Home / Sicily / Palermo

Car hire in Palermo

Hire a car at Palermo Airport from local Sicilian companies. Most cars skip the credit card, every one holds a deposit, and cover options show up front.

Palermo Airport cars and deposit amounts

These cars are picked up and returned at Palermo Airport. Compare rent and deposit separately, and check the card rules for any debit option.

Find the seating and transmission you need

How does pickup at Palermo Airport (PMO) work?

The airport is at Punta Raisi, outside the city. Follow the meeting point on your voucher, not the airport’s own rental signs.

Meeting point

Your voucher names the company, its phone number and exactly where it meets you. Read it before you land.

Phone contact

Give a number with country code that works from the day before pickup. Tell the company if your flight changes.

Night pickup

Enter your real pickup and return times. Night service can cost more or be unavailable on some cars.

Every car here is a Palermo Airport rental, so plan the drive into the city, about 50 minutes on clear roads.

These cars are all picked up at the airport. A port or station in the place list does not mean you can book a pickup there.

What does accepting debit cards mean?

You can leave the deposit on a debit card; it does not remove the deposit. The rent balance has its own payment methods.

The deposit needs the main driver’s own physical card with embossed details. Check which card type your car takes; cash or a phone wallet will not do.

You pay 15 to 20% online to book and the rest to the company by the method shown. If you change cover, check the new deposit and accident excess separately.

How long are drives from Palermo Airport?

These drives start at Palermo Airport, not the city, and exclude traffic, breaks and parking. Reaching the centre does not mean you may drive in.

The ornate facade and dome of Palermo Cathedral above palm trees, under a clear blue sky
Palermo Airport→Palermo
50 min · 34.1 km
Turquoise water at Mondello beach with the rocky bulk of Monte Pellegrino behind, under a blue sky with a few clouds
Palermo Airport→Mondello
45 min · 27.7 km
The golden stone bell tower of Monreale Cathedral seen from below against a vivid blue sky
Palermo Airport→Monreale
50 min · 38.0 km
The twin-towered Norman cathedral of Cefalu with palm trees in front, under a bright blue sky
Palermo Airport→Cefalù
1 h 45 min · 103.2 km
A Doric temple of golden stone with rows of columns on a grassy ridge, under a deep blue sky
Palermo Airport→Agrigento
3 h · 164.5 km
The baroque facade of Catania Cathedral beside the elephant fountain in Piazza Duomo, under a blue sky with light cloud
Palermo Airport→Catania
3 h 30 min · 242.4 km

The Palermo time ends at Quattro Canti, in or beside the controlled streets. Agrigento ends at the Valley of the Temples and Catania at Piazza Duomo. Plan a legal final approach and parking.

Some Palermo cars can be returned at Trapani-Birgi Airport, where every car for Trapani is handed over.

Arrange Palermo ZTL access before arrival

Cameras control entry to the old-centre ZTL. Activate a visitor pass for your car’s plate before you enter, and check the car qualifies.

  • Check your car’s emissions class before relying on a visitor pass; the photo or car class will not tell you. Some petrol and diesel cars, electric cars and hybrids qualify.
  • A hotel inside the zone can register your car for a temporary pass. Arrange this before you arrive and check it is done; a room booking alone is not a permit.
  • The boundary roads are outside the restricted zone. Agree a legal approach with your accommodation and check the signs at each entrance; your sat nav is not a permit.
  • Check the current hours and pass activation steps before you drive. Seasonal and temporary changes happen, so do not rely on the timetable from an earlier visit.

Blue parking zones A, B, C and G are charged from 08:00 to 20:00, Monday to Saturday on working days, with no afternoon break. Check the signs; a ZTL pass does not pay for parking.

You pay parking, fines and tolls. Camera fines can arrive later; ask the company how it handles them.

Driving rules around the city and coast

Drive on the right and obey the signs. Allow extra time for city traffic, a legal route to your hotel and parking.

Observe each road limit

Unless signed otherwise: towns 50 km/h, other rural roads 90, main rural roads 110, motorways 130. In rain, main rural roads drop to 90 and motorways to 110.

Use the required lighting

Outside towns, use dipped headlights unless the car has approved daytime running lights. At pickup, find the warning triangle, the reflective vest and the light controls.

Prepare every passenger restraint

Everyone wears a seat belt. Children under 1.5 metres need an approved seat that fits. Order it when you book and check it with the company at pickup.

Keep the driving task clear

Hands-free only; do not handle your phone. The alcohol limit is 0.5 g/l, or zero under 21 and in your first three years of driving. Set your sat nav first.

Keep to paved public roads. For emergencies call 112, or 118 for an ambulance and 115 for fire; after an insured incident, also tell the company straight away.

Finish at another Sicilian airport

Some Palermo cars can be returned at Catania or Trapani airport. Choose the return airport first, then compare the full price.

Catania Airport return

Choose Catania Airport as your return and follow its return instructions.

Trapani Airport return

Choose Trapani-Birgi Airport, then confirm the exact return time.

Total price comparison

Check rent and delivery charges; a zero one-way fee does not mean it is free.

Follow the company’s return directions. Agree any change of airport with the company before you change your booking.

Price patterns through the rental year

The chart compares week-long hires through the year. Search your own dates and flight times for a current price.

Each Palermo Airport price is for a one-week hire; N/A shows months with no cars listed so far.

The first day is a full 24 hours, and each extra part of a day costs another day. Use your real times and extras when comparing.

Plan seating, equipment and shared driving

Palermo has larger cars as well as small ones. Match seats with luggage and child seats, and add every driver to the booking before pickup.

Compact passenger capacity

These small cars seat four or five. Check the seats on the car you choose; the class name alone will not tell you.

Child equipment requests

Book child seats and check them at pickup. Italian-registered cars also need an anti-abandonment alarm for under-fours; make sure you get both.

A larger travelling party

Seven- and nine-seat cars can be available in Palermo. Check luggage space with the seats you need in place before you choose.

An approved second driver

Add the second driver through the booking. Their licence and experience must meet this car’s rules, whoever paid or booked.

Choose protection using the actual offer

Cover options vary by car. After choosing a level, check the deposit, the accident excess and what is excluded.

Minimum coverageIncluded as standard
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
  • Damage to your hire car (not included)
Basic coverage
  • Limited collision cover (CDW) (included)
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
  • Glass and tyre damage (not included)
Full Coverage
  • Limited driver liability (Super CDW) (included)
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
Full Coverage Plus
  • Full damage cover (included)
  • No driver liability for accident damage (included)

Cover levels: Some Palermo cars offer Full Coverage Plus. Check the menu on your car to see if it does.

Deposit changes: Some cars lower the deposit at higher cover levels; others may not. Check the figure on your car.

Not covered: Standard cover excludes the interior, windscreen, underside and wheels. Check what an upgrade adds.

After an incident: Tell the company straight away and get a police report, unless it agrees otherwise. Skipping these steps, neglect or deliberate damage cancels your cover.

Keep your car’s deposit and accident excess terms and the company’s number with you.

Which papers should the driver bring?

The Italian rental contract requires an IDP and your national licence, both originals valid until return. Copies and digital versions are not accepted.

Original licence and permit

The contract needs both your national licence and an IDP. Have them ready before you travel to Palermo Airport.

Vehicle-specific eligibility

Each car sets its own age and experience rules for every driver. Similar cars can have different limits, so check yours.

Rules vary: one car accepts drivers from 19 with one year’s driving, another needs 22 and two years. Check the car you book.

Return fuel and a car ready for inspection

Agree the return place and time with the company. Leave time to unload and for the inspection before heading to departures.

Restore the starting level

  • Return the car with the fuel level you started with. Shortfalls are charged at the company’s rate, and extra fuel is not refunded.

Keep the condition visible

  • Let the company check the car before you leave. If it is too dirty to inspect, you pay for washing.

Agree any extra time with the company in advance. Small pets only, kept in a carrier on every trip.

Ferry and overseas plans need confirmation

Tell the company before any trip outside Italy so it can prepare the papers. The terms do not cover ferries or list which countries are allowed.

Agree the crossing, cover and return with the company before booking a ferry. A ferry that takes cars, or a mainland return in the search, is not permission. Some cars in Sicily have a cross-border extra, but it names no countries.

Can you cancel or change the reservation?

Check your cancellation deadline before changing car or dates. The 24-hour deadline only applies if your booking includes the cancellation option.

Check the applicable deadline

Standard cars need 7 days’ notice, luxury cars and convertibles 30, or 24 hours with the cancellation option. Cancel late or miss pickup without agreement and you lose the advance.

Provide the booking voucher

Email support with your voucher to cancel. Eligible refunds are paid within 14 days of your request, minus 6% for payment processing.

For another car or dates, cancel and book again. To extend a rental under way, agree it with the company first.

Palermo collection and city-access questions

Can I rent an automatic car in Palermo?

Yes. Two of the cars shown are automatic, but most are manual, so use the gearbox filter when you search.

Can a hotel booking authorise the ZTL automatically?

No. The hotel can register your car for a temporary pass, but it must finish that before you drive in.

Does the afternoon parking break still apply?

No. In blue zones A, B, C and G, charges run from 08:00 to 20:00, Monday to Saturday on working days, with no midday break. Check the signs on your street.

Can the port be used instead of the airport pickup?

Only if there is a port offer for your dates and you book it. These cars are all at the airport; a port in the place list is not enough.

Is the one-way cost always a separate line?

No. The one-way cost can be in the rent, and delivery charges may apply too. Compare the full price for your airports and times.

Further help for a Palermo airport hire

Find your Palermo Airport rental

Choose your pickup and return, check the card and driver rules, then arrange the meeting and any city access before you travel.

Compare Palermo cars