€45–50 gets you a metered coop taxi instead of haggling
Coop Radio Taxi Palermo runs 24/7 on-demand service between central Palermo and Falcone–Borsellino Airport T1, with typical rides taking 35–45 minutes depending on SS113 and A29 traffic. Fares usually land around €45–50 for the city–airport run, with small extras for late-night or early-morning pickups added on the meter.
From central Palermo to PMO T1, most reports put daytime fares close to the lower end of that €45–50 range, then add a few euros in surcharges if you’re leaving around 05:00 or after 22:00. You pay the driver directly in the taxi; some cars take cards, but assume cash in euros and keep a €10 note handy for tolls or supplements.
At Falcone–Borsellino T1 arrivals, the official taxi rank sits just outside the terminal doors, and cooperatives like Coop Radio Taxi Palermo dispatch cars there instead of freelancing around the parking lot. Forum posts say using a cooperative booking instead of grabbing the first car in the line cuts down on overcharging stories at the curb by a noticeable margin.
For early flights around 06:00–07:00 out of T1, regulars usually have their hotel or B&B call Coop Radio Taxi Palermo the night before and lock in a pickup time, often around 03:45–04:30 from the historic center. One TripAdvisor user mentioned their hotel-booked radio taxi showed up on time and felt “less stressful than trying to catch the first bus” before sunrise.
If you call yourself from an Italian mobile, expect to give a full street address in Palermo and a pickup time at least 30–40 minutes before you want to be on the A29 toward the airport. Some non-Italian speakers report the odd hiccup when ordering by phone, which is why many lean on accommodation staff at larger hotels on Via Roma or near Teatro Massimo to handle the call.
Watch out for drivers at T1 arrivals quoting flat prices much higher than the usual €45–50 range for central Palermo or refusing to start the meter for the 35–45 minute airport run. If that happens, step back, phone the coop, and wait the extra 10–15 minutes for a dispatched car with a recorded booking instead of accepting a random offer.
Quick tip: ask your hotel to write the confirmed price range (€45–50 plus any night supplement) on paper and bring it in your pocket so you can point to it if there’s any confusion at 04:30 in a dark Palermo side street.