Palermo is easier to reach than people expect and easier to get around than people fear.
The airport transfer is straightforward and cheap, the historic centre is walkable end to end, and the only genuinely bad idea is driving into the old town. Here is all of it. The wider planning is in my complete guide to Palermo.
From the airport
Falcone Borsellino airport is at Punta Raisi, about thirty-five kilometres west of the city along a spectacular stretch of coast road between the mountains and the sea.
The bus. Prestia e Comandè runs roughly every thirty minutes, takes about fifty minutes, and costs six euros fifty one way or eleven euros return. It leaves from directly outside arrivals and ends at Palermo Centrale station, stopping at Politeama and Via Libertà on the way, which is often more useful than the terminus.
Buy on board or online. There is more luggage space than on the train.
The train. The Trinacria Express costs six euros eighty for an adult, three euros fifty for children aged four to twelve, and is free for under fours. It runs every thirty minutes from around 05:00 to 22:00 and takes fifty to sixty minutes to Palermo Centrale. The station is below the terminal.
Which to take. If you are staying near Politeama or Via Libertà, the bus, because it stops there. If you are staying near the station or the Kalsa, either. If you have a lot of luggage, the bus.
Taxi is a fixed-ish fare and lands somewhere around forty to sixty-five euros depending on the operator and the hour. Worth it for a family with bags at midnight, not otherwise.
Arriving by train or ferry
By train, Palermo Centrale connects to Catania in roughly three hours, Agrigento in about two, and Messina in about three. Sicilian rail is slower than the mainland and the coastal line east is more scenic than fast.
By ferry, overnight boats run from Naples, Genoa, Civitavecchia and Tunis into the port, which is a fifteen minute walk from the centre. The Naples overnight is a genuinely pleasant way to arrive: you sleep, and you wake up in the bay.
Getting around the city
Walk. This is the real answer. The historic centre is compact, and the chapel, the cathedral, the markets, Quattro Canti and Piazza Bellini are all within a twenty minute radius of each other. Palermo is a city that only makes sense at walking pace.
Buses are run by AMAT. A single ticket is around one euro forty and is valid ninety minutes including transfers. Buy before boarding, at a tabaccheria or newsstand, and validate on board. Day tickets exist and are worth it if you are doing Monreale and Mondello on the same day.
The bus network is comprehensive and not fast. Traffic is heavy and timetables are aspirational.
The routes that matter: the 389 to Monreale from Piazza Indipendenza, and the 806 and others out to Mondello.
Taxis are metered and easy to find at ranks. Ride-hailing exists but is patchy.
Scooters and bikes are available. I would not, in this traffic, unless you are very confident.
Should you hire a car?
For the city, no. Absolutely not.
The historic centre has restricted traffic zones, parking is difficult and expensive, the driving is assertive, and everything you want is walkable. A car sitting in a garage for three days is money and anxiety spent for nothing.
For day trips west, yes. Segesta, Erice and the salt pans are genuinely hard without one, and a car for two of your days is a sensible compromise. Pick it up on the morning you leave the city rather than at the airport on arrival.
Cefalù does not need a car. The train is better.
Practical details worth knowing
Palermo Centrale is the main station and has left luggage, which is useful on a departure day.
Validation matters. An unvalidated bus ticket is treated as no ticket, and inspectors do work the airport routes.
Sundays are quieter on the buses and the markets are largely closed.
In August the city thins out considerably in the middle of the month, including some shops and restaurants, and the buses run reduced schedules.
Arriving late, or leaving early
Two situations that catch people out.
A late arrival. The last Trinacria Express leaves the airport around ten at night and the Prestia e Comandè bus runs a little later, timed loosely to the final flights. If you land after that, it is a taxi, and the fare is what it is. Book a room with a late or self check-in, because small palazzo B&Bs in the centre frequently do not have a night desk, and arriving at one at half past midnight with nobody expecting you is a genuinely bad hour.
An early departure. The first bus and train from the centre leave around five in the morning, which covers most early flights but not all of them. Palermo Centrale has left luggage if you want a final morning in the city without dragging a case around the markets.
Allow more time than the fifty minute journey suggests. The coast road backs up, and the airport is small enough that a queue at security is a real risk rather than a theoretical one.
Getting on to the rest of Sicily
Palermo is the natural western base. Trapani, Marsala and Agrigento are all reachable, Cefalù is an hour east by train, and Catania and Taormina are the far side of the island.
If you are building a Sicily trip, Palermo and Taormina at either end with a night somewhere in the middle is the usual shape, and the drive between them is about three hours on the motorway.
Read also: day trips from Palermo, where to stay in Palermo, and my complete guide to Palermo.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get from Palermo airport to the city centre?
The Prestia e Comandè bus runs every thirty minutes, takes about fifty minutes, and costs six euros fifty one way or eleven return, stopping at Politeama and Via Libertà before Palermo Centrale. The Trinacria Express train costs six euros eighty and takes fifty to sixty minutes. A taxi runs roughly forty to sixty-five euros.
Do you need a car in Palermo?
No, and a car in the historic centre is a liability. The old town is walkable, parking is difficult and there are restricted traffic zones. Hire a car only for day trips west to Segesta, Erice and the salt pans, and collect it on the day you need it.
How much is a bus ticket in Palermo?
Around one euro forty for a single, valid ninety minutes including transfers. Buy it before boarding from a tabaccheria or newsstand and validate it on the bus, because an unvalidated ticket counts as no ticket at all.
How do you get to Monreale and Mondello by public transport?
Monreale is bus 389 from Piazza Indipendenza, a little over half an hour. Mondello is served by several routes including the 806, taking twenty to thirty minutes from the centre. Both use the standard one euro forty ticket, and a day ticket pays for itself if you do both.
Is Palermo walkable?
Yes, and walking is the best way to see it. The chapel, cathedral, markets, Quattro Canti and Piazza Bellini all sit within about twenty minutes of one another. Buses are only really needed for the airport, Monreale and the beach.
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