Stories

Life in Palermo is quite comfortable without a car: we have trains, buses and trams, and for tourists the first two are usually enough. Google will show you the route, but there’s a local detail with buses — it’s best to get on with a ticket already in hand, and the easiest place to buy one in advance is a tabaccheria. With trains, there are more options: the ticket office, a machine, an app or Tap&Tap.

Getting from the airport to Palermo takes about an hour, and my favourite option is the train. The station is right inside the airport, and trains run to Palermo Centrale with several stops around the city, so you may be able to get off much closer to your hotel and avoid dragging your suitcase through Palermo. There’s also a bus for roughly the same price and, of course, taxis. Although when it comes to taxis, I usually joke with my guests: “There are no taxis in Palermo.”

For me, Ballarò is the heart and soul of Palermo. People taste, watch, sing and take photos, while scooters somehow make their way through the crowd and fresh ricotta is turned into cannolo cream right in front of you.