Palermo flights and travel guide

Crowded and chaotic, Sicily’s capital city can be overwhelming for any travellers fresh from their Palermo flight. The streets are filled with cars and mopeds, seemingly driving without regard to any rules of the road; the locals pack the pavements, talking with each other loudly and gesticulating wildly; cafés and restaurants spill out onto the street, waiters weaving between the tables; and the odd tourist wanders bemusedly through the middle of the noise and confusion. Southern Italy is very different to the North: this is the place where life is lived to the full, at full pelt and at full volume.

Despite all this chaos, or maybe because of it, most visitors to Palermo fall in love with the city. It has a stunning location on the west of Sicily, with access to some of the most beautiful beaches in the country, and enjoys warm weather almost year-round. As with most of Italy, the city has a host of museums and galleries and spectacular churches, with architecture that dates back many centuries and has influences from Roman, Arab and Greek civilisations. And many tourists book flights to Palermo for the cuisine. The food here is exquisite: all local produce that grows on the island’s hills or is caught in the sea.

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Palermo Climate

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When to Fly to Palermo

Peak Season:
As with the rest of Italy, Palermo’s main tourist season is April to mid-October. The largest festival, Festino di Santa Rosalia, honours the city’s patron saint and is celebrated July 9-15 with shows, concerts, a religious procession, and fireworks. Hotel rooms for the festival period must be booked well in advance.

The city is also very busy with tourists at Easter and school children March through May.

Off Season:
Autumn to early spring is considered the low season with cooler temperatures, more rain, fewer crowds, and unhurried enjoyment of the sights. This is the time to find a discounted flight to Palermo.

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Getting Downtown Palermo

There are regular trains linking the airport to the city centre. The journey takes about 45 minutes and trains run every 30 minutes peak times, every hour at other times. Coaches also serve the city centre (tel: (091) 580 457): they operate from 6.45am until midnight daily and run every 30 minutes. Coaches leave from just outside the arrivals terminal. Taxis are also available.

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Getting Around Palermo

The medieval core of Palermo is perfect for walking, and the sights and attractions are within walking distance of each other. To explore other parts of Palermo, you will need to take a bus or taxi.

The city buses cover nearly every corner of the city and go as far out as Monreale and Mondello. Tickets can be purchased at tobacco shops before boarding. There is a flat fare for any trips made within a set time period and all-day tickets are available. The Giro Citta tourist bus stops at many of the major sights and attractions. The rides start and end at Teatro Politeama, and tickets are purchased on board.

As convenient as the buses are, it can be a slow trip from one point to another. Taxis can move more quickly through the city and you can rent a taxi for a day. Taxis can be called or picked up at a stand.

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Palermo Insider Information

• The Teatro Massimo is one of Europe's largest theatres. Dating from the 19th century, it was restored recently and stages opera and ballet.
• The Antonio Pasqualino International Marionette Museum contains about 3500 puppets, marionettes and hand puppets from around the world, including Punch and Judy. There is an annual Festival di Morgana, children's workshops and regular performances of the Opera dei Pupi.
• Quattro Canti, the square, is the centre of the old city, between Via Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda. There are four 17th-century palaces on the square with facades illustrating different themes such as Spanish kings and the four seasons. 
• Kalsa is Palermo’s Arabic quarter. The Porta dei Greci is also known as Porta d’Africa. It is possible to spot the sea from the gateway.
• The Palermo Cathedral, Saint Mary of the Assumption, is built on the site of a pagan temple and, later, mosque, and was worked upon until relatively recently so it has a mix of architectural styles. The chapel is known for its royal tombs and the Cathedral Treasury houses the 12th-century Crown of Constance, which has Byzantine, Arabic and Western elements.
• Visit Monreale about 7km (about five miles) south of Palermo's centre. Monreale overlooks the "Conca d'Oro," the beautiful valley beyond Palermo. The mosaics in Monreale Cathedral are said to be one of the world's largest displays of this art.
• The catacombs under the Capuchins Monastery are in the Piazza Cappuccini. In 1599, the monks discovered that the catacombs had a preservative that helped mummify the dead, a discovery that made the grottos very popular with the locals. The oldest corpses date from the late 16th century and the last corpse is two-year-old Rosalia Lombaro, who died in 1920. Visitors can wander through the catacombs' corridors among the mummified bodies.

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Palermo Airports

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