Layover in Palermo

If your flight stops for at least several hours at Palermo Airport en route to Pantelleria, you are probably weighing the pros and cons of passing time at the airport vs. in town. Here is a low-down on the two options.

Option 1: The Airport

If you are feeling peckish or thirsty you can choose between a self-service restaurant, a wine bar, a couple of coffee bars and a fast-food pizzeria. I have always opted for pizza, as the food at the restaurant has that depressing cafeteria look. Nor am I a big fan of arancini: fried rice balls with meat, cheese and/or vegetables, although Paolo thinks they are pretty good. The food is your standard airport fare; however, we guarantee that the food at this airport is miles better in terms of taste, temperature and price than the astonishingly mediocre food at the international terminal of Charles de Gaulle that we recently had (the likes of refrigerated sandwiches with tuna spread!).

Arancini

As for shopping, you will not find the luxury retail boutiques found at major international airports. There are the airport standards: souvenir & postcard shop, bookshop, and a tiny duty free shop selling perfumes, alcohol and the like. The most interesting shops are the ones selling Sicilian specialties, where the products are thankfully more tasteful than tourist kitsch. There is a wine shop that focuses on Sicilian wines and gourmet pantry products and a pasticceria where you can find marzipan and tasty local biscuits (cookies in American lingo). My favorite are the plain almond flavored biscuits. If you are interested in non-perishable gifts, stop by the shop selling Sicilian ceramics and another shop selling coppolas (the traditional Sicilian flat cap).

The airport website provides more details and photos. In summary, Palermo Airport is small for an international airport and has limited but interesting local shopping options, about an hour or so worth of browsing. Thus, for a 4-5 hour wait between flights, you should bring something to read or games to play.

Option 2: City Center

If you find yourself with a lot of time in between flights, you may consider heading into the city center (approx. 35 km away), where there are many delicious dining options and numerous churches and palazzi to explore. The style of the city is like much of Sicily: a blend of the medieval, roman, arabic and baroque.

Despite the lure of Palermo's rich history and culture, I have always opted to stay at the airport for my layovers because of the time required to get from the airport to the city center and back (1.5 to 2 hours). There is a bus that leaves every half hour and reaches the city center in about 55 minutes. The bus is cheap: just over €5. There is also a Trinacria Express train to the center, which also runs every half hour and takes about 45 minutes to arrive at the city center. The train is slightly cheaper than the bus. You could alternatively take a taxi, which would take about 30 minutes (depending on traffic) but cost ridiculously more (€50+).

If you have time, we recommend staying overnight in Palermo, which minimizes the tedious travel time. However, if you have a same-day layover, the city center option is not advisable if you have to check in luggage.