Renting a Car in Sicily

What is your exact planned itinerary in Sicily? Five days is a very short time to see Sicily, which is larger than Massachusetts and Rhode Island combined.

There are circumstances where a car makes sense and others where it doesn’t.

An IDP costs $20 if you are a AAA members and takes 5 minutes to obtain at any AAA office. It’s just a translation of your home license in multiple languages.

To check prices go to www.autoeurope.com, that is what I use for my rental needs in Italy. Prices vary depending on the time of the year. If you rent this summer expect to pay $50 a day and up for a rental car.

Driving in Sicily is not insane and not any worse than elsewhere. However traffic and parking in Palermo is worse than in Manhattan, so try not to have a car while in Palermo (if Palermo is in your plans)

Thanks so much for your help. I've heard driving is crazy and almost not worth it. We don't have an exact itinerary yet but will be flying in to Catania airport and staying nearby. I've figured out that getting a train to most nearby beaches is possible and cheap from Catania but the problem is getting from our home to the train. It's not expensive but it is slow. You waste an hour on a bus. So, I wondered if getting a car and have more flexibility might help.

Thank you!

You've gotten great advice from Roberto aboutrenting through AutoEurope and getting an IDP which is advisable and easy.

We were in Sicily for two weeks last fall (2024) and rented a car in Cefalu and dropped it off in Catania after visiting Agrigento, the Baroque cities in the SE, Donnalucata and Ortigia. Driving in Sicily was very easy and no more difficult that driving on the mainland in Italy and perhaps even easier; dropping a car off at the Catania airport was simple and easy. Having said that, I would never drive in downtown Palermo or Catania but then I wouldn't drive in downtown NYC, Chicago, Paris, London, etc. though I have in the past. If you are comfortable driving on the Italian mainland, you will be comfortable driving in Sicily.

I've taken several trips of 2-3 weeks to Sicily in the past few years. I am not a skilled driver and I found it just fine to drive outside the cities. My last trip, last fall, I spend a few nights in Catania and then took a taxi to the airport and rented by car from SIXT. I use them on all my Italian and Spanish trips now. I had NO trouble driving in Sicily.
The roads are generally excellent, and I rent a car with a GPS included.

After spending about ten days around Marina di Ragusa, I returned the car in Catania and went on to the Aeolian islands. After returning from 10 days on Salina, I hired my usual driver to take us from Milazzo to Siracusa.

Stayed in a hotel outside the city that had a free shuttle to Siracusa, as well as beautiful indoor and outdoor pools. (It was not my first time in Siracusa and I was happy I was not staying in Ortigia,, which was jammed with tourists last September)

Sixt has been wonderful, for me, for rentals. I no longer use AutoEurope.

Just chiming in to say too that driving in Sicily isn’t nearly as crazy as some make it out to be. Just avoid downtown Palermo or Catania. In fact, I’ve found Sicilian drivers to be surprisingly tolerant and patient.

That said, be aware that some secondary roads can abruptly change from asphalt to dirt tracks. Don’t follow Google Maps blindly and whenever possible, stick to the main roads to avoid any such surprises.

Thank you all so much for the help! It seems it isn't a bad idea at all. I will look into the rental options you've suggested.

Many thanks!