what car rental to use in Sicily?

Hi Carol We rented a standard transmission car this past May from Palermo airport and dropped it off at Catania airport. We used Hertz. No problems at all. Made the reservation on line, received a 10% CAA discount, received Aeroplan points, and had practically a new car. Used my VISA card for the extra insurance as well. The pickup was quick at Palermo airport and drop off was a breeze. A GPS was really useful. I found that an automatic was much more expensive than a standard. However, I would not recommend driving in Palermo. We had no other problems driving in Sicily except that the driving habits of the Sicilians take a bit to get used to when you compare them to here. But after a short time, one can easily manage.

I always recommend checking EUROPCAR. It's the major Italian player on auto rental business, and a less expensive one than Avis and Hertz.

I always use expedia.co.uk's website to find rental cars mainly because they stick with the majors. We used them in March in Sicily and in May in Northern Europe with no problems and the price was right. That being said, it is your responsiblity to inspect the car before it leaves the lot and if it looks dodgy, take a picture or ask for another car. Also, get the extra insurance-it's a pain but in my opinion, worth it.

Carol, have you gone to the Autoeurope web site and priced their offers? They are a broker based in Maine that handles all of the major rental firms. They have great customer service; you can call them at any time and they will be glad to answer any question tht you have. We usually use them for all of our EU auto rentals, and have used them a couple of times in Sicily. Also, Palermo is one of the handful of Italian cities that I would not reccomend that anyone drive in, especially in rush hour. Boy, did we have fun there! If you are slow and cautious you can do it, but have a good GPS and good navigator sitting next to you!

I used to go through Auto Europe, but for my last few trips (Including Sicily) I've used Nova Car Hire. Prices were considerably less for the days I was traveling and it just seems to me that Auto Europe is no longer the rock bottom bargain it used to be. Still cheaper than going direct though. Ireland and Sicily are the two places I'll gladly pay up for Super CDW. Ireland because of the roads, Sicily because of reasons you've read about.

Thanks everyone for your recommendations. Carol