Most popular car hire locations in Sicily
Hiring a car in Sicily
Car hire companies in Sicily include class-leading rental agents such as Avis, Hertz and Thrifty. Sicily has 2 airports, both offering a wide range of rental car options from leading companies including Budget, Europcar and Sixt. Appearing as a football at the end of the boot-shaped Italian mainland, Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean. It’s location makes it one of the most culturally diverse places in Europe being the closest major land mass to north Africa.
Sicily Mini Guide
If the country of Italy is shaped like a boot then the island of Sicily would be the football it is kicking. This is a wonderful place to go on walking or cycling tours. You can even take out a yacht for the day to see what island clusters such as the Aeolian and the Pelagie have to offer. Sicily is one of Italy’s 20 regions and it is an incredibly varied island which has mountains and beaches as well as other islands surrounding it.
Although Sicily is considered part of Italy it has a language all of its own -Sicilian. This dialect is made up of Italian, Roman and French among other influences and reflects the diverse history of Sicily, as the island had been settled by the Greeks, the Romans and the Spanish, to name but a few, over various points in time. These settlements have left their marks, making Sicily a fascinating place to visit if you are interested in archaeology. Don’t miss the Syracuse national park with its incredible Roman amphitheatre, or Kamarina, the ancient Greek city which was built almost 600 years before Christ was born. Sicilian cuisine is very special too; try the freshly caught fish dishes.
Visitors to Sicily will also certainly want to make the journey to see the incredible active volcano of Mount Etna where active lava flows. But Mount Etna at 3323 metres is not even the highest peak on Sicily – that accolade goes to Mount Lauro. All of our hire cars in Sicily comes with air conditioning which is a relief as the island gets very hot in the summer. Alternatively plan your trip for autumn or spring when the island is beautiful and the climate is a bit more manageable.
Sicily Factfile
- Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and approximately 5 million people live there.
- It has an active volcano, Mount Etna which is in an almost constant state of activity.
- A coppola which is a type of flat cap is commonly regarded as a symbol of Sicilian heritage.
- Sicily has a classic Mediterranean climate, with long hot summers and mild winters.
- Italian is Sicily's official language, however about 70% of inhabitants speak Sicilian.
Should I hire a car in Sicily?
Whilst public transport in Sicily is generally very good, hiring a car offers unrivalled freedom to explore beyond the bus route and outside of timetabled hours. Whilst you can get away without a rental car in Sicily, for the relative ease of travelling at your own pace and following your own path, the cost of hiring a car in Sicily will soon start to pay for itself.
Speaking of cost, with daily car hire prices from under 10 EUR per day, it's hardly a major investment and the cost of public transport or taxi rides could soon make car hire in Sicily look very cheap.
Is it safe to drive in Sicily?
It sure is, little different to driving in Italy which whilst entirely safe, may require a little adjustment from what you are used to. Don't be alarmed to hear horns honking, it's just the way they do things in Italy.