Renting a Car in Sicily: Palermo ZTL, Tolls and Theft

When is the Palermo ZTL active, and how do I pay for a day pass?

The zone covers the historic centre, from Piazza Giulio Cesare to Via Cavour and from Porta Nuova to Porta Felice. The perimeter roads themselves are free to use. AMAT, the city's mobility company, sets out the hours:

Anyone can enter with a day pass, but only with a less polluting car. The city's permit page lists the prices:

• 5 euros for petrol cars from Euro 3 to Euro 6 and diesel cars from Euro 4 to Euro 6.
• 2.50 euros for petrol-electric, petrol-methane and petrol-LPG hybrids.
• Free for fully electric cars and for drivers with a disability permit.

A daytime pass is valid until 24:00 on the day you use it; a pass for the night zone runs until 6:00 the next morning. You can buy it in the PalerMobilità app, on the ztl.comune.palermo.it portal, or at AMAT sales points such as Politeama and Piazzale Ungheria. The rule that matters most: it cannot be bought after the fact. Activate it before the car crosses the camera gate.

Where can I park in Palermo, and what does it cost?

Palermo reorganised its blue zones on 11 August 2026. According to AMAT's parking page:

• In the urban zones (A, B, C and G), parking is paid Monday to Saturday from 8:00 to 20:00 without a break. The old free period from 14:00 to 16:00 no longer exists.
• The hourly rate is 1 euro in every paid zone.
• At the beach areas of Mondello (zone D) and Sferracavallo (zone E), parking is paid from 1 May to 31 October, every day including Sundays, from 8:00 to 24:00.
• A monthly pass costs 35 euros. Since 17 August 2026 it no longer requires proof of living or working in the zone, although you still show an identity document and the car's registration document.

Worked example: four days in a central apartment

You park on the street near your accommodation in zone A from Monday to Thursday and leave the car there all day.

From the third full weekday the monthly pass is cheaper, provided you park inside the zone it covers and buy it at an AMAT point before you start. If your street lies inside the ZTL, you also need a day pass, at 5 euros, for every weekday you drive in or out between 8:00 and 20:00.

Which Sicilian motorways charge tolls in 2026?

The Consorzio per le Autostrade Siciliane (CAS) collects tolls on the A20 Messina–Palermo and the A18 Messina–Catania, where prices rose 1.5% on 1 January 2026. Its tariff tables list only those two roads. The A19 from Palermo through the interior to Catania, and the A29 west towards Trapani and Mazara del Vallo, are managed by the state road company Anas and do not appear in the CAS toll tables.

Class A car prices from the A20 table and the A18 table:

Worked example: Palermo to Taormina

• Via the north coast: A19 to Buonfornello, then the A20 to Messina and the A18 south. The tolls are 10.40 euros from Buonfornello to Messina Nord plus 2.10 euros from Messina Sud to Taormina, a total of 12.50 euros each way.
• Via the interior: the A19 to Catania, then the A18 north from Catania Nord to Taormina. The only CAS toll is 1.80 euros.

The coastal route suits you if you want to stop at Cefalù or Milazzo. The inland route costs 10.70 euros less in tolls each way. CAS notes that the European Electronic Toll Service is not yet active on its network, so expect to pay at the exit booth, and keep some cash as well as a card.

Theft, damage and the rental paperwork

Hertz Italy's August 2026 conditions describe vehicle theft in Italy as very frequent. They ask renters to lock the car and keep the keys at all times, to avoid parking on the street overnight, and to use supervised car parks in the main tourist areas of southern Italy; Catania is one of the places named. Not taking these precautions can void the Theft Protection, making you liable for the car's full market value. The same terms say that in Campania and Puglia, SuperCover reduces the theft excess only to 500 euros. Sicily is not named in that clause, so ask at the desk what theft excess applies to your contract.

Two more points from the same document: the company normally charges a handling fee for processing fines, but not when your rental falls under the Italian Consumer Code; and roadside assistance is on +39 06 45252527 in English.

For documents, the Automobile Club d'Italia says drivers with a licence from outside the EU need an International Driving Permit or a sworn translation of the licence. A warning triangle and a high-visibility vest must be carried. If police stop you for an offence, ACI's guide for foreign drivers explains that you can pay the reduced fine to the officer, or leave a deposit; without either, the car can be held for up to 60 days.

For licence, insurance and deposit questions that apply across Italy, see renting a car in Italy as a visitor.