Palermo Getting There By Road

Driving in Italy is not for the faint-hearted but for travelers wishing to see many of the smaller or more remote sights, hiring a car is the best option. City driving is not recommended but elsewhere a car will enable you to travel, stop and sightsee at your own pace. For car hire companies, see Getting Around.

Palermo, in the northwest of the island, is connected to Catania via Enna by the A19. The A20 follows the northern coast of Sicily to the east via Cefalu and Capo d'Orlando, while the A29 goes west towards Trapani.

Drive on the right, overtake on the left. Driving licences should be carried at all times. Speed limits are as follows: 50 kph (31 mph) in built-up areas, 90 kph (56 mph) on secondary roads, 110 kph (68 mph) on main roads, and 130 kph (81 mph) on motorways. Motorways are known as autostrades and indicated by a green sign. Petrol (benzina) is expensive in Sicily.

Emergency breakdown services in Sicily are run by the Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI) (website: www.aci.it). The cost can be quite high, so hiring a reliable car from a reputable firm is essential.

Emergency breakdown service: ACI (tel: 116).

Coach services: SAIS Autolinee (tel: (091) 616 6028; website: www.saisautolinee.it) has modern, comfortable coaches that serve most of the major cities and towns in Sicily, including Cefalu, Messina, Enna, Caltanissetta, Catania and Siracusa. Segesta (tel: (091) 304 106; website: www.segesta.it) serves Trapani and Cuffaro (tel: (091) 616 1510) serves Agrigento. Most services depart from Via P Balsamo. Call individual operators for more information.