Fast facts about hiring a car from Catania Airport

Catania–Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) – also known as Vincenzo Bellini Airport – is around a 15 to 20-minute drive from central Catania. It is a convenient place to hire a car, with international brands such as Sixt, Enterprise and Hertz offering some good prices. Shop around in advance to stand the best chance of finding a cheap deal.

The car hire desks at Catania Airport are split between the arrivals hall and a second building a short walk away. Hertz and Sixt are in the main terminal.

Car hire companies that have desks at Catania-Fontanarossa Airport include:

• Hertz (Tel: +39 095 341595)
• Holiday Car Rental (Tel: +39 095 346769)
• Hollywood Rent a Car (Tel: +39 095 530594)
• Locauto Rent-Enterprise (Tel: +39 095 346893)
• Noleggiare (Tel: +39 392 8173940)
• Sixt (Tel: +39 02 9475 7979)

Hiring a car in Catania city centre

Picking up your hire car in Catania itself can work well, particularly if you plan to look around the city for a few days before exploring the rest of Sicily. You’ll find offices near both Catania Europa station and Catania Centrale station, as well as in the port. Big car hire brands in Catania include Avis, Budget and Hertz.

Driving in Catania city centre

We won’t lie. Catania’s centre is not exactly a picnic to drive through. The old town’s streets are narrow, and the historic core around Piazza Duomo is pedestrianised. The main roads outside of it get busy during the day, particularly at peak commute times. In terms of navigating, there is a helpful arterial road running along the seafront (SS114) so once you have reached that, trips up and down the coast are easy, traffic permitting.

Like many cities in Italy, Catania has a zone system for its street parking. You’ll need to make sure you only park in spaces with blue markings and remember to get a ticket at a machine to display in your vehicle. You’ll also find a few car parks scattered around, including one near Catania Europa station and several around Villa Bellini Park, that have affordable hourly rates.

For day trips out of Catania, the more rural roads are very scenic but sometimes windy so you should make sure you are cautious and stick to the speed limits. You’ll also come across the odd toll road, including on the route to Taormina, so keep some change handy.

Recommended day trips from Catania

Valley of the Temples

Driving time: Two hours

This abandoned ancient Greek city should be as famous as classical superstars like the Acropolis in Athens. It is a huge archaeological site, and is scattered with the remains of temples to Greek gods such as Juno, Zeus and Vulcan. Some of the best stuff is in the east of the site, including the superbly preserved Temple of Concordia and Temple of Hera. The coastal town of Agrigento is a few kilometres away.

Taormina   

Driving time: 50 minutes

Sicily doesn't want for beaches, but Taormina allows you to pair some sand time with a historic town. It sits on a hilltop overlooking several idyllic coves that are perfect for swimming. In the town itself there's a beautiful Greek amphitheatre that still hosts events, and some great restaurants serving up authentic Sicilian cuisine.

Mount Etna

Driving time: 45 minutes

Catania lies in the shadow of this huge volcano. Despite still being active, Mount Etna draws in throngs of fascinated tourists, especially during the winter months, when it also turns into a skiing spot (yes, really). As well as enjoying the slopes and après-ski at resorts such as Piano Provenzana and Nicolosi, you can take organised excursions to craters and caves dotted around the mountain face.