We are flying into Palermo from Sardinia and do not want to have a car in Palermo for the few days that we are staying there. I currently have a reservation to return to the airport to pick up a car and am thinking that it might be better to pick up the car at the Palermo train station. Has anyone had any experience with that option?
Posted by
1544 posts
We rented a car while in Palermo to drive to Agrigento. We returned it from where we had rented it. It was straightforward. Enterprise: Palermo Notarbartolo Railway Station. Address: Via Umberto Giordano 8
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
17509 posts
Yes. If you are in Palermo a few days before renting a car, it makes sense to rent in the city rather than the airport and head out from downtown Palermo. The airport is not super close to the city and picking up at the airport generally costs more. The exact location of the rental pick up in the city depends on the car rental company you use, as they are not all necessarily all located in one spot.
When you head out of Palermo try to avoid the commute hours, as traffic in Palermo gets congested in the mornings before 9 or so, and the afternoon especially.
Posted by
OP
USA
30 posts
Lindy & Roberto,
Many thanks for your replies. I appreciate your advice. I also contacted our hotel in Palermo which reenforced your advice to change our car rental to the downtown train station. We are renting from Enterprise and they have a location at the station.
Kind regards,
Maureen
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
17509 posts
Make sure you go to the correct station, though.
Enterprise is located near the Notarbartolo station, not the main station called “Palermo Centrale”.
Posted by
OP
USA
30 posts
Roberto, many thanks for the additional information. You seem very knowledgeable about Palermo. Do you have any suggestions regarding sites to visit and restaurants? We had planned to go to the Opera but none of our favorites will be performed during our stay. We do plan to tour the Opera theatre though.
Kind regards,
Maureen
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
17509 posts
I haven’t been back in years so I’m sure there are people here with more updated information. However I always have a car in Italy so I’ve driven in Palermo a couple of times. To find out where things are, including Enterprise Rent a Car, GoogleMaps is always your friend.
Below is a good website by a local Sicilian guy from Palermo and is in English. It lists what I consider the must see sights in the city.
https://wearepalermo.com/things-to-do/
I don’t remember the restaurants I’ve been except for this one below, which was really good when I went.
Ai Normanni
It’s a bit upscale but not expensive at all, by the standards of California prices. But I’m sure you can find more by using TripAdvisor or TheFork. Don’t use Yelp in Italy as Italians don’t use it much, so you would get only votes by American tourists, who may not know what good Sicilian food should taste like. Also the website above probably has suggestions about restaurants as well.
Below is an article in a local online newspaper. It’s in Italian but you can get the names or translate with Google translate’
https://www.palermotoday.it/cibo/mappe/dove-mangiare-trattorie-palermo-cucina-siciliana.html
Another website to find suggestions on what to see in the island is www.bestofsicily.com
Posted by
Washington DC
30258 posts
My trip to Sicily was before Rick published his guide to the island, so this list is without benefit of input from him:
Top Sights for Me:
- Monreale: Really stunning; perhaps Sicily's top sight. Accessible by public bus, tour bus or taxi.
- The Norman Palace
- The street markets
- The small, privately run tile museum
- The many oratorios (small chapels), which vary a lot in style
There's also an archaeological museum I haven't been to.
The coastal town of Cefalu is an easy day trip by train.