The largest air gate of Sicily is the airport of Palermo named after Falcone and Borsellino (Aeroporto di Palermo "Falcone e Borsellino"). Remote 35 km west of the capital of Sicily, the airport is located in the town of Punta Raisi.
Modern look
The modern look of the terminal, built in 1960, acquired after the reconstruction of 1987. True, the reconstruction was carried out at such a leisurely pace that it was only possible to completely finish it by 1995.
But still on the approach you understand that under the wing of an airplane it is Sicily. Runways are located on the very edge of a steep coast. From the extreme point of the betonka to the coastline no more than two tens of meters. If on the one hand the enormous baldness of the airfield, and this is how it looks from the porthole, is bounded by the pale blue Mediterranean Sea, then on the other - in a gypsy motley patchwork of olive gardens and red-white roofs of Sicilian houses.
In the terminal building itself there is nothing that a tourist can expect from Sicily. Everything is strict, academic and ... no, not boring, but airy and sunny. The bright, dazzling Mediterranean sun seems to completely fill all the rooms without a trace. And if it weren’t for the air conditioners, then everyone and employees and tourists would urgently seek salvation from it.
Story
This air harbor has its own unique attraction. This is a third runway located perpendicular to the two main ones. It was erected in order to protect the takeoff and landing of aircraft when the sirocco blows - a strong southern wind from Africa.
A reasonable question arises, why didn’t there be a safer place for the airport, protected from strong impulses of sirocco? Why, and getting to Palermo is still a long way off. The answer is very simple: the famous Sicilian mafia so wanted!
Two legendary Sicilian mafiosi - don Luciano Ligi and don Tano - insisted that the airport be built on the land of don Tan. And it doesn’t matter that this site is thoroughly blown through sirocco, if the noble dons decided to organize their own drug trafficking in the USA, it means that the Sicilian air harbor will be built here. That is why for flight safety a third, additional, runway was built.The irony of fate is that Palermo airport is named after the famous fighters with the Sicilian mafia Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.
How to get from the airport to Palermo
Rent a car
At the airport of Palermo, all the popular rental companies in Italy have opened their offices. The most popular companies where you can rent a car at the most affordable cost:
- Goldcar;
- Firefly
- Avis
Car rental can be arranged directly in the terminal building, or can be remotely via Internet services - this is much more profitable. We sincerely recommend the auto.italy4.me price comparison service.
In a rented car you should get to the capital of Sicily along the A29 highway, stretching along the sea coast, and then along the E90 highway, which turns already deep into the city.
Taxi or car from the hotel
Palermo Airport is equipped with a taxi rank, which is located right next to the exit from the arrival hall. True, this type of transport, as elsewhere in Italy, is quite expensive. There are additional extra charges for trips at night, on weekends and holidays.
You can get to Palermo by pre-ordering a transfer. In this case, the driver of the car will meet the arriving tourist in the arrivals hall. You can recognize it by a plate with the name and surname of the guest. The cost of the transfer is around 55 euros.
Order transfer to Palermo
Public transport
Bus
For budget travelers, the best option is to travel by bus.
The bus leaves the airport building at half-hour intervals from 6:00 to 24:00.
- The fare to Palermo is 6.3 euros.
- You can order a ticket and check the bus schedule on the website: www.prestiaecomande.it
In addition to Palermo, you can take buses to such Sicilian towns as: Agrigento, Menfi, Porto Empedocle, Ribera, Trapani and Sciacca.
- You can buy a ticket and get directions to other cities in Sicily here: www.buscenter.it
- For example, a ticket from the airport to Trapani will cost you 8 euros.
A train
You can get to Punta Raisi Train Station by shuttle bus, and there you should already take the Trinacria Express train, which will take passengers to Palermo Central Station. From the capital station, the express runs from 4:45 to 20:09, and in the opposite direction from 5:54 to 22:05. Travel time can vary from 70 to 45 minutes.
- Ticket price - 5.50 euros.
- Website for booking tickets: www.trenitalia.com
Hotels
If you have a late flight, you can spend the night in nearby hotels. There are more than two dozen of them within a radius of two kilometers. The following hotels are most closely located:
Flights
In addition to the national airline Alitalia, Palermo Airport also accepts international airlines. These are mainly small low-cost airlines:
- Volotel;
- Airberlin
- Norwegian.no;
- Luxair.
From Moscow
There are direct flights from Moscow to Palermo: Alitalia offers the fastest flight option - about 6 hours. At the same time, smaller carriers can save up to a third of the cost of the ticket at the expense of time. On average, a ticket from Moscow to Palermo will cost about 270 euros.
From St. Petersburg
When flying from St. Petersburg, you will need at least one change, the most convenient - in Rome. Alitalia and Aeroflot will offer their services to the traveler, the first operator offers the fastest options, and the second - a little cheaper. The ticket price ranges from 335 to 410 euros.
The average flight time from Moscow is 6 hours 10 minutes, and from St. Petersburg - 5 hours 55 minutes.
From Europe
The main low-cost company of Europe Ryanair flies to Palermo from most Italian cities, as well as from Berlin, Madrid, Seville, Paris. For example, if you buy tickets in advance, you can fly from Rome to Palermo for only 19-50 euros.
When departing from Palermo, remember that the start of check-in is 2 hours, and its completion is 40 minutes before the departure of the plane.
- Official airport website and online flight scoreboard: www.gesap.it
