Transfer between Palermo airport and downtown Palermo

Are you going on holiday to Sicily? Here’s how to organize your transfer between the airport and downtown Palermo!

Palermo Falcone-Borsalino International Airport, also known as Punta Raisi, is located about 30 kilometres from Palermo in the municipality of Cinisi. It is the most important airport in Sicily, but also in the whole of Italy with a traffic of more than 5 300 000 passengers per year.

Are you wondering how to organise your transfer between the airport and downtown Palermo? Don’t worry about it! We are here to guide you in the best way and make your trip easier!

Generally, the airport shuttle is the most popular and convenient way to transfer from the airport to downtown Palermo, but there are other ways to organize your trip!

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Go to the city centre of Palermo by bus

Photo credit: Facebook – Prestia e Comandè

When you transfer from the airport to downtown Palermo, you will therefore find, as soon as you leave the airport, a shuttle service that connects the airport to the city centre. The bus company Prestia-Comandè takes care of passengers.

You will have a bus that leaves about every half hour, from 4:30 am to 10:30 pm. With a fare of 6€ per person, the bus will drop you off directly in the city centre. You can either buy your ticket directly from the driver, or online, or at the airport ticket office.

The duration of your trip varies depending on your stop. As an example:

• Via Belgio stop: about 20 minutes
• Via della Libertà stop: about 30 minutes
• Central Station : about 50 minutes

Transfer by train

Photo credit: Wikimedia

You can easily arrange your transfer between the airport and downtown Palermo by train. To do this, you will have to go to Punta Raisi station located at the airport. This underground station serves the journey to downtown Palermo with the Trinacria Express train.

It will take you between 50 minutes and 1 hour to get to the Sicilian city. However, if you want to travel further north of the city, your journey will take an average of 40 minutes and you will have to get off at Notarbartolo station.

The price of a train ticket is 5.90€ per person. You will have the possibility to buy them on site, at the ticket office, or by internet on the Trenitalia website.

Attention: To date, due to work on the railway line, traffic has been temporarily interrupted until further notice. Please therefore, for the time being, choose another means of transport for your transfer between the airport and the city center of Palermo.

Organize your transfer by taxi

As in every airport, you have the possibility to take a taxi to get to the city center of Palermo. Upon your arrival and at the exit of the terminal, taxi ranks are present and will be able to solicit you.

Remember to define your route with the driver before getting in the vehicle and ask for an estimate of the cost of the trip. The taxi will provide you with a more comfortable means of transport.

And for more economy there is the Taxi Sharing! This involves sharing your taxi with other travelers to minimize the cost. They are located in taxi stations and are easily identifiable.

Another option is also available to you: the services of private drivers. They can also take you to your destination, but the prices are quite variable and higher than the solutions proposed previously.

Plan your transfer from the airport to downtown Palermo by car

The car is of course the most practical solution that will make you totally independent. To do this, you will find car rental companies upon arrival at Palermo airport. In order to save time, you can book your vehicle in advance.

Travel sites very often offer the rental of a vehicle when you book your flight online. For your transfer between the airport and the city centre of Palermo it will take you about 35 minutes (depending on the departure time) for a journey of 33 kilometres.

You will take the A29 motorway towards Palermo, then the E90 Viale Regione Sicilia Nord Ovest.

Be aware that if you choose this option to go to downtown Palermo, you may be interested in an article on where to park in Palermo and how to avoid scams when renting your car!