Deep-dive

Getting around Palermo

AMAT runs buses and four tram lines; Trenitalia's Passante railway works as a surface metro and reaches Punta Raisi airport. Ferries from the port to Naples, Genoa, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Cagliari and Tunis. Limited-traffic zone in the historic centre on weekdays. Heavy traffic: the car is the most common choice but the slowest.

Sections: Arrival · Airports · Trains · Buses · Car & licence · Cycling · Accessibility

Buses, trams, ZTL

Urban transport is run by AMAT, the Comune's company: a bus network with irregular frequencies and four tram lines (1 Roccella, 2 Borgo Nuovo, 3 CEP, 4 Notarbartolo–Calatafimi) that mainly serve the outskirts and Notarbartolo station, pending the extensions towards the centre under construction. AMAT also manages paid parking, vehicle removal and the historic-centre ZTL, active on weekdays with paid access for non-residents and camera enforcement. Tickets and passes are bought via app and at sales points.

Passante, airport, trains

Trenitalia's Passante railway, largely underground, crosses the city from Palermo Centrale to Notarbartolo, Francia, San Lorenzo and continues to Punta Raisi: it is the most reliable link with Falcone e Borsellino airport (managed by GESAP, at Cinisi, about 35 km away) and works as a surface metro for those living along the line, with half-hourly frequencies at peak times. Alternatively, scheduled buses to the airport leave from the central station and the Politeama. From Palermo Centrale regional trains reach Cefalù, Messina, Agrigento and Catania; trains to the mainland are ferried at Messina and the trip to Rome takes all night or over ten hours by day, so almost everyone flies. Airport travel times are in the data block.

Port, roads, bikes

The port, managed by the Western Sicily Sea Port System Authority, is a ten-minute walk from the historic centre: scheduled ferries to Naples, Genoa, Civitavecchia and Livorno (GNV, Grimaldi), to Cagliari and to Tunis, hydrofoils to Ustica, and one of Italy's busiest cruise terminals. The A19 motorway to Catania, A20 to Messina and A29 to Trapani and Mazara start from the ring road; regional coaches for all of Sicily terminate at the central station. In the city traffic is heavy all day; cycle lanes and shared e-scooters cover the centre and the seafront towards Mondello.

Monthly transport pass

City figurePeriod: 2026Validsample unknown

Source: AMAT Palermo – Abbonamenti bus e tram · Abbonamento ordinario 30 giorni, intera rete bus/tram AMAT

€32/ person·month

Airport → centre by public transport

City figurePeriod: 2026Validsample unknown

Source: Prestia e Comandè – Orari e linee, linea Aeroporto di Palermo · «Durata percorso 50 minuti» sull'intera linea fino alla Stazione Centrale; la stessa pagina promette «centro città in soli 30 minuti» (fermate di via Libertà/Politeama); treno Trenitalia Punta Raisi–Palermo Centrale senza tempo pubblicato