Flying into Palermo and then will be on to the Ambassador hotel the day before our tour starts (May 14 -24). It looks like a cab is expensive from the airport so we'll likely take the train. Is it worth getting our ticket online ahead of time so we just have to get off the plane and go? Hoping the train is easy to use! Thanks!
Posted by
Idaho, USA
7339 posts
Hi, I will be there soon, also. I am planning to take the Taxi Sharing option which is a very reasonable price. The photos I found show €8/person. It’s a big blue sign. Sarah Murdoch, the former RS guide who wrote a lot of the Sicily guidebook, recommends this option. It has a set if locations where they stop.
Posted by
2528 posts
We bought the train tickets after we arrived. There was a person (as opposed to a machine) that we used. It was easy.
Posted by
SE Pennsylvania
2416 posts
There is also a very easy to use shuttle that drops you off at the train station which is a short walk to the hotel. There's a kiosk in the airport.
It turned out 6 or 7 of us on the shuttle were on the Rick Steves tour.
Posted by
North Carolina, USA
344 posts
in 2021 when summer travel opened up after covid it was really easy to get on the train from the airport to palermo. the station is right under the terminal and there was hardly anyone there. i am sure you will find more people now. looks like it's an easy 7-minute walk on via roma from palermo centrale. unless you have a lot of luggage or are otherwise disinclined to walk you could take a taxi from the station. mind you the plaza in front of the station is busy with traffic and crossing the street is a bit of an adventure. a good introduction to palermo!
Posted by
1222 posts
It is easy to take the train. We bought tickets from the red machine and hopped on the next one.
Posted by
Western Canada
3152 posts
There is also a bus: the Prestia e Comande company, that goes from just outside the airport exit doors , turn right and walk about 2 minutes.
Their ticket office/desk is just to the left of the doors before you exit.
They have a few stops before ending just beside Palermo Centrale railway station.
Posted by
SE Pennsylvania
2416 posts
Thanks S J!
That's the shuttle I mentioned above. It was one of the choices in the pre-tour document the tour sent us.
Posted by
Western Canada
3152 posts
You're welcome, Liz.
It looks like you can buy tickets in advance online too.
If you are coming back to the airport from Palermo using this bus, do buy your ticket for a specific bus in advance.
They get quite busy, and we saw people refused boarding because they had not prebooked.
There's a ticket office in the Palermo Centrale train-bus station complex.
We bought ours two days before, for a specific bus time for our flight day.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
This is all so helpful! Thanks everyone!