Sicily Car Rental Guide
The current page gives you information concerning car rental in Sicily and also provides you with some useful hints about the traffic regulations and car rental tips plus general background of the island.
Rental Restrictions
Cars can be rented at airports and downtown locations in every major city. In Italy, you must be 21 years of age to rent an economy or subcompact car. Car seats are required for children under three and must be booked in advance.
Driving Restrictions
A car is the best way to travel in Sicily. Trains are slow and buses can be subject to delays and strikes.
Driving is on the right. The use of the horn is only allowed in cases of extreme danger.
The minimum age of a driver is 18 years. Both seatbelts and children’s seats are compulsory. The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.8‰.
Headlights are required from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise as well as under bridges and in tunnels. Foglights may only be used in case of poor visibility.
It is illegal to use a mobile phone unless you have a hands-free system or speakers for your phone.
The police are authorised to remove your driving license and may also collect fines on the spot. To avoid car thefts, the police are increasingly subjecting foreign-registered vehicles to checks. The driver of the vehicle must then present the documents of the vehicle as well as their personal identification documents. If it is a borrowed vehicle, a written permission from the owner has to be included.
Generally, cars are parked on the right side of the road. In a Blue Zone (Zona Disco), you can only park for a limited period of time and have to obtain a parking disc for this. There are Green Zones (Zona Verde) in some cities, where parking is forbidden from 8 am to 9.30 am and from 2.30 pm to 4 pm on weekdays.
Speed limits:| Area | Limit |
| Expressways | 110 or 130 KM/H |
| Outside the City | 90 KM/H |
| In the City | 50 KM/H |
Emergency Numbers
Police/ambulance/fire: 113
Road Tolls
Tolls are charged on the autostradas. The ticket you are issued when entering an autostrada must be returned when you exit and pay the toll; on some shorter autostrada, the toll is paid upon entering. Secondary roads require no tolls.
Some useful expressions for tourists visiting Italy
Car - automobile
Car rental – affitto di automobile
Road – una strada
About Sicily
Sicily is more than just an island. It is Italy’s most historically cosmopolitan region, having been ruled by Asians, Africans and Europeans. The island is a unique place full of art, archeology, history, folklore and amazing scenery.
Visit the most beautiful beaches and parks and feel the grandeur of the mediaeval castles and temples – but do not forget to top all this delight off with the great Sicilian food.
Area: 25,460 sq km
Population: 5.1 million
Country: Italy
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1 (Central European Time)
Telephone Area Code: 095
Monetary unit: Euro
