Car rental Palermo

Driving in the very centre of Palermo is ideally kept to a minimum. The city centre can get very congested and is also a traffic restricted zone or ZTL (Zona a Traffico Limitato) which operates Monday to Friday 8am until 8pm and Saturday 8am until 3pm.

Make sure you keep an eye out for signage for ZTL zones as you could face a fine if caught during these hours without a resident pass.

Parking in the city centre is possible in parking bays with blue lines and costs around €1 an hour. Parking tickets can be purchased a number of ways including at tobacco stores, bars and convenient shops.

There are also parking lots dotted around the centre with a convenient one for sightseeing at Piazza Ungheria, just off Via Ruggero Settimo.

Renting a car is the best way to get around the island and explore its ancient ruins and beautiful beaches. Monreale is the nearest resort, only 11 kilometres south-west from the city centre.

Beautiful Cefalù is farther away but well worth the effort. It lies 68 kilometres to the east of the city along the main coastal highway, the E90. This highway also takes you west along the coast, past Palermo Airport, to meet the SS113, which then climbs steeply up to the spectacular Greek ruins of Segesta, about 80 kilometres south-west of Palermo. The equally impressive ruins at Selinunte are 110 kilometres south of the city and reached via the SS624.

Despite its reputation, experienced drivers will have no problems driving in Sicily, but make sure you learn the rules of the road. Driving in Italy is on the right-hand side. The speed limit is 130km/h on main highways (known as autostrade), 110km/h on non-major highways outside towns and cities and 90km/h on local roads.

Palermo is one of the main gateways to the sun-drenched Mediterranean island of Sicily and its position at the heart of the ancient world has bequeathed the city a rich and fascinating historical inheritance.

Discover the island’s rich history

Palermo's top attraction is undoubtedly the exquisite Cappella Palatina with its sumptuous 12^th-century Byzantine mosaics. The chapel is located in the Palazzo dei Normanni (the Norman Palace), the former royal palace that is now the seat of the local parliament.

Many of Palermo’s buildings have a UNESCO World Heritage status. One of these is the mightily impressive 12^th-century Palermo Cathedral, built in Sicily's unique Arab-Norman style and one of the city’s most distinctive buildings. Explore the neoclassical interior dating back to the 19^th century and climb to the top for breath-taking views of the church rooftop and the city below.

The Regional Archaeological Museum, situated inside a Renaissance monastery, is home to some of Sicily's most valuable Greek and Roman artefacts and is a useful primer before you set off to visit the island’s great classical sights. Among the highlights is a series of original decorative friezes from the temples at Selinunte.

A short drive inland is the hilltop town of Monreale, famous for its spectacular 12^th-century cathedral. Explore inside Sicily’s greatest masterpieces for a dazzlingly beautiful combination of Norman, Byzantine and Islamic art and architecture.

Enjoy a day at the beach

One of the great delights of a visit to Palermo is its proximity to the gorgeous Mediterranean coastline. Just 30 minutes from the bustle of the city centre is Mondello, a coastal curve of gorgeous golden sands lined with beach towels, sun loungers and stands selling delicious gelato.

After a day on the beach, enjoy dinner on the terrace of the delightful Alle Terrazze, known as one of the best seafood restaurants in Sicily.

Cefalù, one of Western Sicily's most appealing seaside towns, is just over an hour’s drive east from Palermo. The town boasts one of the island’s best beaches, but the most striking feature is the stunning Norman cathedral. It’s also worth meandering along the quaint seafront, especially at the end of the day, and exploring the narrow medieval streets.

Explore ancient Greek ruins

One of Sicily’s must-see attractions is the spectacular archaeological park in Segesta. Here you can explore one of the best conserved Greek temples in the world, before taking the shuttle bus to the awe-inspiring hilltop amphitheatre offering stunning, picturesque views.

A bit further afield, overlooking the sea in the south-western corner of the island, are the beautiful and isolated ruins of Selinunte, one of Sicily's greatest archaeological sites. This vast, ancient city was destroyed and abandoned 2,500 years ago and remains pretty much as it would have done at that time.

You can wander for hours among Greek temples, ancient walls and ruins of residential and commercial buildings, then go for a swim afterwards at one of the nearby sandy beaches.

Car rental in Palermo allows you to explore this historic city and the rest of Western Sicily with ease.