Rent a car in Palermo with Europcar
Palermo is often overlooked in favour of
Catania and Syracuse, but the capital of Sicily really deserves a visit. With its Byzantine chapels, vintage clothes shops, bustling food markets and impressive promenades, Palermo has lots to offer visitors. Discover the city and what is on offer nearby with convenient car hire in Palermo.
The Europcar car rental experience in Palermo
There are two Europcar stations in the city, at
Palermo Airport and
Notarbartolo train station. Our fleet includes economy cars such as the Fiat Panda and Peugeot 208, as well as family sized cars such as the Peugeot 3008.
Looking for something bigger? Van hire is available from Notarbartolo train station for transporting larger loads.
Europcar brings total freedom to your Sicilian holiday. Choose your car or van hire for both long and short term rental periods to suit you.
Driving in Palermo
In Italy, the national speed limit is 130 km/h on motorways, 100 km/h on main roads, and 90 km/h on secondary roads. In urban areas, the speed limit is set between 50 and70 km/h, indicated by signs. Adjust your speed according to the terrain as many of the roads on the island are steep, narrow or run into tunnels. Speed should also be reduced around populated areas, such as near schools.
In wet weather conditions, the speed limit is reduced to 90 km/h on roads outside built-up areas and 110 km/h on motorways.
In built-up areas, parking is permitted on the right-hand side of roads with two-way traffic. In a one-way street, parking is allowed on both sides of the street, but only if there is at least three metres space left in the road.
There is a ZTL (Zona Traffico Limitato) area in Palermo city centre. This is a combined low emission zone, road charge, and congestion charge zone which requires a permit to enter. Permits can be purchased online. This law applies to all vehicles, even foreign ones, and fines for driving without a permit can range from €75 to 450 depending on your vehicle.
Paid parking zones are enforced and indicated by blue road signs. Paid hours can vary but are usually Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 7pm. On Sundays and public holidays it is often free to park. Zones with limited parking times are indicated by blue stripes.
Most main roads across Italy are toll roads and charges can be paid in cash or with credit/debit card.
Keep in mind that not all petrol stations in Italy are open on Sundays and those that are open on Sundays are often closed on Mondays.
Discover Palermo and its surroundings by car
Due to the lack of public transport, car hire is almost essential for travelling around Sicily. However, the size of the island means that you can easily discover many different sights during your stay. An hour’s drive to the east of Palermo takes you to the chic beach town of Cefalù, and closer to home are the turquoise waters at Mondello beach - just half an hour from Palermo.
If you fancy travelling further afield, the thermal spas at Sciacca (97 kilometres away), the living museum town of Agrigento with its perfectly preserved Greek temples (126 kilometres away), and Marsala (129 kilometres away) are all within easy driving distance.
Six kilometres from the city centre, visit the Teatro di Verdura, an open-air theatre in the Verdura gardens. Hosting regular opera and musical acts, this is an unrivalled location to see national and international talent.
A dream for history lovers, Palermo attractions such as the Cappella Palatina, Cattedrale di Palermo and Palazzo dei Normanni are all prime examples of diverse Sicilian culture. Be sure to visit one of the great food markets, some of which take place at night, to sample delicious local street food including sfincione and arancine.
