Driving in Sicily: Where Rules are only Recommendations
Information and Tips for a safe and relaxed road trip on the Italian Island
Are you planning a trip to Sicily and wondering whether it’s worth and safe taking a rental car? You’ve probably also heard that driving in Sicily is a particular challenge?
I just love roadtrips and Sicily is just perfect for it! We spent a week with a rental car on the beautiful Mediterranean island and experienced it all:
The exciting handover of the rental car after arriving at the airport, driving through the narrow village streets, parking in the island towns and the interesting interpretation of the traffic rules.
Read on to find out all the information and everything you need to know about driving in Sicily to decide whether you also want to embark on that adventure.
Check and compare car rental prices
Be sure to compare the rental car providers (price, insurance and other services) before you make a final decision as you have lots of options.
Why it’s worth renting a car and driving in Sicily
- Sicily is big! The island is the largest region in Italy and, with a length of around 250 kilometers, the largest island in the Mediterranean. From Palermo to Catania, it takes 2.5 hours on the toll road and correspondingly longer on rural roads.
- Many sights the island is famous for are difficult to reach without a car. You can book guided tours for some of the Sicily highlights, but this really adds up over time.
- With public transportation you can travel reasonably well between the larger cities, but as soon as you want to deviate from the main routes, it becomes difficult.
- By car, you have the opportunity to drive off the beaten tourist track and discover hidden, idyllic places that would otherwise be difficult to reach.
- Saving time: A car allows you to get from one place to another quickly and directly, without having to take bus or train timetables into account.
- Flexibility with accommodation: With a rental car, you are not dependent on accommodation close to city centers or public transport stops. You can choose places in more rural areas and often save a lot of money.
- Challenging roads: Driving in Sicily can be an exciting challenge. The winding coastal roads and mountainous paths offer an unforgettable driving experience for the adventurous.
General information about driving in Sicily
Speed limits
Probably everything you’ve heard about driving in Sicily is true. It’s an adventure in itself, but one that’s well worth taking part in.
Not only because it’s fun once you get used to it, but also because it’s helpful to have a rental car to explore the island.
I really tried (at first) to stick to the road signs and familiar traffic rules. But by the end of the first day, I was tired of being a total traffic obstacle for the locals and everyone else driving on the island.
If I drive almost twice as fast at a speed limit of 30 km/hrs and still get overtaken every 5 minutes by someone at 100 km/hrs while honking, then I just have to adapt to my surroundings, right?!?
My tip: Adapt to the speed of your surroundings as long as you feel safe! Otherwise: ignore the horns and drive carefully and cautiously and as far to the right as possible so that others can easily overtake you.
Driving style and traffic
Traffic lights, traffic signs and instructions are interpreted differently in Sicily than we are used to. A red traffic light does not necessarily mean that you have to stop.
Crosswalks are generally ignored and gaps in the traffic flow do not exist, they are filled immediately.
Sicilian drivers are tailgating, honking and swearing until someone gives way and provides the necessary space, or not. On the island, tailgating and honking are part of the driving culture and not meant to be mean or aggressive.
The beauty of this traffic chaos is that your own driving mistakes are overlooked and tolerated without any comments.
Avoid driving in areas marked as ZTL (Zona Traffico Limitato). This is an area with limited traffic or only for pedestrians and you will most likely get a fine.
My tip: Pay attention and be prepared for anything when you’re driving in Sicily. Don’t be alarmed if you are overtaken at the most unlikely places, e.g. at red lights, and don’t be annoyed if pedestrians don’t dare to cross the crosswalk when you stop especially for them.
Parking in the cities of Sicily
If you really want to drive into a city in Sicily I suggest to look up parking lots beforehand and saving them on Google maps or your gps. The parking spaces in the cities are marked with different colors. The meaning of the colors is as follows:
- White lines: Free parking spaces
- Yellow lines: Reserved parking spaces (residents, disabled, cab…)
- Black-yellow curbs: No parking
- Blue ground markings: Paid parking spaces
The rates for paid parking vary depending on the city, area, and time of day.
There are also interesting semi-legal parking lots near the major sights, which are guarded by “parking attendants”.
We parked quite cheaply for € 2.00 for our one day visit in Syracuse, near the amphitheater on the roadside. This was definitely not a regular parking lot…..
My tip: If there are parking attendants, no matter how legal they may be, either pay or park somewhere else. These parking spaces are often cheaper than the metered spaces.
Booking a rental car for Sicily
Especially in the high season, the Italian summer vacations in July and August, you should book your rental car way in advance. As Sicily is an island and the only way to get there by car is by ferry from the very south of the Italian main land, most tourists rent a car onsite.
My tip: If you plan on travelling only between the larger cities in Sicily and making organized excursions to Mount Etna or other sights, you don’t need a rent a car. In that case, you can use public transport or Flixbus and avoid the cost and stress of driving in Sicily.
We booked our rental car about a month before our arrival via Discovercars: A small car from Palermo airport for 7 days at € 124.00, i.e. € 17.70 per day including fully comprehensive insurance.
Without insurance, you can get a rental car for about 10.00 per day, but I would strongly advise against this due to the driving habits in Sicily.
Good to know when renting a car in Sicily
- Car rental prices are cheaper the further away your travel dates are. As Sicily is an island, cars are limited. Between October and April you can easily get really good rates at short notice, but if you are traveling in July and August you have to book in advance to avoid being left without a car.
- You will need a credit card to book a car. Additionally, the rental company will place a hold of a few houndred Euros on your card as a security deposit.
- Book an all-inclusive package with all possible insurances. This will place you on the safe side, as some roads and some rental cars are not the newest, to put it in a positive way. If you have booked such an insurance package, don’t be persuaded on the spot that further insurance is necessary.
- If you are given an upgrade upon pick-up because your booked category is no longer available, you do not have to pay extra for this. It is often attempted to give the higher category at an extra cost to tourists who are not aware of it.
- Check ALL dents and dings on handover and make sure that these are also written down. It is often said that minor damage is not taken into account, but you should still insist that these are noted on the handover report.
- I recommend booking a small and agile car for driving in Sicily. Not only will you be able to navigate the narrow roads of the historic city centers with less stress, you will also find it easier to find parking spaces.
- Specify a diesel vehicle as a preference when booking. Ask again at the pickup station. Diesel fuel is cheaper and saves you money when refueling on site.
My experience of driving in Sicily
We had booked and pre-paid our rental car about one month prior to our trip. As our flight from mainland Italy would arrive late, I made sure to have pick-up directly from Palermo airport.
Without a rental car we would only have been able to get away from the airport by cab. There were buses anymore.
The shuttle bus pick-up worked well. We were told to call after landing and just 10 minutes later, a small bus appeared to take us to the dark suburbs of Palermo.
Apart from the fact that I had to insist on noting every dent and bump on the handover report and had to refuse additional insurance several times, the handover also went quite smoothly.
Ok, the tank wasn’t full as it should have been, and the booked vehicle size wasn’t available, but otherwise….. Those are the moments where I tried to force my self to forget how German I am.
The very next day, I threw my good intentions regarding speed limits overboard. On the way to our first destination, the temples of Agrigento, we had to drive right across the island.
On a dead straight, well-built, 2-lane road, I was at some point no longer able to be the only driving the required 30km/hrs (18,6mi/hrs), while everyone was overtaking me at a speed of at least 100km/hrs (62mi/hrs).
I decided on a comfortable 70km/h (43,5mi/hrs) to not be recognised as a tourist straight away and get in the way.
Whenever we visited larger towns over the next few days, I preferred to park outside the city center. Driving through Catania once was enough of a nerve-wracking experience for me.
Thanks to the free parking spaces, which are usually only a 15-minute walk from the centers, we also saved ourselves the cost of parking almost everywhere and of course the stress of driving through narrow streets.
My Taormina tip: Park in the beautiful upper village of Castelmola. From there, do the scenic Castelmola Taormina Walk to get into the winding streets of Taormina. This also gives you a beautiful view of the popular town.
My Cefalu tip: For our visit to Cefalu, we stayed on the other side of the beautiful sandy beach at the Residence Cala Grande. We were able to leave our car at the hotel and walk to town along the beach promenade. A lovely walk and no parking stress.
I found the rental car particularly important for our excursions and hikes on Mount Etna. We explored the volcano on several days and from different sides and that would have been absolutely impossible without a car.
The roads on Mount Etna are wide and two-lane almost everywhere. Really easy and no problem at all to drive. There are also plenty of parking spaces available and, as I said, it’s no problem to park on the side of the road in Sicily if necessary.
Dropping off the rental car was absolutely uncomplicated: An employee made a really quick tour around the car, didn’t even check the fuel level and put us on the shuttle bus to the airport after less than 10 minutes at the rental station.
FAQ’s
Is driving in Sicily difficult?
Let’s say: driving in Sicily is different. As soon as you forget everything you learned about driving and adjust to your surrounding, you will e absolutely fine and maybe even enjoy it.
Can Americans drive in Sicily?
Armericans are allowed to drive in Sicily if they can present an international drivers licence, needed for any european destination.
Is it a good idea to rent a car in Sicily?
Renting a car in Sicily is definitly a good idea. Rates are not as expensive as in other european destinations. Additionally you may have to skip some attractions, you would not be able to reach, if you have no vehicle at your disposal.
How much does it cost to hire a car in Sicily for a week?
Prices for rental cars vary depending on the season. They do start as low as €10.00 for week, without insurance, but can rise in the main season (July & August). ⇨ Check and compare car rental rates
Is it easy to get around Sicily without a car?
If you have time and are flexible you can get around Sicily without a car. But trains and busses are unfortunately not really reliable and exploring the island by organised tours and taxi will get very expensive at some point.
Conclusion
Yes, driving in Sicily is different and it takes some time getting used to. If you park outside the city centers, you shouldn’t have any problems with parking spaces or the creative, urban driving style of the islanders.
I would also strongly recommend overcoming any driving fears and visiting Sicily with a rental car, as otherwise you will miss out on many sights which will be hard to reach in any other way.
