & shopping at our doorstep. Plus the port was only a 15-minute walk away.
If staying for longer than a week I would recommend booking an apartment. This will make you feel more like you’re living a typical Sicilian life, plus save you money.
Often apartments will offer a discount off the total price if booking for more than a certain amount of nights. And having your own kitchen could save you money on food as local cafés & supermarkets in Palermo are awesome, so you could do a bit of a grocery shop.
Here’s the link directly to the Palermo Airbnb I booked. And, I absolutely loved it, highly recommend it for couples or solo travellers).
“Entire rental unit hosted by Frediano”.
Plus, Vrbo has heaps of apartment rentals available in Palermo’s historical centre.
One thing about staying in the historical centre of Palermo is the noise, especially if you’re near a main road like Via Roma. It became a bit comical how much noise there was overnight. Cars, motorbikes, sirens and street parties, it almost felt a bit lawless out there like people were doing whatever they wanted. Often I’d even hear dirt bikes flying up the main road. But funnily enough, I loved it, it was all part of the Sicilian experience.