Is it as chaotic as they say..it certainly looks like a great place to visit with lots of time to "chill" and go to outlying small towns.

Palermo is easily manageable. I would not want to drive in and out on daytrips; if you have a car I would recommend basing outside the city.

You need to take the usual precautions as far as valuables, etc.

Hi, chnaman -

I'd say that driving in the city is chaotic, but I wouldn't call the city itself chaotic. I'd call Palermo vibrant and lively and a bit gritty in parts. I thought it was a great place to visit!

All the above comments are on topic. Palermo is a wonderfully historic city. It spans the centuries and the Greeks, Romans,Phoenicians Spanish, and Normans once controlled Palermo. Each has left wonderful architecture for the world to enjoy. The food in all of Sicily is delightful, and I thought it much different than other parts of Italy. I would not drive here, but there is really no need to. Much of the interesting sites are within a walking distance from the old part of the city. Buses are also an option. People at bus stops are very helpful if you know where you are headed. Probably the most beautiful cathederal in the world is located in Monreal--a bus ride from town. Be sure to check out the markets--I liked them all. We stayed near the train station in an inexpensive yet nice pensione. This is a good location for sight seeing. I wish I were going back tomorrow.

That's funny...I didn't find it chaotic at ALL...I was expecting it to be...we're used to the craziness of Naples ;-) but it was nothing like Naples...very, very calm in comparison (and we did pick our rental car in the city and drive out...we'd have never done that in Naples!) I actually feel it was less chaotic than Rome really - different pace. We LOVED it, BTW and spent most of our time in in Sicily in Palermo (took one day-trip by train to Agrigento. we weren't there long enough to explore more than just the city). We found Palermo absolutely fascinating...the people welcoming...and the food spectacular!