Getting to Palermo

Find your way around in Palermo or how to get to Palermo with a Palermo Italy map. You can also locate an airport with the Palermo airport map and plan your transportation. A little planning ahead with Palermo.com can save you valuable time during your vacation.

Palermo Offers Many Options For Transport Connections

When you located Palermo, Italy map markings might initially make the city seem like an isolated outpost on the far side of Sicily away from the mainland. Nothing could be further from the truth! As a major commercial hub for the island, Palermo is well connected to the mainland and the rest of Europe. In fact, the biggest transportation challenge in Palermo is deciding which way you would like to get there and away.

Travel Agent Bookings

If you are unsure of your Italian, reluctant to experiment, or traveling with a group, you may want to pursue travel agent bookings for your transfers into and out of the city. Most travel agents serving Palermo provide much more than a Palermo airport map and a pat on the back-they can arrange door to door guided service for passengers, bags, and pets.

Airport Options

Palermo airport transportation is facilitated by two airports serving the city. The Palermo International Airport sits west of the city, connecting back to the main town area via bus, train, or taxi. It services pan-European and mainland destinations. The other airport in Palermo, Boccadiflaco, caters to independent pilots, and offers regional transport to Enna as well as the Aeolian islands.

Train Connections

Trenitalia, the national rail service of Italy, operates trains from the mainland to and from Palermo as well as from Palermo to the rest of Sicily. Visit our section to read more information on Palermo trains.

Rental Cars & Taxis

It is possible to rent a car at the airport, or to rent a car on the mainland and drive it over via the highways or a ferryboat connection. While a rental car can provide considerable freedom for exploring the island, parking is tight in Palermo and traffic rules are somewhat loose. If you are new to Italian driving styles, avoiding peak hours will help you ease into the flow.

Taxis serve both the airport and the city. There are standard flag fall rates and most drivers speak some English to help you find your way around the city.

Ferries and Boats

Palermo’s ports are constantly busy with connecting passengers. In addition to the cruise ship port for the major cruise lines, there are a number of regional ferry connections.

Ferry service is available to and from Genoa, Civit vecchia, Naples, Malta, and Cagliari on a daily basis, and many of the ferries offer drive aboard service. Private boat slips at the marina also allow yachts, sailboats, and private vessels to dock at their leisure.