Car Hire Catania Airport

Catania is a compact city, making driving around it straightforward and getting to it will take just 20 minutes from Catania Airport on Via Plebiscito. The well-connected road network can guide you along the coast in either direction for a more scenic drive, with inland routes too, if you want to explore more of Sicily’s gorgeous centre.

Drive on the right-hand side and overtake on the left. It’s illegal to use a mobile phone while driving and everyone in the car needs to wear a seatbelt. Speed limits vary from 50km/h in built-up areas to a top speed of 130km/h on motorways, known as autostrada.

Some of these have tolls, including the stretch of the A18 that leads from Catania to Messina, passing Taormina. However, you can pay with cash and it’s not particularly expensive.

To protect its old buildings from traffic, the centre of Catania is a ZTL – Zona Traffico Limitato – meaning its restricted to cars between certain hours. These are displayed on signs, with the entrance to the zone clearly marked by a red and white circle. If you enter during restricted hours, you’ll be fined.

Should your hotel be within the ZTL, you can call them with your hire car details once you’ve collected it and they’ll ensure you’re added to the permit list. For visitors, there’s plenty of parking on the outskirts when visiting the centre of Catania.

If you want to see more of Sicily, take the A19 west across the island. It’s toll-free and you’ll pass some beautiful areas and tiny villages, before emerging on the north coast. From here you can take the SS113 and head west to Palermo, the island’s biggest city, or east to Cefalu, with its never-ending beach and Norman castle.

Palermo’s smaller, but more vibrant, little sister, Catania feels like a hidden gem. Overflowing with baroque beauty, lively markets and Sicilian history, hiring a car will give you the opportunity to see everything from its magnificent volcano to the plentiful coast of the Ionian Sea.

Prime piazza

The majestic buildings that make up much of Catania shine brightly, especially on sunny summer days. The Piazza del Duomo is where they all come together to form one great square; a UNESCO site of cathedrals, fountains and sombre but handsome remnants of centuries past.

The 18^th-century Elephant Fountain looks across to the Cathedral of Saint Agatha, which combines baroque and Norman elements. Most of its current structure was built in the early 1700s but some parts, which survived the earthquake of 1693, date back to the 11^th-century.

This is also where the city’s most famous son - composer Vincenzo Bellini - is buried. His life and work is celebrated at Catania’s impressive opera house, Teatro Massimo Bellini. Book your trip in advance and get the ultimate Italian experience by watching a performance here.

The theatre of the past

An hour to the north, Taormina is perfect for a day trip with a hire car. It’s a hugely popular resort, with summer seeing an influx of visitors from the Italian mainland, as well as the rest of the world. It’s a stylish destination, with brilliant restaurants and cafes, but it’s the incredible amphitheatre that attracts the most attention.

The Teatro Greco was built in the 3^rd century BC and - as it’s still in use for concerts and shows - has been one of the world’s most spectacular venues for over 2000 years. You can take in an event here and gaze out from the horseshoe theatre to Mount Etna and the verdant Sicilian hills. It’s as dramatic a view as anything in Greek theatre.

Ruins and restaurants

Back in Catania, you’ll find the town has its own excellent ruins. The Parco Archeologico Greco Romano showcases remains of the 2^nd century Roman theatre and items discovered during its excavation.

Travel down any of the nearby streets and you’ll find a scenic area packed with cafes, restaurants and pizzerias. Try out Sicilian specialities while you’re here, such as the fried risotto balls known as arancini, or pasta alla Norma, named after one of Bellini’s operas. This is a local rigatoni dish with a sauce made of tomatoes and aubergine – simple but delicious when done right. Elsewhere, pick up a cone of freshly fried fish at the legendary La Pescheria fish market, then finish off with a crispy, sweet cannoli.

Hire a car at Catania Airport and you don’t have to choose. You can enjoy driving around between these fascinating attractions in and around the city, making planning your trip to Sicily even easier.