Rent a car in Palermo with Europcar
Palermo is often overlooked in favor of
Catania and Syracuse, but the capital of Sicily truly deserves a visit. With its Byzantine chapels, vintage clothing shops, lively food markets, and grand boulevards, Palermo has much to offer visitors. Discover the city and what it has to offer in the comfort of a car rented in Palermo.
Car rental with Europcar in Palermo
There are two Europcar rental offices in the city, at the
Palermo airport and at Notarbartolo at the train station. Our fleet includes economical cars, such as Fiat Panda and Peugeot 208, as well as family vehicles, including Peugeot 3008.
Looking for something bigger? Van rental for transporting large loads is also available at the Notarbartolo train station.
Europcar offers you maximum freedom for your holidays in Sicily. You can choose to rent cars and vans for both long and short periods, according to your needs.
Driving in Palermo
In Italy, the speed limit is 130 km/h on highways, 110 km/h on main roads, and 90 km/h on secondary roads. In urban areas, the speed limit ranges from 50 to 70 km/h, as indicated by signage. You need to adjust your speed according to road conditions, as many roads on the island are steep, narrow, and full of tunnels. Speed limits must also be reduced in densely populated areas, for example near schools.
In case of rain, speed limits drop to 90 km/h on roads outside inhabited areas and 110 km/h on highways.
In inhabited areas, parking is allowed on the right side of two-way streets. On one-way streets, parking is allowed on both sides of the street, but only if at least 3 meters of free space remains for passage.
The center of Palermo is a ZTL (). This is an area where CO2 emissions, road load, and traffic congestion are reduced and a permit is required to enter. Permits can be purchased online. This rule applies to all vehicles, including foreign ones; fines for entering without a permit range from €75 to €450, depending on the vehicle.
There are paid parking areas, indicated by blue signage. Paid hours may vary, but usually run from Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. On Sundays and holidays, parking is often free. Areas with limited parking hours are indicated by blue stripes.
For the most part, the main roads in Italy are toll highways and the toll can be paid in cash or by credit/debit card.
It should be noted that not all gas stations in Italy are open on Sundays and those that are open on Sundays are often closed on Mondays.
Explore Palermo and its surroundings by car
Due to the lack of public transportation, renting a car is almost essential for traveling in Sicily. Given the size of the island, you can easily discover the many different attractions during your stay. An hour's drive east of Palermo you will find the elegant seaside town of Cefalù and, closer, the turquoise waters of Mondello beach: just half an hour from Palermo.
If you feel like traveling further, the Sciacca thermal baths (102 kilometers away), the open-air museum of Agrigento with its perfectly preserved Greek temples (126 kilometers away), and Marsala (129 kilometers away) are all easily reachable by car.
Six kilometers from the city center, visit the Teatro di Verdura, an open-air theater in the Verdura gardens. Opera and musicals are regularly staged: it is an unparalleled place to see national and international talents.
A dream for history lovers, attractions in Palermo such as the Palatine Chapel, the Palermo Cathedral, and the Norman Palace are all magnificent examples of Sicily's diverse culture. Be sure to visit one of the magnificent food markets, some of which take place at night, to taste the delicious local street food, including and
