I've reserved 2 nights on the little beach town of Mondello, 30 mins from Palermo.
We will be driving a car from Cefalu and I believe having the car in Palermo may be challenging.
I'm still not set on staying outside of Palermo, so I need some insight.
How worth it is to stay in Palermo?
Is it worth staying 3 nights there?
Will it be better to stay on Modello and just do day trips to Palermo on bus?

Thanks

The first time I went to Sicily I stayed in Mondello befoe going to the airport to fly out, and didn't visit Palermo proper at all. I didn't like Mondello. I wasn't there in beach weather, however, so if you are using as a place to swim, your experience might be different. If you are planning on visiting Palermo proper, you should definitely leave the car in Palermo and use the shuttle to get into town. However, just in general, I think it is better, if you want to visit Palermo, to stay in Palermo.

I spent a week in Palermo last year and really enjoyed it. Have you looked at a guidebook or information online to see what it offers? Palermo gets mixed reviews from tourists. People have very subjective reactions.

f you are not much interested in what the city offers in terms of sightseeing but don't want to skip it completely, possibly take a day trip by train from Cefalu. Many people really enjoy the spectacular mosaics of Monreale, which is just outside of Palermo. I saw them (using a car) on my way to Mondello. Other people stay in Palermo to see them, using public transportation.

Sorry for my mistake. I meant to write:

If you are planning on visiting Palermo proper, you should definitely leave the car in MONDELLO and use the shuttle to get into town (Palermo).

I gave Palermo only 3 nights and regret that I did not give it more. That time included a visit to Monreale, but no other day trips. It also included recovering from jet lag, which cost me a few hours over the course of my stay.

That said, I don't think ANY of us can tell you how much time to allot to any particular place. I recommend that you identify the things that YOU most want to see, check opening/closing times on the internet, and mark them on a calendar. Then pencil in transportation and see whether your proposed time meets your priorities or not. And remember that you might find some things closed for VERY long lunch hours.

Personally, I would NOT want to have a car while in Palermo. And personally, I am VERY glad that I had the chance to explore parts of this dynamic city after dark, and to enjoy a wonderful meal with wine and not have to drive anywhere afterwards, and to be able to walk around a bit after said wonderful meal.... JMO.

Hope that helps!

Palermo is a dynamic and interesting city. I have heard it compared to Naples, although smaller.

We loved staying in Palermo and exploring the city. There is an easy bus to Monreale, the markets are in the morning, there is a lovely walk along the seafront, the Foro Italico with the old palazzi,and the Porta Felice gate at the end.

The architecture in Palermo is very different, with the varying influences of the Norman Arab Byzantine culture, my favorite being La Martorana.

Here is a good website for visiting ideas, although I disagree with what they say about driving and parking in Palermo being easy.

http://www.thethinkingtraveller.com/...formation.aspx

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We've decided to stay in Mondello for 3 nights to visit Palermo before going to San Vito for the next 3, we are skipping staying in Trapani or Erice and just visiting from San Vito.