What are your experiences arriving on a flight in the late afternoon/early evening? There are two of us probably on Ryan Air. We are traveling November 25th so it will be dark. I am not sure if I want to be dragging a carryon and backpack around on streets looking for my hotel after dark. We will be staying at Hotel Ambasciatori. Should we do train and taxi? Should we just do taxi? Are there still shared vans?
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
7943 posts
We used the train, but there are also direct buses. Do not recall seeing shared vans, or at least the airport website does not mention them. The airport is quite a distance from the city center, and taxis have no fixed rate for the trip. I have seen estimates from 50-90 euro, so it is probably a bit of "buyer beware"
Either train, or bus, then taxi from the station is probably a good choice.
Posted by
Idaho, USA
7674 posts
Contact your hotel. I just booked a hotel and then switched to a different one when I received more info. Both of them offered this:
TRANSFERT: If you need private transfer from Palermo airport to our
hotel we can provide it for 45.00 euro (1-2 people) 50.00 euro ( 3
people) 55.00 euro (4 peolpe) 65,00 euro ( 5-8 people). In case you are
interested, please send us details of your flight a couple of days
before your arrival
Posted by
SE Pennsylvania
2630 posts
That hotel is so close to the train station that a taxi might not take you. I don't think I would worry about that walk as a older woman.
See this post:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tours/walkingfrom-the-palermo-central-station-to-the-ambasciatori-hotel
Posted by
back in the Americas
709 posts
A few years back I took a bus from the airport into the city. I had researched ahead of time the nearest stop and then subsequent path to our Bnb but it was daytime. You would have to research it to see if that airport bus stops near your hotel and if the schedule is convenient for you. If you are not sure about doing that, then, as suggested above, contact your hotel and have them arrange a driver to pick you up and take you there directly. The Ambasciatori will have known drivers they work with so you will be safe and it will be faster and just generally more convenient. That is your easiest solution. I would definitely not take the train in and then a cab.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15899 posts
Train:
https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
from: PALERMO AEROPORTO PUNTA RAISI
to: PALERMO CENTRALE
Bus:
https://www.prestiaecomande.it/en/
From: AEROPORTO FALCONE BORSELLINO
To: VIA ROMA 265 (Vucciria) or PALERMO STAZIONE FS (your hotel is between the two, less than 10 min walk)
The cost is just over 6 euro with either bus or train.
The train takes from 34 min (if you take one of the few Genio Express trains) to about one hour. The bus takes about 45-50 min.
Taxi:
There is a flat fare now depending on the area of the city you need to go. For the area near the Station, where your hotel is located, the flat fare is 50€. The duration of the taxi ride is about 40 min.
Posted by
Idaho, USA
7674 posts
Does anyone know if the taxi or private driver experience is generally more like a normal city taxi, or is it more like “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride”?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15899 posts
In most circumstances the ride would be a normal taxi ride. Occasionally the mafia blows up entire neighborhoods or even entire sections of the A29 freeway to the airport, but that kind of experience is reserved for prosecutors who investigate organized crime, not for tourists.