Although Palermo is a fair-sized city, most of the interesting sites around the center can easily be reached on foot. We highly recommend walking to see the city!

To call a taxi, dial tel. +39-091-513-311, +39-091-513-374, or +39-091-682-5441.

There are taxi stands at:

-Palermo train stations
-Piazza Verdi (Teatro Massimo)
-Piazza R. Settimo (Teatro Politeama)
-Piazza Indipendenza

You would mainly only need to use the taxi if you find yourself lost at night in the city. Otherwise, you should avoid having to use a taxi around town. If you can afford it, some visitors rent a taxi for the day to explore Palermo attractions; it will cost about €70 to €100. Most drivers speak only a few words of English, but you can request an English-speaking driver which may or may not be available. For further information on taxi sightseeing, call tel. +39-091-512737.

The vast network of buses will get you to all the main sites in Palermo and its surrounding area, including Monte Pellegrino, Mondello, and Monreale. Municipal bus service is run by AMAT, Via Borrelli 16 (tel. 848-800817; www.amat-pa.it).

A ride on a bus costs about €1.30. Tickets are sold at AMAT kiosks and at most tobacco shops and newsagents (tickets expire after 90 minutes). Once on board, put the ticket in the validating machine, or, if that`s not possible, on the top part of your ticket write the date and start time of your journey (month/day/year and time, using a 24 hr. clock). Not having a validated ticket will land you a fine, and ticket checkers are always looking out for unknowing tourists. If you plan on using the bus extensively during the day, a good option is to purchase a 24-hour ticket (about €3.50), which expires at midnight of the day you use it. If you are not venturing beyond the city center, you can use one of the three convenient circular bus lines (Linea Rossa, Linea Gialla, Linea Verde) at a fraction of the cost of a regular bus ticket (around €0.52, valid all day).

The following ticket options/costs are available:

-Daily ticket - €3.50
-2-day ticket - € 5.70
-3-day ticket - €8.00
-4-day ticket - €10.20
-5-day ticket - €12.50
-6-day ticket - €14.60
-7-day ticket - €16.80

A tourist bus called City Sightseeing, also operated by AMAT, begins and ends its circuit at the landmark Teatro Politeama (the Emerico Amari side). It stops at many major monuments, including the Duomo and the Royal Palace. From April to November departures are daily at 9:30 am; from November 5 to March 31, departures are at 10 am. Tickets are sold on board; there are no advance reservations. The cost is around €20 per person, children 11 and under cost around €10. For information, call tel. 091-589429.

Another sightseeing bus, a red double decker, is operated by WorldWide City Sightseeing (www.city-sightseeing.com) and offers a 24-hour hop-on, hop-off service on two different routes around the city. Adults ride for about €20, children 15 and under for around €10; families (2 adults, up to 3 children) ride for about €50; advanced booking is available. Departures are from Via Emerico Amari (Politeama) on the corner of Via Wagner.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

We do not recommend driving in Palermo due to major traffic congestion, reckless and aggressive drivers and lack of parking spaces. If you want to rent a car for side trips however, rentals can be arranged at the airport desks or at offices within central Palermo.

If you do have a car, check with your hotel about parking; many hotels have a local parking garage they are partnered with offering special rates to their guests (typically between €12 and €20 per day). Alternatively, you`ll need to find a legal space on the city streets or piazzas. For spaces marked by blue lines, you must get a ticket from a machine (usually every day except Sunday; see the hours of operation posted at the machine nearest your vehicle). For spaces with signs stating a maximum parking time but with no ticket machine in evidence, you`ll need to purchase a form called a scheda , available from tobacco shops, and place it on your dashboard, first making sure to scratch off the circles corresponding to the time and date you parked there. If you neglect to do this, or if you park longer than the time allowed, you may be fined.

If you choose to park your car in a garage you`ll find one near the rail station, Garage Stazione Centrale (tel. 091-6168297), which charges about €15 per night (closed Sun). Two other convenient garages are at Via Stabile 10 (tel. 091-321667), charging around €15 per night, and at Piazza Oliva (tel. 091-325444), charging around €20 per night. Piazzale Ungheria, an outdoor municipal car park, charges hourly and up to €30 in a 24-hour period.

Cycling is not that advisable in Palermo because of the limited availability of dedicated bike paths. There are some roads with bike lanes, but these can be a bit risky due to the erratic drivers. Palermo is not a bicycle friendly city in our opinion.