A two-week loop from Palermo: Cefalù, Taormina, Etna, Syracuse, the Baroque towns of Noto and Ragusa, the Valley of the Temples, Selinunte, Trapani and San Vito Lo Capo. The motorways are largely free; the real traps are the limited traffic zones (ZTL) of Palermo and Ortigia.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | Palermo | Start |
| Day 3 | Cefalù | 71 km · 1h05 |
| Days 4 to 5 | Taormina | 216 km · 2h50 |
| Day 6 | Nicolosi | 74 km · 1h35 |
| Days 7 to 8 | Syracuse | 82 km · 1h10 |
| Day 9 | Ragusa | 86 km · 1h45 |
| Day 10 | Agrigento | 186 km · 3h25 |
| Days 11 to 12 | Trapani | 180 km · 3h50 |
| Day 13 | San Vito Lo Capo | 38 km · 55 min |
| Day 14 | Back to Palermo | 108 km · 2h05 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
May-June and September-October: warm sea, bearable heat and fewer people. In July-August, 33 to 36 °C and crowded beaches; winter stays mild on the coasts, but snow covers the top of Etna.
🚗 71 km · 1h05 of driving from Palermo
Free A19 to Buonfornello, then the toll A20 to Cefalù (€0.90).
🚗 216 km · 2h50 of driving from Cefalù
Toll A20 along the coast to Messina (€9.60), Falcone exit for Tindari. Free ring road, then the A18 to Taormina (€2.10).
🚗 74 km · 1h35 of driving from Taormina
A18 to Giarre, then Zafferana Etnea and the hairpins of the SP92 up to Rifugio Sapienza (1,900 m). Down to Nicolosi on the SP92.
🚗 82 km · 1h10 of driving from Nicolosi
Catania western ring road, then the free Catania-Syracuse motorway. Leave the car at the Talete car park, at the entrance to Ortigia.
🚗 86 km · 1h45 of driving from Syracuse
SS115 via Avola to Noto, then small country roads to Modica and Ragusa.
🚗 186 km · 3h25 of driving from Ragusa
SS514 towards Caltagirone, a detour to the Villa Romana del Casale, then the SS640 to Agrigento. A day of inland driving.
🚗 180 km · 3h50 of driving from Agrigento
SS115 west via the Scala dei Turchi and Selinunte, then the free A29 and the Marsala salt pan road.
🚗 38 km · 55 min of driving from Trapani
SP18 via Bonagia and Custonaci, then the SP16 below Monte Cofano to San Vito.
🚗 108 km · 2h05 of driving from San Vito Lo Capo
Fly into Catania and stick to the east: Taormina (2 nights), Nicolosi for Etna (1), Syracuse (2), then Ragusa (1) via Noto and Modica, before returning the car in Catania. The west, from Palermo to Trapani, can wait for another trip.
| Car hire only, August | ≈ €30 a day |
|---|---|
| Car hire only, November | ≈ €9 a day |
| Small car, typical price | ≈ €22 a day (Kayak, Palermo airport, Sept. 2026) |
| SUV, typical price | ≈ €49 a day |
| Vehicle | A small city car: narrow lanes in Ragusa, Noto and Erice, and scarce, tight parking in towns. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | Palermo airport (Punta Raisi), as you leave Palermo, which is best seen on foot. It is a loop, so no one-way fee. |
| Insurance | Damage (CDW) and theft cover are included by default in Italy, with an excess of €500 to €2,000; excess waiver optional. |
| Age and card | Usually 21 minimum, with a surcharge under 25. A physical credit card in the driver's name. |
| Fines | The rental company passes on every ZTL or speed camera fine and charges an extra €40 to €60 admin fee. |
| Toll tag | The A20 and A18 accept Telepass. Without a tag: ticket on entry, pay on exit. |
⚠️ In Palermo, the ZTL is paid: a €5 day pass, to be activated online before entering. Without a pass, a fine plus the rental company's fees.
Any valid European Union licence is enough, with no International Driving Permit. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
As in mainland Europe. Dipped headlights compulsory outside built-up areas, day and night.
110 on dual carriageways, 50 in towns. In rain: 110 and 90. Licence held under 3 years: 100 and 90.
Zero for under-21s and licences held for less than 3 years.
A19 Palermo-Catania, A29 towards Trapani, Catania-Syracuse: free. A20 Palermo-Messina and A18 Messina-Catania: tolled.
Closed system on the A20 and A18: ticket on entry, pay on exit. Telepass accepted.
Historic centre under camera surveillance, Monday-Friday 08:00-20:00. Buy and activate the pass online before entering.
Monday-Saturday; Sunday 10:00-02:00. Your hotel registers your number plate so you can unload; no parking inside.
Phone in hand at the wheel: a fine and a licence suspension of 15 days to 2 months from the first offence.
Winter tyres or chains on board where an ordinance requires them; snow at altitude on Etna.
≈ €2.15 a litre of petrol, €2.34 for diesel (self-service)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Today's price: Osservaprezzi carburanti (Italian ministry) →
⛽ 1,041 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €160 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
MIMIT national average of 24 September 2026; on motorways, €2.25 and €2.42. "Fai da te" (self-service) is cheaper than "servito".
| A19, A29, Catania-Syracuse, Syracuse-Rosolini | Free |
|---|---|
| A20 Buonfornello-Cefalù | €0.90 (car, 2026) |
| A20 Cefalù-Messina Nord | €9.60 (car, 2026) |
| A18 Messina Sud-Taormina | €2.10 (car, 2026) |
| Palermo ZTL pass | €5 a day (petrol, diesel), €2.50 for hybrids |
| Talete and Molo Sant'Antonio car parks (Ortigia) | €1.50 an hour, €15 for 24 hours |
| Taormina car parks | Lumbi (shuttle to Porta Messina) and Porta Catania |
| Etna cable car | €54 return up to 2,500 m |
| Palermo ZTL | Monday-Friday 08:00-20:00, pass required |
|---|---|
| Palermo ZTL, summer | May-October 2025: Friday until midnight, Saturday 20:00-24:00 |
| Ortigia ZTL | Monday-Saturday 11:00-15:30, 17:00-02:00; Sunday 10:00-02:00 |
| Etna cable car | Daily 08:30-16:45, weather permitting |
| Valley of the Temples | From 08:30; evening openings from 20 June to 20 September |
| Zingaro Reserve | Daily 07:00-19:00; camping suspended |
| Mountain roads, including Etna | Winter tyres or chains where an ordinance applies, 15 November-15 April |
Allow two weeks: this loop has 9 stages and 13 nights from Palermo, for about 1,100 km. In one week, stick to the east from Catania: Taormina, Etna, Syracuse, Noto and Ragusa. Covering the whole island in under ten days means driving almost every day.
Car only: about €30 a day in August at Palermo airport (Kayak average), or €420 over 14 days, and €9 a day in November. For about 1,100 km, allow €140 to €150 of petrol at September 2026 prices, under €20 of tolls, plus parking: €15 for 24 hours in Ortigia.
On some. The A19 Palermo-Catania, the A29 towards Trapani and Mazara, and the Catania-Syracuse and Syracuse-Rosolini motorways are free. The A20 Palermo-Messina and the A18 Messina-Catania are tolled: €9.60 from Cefalù to Messina, €2.10 from Messina to Taormina in 2026. Ticket on entry, pay on exit, Telepass accepted.
In Palermo, the ZTL covers the historic centre Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 20:00: buy a €5 pass on ztl.comune.palermo.it and activate it before entering. In Ortigia, it runs Monday to Saturday, 11:00-15:30 and 17:00-02:00: your hotel registers your number plate so you can unload, then park at the Talete car park.
Yes, as far as Rifugio Sapienza, at around 1,900 m, on the SP92 from Nicolosi or Zafferana Etnea. The Silvestri Craters are next to the car park. The cable car then climbs to 2,500 m (€54 return); beyond that, 4x4 and a volcanological guide up to nearly 3,000 m. In winter, the top of the mountain is under snow.
For the full tour, Palermo: the loop starts and ends there, with no one-way fee, and the west (Trapani, San Vito, Selinunte) is close by. For a week focused on Etna, Taormina, Syracuse and the Baroque of Noto and Ragusa, Catania saves several hours of driving.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/sicily · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
