San Vito’s coast, Agrigento, a day through Syracuse, two nights in Taormina and Etna. Back along the north coast to Cefalù, then Palermo and a coach to Catania.
Palermo Airport. Hard limit. Aim for 09:00 at Locauto to protect the handover, then spend the day in Palermo.
Thursday is the long travel day. Saturday follows the north coast via Messina. Sunday’s airport deadline is fixed.
Pick up the car at 10:00. Land at Palermo Airport at 08:25. Collect the Locauto car at 10:00, then drive to San Vito lo Capo. Spend the afternoon by the sea and stay here tonight.
Head south for the next overnight stop. Drive from San Vito lo Capo to Agrigento. Leave time to explore Agrigento and, if desired, the Valley of the Temples. Sleep in Agrigento before Thursday’s long crossing.
The big travel day. Leave Agrigento early, follow the southern route and visit Syracuse / Ortigia along the way. Continue to Taormina the same evening. Syracuse is a sightseeing stop; the overnight stay is in Taormina. Keep this day clear of extra detours.
A second night in Taormina. Spend Friday sightseeing on Etna, then return to the same accommodation in Taormina. Confirm the excursion’s meeting point, access and weather closer to departure.
Follow the scenic north coast. Drive north via Messina, then west along the coast to Cefalù. Use coastal roads where you want the scenery and allow time for stops. Explore Cefalù and sleep here before the early airport return.
Car back by 10:00 — hard limit. Leave Cefalù early. Aim to reach Locauto by 09:00, allowing a buffer for fuel and the handover; 10:00 is the absolute return deadline. Check live travel time the evening before and set departure accordingly. After returning the car, transfer into Palermo for sightseeing and stay in the city.
Finish the trip without a car. Take a direct coach from Palermo to Catania. Choose and confirm the departure separately; no service time or ticket is confirmed here. Allow for luggage, sightseeing if time permits, and the transfer to Catania Airport for the 22:05 flight.
Palermo Airport → San Vito → Agrigento → Syracuse → Taormina → Messina → Cefalù → Palermo Airport.
Your supplied route snapshot: 925 km / 12 h 16 min. This is a saved estimate, not live traffic; allow separately for Etna, stops, fuel and parking. The southern detour shown is retained in the snapshot.
The loop link includes Messina explicitly. Day links offer navigation between the planned stops; inspect the selected roads before driving.
Group A · round trip from Palermo Airport.
Check Locauto’s pickup document and payment-card requirements before departure.
Smart Check-In is available according to your confirmation. Complete it in MyLocauto if desired.
The overnight sequence is fixed. Accommodation booking status is not inferred from the route.
Your saved accommodation link. Location, stay dates and reservation status have not been confirmed from this share link.
CASA ANGELO on Booking.com ↗Flight details retained from your booking. Pick up the car after arrival on Tuesday; travel to Catania by direct coach on Monday.
A visual guide to the coast, towns and volcano on our route.
Sicily’s layered capital: markets, street food and Arab-Norman architecture.
Photo source · Italia.it ↗
A cliff-top town where an ancient theatre opens onto the sea and Mount Etna.
Photo source · Touropia ↗
A tiny green islet and pebble cove below Taormina, linked by a sandbar.
Photo source · Ab in den Urlaub ↗
Europe’s great active volcano: craters, lava fields, forest and vineyards.
Photo source · Petit Futé ↗
The historic island heart of Syracuse: Baroque lanes surrounded by sea.
Photo source · Tourist Italy ↗
A bright beach town beneath Monte Monaco—and the home of Cous Cous Fest.
Photo source · Merkur ↗
The scenic-drive pause: Norman cathedral, medieval lanes and the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Place guide · Visit Sicily ↗
A lively lava-stone Baroque city at Etna’s foot, best for markets and food.
Photo source · Ab in den Urlaub ↗Lucia’s personal picks. Palermo suggestions fit Sunday; the wider shortlist is inspiration if time permits.
Her broad shortlist: Cefalù; Scopello and the Zingaro reserve; Taormina; Siracusa, Modica and the south-east coast; Sant’Alfio and the Etna-side coast; plus Lipari and the Aeolian Islands. She does not know the mountain interior as well.
A 2½-hour experience in Balestrate: olive-grove walk, extra-virgin olive oil, three Sicilian wines, balsamic vinegars and a light lunch with the producer’s family.
See the tasting tour ↗Lucia’s “best cannoli in Italy” pick: traditional Sicilian convent pastries inside Santa Caterina’s monastery complex.
Open in Google Maps ↗In Santa Venerina, near the Sant’Alfio / Etna-side coast. Lucia calls its granita the best she has ever had—and says it feels unmistakably local.
Open in Google Maps ↗A relaxed coffee-to-cocktails bar with local ingredients, music and a small-street atmosphere.
A lively Piazza Sant’Anna bar for aperitivo, rock, jazz and world-music energy.
Palermo’s dense, noisy historic market for street-food grazing and atmosphere.
A green pause beneath huge ficus trees in Piazza Marina, convenient while walking through Kalsa.
A historic Palermitan rosticceria for miniature arancine and traditional baked or fried savoury snacks.
Lucia stayed at this family-run country property in the Noto hills and remembers its older hosts very fondly. It is close to Cavagrande nature reserve and best reached by car.
The Sortino-side nature reserve pin Lucia shared: a strong hiking option combining canyon landscape and ancient rock-cut archaeology.