Find your perfect hire car at Palermo Punta Raisi Airport
Whether you’ve come to admire Palermo’s Byzantine architecture or Sicily’s stunning coastline, the ultimate Italian retreat is within reach.The moment you land at Palermo Punta Raisi Airport and pick up your car rental, you’re free to explore this gorgeous island.
Plan your journey from Palermo Punta Raisi Airport
From Palermo Punta Raisi, head east along the E90 and you’ll arrive at Palermo within just 40 minutes.Start by wandering down Via Vittorio Emanuele – one of the city’s main streets, packed with restaurants, cafes and shops. Those in search of some retail therapy should head to the outdoor Vucciria and the Borgo Vecchio markets, the best places to grab a bargain, with everything from street food to antiques.
On a plateau above the city you can visit the Palazzo dei Normanni and the Cappella Palatina, chapel to the Norman kings of Sicily and filled with colourful and elegant mosaics
The Regional Archaeological Museum is a great place to learn about Palermo from the pre-historic era to the present. The Catacombs of the Cappuccini are also fascinating.
For an art fix, the Modern Art Gallery features artists from the 19th and 20th centuries, while the Galleria Regionale della Sicilia displays fine works from the 12th to 17th centuries.
With your Avis car rental, Palermo and the rest of Sicily is just a short road trip away.
Road trips from Palermo Punta Raisi Airport
Drive beyond Palermo to experience more of this breath taking island. Boasting a stunning coastline dotted with lively towns, a road trip across Sicily is guaranteed to be memorable. Quite simply, this is the drivers’ dream.Cefalu
Cefalu is where visitors and Italians go to bask on the beach. Head east from Palermo and you’ll arrive in this quaint fishing village-turned-beach town in just over hour. This is one of the most beautiful seaside resorts in the region. Spend time soaking up the sun on the beachfront, or work your way through the town’s many cafes.
Scopello
Scopello is a 90-minute drive from Palermo via the A29. This tiny hamlet on the island’s north coast is one of the best areas to witness Sicily’s dramatic, rocky coastline. Most travellers come here for the Tonnara di Scopello – a scenic cove tucked away at the bottom of the cliffs.
Erice
Take the E90 and E933/A29 from Palermo to Erice. It will take a couple of hours to drive, and you’ll be treated to scenes of salt marshes and windmills. Founded by the Elymians and settled by the Phoenicians, the historic town’s Phoenician walls and castle still remain. Stop at one of the pastry shops in the medieval part of town and try some marzipan sweets – one of the area’s delicious local specialties.
Discover Sicily with your Avis hire car. From Palermo Punta Raisi Airport, all you have to do is collect the keys to your rental and take to the road.
Driving rules in Italy
Which side of the road?In Italy, please drive on the right side of the road.
Country driving laws
- Mobile phones may only be used with a hands-free device
- Dipped headlights must be used in poor daylight visibility when driving on motorways, dual carriageways, and rural roads
- Use the outside lane to overtake on motorways and dual carriageways
- Do not use the horn in a built up area unless in danger
- There are historical areas in which you cannot drive. Look out for “Zona traffico limitato”
Speed limits
All speed signs will be in km/h.
For a standard Avis rental vehicle with no trailers:
- Urban roads: 50 km/h (31 mph)
- Urban highways: 70 km/h (44 mph)
- Secondary extra-urban roads: 90 km/h (56 mph)
- Main extra-urban roads (Expressways): 110 km/h (68 mph)
- Motorways: 130 km/h (80mph)
Be aware of changes to speed limits displayed on road signs due to adverse weather conditions.
Child safety / Seatbelt laws
- It is compulsory for the driver and all passengers to wear a seatbelt
- Children aged under 12 and less than 150cm tall must be seated in an appropriate child restraint for their size
- Children weighing up to 9kg must be seated in a rear-facing child restraint, in the back of the car only
Please note - It is the child’s parent / guardian or vehicle renter’s responsibility to fit the child seat.
This road rules information is for provided for general guidance only. We endeavour to keep the information up to date and accurate, but any reliance you place on this information is at your own risk.