Palermo car hires from £13/day

Palermo is an old city whose roads date back to long before the automobile era. The roads are often narrow and one-way lanes are quite common; therefore, small and compact cars are far more suited for Palermo’s roads than an SUV or other large vehicles. This is especially so when you take parking into consideration, as space for a large vehicle will be very hard to come by.

The speed limits in Italy are fairly standard from city to city. Major highways post speed limits of 130 km/h (80 mph) and urban areas feature speed limits of 50 km/h (31 mph). Smaller highways tend to have speed limits of 110 km/h (68 mph), while local roads are around 90 km/h (56 mph).

Parking in the central areas of Palermo can be a bit hard to come by at times, as many of the parking spots are reserved for residents with passes. In general, streetside parking is scarce and premium parking garages and lots are your best options for finding a space in the city center. However, as many of the sites and monuments are close to each other in Palermo, it may be worth it to simply park further out and then take a leisurely stroll into the main tourism areas.

On average a car hire in Palermo costs £30 per day.

Car hire companies onsite at Punta Raisi airport include Easy Car Hire, Felirent, Record Go, Rent Smart 24, Galdierirent, DRIVALIA, Viaggiare Rent, Automania, Target Rent a Car and SICILY BY CAR.

Car hire companies that offer shuttle or pick-up services from Punta Raisi airport to off-airport locations include Goldcar Rental SP, Target Rent a Car, Avis, SICILY BY CAR, Europcar, GREEN MOTION, keddy by Europcar, LOCAUTO, Thrifty and OptimoRent.

Take a look at our extensive car hire location map to find the best car hire deals near you.

A Standard car hire in Palermo costs £48 per day, on average.

A Compact car hire in Palermo costs £22 per day, on average.

An Economy car hire in Palermo costs £33 per day, on average.

In Palermo, cars are most frequently hired at Easy Car Hire 25 Via Nazionale (14 miles from city centre).

Most car hire providers in Palermo offer insurance but the level of protection can differ substantially. If you're unsure whether to get extra protection for your car hire in Palermo, check out KAYAK's car hire insurance guide.

If you are looking for longer adventures with your Palermo car hire, you could always take a drive up to Messina. This is a popular city with a harbour for ferries heading to the mainland of Italy. You are more than welcome to take your car on the ferry to the mainland, but speak to your car hire company to ensure that all border-crossing requirements are met on your particular vehicle.

Sicily has one of the younger age allowances for car rental, with 19 being the minimum age allowed, as opposed to most of Europe, which prefers 21. Some car rental companies may charge young drivers fees, but this is not consistent across the board. There is a maximum age limit of between 70 and 75 years of age, depending on which company you rent your vehicle from.