Sicily car hire

You should hire a car in Sicily as it enables you to arrange the schedule of your adventure rather than relying on the timetables of other modes of transports such as buses. For example, if you are based in Palermo for your holiday and you want to visit Madonie Park, a large scenic mountain range filled with medieval villages, then you can drive there in about 1h 40min, which is much quicker than if you were waiting for a bus. It is also more feasible that getting a taxi both ways.

You will find driving in Sicily different to that of what you are used to in the United Kingdom. One of the main differences is that you will be driving on the right side of the road rather than the left. You will also need to adapt to the wheel of the car being on the left side rather than the right side. When it comes to the speed limits you should be relatively familiar with how fast to drive as it doesn’t differ much from the UK. In urban areas the limit is 50km/h (31mph), in rural areas it is of 90km/h (56mph), whereas on motorways you are allowed to reach speeds of up of 120kph (75mph). Be aware of the signs that will tell you when a speed limit changes, so that you adhere to the laws.

When you are hiring a car in Sicily you should check to see what the age restrictions are of each company as they are likely to vary. For example, some companies will only allow you to hire a car at the age of 21 of older, whilst others will allow drivers as young as 18. Most of the car companies will also charge a surcharge to drivers of a certain age, such as those under 25, in addition to the normal hire cost. Whilst younger drivers will also have a smaller selection of vehicles to choose from as hire companies restrict the use of the more powerful vehicles to only older customers.

Mini (Skoda Fabia or similar) is the most frequently booked car hire type in Sicily.

Take a look at our extensive car hire location map to find the best car hire deals near you.

Based on car searches on KAYAK, the most popular cities to hire a car in Sicily are Catania (40% of total searches of users looking to hire a car in Sicily), Trapani (20%) and Palermo (20%).

On average a car hire in Sicily costs R5 940 per week (R849 per day).

On average a car hire in Sicily costs R25 458 per month (R849 per day).