Car Hire Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA)

If you’re planning a trip to Sicily off the coast of Southern Italy, you’ll find booking an Avis hire car from Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) an easy way to explore this fascinating Mediterranean island at your own pace.

Catania is centrally located on the east coast of Sicily and so hiring a car from Catania Airport is the ideal start to a road trip around the island.

The city is within easy reach of popular destinations like Mount Etna, Taormina and Syracuse while the capital of Sicily, Palermo, is within a 2.5hr drive.

Whether you are travelling to Sicily for business or leisure, our friendly, efficient Avis team at Catania Airport is ready to provide the perfect rental car for your trip.

Book direct with Avis and you’ll benefit from flexible booking with free cancellation, a fleet of quality rental vehicles and speedy collection to get you on the road quickly plus we’ve a free loyalty programme with a host of travel benefits you’ll love.

You’ll find our Avis counter at Catania Airport located outside the terminal building. Exit arrivals, turn right and walk towards Terminal C. Continue for 150m and you will see a sign for Avis, Budget and Maggiore within the car rental centre. Our Avis rental car collection is a short walk away in the airport parking. When you return your car just follow signs to car rental return.

Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) is the busiest airport in Sicily and welcomed nearly 12.3 million passengers in 2024.

Dating back to the 1920s, two new terminals opened in 2018 and today the airport serves 95 destinations in 32 countries mainly across Europe and the Middle East. Thanks to its climate, rich history, mediterranean culture plus interest in Sicilian film and television series, the island is growing in popularity.

The airport has a "Masterplan 2030", involving investments of €600 million with plans to increase airline numbers and bring upgrages to passenger facilities.

The airport is located on the coast just south of Catania with good road access via the A19 highway.

If you are driving in Catania, Sicily for the first time, make sure you familiarise yourself with Italian driving rules before picking up your car. Catania can be busy at peak times and it’s sensible to use GPS and plan your route before you travel. While the island’s road network is generally good, you will find routes in small towns and villages can be narrow and winding and road surfaces vary in remote areas.

Some key road rules in Sicily include driving on the right, as in the rest of Europe and overtaking on the left. Dipped headlights must be used in certain situations including on motorways, at night outside built-up areas, and when visibility is poor in rain or snow.

Mobile phones may only be used with a headset or hands-free device. It is forbidden to use the car horn in a built-up area unless in danger.

What are the age requirements for renting a car in Catania, Sicily?

The minimum age to rent a car with Avis in Catania and the rest of Italy is 19. Age restrictions also vary by vehicle and some selected car groups are not available to drivers under the age of 25.

There is currently no maximum age for hiring a rental car, so long as you have had a full, valid, licence for at least 1 year. Some additional steps may be required for those who are over the age of 75 on the date of the scheduled return. When you book, you’ll be told if there are any maximum age restrictions for the vehicle you request. If you’re not sure, please check your booking confirmation email – or call the reservations team. 

What documents do I need to hire a car in Sicily?

To hire a car in Catania, Sicily, you just need to bring your:

• Driving licence
• The credit card used to make your booking (if it's a high value vehicle two payment cards must be provided, one of which needs to be a credit card),
• Proof of any discount (such as a frequent flyer or Avis Preferred  card),
• Photo ID for international rentals (such as a passport or driving licence) taken in the last 10 years.

Can I pick up my rental car in Catania and return it to another location?

One-way car rental with Avis makes it easy to go from A to B without driving full circle. That means you can collect your Avis hire car from Catania Airport and then return it to another Avis office in Sicily. Many of our Avis locations offer a 24-hour drop-off facility, which makes a one-way car hire hassle-free and very user-friendly. Simply check out our many available one-way journeys and start planning your route. When you are ready to book, just specify your destination in the booking panel and we will arrange it for you.

Is it worth hiring a car at Catania Airport?

Catania Airport is the busiest route for visitors travelling to the island and the ideal place to begin your hire car journey on Sicily as you get straight on the road and get on the way to your destination hassle-free.

Renting a car at Catania International Airport gives you the freedom of independent travel as well as the opportunity to plan a Sicily road trip.

The Avis team at Catania Airport are experts on Catania and the surrounding area and can offer advice on the best routes to take and make your trip a smooth one from the moment you touch down.

What is parking like in Sicily?

Parking in Sicily is relatively easy to find with a range of options including central car parks and on-street parking, which is chargeable.

If you are planning on driving into Catania or Palermo be aware that there are congestion reduction zones in each city and parking can be hard to find in the centre. 

From the Avis car park at Catania Airport to the centre of Catania is a drive of 5.9km which will take around 20min depending on the time of day. Head northeast from the airport and take the Via Acquicella following signs to the centre of the city.

The second largest city in Sicily behind its capital Palermo, Catania is flanked by basalt beaches and steeped in historic treasure such as the 13th century Castello Ursino, opulent Palazzo Biscari and the Piazza del Duomo. The latter is a UNESCO World Heritage square shouldered by a magnificent Baroque cathedral and watched over by the Fontana dell'Elefante—Catania’s elephant basalt-hewn landmark. Soak up the atmosphere over a gelato or espresso at one of the cafés before exploring Catania’s elegant streets.

Some prefer to visit Catania in the spring, dodging the peak temperatures of the summer months, while the snow-capped Mount Etna is a popular destination for skiers during the winter. Despite being Italy’s tallest summit outside of the Alps, it only takes an hour to weave up to Etna’s 3,329m-high peaks in your hire car from Catania Airport, meaning hikers interested in navigating the rolling wilds of National Parco dell’Etna can do so year-round.

Linked into a stunning chain of Sicilian beaches, Catania offers plenty of variety within its vicinity. Choose between flat stretches of sand lapped by gentle wavelets, craggy clifftops with dizzying views of the Mediterranean Sea, and quaint coastal fishing villages soaked in Greek mythology, where freshly caught swordfish, one of the area’s specialities, can be easily sourced.

Sicily’s compact size means its oldest marinas, temples and Roman ruins are all within comfortable driving distance of Catania—as is Palermo on the northernmost tip.

Taormina

The pretty hilltop town of Taormina is a scenic hour’s drive along the coast. Saunter out along the narrow sandbar to the tiny nature reserve of Isola Bella before returning to take in sweeping views from a local trattoria over some cheesy arancini.

Syracuse

For more of Sicily’s historic ambience, follow its raw coastline south of Catania for an hour to Syracuse, where age-old piazzas, the Tempio di Apollo and the ancient Castello Maniace charm the senses.

Akragas

With plenty more to see, including the ancient Greek city of Akragas and the Valley of the Temples just outside of Agrigento, hire a car at Catania airport to ensure you discover all that Sicily has to offer.