Car Hire at Catania-Fontanarossa Airport

Airport travel guide

Catania Airport is the busiest airport not only on Sicily but in southern Italy as a whole. It is a major gateway for tourists from all over, but particularly Brits. The entire island is accessible from Catania, particularly if you hire a car. It is also convenient to get to the southern part of the boot that is Italy from the airport. All sorts of Italian adventures can be had with Catani as their starting point. 

Tolls: There are some toll roads on Sicily. An example is the motorway between Catania and Messina (the A18). Fortunately, it is possible to pay for tolls with cash. No electronic transponder is needed on Sicily.  

Taking a hire car to the mainland: Most hire companies at Catania Airport allow their cars to be taken between Sicily and mainland Italy. Usually, travellers make this a one-way trip (that is, not returning to Siciliy or not returning to the mainland). There is an additional fee for this, though it is not large percentage-wise if hiring a car for a week or more. You can search for the location where you would like to drop off the car and the extra fee will be included in the total prices. 

One-way rental between Sicily and Sardinia may not be available by the specific hire company you choose. And if they are, the fee is significantly higher than travelling to the mainland. 

So don't wait! Plan your trip to Sicily, hire a car, and enjoy the sunny beaches! And here are some destinations on the island to put on your list: 

• Piazza del Duomo. Catania is famous for its Baroque architecture, and the Piazza del Duomo, or the Cathedral Square, is arguably one of the best places to enjoy it. Some of the buildings located here include the Cathedral of St. Agatha, as well as the Palace of Clerks, Diocesan Museum, and the next-door Municipal Palace.
• Mount Etna. Still active and dominating the view from anywhere in the city, Mount Etna is another symbol of this part of Sicily. There are several ways to visit it — you can get quite far up with a rental car — but to access the summit, you will need to join a guided tour of which there are plenty to be booked in Catania.
• Ancient Catania. Sicily was once a home of Ancient Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, and numerous other legendary civilizations, and Catania was no exception in this regard. Some of the most notable heritage sites include the Roman Odeon, Achillean Baths, Rotonda Baths, and an amphitheater. Plenty of other legendary sites can be found in Southeast Sicily and beyond.

Top international routes

• Rome
• Milan
• Bologna
• Naples
• Malta
• Venice
• Verona
• Tirana

Main airlines

British Airways has non-stop flights between Catania-Fontanarossa Airport and London Heathrow International Airport. easJet provides non-stop connections to the airport from Bristol Airport, London Gatwick Airport, and London Luton Airport. Wizzair will begin flights between London Luton and Catania on October 22, 2020. Ryanair flies to Catania from many destinations, though none in the UK. You can, however, connect through another city, like Milan Bergamo.

Terminals

There are currently two terminals operating at Catania Airport. Terminal C is used exclusively by easyJet. A third terminal (Terminal B, confusingly) is currently under construction. As of October 2020, all flights arrive and depart from Terminal A due to the decrease in passenger traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Location

The airport is located roughly 7 kilometres south of the centre of the city. There is convenient access to it from the major motorways connecting Catania with the rest of Sicily, including the A19 heading to Palermo and the E45 heading south to Syracuse and north all the way to the ferry crossing to the mainland.

Most popular types of hire car

• Small cars - starting at £14 per day
• Medium cars - starting at £18 per day
• SUVs - starting at £18 per day
• Station wagons - starting at £35 per day
• Large cars - starting at £22 per day
• People Carriers - starting at £70 per day
• Premium cars - starting at £78 per day
• Convertibles - starting at £165 per day

Car hire desks

The hire company desks at Catania Airport are located on the ground level of the P4 car park. Alamo, Brent, Enterprise, Europcar, Goldcar, Locauto, Noleggiare, Rhodium, and SIXT have desks there. All other companies provide either a meet and greet service or a free shuttle to their locations just outside the airport.

Services and facilities

There are two restaurants, a coffee shop, a store, a duty-free shop, a bank, and a cashpoint. There’s also a lost and found centre that is open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Unfortunately, there is no luggage storage service. The airport is disabled-friendly.

Nearest petrol station

If approaching the airport from the west or south, then a Q8 petrol station located on the service exit to the airport is the most convenient station to fill up at before returning the car. If approaching from the city, there are multiple petrol stations on the way to the airport.

Popular one-way hires

• Palermo (210 km / 130 miles)
• Messina (107 km / 66 miles)
• Taormina (64 km / 40 miles)
• Noto (89 km / 55 miles)
• Cefalù (177 km / 109 miles)
• Pozzallo (113 km / 70 miles)