Palermo’s historic city centre is easily navigable on foot, but you may occasionally need to use transport to get from one part of the city to another.
Driving in Palermo isn’t straightforward due to traffic and restrictions in the historic centre, but public transport is a valid alternative. Palermo’s public transport network includes buses, trams and a metro system; car sharing and bike sharing services are also available.
Below you’ll find all the useful information you need to organise your travel around the city during your stay.
Those arriving at Falcone and Borsellino airport can reach the city centre conveniently by bus. Coaches depart every 30 minutes, are air-conditioned and equipped with free Wi-Fi, with plenty of luggage space in the hold.
The route from the airport to the centre stops at several intermediate stations on the way to Central Station on via Fazello, passing via Roma (opposite the Rinascente) and Piazza Sturzo. The journey takes around 30–60 minutes depending on traffic. To travel back to the airport, the pick-up point is the ticket office on via Fazello, near Central Station.
A single ticket costs €6.00 for adults; a return ticket is available for €10.00. Children aged 2–12 pay €4.00 for a single journey and €8.00 for a return trip. Tickets can be purchased online, at the airport ticket office (open daily from 7:30am to 11:00pm), at the via Fazello ticket office (daily from 6:00am to 8:00pm), or directly on board for night-time services. The first departures from the centre to the airport leave at 4:00am, whilst the last bus from the airport runs until around 12:30am.
Palermo’s urban buses are operated by AMAT. The network is extensive and comprises more than 60 lines including daytime, night-time buses and shuttle services, but unfortunately the buses are not immune to city traffic and often get held up, so journey times are rather long.
Within the historic centre, a free shuttle operates, departing from Porta Felice and stopping at the main tourist attractions in the old city along its route.
The shuttle departs every 10 minutes or so and runs from 6:30am until 9:00pm, including on public holidays.
Bus tickets can be purchased from over 1,000 authorised retailers displaying the AMAT sticker—tobacconists, newsagents and shops—or directly at the official AMAT counters:
Alternatively, you can purchase digital tickets via the MyAMAT app or the Palermobilità app, both available free for iOS and Android.
A single ticket costs €1.40. The ticket is valid on multiple services within 90 minutes of validation, which must be done immediately upon boarding the first service used.
You can buy a ticket on board the bus for €1.80 (a surcharge of €0.40 on the standard price).
If you plan to use the bus several times, it’s worth buying one of the convenient day tickets or even a book of tickets.
The day ticket is valid on the entire network and is valid until 11:59pm on the day it is validated. It costs €3.50.
There’s also a “multiday” version, valid for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 days depending on which ticket you choose. The price of the multiday day ticket varies according to duration:
A book of 20 standard tickets costs €23.50, whilst a book of 20 day tickets is available for €45.80. You must show the book stub when inspections are carried out.
The Sicilian capital has an active metro rail service managed by Trenitalia, which is commonly (and incorrectly) referred to as Palermo’s metro.
There are three active lines:
There are only a few stops in the historic centre and services run infrequently: one every 30 minutes for lines A and B, whilst for line C expect a wait of 30 to 60 minutes.
The metro runs from 5:00am to 8:30pm.
A ticket for a journey within the urban area costs €1.50; the price increases for journeys outside the urban area. Note: AMAT bus tickets are not valid for the metro.
There are four active tram lines in Palermo: these are also operated by AMAT and connect the urban periphery with points of interest near the city centre.
For this reason, the tram is not widely used by tourists, who generally stay in the areas within the historic centre, but should you need to get around, remember that the tram is an eco-friendly, convenient and safe means of transport.
The tram runs from 6am to 9pm. Service frequency varies by line, ranging from 5 minutes on line 1 to 12 minutes on line 4.
Did you know?
Palermo’s tram cars can carry more passengers than two traditional buses or 174 private cars: more precisely, a 32-metre tram can transport 200 passengers, equivalent to two articulated buses or 174 private vehicles.
Palermo, like all major tourist cities, has tourist buses with a hop-on hop-off formula.
These buses make a sightseeing tour of the city, allowing you to get off and back on at any of the stops along the route, all of which are situated near the main tourist attractions, with no limit to the number of times you can get on and off.
Tourist buses are comfortable and frequent, and are recommended for families with children, people who prefer not to walk, or those who don’t want to plan their own itinerary. They are generally run by private companies and ticket prices vary depending on the operator.
Another means of transport designed specifically for tourists are the two-wheeled trains that travel through the city centre: sitting comfortably, you’ll be able to admire the city’s finest monuments and buildings with commentary from a tour guide.
If you prefer greater convenience, you can travel by taxi, a more expensive option but one that will save you time, taking you exactly where you want to go.
You can pick up a taxi at one of the following ranks:
Alternatively, you can flag down a taxi on the street, call a local taxi company, or ask your hotel to book one for you.
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