If you fly into Palermo there is a regular half hourly bus service run by Prestia & Comande which stops in the new part of the city then at the main station. The new part is probably a better area to stay in but near the station is handy for trains, long distance buses, and also local bus to the main ferry port.
Day tickets for the local buses are good value but have to be bought in advance from tobacconists and not all sell the 24 hour tickets, beware on Sundays when a lot of these shops are shut.
There are lots of B&B’s in Sicily and B&B Lincoln, Via Lincoln 161, is a fabulous example, run by a lovely lady called Agatta the rooms are all beautifully furnished with great style, there is a very niceterrace for breakfast and the prices are incredibly reasonable. It is near the staion and the bus terminals.
Trattoria Primavera, Piazza Bologna 4, very good local place in a nice setting reasonably priced € - €€
Santandrea, Piazza Sant Andrea, this is serious innovative good cooking with attentive service and a lovely setting prices on the high side but worth it €€€
Antica Foccaceria San Francisco, Via Paternostro 58, this is very well known and while the setting is great the food is a bit overpriced and not quite as good as a lot of local places. €€ However in the same street and sharing the seating in the square is
Mi Manda Picone, at No 59, this is a wine bar with an extensive choice of wines, not the cheapest place, and a selection of dishes including cold meat and cheese platters – handy for when you can’t face another plate of pasta €€
Ristorante Al Maccheronai, Discesa Maccheronnai 47 near the Vucciria market excellent place for lunch, really good value and friendly service €-€€
Most of the bars are in the area near Piazza Verde , there are a number of streets nearby that are packed with bars and restaurants, take advantage of appertivi time 7.30 pm onwards when a lot of bars have a free buffet or give you a plate of nibbles with your drinks – beware that sometimes this can spoil your appetite for dinner !
Champagneria del Massimo, Via Spinuzza 59, is a good one to kick off at, and there are a whole load in the same square.
Bi Sogno Di Vino Via Giacalone 2 & Via Patania 58 – another bar in the same area as the one above, good place to sit and people watch – no buffet but loads of nibbles and large glasses of wine
Caffe Letterario Malavoglia, Piazetta P Speciale, off the Piazza Bologni, difficult to find but worth the trouble – buffet at appertivi time
QVivi, on Piazza Della Rivolluzione, in the Kalsa area is a good one to stumble on in an area that does not seem to have many places. It is popular with a young crowd and when the tables fill up there is a place next door, again a buffet at appertivi time.
Go to the markets, see the Quattro Canti, the Cathedral, Piazza Pretoria, it is not a relaxing city but grows on you as you start to find good places to eat and drink
These can be reached from June to September by Hydrofoil from Palermo with Ustica Lines, we based ourselves on Lipari the largest and probably the liveliest island and also being in the middle of the group a good place to visit other islands
Lipari is lovely very chilled out, great places to eat and drink and streets to wander through.
B&B Enzo Il Negro, Via Garibaldi 29, simple rooms but with a lovely roof terrace overlooking the smaller of the two harbours, the family are incredibly friendly and helpful, Enzo’s daughter will meet you at the larger port where the ferries arrive and drive you to the B&B. It is walkable but it is nice to be met when you first arrive.
La Cambusa, Via Garibaldi 72, excellent local cooking, very friendly owner and really reasonable prices €€
Osteria Meditteraneo, Via Vittorio Emanuelle 152, very smart modern style restaurant on the main street, with a bit of a different menu, service very friendly and very reasonably priced €€
Trattoria D’Oro, Via Umberto 132, old fashioned with a good typical menu and good cooking again reasonably priced €€
Eden Bar, Via Vittorio Emanuele 133, great place for a pre dinner drink, the plate of appertivi with the drinks is excellent.
Bar La Precchia No 191, in the same street also does some great free eats, also at lunchtime with your drinks.
There is a lovely wine bar opposite Eden Bar, which does very good snacks and wines and beer.
A similar type of wine bar is Gilberto & Vera on Via Garibaldi 22/24, again good snacks and wine and beer
New Approdo, Via Maurolico 20 , is a very trendy bar with great outdoor seating it is definitely pricier than some of the other places.
There are loads of bars and cafes at Marina Corto the small harbour and it is a lovely place to sit and have a nightcap
Island hopping, difficult to plan as there is sometimes a lack of available information also you may need to use hydrofoils which means you don’t get the same views as the ferries as it takes at least three hours from Stromboli by ferry. There are loads of organised trips but you can do it yourself.
Panarea is lovely, this is the very expensive, exclusive island and from there you have wonderful views of Stromboli
Stromboli is worth a stop, the town is some distance from the port – watch out for the burning black sand
Sicily’s second city has a very buzzy nightlife and some lovely buildings as well as a amazing fish market. It has a great local bus system and the day tickets are amazing value.
Hotel Etnea 316, Via Etnea 316, a lovely small hotel very well appointed and well situated for seeing the city sights
Metro, Via Crociferi 76, this is a member of the Slow Food organisation and the food lives up to its reputation, for the quality it is reasonably priced and the place itself is very smart, the owner is very subdued which slightly spoils the whole experience but go for the food €€
Trattoria La Paglia, Via Pardo 23, by the fish market this is a great place for lunch, go for the grilled fish and the house wine at €5 a bottle – overseen by mother in the kitchen this is excellent value €- €€
Osteria Antica Marina, Via Pardo 29 – Booking essential, this is probably the best place you could eat in the city – just outside the fish market – this is truly a culinary experience – trust the owner and the staff and you will not be disappointed. The antipasti are amazing, the pasta fabulous and the fish incredible – no wine list but the prices are very reasonable €€€
There are loads of bars round Teatro Massimo, don’t look for many being open before 8 o’clock in the evening
Wine Bar, Via Montesano 19, this is a really comfortable place to sit and have a drink they also do good food
Perbacco Wine Bar, Via Vasta, this is a very smart wine bar in a street packed with bars.
Agora Hostel, Bar & Restaurant, Piazza Curro, behind the fish market this hostel has a very good terrace, underground bar and restaurant with a good reputation – very popular with a mixed crowd
The buildings round the Duomo Square, Via Crociferi a street of churches outdoing each other, the fish market, and the daily market of Via Etnea. You can also visit the seaside towns by local bus.
This is a gem of a city, loads of lovely B&B’s, whatever you do stay on the island part of the city called Ortigia, apart from the archaeological park which is at the far end of the new town everything you would want to see is on Ortigia.
There are free mini buses which run from the Station to Ortigia but the timetable is a bit vague, there is a bigger choice from Piazza Archimede on Ortigia going to the new town, and a very cheap two day ticket if you want to visit places in the new town
It is a long journey by rail from or to Palermo but Interbus have a couple of services a day which only take just over 3 hours, they leave from near the train station and you can but tickets before the bus departs.
B&B Viaggiatori, Viandanti E Sognatori, Via Roma 156 is a lovely quirky place with a great terrace and excellent bathrooms with proper showers.
PerBacco, Via Roma 120 – probably should be booked, this is very good cooking and a different menu from some places, not cheap but worth the money €€€
Taberna Sveva, Piazza Francesco di Svevia, this is a real locals place so book a table, great value for money and really good cooking – the place to have some meat after all the fish and seafood, the lamb is fabulous and reasonably priced €€
Oinos Restaurant, Via Della Guidecca 69/75 – this is fine dining Sicilian style – very smart, top notch service and fabulous food – the wine list is on the high side – a splurge treat €€€
L’Ancora, Via G. Perno 7 near the market on Ortigia, this is upmarket eating for the locals but the food is excellent – the pasta with prawns, clams and pistaccio is excellent, get there sharp if you go at the weekend €€
Enoteca Solaria, Via Roma 86, a great wine shop and wine bar that also does food. Very much a locals place but the owner and the locals are incredibly friendly. €-€€
SanRocco – Piazzetta San Rocco – the best bar on the square and very popular, at appertivi time they charge €4 for the buffet but what a spread
Pub Troubador, just off Piazzetta San Rocco, this is a little gem with very cheap prices for beer, wine and cocktails and also does snacks
Oz Café Borgia – probably the smartest bar in town in a courtyard near the Duomo Square – go early if you want a seat on the terrace, live music later on at night
Vecchio Bar, Via delle Vergini, 9 nice little bar – get the seats at the window and people watch as the crowds head for Piazzetta San Rocco
There are loads of bars along Lungonare Alfeo with great sea views – Café del Mar is one of the better .
As mentioned before the greek amphitheatre and museum and the main sights but wandering the streets of Ortigia are a delight, try and visit the market.
