To tour a region like Sicily, you might want to plan to stay at least a week. From hiking Mt. Etna and the natural parks, to swimming in the blue waters of the Aeolian Islands, getting a full tour of Sicily can be overwhelming.

If you are at least 18 years old, your best bet to maximize time and enjoy the surrounding landscape is to rent a car and take road trips around the island. Sicily by car is definitely the best way to explore the region. You will get a full taste of the Italian culture while enjoying the breeze from the sea coming through your windows.

There are many places where you can rent a car: airports, train stations and you can even find Sicily car hire on the web.

Landing in Palermo

You can find car hire at the Palermo airport and start your road trip exploring the wonders that Sicily’s capital has to offer. You can go to the Teatro Massimo, Europe’s largest opera house, then drive to the Catacombe dei Cappuccini where you can find 8,000 mummies and walk around some of the best ancient architecture.

Erice

From Palermo, you can continue your tour of Sicily by car driving an hour and a half to Trapani, where you can hop on a gondola to go to Erice. This Middle Age town is filled with tiny streets with ancient buildings full of restaurants and boutiques where you can stop for a nice evening and walk to the edge of the city.

Cefalu

After walking around Erice, you might want to spend a relaxing day on the beach. Drive to Cefalu and you will find the most marvelous beaches of the island.

Back to Palermo

When you finish your road trip, you don’t need to bring your car back to Catania, but you can drop it off at the car hire at the Palermo airport in Sicily.