Palermo

[2ptu/000]

When we get off the ship in Palermo, will there be taxi's or tour operators offering tours? Not having good luck finding a independent tour and the ships tours are so overpriced. Any suggestions for Palermo?

[dinek1]

When we get off the ship in Palermo, will there be taxi's or tour operators offering tours? Not having good luck finding a independent tour and the ships tours are so overpriced. Any suggestions for Palermo?

 

There's a Hop On Hop Off bus. I've been looking at it for a future cruise port stop.

[Travel Girl TX]

We did the HOHO bus in Palermo and it was an easy and enjoyable day. It is very easy to pick it up at the port.

[dinek1]

We did the HOHO bus in Palermo and it was an easy and enjoyable day. It is very easy to pick it up at the port.

 

Thank you for the comment.

[Softball20]

When we get off the ship in Palermo, will there be taxi's or tour operators offering tours? Not having good luck finding a independent tour and the ships tours are so overpriced. Any suggestions for Palermo?

 

Try Sicily Life tours. We used them in Palermo a couple years ago, as well as twice in Messina. We had a great day in Palermo with Salvatore.

[2ptu/000]

Thank you for your tips on Palermo. Will there be taxi's or tour guides that we can hire at the port? We really don't want to book in advance. We have some health issues and need to see how we feel that day.

[eliopia]

Try Sicily Life tours. We used them in Palermo a couple years ago, as well as twice in Messina. We had a great day in Palermo with Salvatore.

We have a day in palermo too,would you please tell us what kind of tours Sicily life tours offered and how much was they charged.

[Softball20]

In 2011 we paid $400 euros for our full day tour. I don't recall all the places we went, but we had a great day. You can get their info on their web site Sicily Life . com.

 

We also used them in 2008 & 2010, and we are using them again on our upcoming cruise.

 

I also have our driver's info. Email me, donna@bridalshowcase.com, if you are interested.

[eliopia]

In 2011 we paid $400 euros for our full day tour. I don't recall all the places we went, but we had a great day. You can get their info on their web site Sicily Life . com.

 

We also used them in 2008 & 2010, and we are using them again on our upcoming cruise.

 

I also have our driver's info. Email me, donna@bridalshowcase.com, if you are interested.

 

Thank you for your help,i already checked their website and looking at our options,this is our second time in palermo so we are looking for smth different(last time we did the hoho bus).

Rita.

[Alberta Quilter]

Was just in Palermo a couple of weeks ago. I would recommend getting out of town; Palermo was filthy!

 

We did the HoHo and then went to see the Capuchin Catacombs which was something very different, to say the least. We were not impressed by the HoHo; the staff did not seem to give complete information as to distances/directions but we got there and back all right. The walking distance from the bus stop to the Catacombs and back was longer than we were given to believe.

 

No one on the ship was impressed by Palermo but I think many had good tours outside of Palermo (including the ship tours).

[2ptu/000]

Was just in Palermo a couple of weeks ago. I would recommend getting out of town; Palermo was filthy!

 

We did the HoHo and then went to see the Capuchin Catacombs which was something very different, to say the least. We were not impressed by the HoHo; the staff did not seem to give complete information as to distances/directions but we got there and back all right. The walking distance from the bus stop to the Catacombs and back was longer than we were given to believe.

 

No one on the ship was impressed by Palermo but I think many had good tours outside of Palermo (including the ship tours).

Hi Alberta Quilter, Were there tours being offered when you got off the ship? Thanks for the information on Palermo. I'm not a big fan of HOHO buses. Commentary is usually poor, ear phones don't work or we get stuck in traffic. They are also an expensive mode of transportation.

[festivalfrau]

We hired a private guide named Don through Viator. He was awesome!

 

He did indicate to us that their garbage collectors have been on strike which explains why people are complaining that it is "dirty".

 

Don will tailor your day for whatever you want to do. One of the activities we planned was to cook with a chef. It was really fun!

 

Happy Cruising!

[General Max]

We hired a private guide named Don through Viator. He was awesome!

 

He did indicate to us that their garbage collectors have been on strike which explains why people are complaining that it is "dirty".

 

Don will tailor your day for whatever you want to do. One of the activities we planned was to cook with a chef. It was really fun!

 

Happy Cruising!

 

Don is very expensive.

[3ssn]

There will be taxis offering a tour. In our experience taxis outside the port are cheaper

[Denverite]

We have tours booked with Tour of Sicily (Tradizione Turismo) from Palermo and Messina. I can't yet recommend them since we have not yet been there, but I will say they are very easy to communicate with and very prompt in responses. From Palermo we are going to Segesta and Monreale. I think their prices are reasonable. Their web site shows various recommended tours under "shore excursions". Their web site is http://www.tourofsicily.com and they are highly recommended on trip advisor.

[General Max]

We have tours booked with Tour of Sicily (Tradizione Turismo) from Palermo and Messina. I can't yet recommend them since we have not yet been there, but I will say they are very easy to communicate with and very prompt in responses. From Palermo we are going to Segesta and Monreale. I think their prices are reasonable. Their web site shows various recommended tours under "shore excursions". Their web site is http://www.tourofsicily.com and they are highly recommended on trip advisor.

 

Please let us know how they were. We will be in Palermo from September 3, 2014 to September 15, 2014.

[Denverite]

Please let us know how they were. We will be in Palermo from September 3, 2014 to September 15, 2014.

 

We just returned from 24 days in Europe. Our tours with this company were very good. I highly recommend getting out of Palermo. Traffic is crazy in Palermo and it took us some time to get out of town. Our tour did include a walking tour of the market in Palermo which was very interesting. We then headed to Monreale. The visit to the cathedral was free unless you wanted to go in the towers, etc. We opted to just look around and then took photos outside. We also stopped for photos a couple of times. Because our ship was in port for only a short time, and it was some distance to Segesta (about an hour from Monreale), we only had time to visit the temple. The flowers were in bloom and it was very pretty. The other ruins from a distance were okay from a distance. The cost was 6 Euros per person for Segesta. We had pizza and a local beer at the local place at Segesta (the only place there). There was also gelato available. The drive to Segesta was very scenic, and then we took the highway back. No tour buses. We had both an English speaking guide, Sylvie, and a driver Massimo, both excellent.

 

For Messina, we had an English-speaking driver/guide, Giuseppie. He was very good. Our ship docked at noon and we were off by 12:30. We first went to Savoca and toured Bar Vitelli and walked up to the church where the outside of the wedding in the Godfather was filmed. Giuseppie walked with us and gave some explanations of the history of the place. Great views and lovely village. No tour groups up by the church. Very quiet and peaceful. Our last and only other stop was Taormina. This is a very touristy place and if you love souvenir shops, you won't be disappointed. I am not much of shopper so opted to walk around the many scenic streets. The ruins here are very close to town and very walkable. The "main street" is not very long (about .8 of a mile). The driver left us off at the main gate and agreed to a meeting time about 2 hours later. I had a chocolate cannoli and my husband opted for pizza and gelato.

 

The vans for both Palermo and Messina were very good. We had 7 people in our group and fit comfortably in the vans. The configuration for Palermo was 3 in the back, 2 in the middle and 2 in the seat behind the driver. For Palermo, our guide sat upfront with the guide. For Messina, the configuration was if I remember correctly 3/3, with 1 upfront with the driver. If you have a group of 8, the front seat is configured for 2 people with the driver but you would need to have 2 tiny people. Or perhaps if you have a group of 8, they will use a larger van. Just check!

 

All in all, we were very pleased with the tour company. Very easy to deal with and very prompt replies. We paid the deposit prior to leaving (fully refundable if the ship failed to make port) and then paid the remainder in cash the day of the trip.

[George C]

We did a taxi tour, it was ok. Many people there do not understand english, had a very intersting lunch in a resturant since we spoke no Itilian and they no english, had a great time trying to communicate.

[gosport11]

We walked up to the Catacombs ,the catacombs were an intresting if not eerie place to vist,we stopped at a road side cafe and were made really welcome,on the walk back down we took a detour thro the main shopping streets (it was sunday so most were shut result) as said the traffic is hetic but no worse than Naples :eek::)

[Pearl64]

We used Joe Bananas for our tour in Palermo. We were pleased. We had a group of 8 complied from our Roll Call. We used JB for three ports so we got a discount. We were out of town as well. I don't remember anyone grumbling about Palermo from our cruise. We must have hit different sites.

 

Pearl

[General Max]

We just returned from 24 days in Europe. Our tours with this company were very good. I highly recommend getting out of Palermo. Traffic is crazy in Palermo and it took us some time to get out of town. Our tour did include a walking tour of the market in Palermo which was very interesting. We then headed to Monreale. The visit to the cathedral was free unless you wanted to go in the towers, etc. We opted to just look around and then took photos outside. We also stopped for photos a couple of times. Because our ship was in port for only a short time, and it was some distance to Segesta (about an hour from Monreale), we only had time to visit the temple. The flowers were in bloom and it was very pretty. The other ruins from a distance were okay from a distance. The cost was 6 Euros per person for Segesta. We had pizza and a local beer at the local place at Segesta (the only place there). There was also gelato available. The drive to Segesta was very scenic, and then we took the highway back. No tour buses. We had both an English speaking guide, Sylvie, and a driver Massimo, both excellent.

 

For Messina, we had an English-speaking driver/guide, Giuseppie. He was very good. Our ship docked at noon and we were off by 12:30. We first went to Savoca and toured Bar Vitelli and walked up to the church where the outside of the wedding in the Godfather was filmed. Giuseppie walked with us and gave some explanations of the history of the place. Great views and lovely village. No tour groups up by the church. Very quiet and peaceful. Our last and only other stop was Taormina. This is a very touristy place and if you love souvenir shops, you won't be disappointed. I am not much of shopper so opted to walk around the many scenic streets. The ruins here are very close to town and very walkable. The "main street" is not very long (about .8 of a mile). The driver left us off at the main gate and agreed to a meeting time about 2 hours later. I had a chocolate cannoli and my husband opted for pizza and gelato.

 

The vans for both Palermo and Messina were very good. We had 7 people in our group and fit comfortably in the vans. The configuration for Palermo was 3 in the back, 2 in the middle and 2 in the seat behind the driver. For Palermo, our guide sat upfront with the guide. For Messina, the configuration was if I remember correctly 3/3, with 1 upfront with the driver. If you have a group of 8, the front seat is configured for 2 people with the driver but you would need to have 2 tiny people. Or perhaps if you have a group of 8, they will use a larger van. Just check!

 

All in all, we were very pleased with the tour company. Very easy to deal with and very prompt replies. We paid the deposit prior to leaving (fully refundable if the ship failed to make port) and then paid the remainder in cash the day of the trip.

 

This is very useful information. I will make contact with the tour operator as we are also staying 5 nights in Messina and 7 nights in Giardini Naxos near Taormina. Thanks for taking the time to post.

Edited June 13, 2014 by General Max

[General Max]

Tradizione Turisimo does not list their one day tour prices on their web site. This would indicate that the prices are on the high end. Before I contact them via e-mail, can you give me some idea on their pricing?

[Denverite]

Tradizione Turisimo does not list their one day tour prices on their web site. This would indicate that the prices are on the high end. Before I contact them via e-mail, can you give me some idea on their pricing?

 

I think it will depend upon what you want to do and how long. Our cost for the van and driver for each day was 350 Euros if we paid a deposit of 130 Euros upfront (I think by PayPal) and the balance of 220 Euros in cash on the day of the trip. If you pay by credit card, the cost is 395 Euros. The reason we had an assistant in Palermo is because the driver did not speak much English. In Messina, we had a driver who spoke very good English and had information about the places we visited. We had a group of 7 people so our cost was 50 Euros per person.

 

Here is some additional information we received:

 

IMPORTANT TO KNOW:

-We GUARANTEE to get you back to your cruise on time

-All excursions and activities are fully insured

-Cancellation FREE OF CHARGE up to 15 working days

-FULL REFUND if the ship does not dock at the port

-English speaking staff

-Convenient collection points - full details provided at time of booking

-Licensed Inbound Tour Operator Nr 996/VII/Tur by the Italian Tourist Board

-Members of ASTA, the Association of USA Agents

 

DRIVER ESCORT INFORMATION:

We customized this excursion using a Driver-Escort. A Driver Escort is a chauffeurs specialized to drive you around our amazing island. He is able to provide basic historical information, he can show you the main highlights ... he is knowledgeable and he has an umbrella of information. Our Driver Escort will take care to give adequate time at all stops and to accommodate special requests when possible, he will assure that your experience in Sicily will be both memorable and enjoyable.

 

The Driver Escort is not a Licensed Tourist Guide (Licensed Tourist Guide: are the only professionals -- with a Regional license -- permitted to conduct visits and tours in all sites and museums within a city) and he cannot escort you inside the monuments because this is not allowed by Italian Rules. In case you need a Licensed Local Guide you must pay a surcharge and we will arrange for Licensed Guide to meet you directly on the spot.

[General Max]

I think it will depend upon what you want to do and how long. Our cost for the van and driver for each day was 350 Euros if we paid a deposit of 130 Euros upfront (I think by PayPal) and the balance of 220 Euros in cash on the day of the trip. If you pay by credit card, the cost is 395 Euros. The reason we had an assistant in Palermo is because the driver did not speak much English. In Messina, we had a driver who spoke very good English and had information about the places we visited. We had a group of 7 people so our cost was 50 Euros per person.

 

Here is some additional information we received:

 

IMPORTANT TO KNOW:

-We GUARANTEE to get you back to your cruise on time

-All excursions and activities are fully insured

-Cancellation FREE OF CHARGE up to 15 working days

-FULL REFUND if the ship does not dock at the port

-English speaking staff

-Convenient collection points - full details provided at time of booking

-Licensed Inbound Tour Operator Nr 996/VII/Tur by the Italian Tourist Board

-Members of ASTA, the Association of USA Agents

 

DRIVER ESCORT INFORMATION:

We customized this excursion using a Driver-Escort. A Driver Escort is a chauffeurs specialized to drive you around our amazing island. He is able to provide basic historical information, he can show you the main highlights ... he is knowledgeable and he has an umbrella of information. Our Driver Escort will take care to give adequate time at all stops and to accommodate special requests when possible, he will assure that your experience in Sicily will be both memorable and enjoyable.

 

The Driver Escort is not a Licensed Tourist Guide (Licensed Tourist Guide: are the only professionals -- with a Regional license -- permitted to conduct visits and tours in all sites and museums within a city) and he cannot escort you inside the monuments because this is not allowed by Italian Rules. In case you need a Licensed Local Guide you must pay a surcharge and we will arrange for Licensed Guide to meet you directly on the spot.

 

Thank you again for your fast reply. This again is very useful information. Price range is what I was thinking. Actually budgeting 1200 Euros for three full days at various cities.[/i]

Edited June 17, 2014 by General Max