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Car hire at Catania Airport - Discover the Best of Sicily

Nestling on the east side of Sicily in the shadow of Mount Etna, the ancient port city of Catania offers one of the most authentic travel experiences to be had in the whole of Italy. The city and its environs is blessed with plenty of road-trip potential with spectacular mountain vistas and exhilarating seascapes to be seen at every turn. The city itself boasts a well-preserved Baroque historic centre with a plethora of old buildings and ancient monuments to enjoy. If you pick up your car hire at Catania Airport instead of downtown, you'll be free to explore the whole of eastern Sicily and its magnificent coastline without having to enter the city at all.

The fact that the city lies within such easy reach of Mount Etna is a major draw for many travellers who relish the opportunity to get up close to Europe's highest volcano with their car hire at Catania Airport. Driving around the mountain's moon-like landscape is a unique driving experience, with the astonishing views from its steaming summit the most rewarding prize for all those who manage to reach the top. The slopes of Mount Etna are also famous for their fine wines and the journey along the lava flows to visit the many wine estates such as Tenuta Tascante, Cottanera, Benanti is without doubt one of the most pleasant and memorable excursions available on the island.

With more than 60 years' international car hire industry experience, Auto Europe (through its many trusted partners) provides high-quality car hire with added options for renting top-end luxury vehicles, convertibles, motorhomes, etc. Through our award-winning rental specialists, your car hire requirements will be fully catered for with speed and efficiency, whether it's a short-stay in Catania you're planning or an extended tour of the enchanting island of Sicily. When you book with Auto Europe you'll find that we offer the cheapest deals and best choice of vehicles, along with over 28,000 pick-up locations in more than 190 destinations worldwide.

Please check the messages posted by some of our loyal customers on our Catania car hire reviews page for added peace of mind that you're booking your next car hire in Sicily with the most reliable company - Auto Europe. Should you have any questions or require with your itinerary plans of any kind, please feel free to contact our rental specialists for assistance who will be happy to give you general advice on getting around Catania and the rest of the island by car. You might also want to consult our guide to driving in Italy for information on road rules, speed limits, etc, while our Sicily road trip planner offers plenty of tips and suggestions to help make your visit a more satisfying one. Please visit our Catania car hire reviews page to read the comments posted by previous Auto Europe customers in the city.

Airport Information

Catania Airport is officially called Catania–Fontanarossa Airport but is also known as Vincenzo Bellini Airport after the locally-born opera composer. It is located 2.6 miles south-west of the city and besides being the busiest airport in Sicily, it is the sixth-busiest airport in the whole of Italy. The airport is served by a number of major international airlines such as Lufthansa, KLM and Alitalia with routes to several top European destinations such as London, Berlin, Munich and Amsterdam. as well as Italian destinations like Rome, Florence or Milan. It first opened in 1924 and has since been substantially improved and expanded over the years in line with the island's development, with two additional passenger terminals being unveiled in 2018.

Catania Airport (CTA)
Address: Via Fontanarossa, 95121 Catania, Italy
Telephone: +39 957 239 111
Airlines operating at Catania Airport: Air One offers flights to Catania from London Gatwick, while easyJet has flights from both London Gatwick and Luton. Seasonal flights are offered by multiple airlines, including British Airways and Norwegian, who both have flights from London Gatwick. Thomson Airways' seasonal charter flights also include routes from Birmingham, London Gatwick, and Manchester.

Where to pick up my car hire at Catania Airport

It's easy picking up your car rental at Catania Airport because many of the top vehicle providers have their reception desks located in the Arrivals Hall, which passengers enter through sliding doors after picking up their luggage and clearing customs. The car rental suppliers not present in the arrivals area can be found a short walk away from the main terminal building.

Car hire operating hours

	Avis at Catania Airport Aeroporto Di Catania Catania, Italy 95100 +39 095 340 500	Opening Hours: 8am-midnight daily
	Europcar at Catania Airport Via Fontanarossa 20, Catania, Italy 95100 +39 095 348 125	Opening Hours: 8am-9pm Daily
	Hertz at Catania Airport Aeroporto Di Catania, Catania, Italy 95100 +39 095 341 595	Opening Hours: 8am-midnight daily (9am-7pm in winter)
	Sixt at Catania Airport Via Fontanarossa Catania, Italy 95100 +39 029 475 7979	Opening Hours: 8am-8pm daily

Terminals

With 22 gates and 6 loading bridges, Catania Airport's new two-level passenger terminal (Termina A) replaced the old one in 2007 to better cope with the increased air traffic arriving and departing at the airport. The building comprises separate departures and arrivals areas, with arrivals on the ground-floor and departures on the first-floor. The arrivals area has two separate zones for Schengen flights and non-Schengen flights.

Airport Facilities

Catania Airport has a good range of passenger services and amenities, including an airport information desk, tourist office, first-aid station, lost-luggage department, customs and a security checkpoint. The departures area on the first-floor contains the check-in desks, security checks and bridges for transporting travellers to the gates. Several passenger facilities are also available, such as a food court, coffee lounge, children's nursery, bureau de change, ATMs, kids' play area, VIP lounge, airline lounges, retail shops and the Casa Alitalia Catania lounge (a business centre with free Internet connection).

How to get to and from Catania Airport

After picking up your car hire at Catania Airport, you can reach the city from the airport in about 15 minutes by driving along Via Plebiscito. Regular bus and shuttle services also connect the airport with Catania city centre, like the AMT Alibus shuttle service that runs between the airport and downtown Catania every 20 minutes from 5am to 12am. Long distance bus services are operated by numerous companies from the airport. The airport is also well connected to other key destinations in Sicily, such as Syracuse (take the E45 for 39 miles then it's a 45-minute drive) and Palermo, the capital, about a 2-hour drive away on the A19.

Parking Tips

Catania Airport has parking spaces available for just over 1,000 vehicles, with 20 spaces reserved for passengers of limited mobility. All the airport car parks are located a few metres from the terminal building. The P1, P2 and P3 car parks are for short-term parking while P4 (located 200 metres from the terminal) is the most suitable for long-stay parking. On-street parking spaces in the centre of Catania are painted with blue lines and visitors who rent a car at Catania Airport will sometimes require time and patience to find a free space in the town centre, like in any big city. If you do find a space, make sure you remember to pay using a parking meter. Car Parks are a more expensive option than parking on the street, but they are safer and may therefore be a more preferable option. There are ten main car parks around the city and several others in closer proximity to the airport. Park & Ride is available at the airport and at Nesima metro station to the west of the city centre.

Useful links

Catania Airport