Renting a car in Catania

[LaLaS]

We will be arriving in Catania at the end of October on the Celebrity Silhoutte. Does anyone have experience with renting a car in Catania? Would it be realistic to try going to Etna and Taormina in the one day we have there?

[LovesSicily]

How much time do you have in Catania? That will help determine whether a drive to Mt. Etna and Taormina are within reason.

 

If you can read Italian, have a GPS, are ok with driving on narrow, heavily congested/complicated one way streets and poor signage then renting a car might be the way to go. The car rental agency may or may not be open if you are there on a Sunday.

 

Hiring a private driver might be the more stress free way to see this area of Sicily.

[TMLAalum]

I actually had a car reserved for our port day in Catania. However, to pick it up & return it involved a cab ride to the airport. Decided that the time and logistics involved made renting a car impractical.

 

Then researched the train/bus option to Gardini Naxos/Taormina. Scrapped that plan as well due to possible train strikes and inconsistency of bus.

 

Ended up booking a tour with SicilyLimousineService to Etna/Taromina. Claudio was our driver and it was an excellent day. There were 6 in our group so the cost was actually less per person than renting a vehicle to fit us all.

 

The only way I'd rent a car in Catania would be if it was awaiting me at the dock!

[LaLaS]

Thank you to TMLAalum and LovesSicily for your replies! Based on your input, we have decided to scrap the the options of renting a car and trying to take the bus. We are now going to look into private driver/tour or hiring a taxi for round trip to Taormina. Also decided that trying to do both inthe one day would be pushing it if we don't do a tour. Again, thanks for the input!

[Hlitner]

We are also wrestling with the car rental issue in Catania since we will be there for 2 full port days in the fall. It does appear that most of the major rental car companies are out by the airport but there is a local company called Hollywood Rent a Car with city offices within walking distance of the port.

 

Hank

[LaLaS]

Hank,

Try looking on Trip Advisor for the forum called Catania-renting a car. After reading the comments it might may your decision easier.

[Karennella]

We have rented cars in Sicily, Rome, Milan and Sardinia. Also in the past in the US and Canada as well as here in Australia. The process in Italy for collecting the cars often involved a longish wait compared to here and in Nth America. I would never consider it for a single day even though the prices are cheap.

[mydreamvacation]

we have been to Sicily many times- my father's family lives there and I can tell you I would never personally drive in Sicily. The roads are very narrow and wind around mountains, speed limits are a joke. I always hire a driver and look at the floor until I get where I need to be lol. Love Sicily but like my feet safe on the ground

[Karennella]

I should qualify my comment by saying that it is my husband who happily drives around in Sicily, not me. He was born there but came to Australia at the age of six. Here he is a typical Aussie driver; whinge whine but basically keeps to the rules and speed limits. In Italy he is transformed into a local driver and seems to enjoy the challenge of it all (except on the road to Bellagio!) The worst thing however was when his cousins came over to visit us at home. When speaking in Italian to them, he would drive Italian style, taking his hands off the wheel and totally terrifying me. But I do look at the floor a lot in Sicily. And I must say that I am not nearly as keen on his navigator as he is!