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-   -   Please Help Me Figure out the Details of my Car Rental in Sicily (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/please-help-me-figure-out-the-details-of-my-car-rental-in-sicily-135195/)

Ang Jan 2nd, 2003 08:33 AM

Please Help Me Figure out the Details of my Car Rental in Sicily
 
I will be flying in to Palermo and stying 3 nights. Then I would like to pick up a rental car through autoeurope.com. Their only pick-up is at the airport. That would then mean paying more taxes, right? Would I be better off picking up at a nearby town? Which one? And if I pick-up in a nearby town is there public transport to that town from Palermo?<BR><BR>Also we will have the car for 4 days. We want to either drop it off in Taormina, or should we drop it off in a town nearby? Which one? Also the same question as above- once I drop the car off in a nearby town is there public transport to Taormina? I have seen on this board that driving in Taormina is difficult.<BR><BR>Please advise, thanks!

Ang Jan 2nd, 2003 08:50 AM

In addition to this- would it be not wise to book a flight out of Catania because of the volcanic activity?

tt Jan 2nd, 2003 10:43 AM

ttt

J_Jake Jan 2nd, 2003 11:05 AM

One presumes that, if AutoEurope didn’t offer you a city pick up option, it is because there isn’t one. And if there isn't one in Palermo, there aren't going to be any in nearby small towns. It seems to me that you are trying to inconvenience yourself excessively to try to save perhaps $20 to $30 in airport taxes.

Ang Jan 2nd, 2003 11:20 AM

There actually is a pick-up point at San Vito, a nearby town.

Ang Jan 2nd, 2003 11:27 AM

Upon doing more research, I could also pick up in Cefalu, and drop off in Taormina. Neither are airports- for a 4 day rental that is $229.62.<BR><BR>To pick up at Palermo airport &amp; drop off in Taormina it is $330.61 for the same days.<BR><BR>There seems to be a quite a difference to me. I am just wondering from someone who has done it if it worth the extra money versus the possible inconvenience of picking the car up elsewhere, taking into consideration public transport to get from Palermo to another city.

J_Jake Jan 2nd, 2003 11:27 AM

Ang is right and I am wrong. My apologies.<BR><BR>According to the AutoEurope site:<BR>San Vito Lo Capo Downtown Ofc<BR>Piazza Marinella, 36<BR>Closed at pick-up time.<BR>Location hours:<BR>Closed Sun<BR>Closed Mon-Sat<BR><BR>Note that the opening hours are somewhat restricted.

Maria Jan 2nd, 2003 11:34 AM

Call autoeurope on the phone. We had rented through them and had inquired about dropping off our car near the train station in Palermo instead of the airport. They said they could accommodate us although I don't know if picking up a car would be as easy. Also, if you're referring to San Vito lo Capo, it is not that close to Palermo. Why would you want to spend money and considerable time on public transportation from another city, but not on the taxes for pickup at the airport?

Rodney Jan 2nd, 2003 12:37 PM

Maria-<BR><BR>The point of the post is to find out if the costs expended to travel to another city to pick-up are less than the cost of picking up at the airport.

gac Jan 2nd, 2003 12:45 PM

Note that there is public transportation from Palermo to EVERY town in the province from which one would expect to be able to rent a car. For example, you could probably pick up the car in Santa Flavia, or in Trabia, or in Cefalu (all east of Palermo). Near Taormina, you could drop the car at or near the train station at Giardini-Naxos, down the hill from Taormina town. You could also drop the car in Catania and take the bus into Taormina.

Ang Jan 2nd, 2003 03:03 PM

Thanks, gac.<BR><BR>Any websites that you can point me to for bus routes/schedules in Palermo? In your opinion, is the inconvenience worth it? Money-wise and also would I be avoiding the hassle of driving in a major city (Palermo &amp; Taormina?) What do you recommend?

Maddy Jan 2nd, 2003 04:32 PM

If you've already gone through this with AutoEurope, my apologies, but make sure that AutoEurope's customer service rep checks for downtown locations of ALL of the companies they deal with... be specific. <BR><BR>They are brokers for at least 3 companies ...Autoeuropa aka Sicily by Car, EuropCar, and Avis. Sometimes the customer service rep looks up the cheapest rate for your request and goes no further. Another of the companies could offer a downtown location for $20 more but they haven't checked the others. I've had this happen and found that by pressing the rep to check further, I was able to pick up at a more convenient location.<BR><BR>If there truly aren't any downtown options, check to see if they have a pickup at Monreale. It's probably the closest town with very easy bus access from the center of Palermo. As Maria mentioned, San Vito Lo Capo isn't close, at least 45 minutes, probably more in the wrong direction, i.e. west from Palermo at the Northwestern tip of Sicily - and you're heading east to Taormina.<BR><BR>We had a car in Taormina and I can tell you that you won't need one in the city unless you plan to do daytrips. As GAC mentioned, you can drop the car off at Giardini Naxos, and there is frequent bus service up to Taormina. Or you can drive the car right into Taormina, drop off your luggage at the hotel and then get rid of the car. We picked up from AutoEuropa at via Apollo Arcageta which is at one end of Corso Umberto and it was very easy to find as there's basically only one road that goes through the town. <BR><BR>The one thing I'd recommend against is dropping the car in Catania unless you are already familiar with Catania or were planning to spend time there anyway. Driving into any city inevitably involves time getting lost as you try to navigate into the center for the first time. In addition to being closer to Taormina, the center of Giardini Naxos will be much easier to find off the autostrada as it's a much smaller town.

t Jan 3rd, 2003 02:53 AM

tttt

gac Jan 3rd, 2003 07:14 AM

Ang:<BR>Why not rent the car at the Palermo Central Train Station as you exit town? There is no need to rent it at the airport upon your arrival, as you won't need nor want a car for the three days you are in Palermo/Monreale proper.<BR>Renting in an outlying town such as Santa Flavia or Cefalu only makes sense if you were staying overnight there and wanted to save one day's rental expense.<BR>As far a drop off, I still recommend Giardini-Naxos, down the hill from Taormina.


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