"When we were finished in Palermo, we picked up a car at the Palermo airport." -- there are also car rental agencies next to train stations on the outskirts of Palermo. No need to go to the airport unless that's what suits best.

Really driving in Palermo is not a big deal. Yes, there is a lot of traffic and it may move slowly. But no reason to avoid driving in it if you are picking your car up there. We had absolutely no trouble driving into the city nor leaving it a few days later.

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Saving this excellent thread- tentatively planning a trip for May 2016

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