We are working on our itinerary - we are in our 60s and considering hiring a private driver to get from Palermo to Agrigento. Could someone pipe in on what they think the current cost for such a service would be? We are traveling in May 2026 - but knowing the current prices would give me a way to estimate our budget.
Many thanks!
Taxis and private drivers come at a premium cost in Italy. Several hundred euros EACH WAY will be the ballpark cost for a driver to drive you two hours to Agrigento. Don’t forget— the driver needs to return to Palermo while you are seeing Agrigento— unless you plan to hire the. driver for the entire day and then the bill will be closer to €1,000. Why not take the train for $13 each? Agrigento is actually one of the few destinations on Sicily’s southern coastline that you can reach by train from Palermo. And it takes the same two hours to go by train that a private driver will require to drive it. I would take advantage of the trains.
Brilliant and thanks
I've not had a driver for that route, but I did hire one from Trapani to our B&B near Agrigento, with a stop for a long lunch in a great restaurant in PortoPalo di Menfi; the price was 230 euro in 2023. The car was a new Mercedes van.
The driver did not speak English; perhaps having an English-speaking driver would cost more but we did not need one.
So figure about the same; Palermo is further but you do not have to include the lunch stop.
If you are interested I will give you the name of the driver. I had checked prices with a few companies and the driver recommended by our hotel in Trapani charged much less than those I found online by myself.
From Agrigento, we hired another driver to take us to Licata, with a stop at Mandranova olive oil azienda.
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We got around on that trip solely with private drivers.
ekscrunchy: I would appreciate that. Please message me. I am also about to post a much bigger 'fit the puzzle together' itinerary post ...all suggestions listened to, Many thanks.
Did you check the Rick Steves guide book? Salvatore Coopola and the tour company is called Insight Sicily. He listed as a driver there which I am using on November 14th and 15th. I am sure there are other drivers with his company. The cost I have varies because the first day is four hours and the second day is a full day perhaps approximately a little over 8 hours. The first day the driver is picking up at the airport, taking us to: Library (my daughter is a Librarian), Mondello and Santa Rosalia then drop us off at our hotel. the second day, Cefalu, Castelbuono, and then Alia (ancestral home of family on my mother's side). We paid 225 euros up front and then 225 + 300+ 80 (605 Euros + 225 = 830 Euros total). The 80 euros was for the extra ride to Alia which was a good deal, because Alia is 1 1/2 hours one way from Palermo. The driver is also on Facebook and they will e-mail you with the particulars. I hired other drivers and guides, a total of seven private guides beside doing the Best of Sicily 11- Day Tour. My daughter has social anxiety which is why I picked a Rick Steves tour (small group/ no grumps) and using private guides. Moreover, I have a private car picking us up on our last day from the hotel, doing a five hour tour and then will take us to the airport to eliminate as much stress as possible. Also, I found private guides on Tours by Locals.
For just a transfer (no guided touring all day) from Palermo to Agrigento the rate should be around 250€ for up to 4 people (over 2 hrs drive).
Unless you have mobility issues and/or dozens of suitcases, I'd go for the train option at 11.40€ per person for 2h10min ride. You can't beat that price.
ebean: I put the information on the driver's we used in your other thread.....I really liked having the drivers because it gave me a chance to discuss so many things about life in Sicily, food, etc.... But renting a car is a great idea as well, although I would not want to drive inside any cities or very large towns unless I really had no choice.
And parking is not fun. At all!! (I got a 42 euro parking ticket in Puglia two weeks ago!!)
