Hello All! My husband and I (novice international travelers) are very excited for our first RS tour in Sicily. My question is this- we fly from the States to Palermo with a layover in Munich. Do we go through customs in both Germany and again in Sicily? Will our bags go directly to Palermo or do we pick them up in Germany and re-check them? Sorry for the silly question but I don't want any surprises! After such a long flight, I plan to take a taxi to the hotel rather than navigating the bus system. Should we arrange for a driver through the hotel or use a taxi outside the airport? How much should a expect to pay from the airport to Hotel Ambassiatore? We will be arriving 2 days prior to the tour. Thanks to the previous posts for all the recommendations of sites to visit prior to the tour. Ciao!
Posted by
Central Connecticut, USA
1103 posts
it sounds like you are on one ticket for the trip from the US to Palermo. If so, you would go through immigration (passport control) in Munich and customs in Palermo. In this situation, your checked baggage would go through to Palermo. Customs in Palermo should be a non-event if you have nothing to declare.
We were on the RS Sicily tour in April 2016 and took the bus from the airport to Palermo. The bus stop is right outside the airport (Palermo airport is very small). A taxi would probably cost around 35 euros while the bus is around 6 euros each. The bus drops you off a couple of blocks from the hotel.
Enjoy the tour - it was fabulous.
Posted by
🏝️ Hobe Sound, FL⛱️
3303 posts
The bus is just outside the doors of the terminal. Make a right, walk 50 yards, buy ticket, get on bus. Easy peasy!
Posted by
OP
42 posts
Thanks for your insight Bob! I should have clarified- we fly from SFO>Newark>Munich>Palermo. Does that make any difference? The first two flights are with UA, the last is with LH
Posted by
Central Connecticut, USA
1103 posts
Assuming that you bought one ticket for the round trip from the US to Sicily, United and Lufthansa are codeshare partners, so your journey would be the equivalent of one flight with multiple stops.
Posted by
San Mateo, CA, USA
257 posts
The Palermo airport is not all that big. I also did the RS Sicily Tour and it was very simple to take the bus from the airport to the Palermo Centrale Train Station. The booth that sells tickets for the bus is outside right near the busses. Once at Palermo Centrale Train Station it is a very easy 7 min walk up Via Roma to the Hotel Ambasciatori. It's a straight shot up Via Roma, just be careful about crossing the street outside the train station after getting off the bus.
Posted by
Southeastern USA
996 posts
Thanks for your insight Bob! I should have clarified- we fly from SFO>Newark>Munich>Palermo. Does that make any difference? The first two flights are with UA, the last is with LH
As long as your tickets are all on one single reservation, then what was said above holds true. If you booked the flights separately with UA and Lufthansa, then that's (possibly) a different scenario.
When you reach Palermo? You may find that your US based luggage does not show up on the baggage carousel. Do not panic. Ask at the desk. Our US based luggage was delivered to a separate room, despite the fact that we had already technically entered the country in Rome.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Yes, if you are all on one ticket, you will check your bags in at SFO, and not see them again until Palermo. Make sure your bags are tagged "PMO"; if they aren't, you will indeed have to claim them and recheck them.
You will go through immigration (passport control) in Munich, and customs in Palermo. That's why your bags will be delivered to a different place from everyone else's (these other people will not need to go through customs if their only flight is Munich to Palermo).
On the way home, at your first US airport, you will go through the "formalities" regardless of your final destination, and regardless of how your bags are tagged. You will go through passport control, pick up your luggage, then go through customs. Just outside the customs door, there is a "baggage recheck" area, where you turn in your bags for your next flight (assuming it's to SFO, your bags should have been tagged "SFO" when you checked in for your first flight segment). You then go through security to get to your next gate.
Be prepared to go through security at various other stages too. This depends on the layout of the various airports and exactly which changes you are making. For instance, at Newark, if your flight lands at Terminal C and the next one departs from Terminal C, you don't have to go through security. If your flight lands at Terminal C and the next one departs from another terminal, you do have to go through security. Just go with the flow.
Posted by
OP
42 posts
Thanks to everyone for all your great advice and tips!
Posted by
San Francisco area
1900 posts
June 2016, taxi from airport to the hotel was between €50 and €55 using the meter. With three of us it was fairly reasonable on a per person basis.
Posted by
Midwest
2768 posts
To get from the airport we used a shuttle bus which was nice, comfortable, and had under bus storage for luggage
http://www.prestiaecomande.it/?idx=102
You can buy tickets online or at the bus, it leaves from just outside the airport exit and goes to multiple places in Palermo including the train station. We were staying up by teatro Massimo and it also stopped up there so it was more convenient for us.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15798 posts
Don't make my mistakes. I took the train instead of the bus - took longer - buses run more frequently. Then took a taxi from the train station to the hotel which was less than a 10-minute walk straight down via Roma from the train station. In the end,, the taxi was probably a good idea because there'd been a lot of rain earlier and I would have had to negotiate a lot of big puddles if I'd walked. Great rooftop view from the hotel and excellent breakfast. I also had a very good dinner there on my arrival night.