Car Rental in Palermo Sicily - pick up in City Central or at Airport?

Going to expedia.co.uk, it appears that you can get one at or near the ferry terminal in Palermo(location #2 on the Palermo map). This is the site that I always use when renting inDriving in Palermo is not for the faint of heart unless you have navigated a city like Boston or New York!

Thank you for checking Expedia. The thing is I found a car about $40 cheaper with Budget car rental, and they only appear to have 2 offices: 1 at the airport, and the other on via Anwar al-sadat, which doesn't look like its too far from the ferry station. If I choose the one near the ferry, there is still the navigating within the city to do. But, I just checked, and it appears I could pick up the car at the office near the ferry, which would be in the morning, so perhaps traffic wouldn't be so bad, and drop it off at the airport, which will be around 5:00 p.m. or so, when traffic is bad, for no change in price. So it would only involve one session of driving out of the city. Then it would mean getting from the airport to the ferry station. Would the train be a better solution, given possible traffic congestion?

I haven't picked up a car in Palermo, just dropped one at the airport, but I've been forced to drive through parts of Palermo several times. It was one of the worst places I've ever driven in Europe! Think three official lanes of traffic but five cars squeezed in + road construction + confusing signage. Even if it seems like a hassle, imho I would do what I could to avoid driving in the city center.

You'll want to drive in Palermo as little as possible. Along with congestion, confusing signage,narrow lanes you have the way people drive, bikes, scooters and pedestrians. I drive all over Italy but avoid doing it in Palermo if at all possible.

Thank you all for your responses. I'm convinced - pick up car and return to the airport!

Since you'll be at the airport anyway, would you consider flying to Naples and taking a bus to your destination on the Amalfi Coast? I confess I haven't done either the ferry or a flight but flying seems much quicker! We did drop off a rental car at the Palermo airport and took a flight to Bologna. The rental car drop off and airport are easy to navigate. Sicily is great!

I don't know if you'll have the time, but your drive from Cefalu to Caltagirone will take you right through Piazza Armerina, where you'll have the opportunity to visit the Villa del Casale, a ancient Roman villa they've unearthed which is full of amazing & beautiful mosaic floors. Well worth the stop if you're able. Also, it's Segesta, not Setesta. At Segesta, be sure to go up the hill to the amphitheater. The setting of both it and the temple is incredible. You probably just forgot the comma in your original post, but Erice and Segesta are two different places. A very fun way to get up to Erice - which is on top of a steep hill - is to take the "funivia", the cable car from Trapani. http://www.funiviaerice.it/

Tom, yes I had a couple of typos. Thanks for the tip about the cable car. We will be traveling from Cefalu to an agriturismo near Caltigarone, with the intention of day tripping to Villa del Casale. I am really looking forward to that. Do you know if the renovations are near completion?

Sharon, yes we did consider flying, but figure if we take the night ferry it will get us into sorrento quicker, because otherwise we would have left the following morning on the plane. We're trying to decide now whether to stay in Sorrento for 3 nights, or Positano or Amalfi. We want to do some hiking along the coast, and do the drive down the coast , then head to Pompeii for a morning, then on to Rome later in the day.

Sorrento is your best base to explore the Amalfi coast, and it has the best transporation options. I hope you are leaving your car in Sicily, and just taking the ferry to Naples.
You don't want or need a car on the Amalfi coast! Whatever you do, plan on going to the museum in Naples. Everything that was in Pompeii was taken there. Pompei is just a big burned out shell; best to go see Herculaneun across the street. Go to Autoeurope.com web site and check out their prices. Glad to see that you are NOT going to attempt to drive in Palermo; one of the the worst drives in Italy. You did go to Whichbudget.com and check out all of the lo-cost inter EU airlines that fly from Palermo or Catainia to Naples, right?

Steve, thanks for the tip on the Naples museum. Definitely sounds like a must-see for us. We opted not to fly out of Palermo because the other couple we're traveling with felt more comfortable taking the ferry -- and it costs about $200 less when you figure in an additional night in a hotel room. We are definitely not taking a car to the Amalfi!...ciao

Jennie, I just got back from three weeks in Sicily. If you can pick up the car after your stay in Palermo, I suggest doing so. There is no non-rush hour in Palermo, except perhaps after 10pm and before 7am. To get to Erice, you can take the Funivia, but if you opt to drive, there's a fairly big parking lot at the entrance to the town. Or leave the car in Trapani and take the bus or funivia - it depends on whether you prefer twists and turns on the road to watching the earth disappear beneath you on the funivia. Either way, viewing Erice from the approach below is fabulous.

Zoe, thanks for the tips on Erice!