isabel

We'll be arriving in Sicily at the Palermo airport and are thinking of going straight to Monreale. I've found a hotel there that I'm interested in, and I don't really want to spend much time in Palermo. So I was thinking it would save time and avoid driving in Palemro if we picked up the rental car at the Palermo airport and drove to Monreale, then took the bus into Palermo to see it - kind of a reverse of the normal day trip.

Anyone familiar with the roads around there. On a map it looks like you could go straight from the airport to Monreale without driving in Palermo - but who knows if this is accurate. What do you think?

dickv2

Good morning, you proposal sounds
pretty good, it has been a few years since drove from Palermo to Monreale
but do recall very good roads. Might suggest taking a half day city tour within Palermo, would save some time in seeing and major sights. Beleive this was run by the local CIT office..
Richard of LaGrange Park, Il..

isabel

Thanks for the reply Richard. Do you remember if you went through/around Palermo or in the other direction. My map shows a road that goes in the other direction from the airport and kind of loops around - probably a few extra kilometers but avoiding Palermo.

Parfym

ttt
Tell us more, Thanks.

dickv2

Good morning, Isabel have been into Monreale about four times and all have been from Palermo from our hotel, The JOLLY on the Foro Italico and the best can remember the route to Monreale was
SW on the Via Lincoln and to the Via. della Regione Siciliana, which is a ringroad on the west side of Palermo leading from the autostrada to the airport on the north end and Highway 1
to Messina and etc., on the south end.
Pesonally would take this route from the Via della Regione Siliana to Highway 3 and then west to Monreale. Do recall that parking was tight there, but we did find a space....
Richard of laGrange Park, Il..

GAC

FYI, you can also take the airport train, get off at the Orleans Station (the station immediately before the central station), then walk across the square and take the no 389 bus to Monreale. Train costs 4.50 Euros. Bus costs 1.00 Euro.

isabel

GAC - I'm glad you answered since you are so knowledgable about Italy (you helped me a lot with last summer's trip to Norhtern Italy). My idea is to pick up the rental car at the airport and drive straight to Monreale, thus avoiding having to drive in Palermo itself, and to avoid having to park in Palermo (or to have to go back to the airport after Palermo to get a car). I really only want a small taste of Palermo, I figure one day is enough. This will be at the begining of an 11 day visit to Sicily. So I thought we could park the car in Monreale and do the bus to get into Palermo. Does this sound logical?

I don't have a map with me at the moment (I'm at work) but it looked like there were roads that could get you from the airport to Monreale without going anywhere near Palermo itself. What I can't tell is if it's some very tiny road that would take forever - but it is big enough to be on the map. What do you think?

GAC

I've never driven from the Palermo airport to Monreale, so I can't be of help to you in that regard, other than to suggest that you map this using the yahoo.it website "mappe", or look at the Touring Club Italiano road atlas for Sicily/Southern Italy.

As far as concerns visiting Palermo from Monreale by bus; certainly this is possible. The 389 bus takes you direct to Piazza Indipendenza (the rear side of the Palazzo dei Normanni). From there, you can walk just about anywhere in central Palermo.

I would also state my firm belief that Palermo merits at least two full days. This would entail staying overnight in Monreale: the Carrabella Park Hotel would be the place to stay.

isabel

Thanks for that info. So now my question is - just how bad is driving out of Palermo? My whole reason for considering staying in Monreale was that it seemed easier to just get the rental car at the airport and go there and not worry about the car or driving till leaving the area. The Carrabella Park Hotel sounds nice enough (about $120/€93). But the Hotel Joli in Palermo also sounds nice ($100). But that would require getting the rental car in Palermo and driving out. So how hard is it?

GAC

I would not rent a car only to keep it parked for one or two days in Palermo or even in Monreale. Why not rent it in Palermo itself once you're ready to leave town? If you leave early in the morning on a Saturday or better still a Sunday, traffic should not be too bad.

Having a car whilst visiting Palermo and Monreale is a serious liability. Take the buses and walk!

isabel

GAC, I agree it seems silly, and I've checked the prices and it does save quite a bit to pick up in Palermo on the day we'd be leaving versus at the airport a few days earlier. However, we will be leaving Palermo on a Tuesday (cannot change the dates, we already have the airline tickets). I'm not usually one to avoid city driving, I drive in US cities all the time, and I've driven in many places in Europe, but try to avoid large cities that I'm not familiar with. Plus I heard Palermo was once of the worst. Do you know how far it is, or how complicated it is, to get from the downtown area ( Via Francesco Crispi) out of town?

GAC

I've never driven out of Palermo, but from Via Francesco Crispi (waterfront boulevard facing the Port) is should not be too difficult to get out of town, especially if you leave before the morning rush hour.

It really makes no sense to pay more by renting the car at the Palermo airport, only to keep it in a garage for a couple of days!!!!!

If this were my trip, I would take the airport bus into downtown Palermo (it stops at Piazza Castelnuovo and at the Port); take the no. 389 bus to visit Monreale; then rent the car the morning of departure.

To visit Palermo itself, you are best off simply walking.