INTERRENT Car Rental at Catania Airport

The InterRent office is within a short walking distance of the terminals. It is open from 8.00 am to 10.00 pm. Rental contracts with InterRent Catania Airport include unlimited miles, partial Collision Damage Waiver and car passengers insurance. The Inter Rent team is available on tel +39 06 45 22 95 45 to arrange pick-ups and drop-offs at Catania Airport.

There are a number of car rental companies located in and near the airport, as a result it is well worth comparing car rental prices prior to booking.

Catania is a great base from which to explore the Mt Etna region and beyond. Historic towns like Augusta, Syracuse, Toarmina and Acitrezza or Val di Noto, which dates largely to the 18th century, are within easy reach of Catania.

If you like walking, hillside villages like Castel di Iudica, situated some 35 kilometers to the west of Catania, are ideal. Or you could try the Gorges of Alcantara and Simeto. Alcantara Gorge is located on the northern slopes of Mt Etna, with the Alcantara River running through it in dramatic currents. Alcantara River Gorge and the surrounding Natural Park are within a 20 km drive of Taormina, which itself is about an hour's drive from Catania. In places, the Alcantara Gorge's black lava walls are up to 50 meters high. Within the rock face's many splits and crevices grow rare plants, and various bird species have their home within this difficult terrain.

Val di Noto lies about 79 km distance, an hour's drive, from Catania, in the province of Syracuse. Val di Noto in south-eastern Sicily is one of the region's great late Baroque towns, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a result. When a powerful earthquake struck in 1693, many of the ancient Greek-Romano built cities and towns were destroyed. They were rebuilt in Sicily's own distinctive Baroque style. Other towns worth visiting, that also enjoy UNESCO World Heritage status are Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Modica, Palazzolo and Ragusa. Of these towns, Val di Noto's late Baroque architecture represents the finest example of its kind.

Caltagirone lies ca. 70 km southwest of Catania, and is mostly famous for its achievements in ceramics, of which the 142 ceramic-tiled steps of the Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte are perhaps the best-known example. The steps provide the link between the old town and the "new", built after the 1693 earthquake. At the top of the richly decorated staircase stands the main church of the town, the Church of Santa Maria del Monte.

The Museo Regionale de Ceramica in Via Giardini Pubblici displays the town's long and proud heritage in ceramics. The museum opens at 9.00 am every day of the week, and closes at 6.30 pm.