The decision to rent a car in Sicily is a personal one. Renting a car brings a lot of freedom, but it can also be challenging – especially in the cities – and expensive.
I decided to rent a car during my week-long stay in Sicily, because I knew I wanted to do some day trips from Palermo and make stops along the way. While I’m glad I did, I definitely made a few mistakes along the way!
This guide breaks down the factors you should consider before renting a car – I hope it makes the decision easy!
How to rent a car in Sicily
To rent a car in Sicily you will likely go through an agency located in one of the major cities. Naturally, you’ll find that Catania and Palermo have the most options.
Required documents
Before you even consider a car rental, make sure you have the appropriate documents! You’ll need a valid driver’s license from your home country. If your driver’s license is not from a EU country, you’ll need an International Driver’s Permit.
TIP: If you live in the U.S. you can get an International Driver’s Permit at any AAA office. All you need is a couple of passport photos, your driver’s license, and $20.
You must also bring your passport to the car rental agency. In Italy the minimum age to rent a car is 18, however some agencies may require you to be 21. Agencies may also charge additional fees if you are below a certain age.
Insurance
The roads in Sicily are narrow and winding, and city drivers can be aggressive. I don’t usually recommend getting car insurance, but it is probably a good idea to do so in Italy.
If you have a credit card with travel benefits, like the Chase Sapphire or Capital One Venture, you already have insurance as a benefit of using the card. These cards do have some restrictions, like the car can’t be older than 10 years and not converting motorcycles, so read the terms before relying on it.
Make sure you use this card to pay for the reservation, otherwise the insurance does not apply!
Choosing a vehicle
My main recommendation here is that you rent the smallest vehicle that fits your needs. Many of the roads in Sicily are very narrow, and parking spots are small. The smaller the vehicle, the easier it will be for you to transit through cities.
Most vehicles in Sicily have manual transmission. You can rent a car with automatic transmission, but it will probably cost a bit more. I suggest you rent a car with the transmission you are most comfortable driving, since everything else will be unfamiliar.
One last thing to consider is the type of fuel the car uses. Rental cars usually run on gasoline, diesel, or LNG. Increasingly there are also hybrid and electric options, but they’re not ubiquitous among rentals yet.
In Italy gasoline is called super or benzina; diesel is diesel or gasolio, and LNG is GPL. Of these three options, I would try to avoid LNG, since not all gas stations have it and only a gas station attendant can legally fuel your car.
TIP: even if you have insurance, always take photos or video of the car before you take off. You never want to risk being charged for damage you didn't do.
Tips for driving in Sicily
This is where travelers are more likely to make mistakes, so here are a few lessons we learned along the way.
Keep an eye on the speed limits
While speed limits are well indicated throughout Sicily, they are not very high, even on major thoroughfares. We found that they could be as low as 80 km (50 miles/hr) in some areas, and even lower when there was construction nearby. It can be pretty easy to get distracted and drift above the speed limit – we definitely did a few times!
There are speed cameras, so, unless you know where they are, the likelihood of getting caught is high!
Watch out for Zona Traffico Limitato
ZTL zones, or Zona Traffico Limitato, are fairly common in most cities. These zones can only be transited by specific vehicles with special permission to do so. There are signs indicating when you are entering such a zone , so pay attention!
If you happen to enter one of these, you will get fined. A few months after we returned from Sicily we received a letter informing us that we had done just that, and were fined €80 – ouch!
These are less common, but you should also keep an eye out for pedestrian only zones. You will not be allowed to circulate in these zones at any time.
Don’t forget parking
Renting a car means having to find a place to park it. Parking in cities like Palermo can be tough. First, you have to make sure you avoid ZTL zones. Then comes the challenge of finding a parking spot, which tend to be few and far between.
A quick guideline to keep in mind:
- Blue line: indicates a paid parking zone. Look for a meter nearby so you can pay for a ticket, which you’ll display on your dashboard.
- White line: Free parking area.
- Yellow line: area intended for specific purposes, like a loading zone, or for drivers with specific permits.
Consider Tolls
If you’re evaluating the cost of renting a car in Sicily you need to consider tolls! The A20 and A18 highways are the only ones that have tolls.
However, the cost of the tolls is reasonable – never more than a few euro. As long as you have some cash with you, you’re good to go.
Be Prepared for Sicilian Drivers
Drivers in Sicily have a unique driving style: frequent honks, tailgating, abrupt passing, general disregard for lanes. If you’ve rented a car during your travels in the past, then this is probably something you’ve encountered before. If this is your first time renting a car in Italy or a similar driving destination (Argentina or Jordan come to mind), then be prepared to share the road with drivers more aggressive than you may be used to.
Alternatives to renting a car in Sicily
Renting a car is not your only option for getting around the island. In fact, Sicily has great public transportation options, including trains and buses. There are also plenty of private transfer services and day tours available.
Public transportation
Public transportation is effective for getting around and between cities in Sicily. There are two main modes you use: buses and trains.
Buses | Buses are affordable in Sicily. Though perhaps not quite as frequent as in other parts of Europe, buses in cities are reasonably reliable. You can check bus schedules for the city you’re visiting or ask a local to direct you.
Trains | The train system in Sicily connects the main cities. The main hubs are Palermo, Catania, and Messina – from there you can get nearly everywhere. Check out train timetables and prices here.
Tours
Day tours are an excellent way to see the sites without having to figure out any of the logistics yourself. They’re especially helpful for getting some of the more removed sites, like Valley of the Temples and Scala dei Turchi.
If you book a good tour, you’ll also get expert recommendations for meals and experiences you probably would not have found on your own.
Final Thoughts
I don’t regret renting a car in Sicily, even with our blunders. The car gave us additional flexibility, and frankly, meant we had to do less planning in advance of our trip.
That said, Sicily is well equipped with public and private transportation options that don’t force you to rent a car if you don’t want to. Whichever option you choose, you can’t go wrong!
Want to rent a car in Sicily? Check out Rental Cars.
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Victoria is an Austin-based travel content creator passionate about encouraging her readers to step outside of their comfort zone and step in to a life of adventure. She is the founder of the travel blog Nomad No Problem.