Palermo is a city rich with history and culture, so when in Palermo, you will have your hands full, with so many places to visit. And if you wonder if Palermo is a city that offers Uber services, we are here to answer your question.
No, there is no Uber in Palermo. But don’t worry, there are other transportation options to help you venture around Palermo.
From regular taxi services to Palermo’s public transportation. Read on to know more.
How To Get Around Palermo Without Uber?
You might think that getting around Palermo without Uber will not be an easy task, but you are wrong to think that. Palermo offers many different transportation options to its locals and visitors, and we are here to tell you all about them.
In the next few paragraphs, we will discuss the transportation options available in Palermo, read on to find out all about them, and choose the one that best fits your needs.
Alternative Ride Sharing (Grab/Lyft) in Palermo
Unfortunately, there are no alternative ride-sharing options like Grab and Lyft in Palermo. But, they have taxi services to make up for it.
Taxi in Palermo
Driving around Palermo with a bus can be a hustle. It is also time-consuming, and renting a car and driving by yourself will be the same, so taking a taxi to get around Palermo might be the best option to use for commuting around Palermo.
Palermo’s taxi drivers usually speak only a few English words, but they will try to manage and give you the best service that they could. Taxis base fare in Palermo is €3.80, and then it charges €2.55 for the first 154m, and after that charges €0.85 per km.
If you don’t mind spending your coin, then renting a taxi for the whole day might not be a bad option. They will cost you anywhere from €70 to €100, and it is a good way of commuting around and visiting all the tourist attractions.
You can flag down taxis in Palermo on the street, or if you are unable to find one, you could call their taxi service number.
Metro in Palermo
This is an affordable way to commute around town and visit all the tourist attractions in Palermo. Metro in Palermo has minimal metro services, but it covers most of its tourist parts. It is a good option to use if you are on a budget since a one-way ticket costs €1.30.
Consider this way of venturing around Palermo if you are staying outside of the city, in parts like Notarbartolo.
Bus in Palermo
Palermo’s immense bus system will get you to all the main attractions around the city. It is an affordable way of commuting around Palermo, but no really as fast as some of us would want it to be.
The ticket for one ride costs €1.40, and they can be bought at kiosks or tobacco shops or with a driver; but remember that if buying your ticket upon entering the bus, the ticket would cost you €0.40 more than when buying it before boarding on a bus.
The tickets last 90 minutes from the time they are bought, and when you enter the bus, you will need to get your ticket validated. You will be able to validate your ticket in the validating machine, or if that’s not possible, you will have to do it manually by writing the time and date of the pickup (month/day/year and time, using a 24hr. clock).
If you don’t validate your ticket and are caught, you will get a hefty fine, and the ticket-checkers are waiting for a tourist who doesn’t know how the system works to come around.
A good idea if you are planning to use Palermo’s bus services for commuting around it all day is getting a one-day ticket which will cost you €3.50 and the ticket will expire at midnight.
Walking in Palermo
Walking in Palermo is healthy and a good way to meet the culture. If you like walking, you will enjoy walking around this city and seeing all the beauties it has to offer. You can even try hopping onto some of the walking tours Palermo has in hand for you. You can best discover Palermo if getting by on foot.
Bicycle in Palermo
Getting around cities by bike might be a fun experience and a healthy way to get around, but riding a bike is not the safest option in Palermo. There are only a few bike rails, and you are really risking getting hit by a car when getting around with a bike.
If you still want to go for this option, and you know that you will be careful, there are a few bike rental shops around the city at your service, and the prices for bike rentals won’t be high at all.
Rent a Car in Palermo
You might think that getting around Palermo with a car will be the easiest option, but it isn’t. Palermo has a severe traffic problem, and it seems like every driver has his own driving rules. Driving around Palermo isn’t the safest option.
Another minus when renting a car is that finding a parking spot is not easy. Since you will have to spend your money on gas, parking, and rental, this would be the most expensive option out of all of the options listed above; think about renting a taxi for a day instead of renting a car.
If you decide that you would like to rent a car in Palermo and want your freedom when commuting around Palermo, there are several car rental shops to be found at the airport and around the city. Also, if you decide to rent a car in Palermo, be cautious and don’t mix alcohol and driving because it is not safe and it can also get you a hefty fine, there are sobriety checks all around the city, and you won’t be able to pass them by.
