Getting around · Palermo · Italy
Getting around Palermo
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Salvatore Ciambra, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Palermo's historic centre is compact and best explored on foot, with Via Maqueda and Via Vittorio Emanuele crossing at the Quattro Canti. City buses reach Monreale, Mondello and outer sights, while traffic is heavy and parking difficult in the centre, much of which is a limited-traffic zone. Not in the city, where traffic is chaotic, parking scarce and the centre a limited-traffic zone.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Walking
- Airports
- PMO, TPS
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
Ways to get around
Walking
Most sights, from the Norman Palace to the Kalsa, are within a 20–30-minute walk of the Quattro Canti along pedestrian Via Maqueda and Via Vittorio Emanuele.
Bus
AMAT city buses link the centre with Mondello, Monreale, the Capuchin Catacombs and the Zisa; services can be slow and irregular in traffic.
Buy tickets before boarding at tobacconists or newsstands, and allow extra time at rush hour.
Train
Palermo Centrale has regional trains along the coast to Bagheria and Cefalù, and a rail link also serves the airport.
Taxi
Licensed taxis wait at ranks at the station, Piazza Politeama and the airport; check that the meter is running or agree the fare first.
From the airport
Falcone-Borsellino Airport (PMO) is about 30 km west of the centre at Punta Raisi. The Prestia e Comandè shuttle bus and the airport rail link reach the centre in about 45–60 minutes, and taxis take about 35–45 minutes depending on traffic. Trapani-Birgi (TPS), about 100 km away, serves some low-cost routes.
Do you need a car?
Not in the city, where traffic is chaotic, parking scarce and the centre a limited-traffic zone. A car is useful for Segesta, Erice, Scopello and the rest of the island; pick it up on the day you leave Palermo.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Cefalù | About 1 hour by train | Regional train from Palermo Centrale |
| Segesta | About 1 hour by car or bus | Car, tour or bus |
| Erice | About 1.5–2 hours by car, or bus and cable car | Car, or bus to Trapani and cable car up |
| Scopello and the Zingaro reserve | About 1–1.5 hours by car | Car or organised tour |
| Agrigento's Valley of the Temples | About 2 hours by train or bus | Regional train or bus |
| Bagheria | About 15–20 minutes by train | Regional train from Palermo Centrale |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Palermo?
Not in the city, where traffic is chaotic, parking scarce and the centre a limited-traffic zone. A car is useful for Segesta, Erice, Scopello and the rest of the island; pick it up on the day you leave Palermo.
+How do you get from the airport to Palermo?
Falcone-Borsellino Airport (PMO) is about 30 km west of the centre at Punta Raisi. The Prestia e Comandè shuttle bus and the airport rail link reach the centre in about 45–60 minutes, and taxis take about 35–45 minutes depending on traffic. Trapani-Birgi (TPS), about 100 km away, serves some low-cost routes.
+What is the best way to get around Palermo?
Walking: Most sights, from the Norman Palace to the Kalsa, are within a 20–30-minute walk of the Quattro Canti along pedestrian Via Maqueda and Via Vittorio Emanuele.