Car Rental at Catania Train Station - Exploring Eastern Sicily

Beautifully designed and constructed in the traditional Sicilian style, Catania Train Station (known locally as Catania Centrale) was inaugurated on the 24th of June 24 1866 in a prime location close to the Port of Catania and the Mediterranean Sea. A century later, it was fully modernised and renovated in order to be able to cater for the electrification of the Messina-Catania line. Managed by Italy's national railway company, Ferrovie dello Stato, the station is the city's main railway hub and one of the most important transport facilities in the region. As a major transport complex for Catania and the surrounding areas, a car rental at Catania Train Station provides the best starting point for exploring the city and the east coast of Sicily, including Mount Etna. The station offers rail connections to Palermo and Syracuse, stopping at numerous stations along the way. From the nearby ferry port it is possible to reach mainland Italy, Malta and Salerno.

Located on the east coast of Sicily, Catania is popular for travellers looking to explore Mount Etna and the many historic sites that exist in the local area. The city's famous fish market is particularly appealing for visitors where the ritual of selling locally-caught fish and other produce has been one of the city's commercial highlights since ancient times. Built in 1355, San Benedetto Abbey is a striking city landmark and home to the excellent Museum of Contemporary Art (MACS). Subterranean Catania is another major attraction for tourists due to Mount Etna's boiling hot lava which has engulfed the city a number of times over the centuries, burying several layers of its historic past. With a car rental from Catania Train Station you'll be able to see all these sites before enjoying an exhilarating road-trip down the island's spectacular east coast.

With over 70 years of experience in the heart of the global vehicle hire industry, Auto Europe is able to offer its customers a wide range of car categories, the lowest rates on the market (to suit any budget, large or small) and excellent customer service. Thanks to our long-standing and trusted car rental partners, we offer a variety of pick-up locations around the world (over 28,000 in total), including Catania Train Station. With regular promotions and special offers especially for our members, customers are sure to find the best option for their visit to Sicily at any time of the year. In addition to standard car rental, we also offer luxury cars and motorhomes for rent in all the top travel destinations.

Station Information

Commissioned in 1867, the Catania Centrale Train station has since served as the terminus for Catania, Sicily, in an excellent location close to the city's main port. Comprising four platforms and seven tracks, the station is spread over two floors with a number of essential amenities and facilities available for passengers both departing and arriving. One of Sicily's main railway hubs, it is served by the city's only metro line and has transport links to several other important central stations in Sicilian cities, most notably Messina-Catania-Syracuse, Catania-Caltagirone-Gela and Catania-Palermo. In addition to a regional service, there is also an intercity service from Catania to Naples, Genoa, Florence and Pisa, among other key destinations. These railway lines are linked to mainland Italy via the Strait of Messina and train carriages are transported by ferry, making it an unusual experience for visiting passengers. Due to the exquisite nature of its beautiful architecture, it is protected by the national cultural heritage authority.

Where to pick up a car rental at Catania Train Station

Although there are no car rental suppliers actually located inside the station building, you'll find some of our most prestigious vehicle providers (such as Avis, Budget and Europcar) very close by. Before arriving to collect your car rental at Catania Train Station, please make sure you have your booking voucher, passport, driving licence (plus an IDP - International Driving Permit, if required) and a major credit card (ie Mastercard, Visa, etc.) with enough of a credit limit to cover the deposit, which will be duly returned to the same credit card once the car has been returned undamaged. To this end, we strongly recommend that you inspect the vehicle when you pick it up and take photos/video evidence to record any previous damage to the car. On your return, ask a member of staff to re-inspect the vehicle and provide you with a signed statement that everything has been returned correctly. Please note that some rentals (like high-performance cars) may require a second valid credit card, which must also be in the name of the main driver.

	Avis at Catania Train Station Via Cardinale Dusmet Snc Catania, Italy 95121 +39 95 537871	Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-6pm and Sat 8am-12.30pm (closed Sun)
	Budget at Catania Train Station Via Cardinale Dusmet Snc Catania, Italy 95121 +39 95 537871	Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-6pm and Sat 8am-12.30pm (closed Sun)
	Europcar at Catania Train Station Corso Delle Province, 79/81 Catania, Italy 95128 +39 95 434513	Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 8.30am-1pm/3.30-7pm and Sat 8.30am-1pm (closed Sun)

Station facilities

Catania's Centrale station offers a good range of on-site services and facilities to cater for the large number of passengers passing through, including the warm summer months when lots of tourists are visiting the island. In addition to the main ticket office, several automatic ticket machines are available, as well as a large waiting room, WCs, a number of kiosks and a bar serving refreshments to travellers. An ice cream parlour can also be found just outside the station's main entrance. There are also a number of cafés, bars and restaurants in the vicinity of the station, especially in and around the port area.

How to get to and from Catania Train Station

As one of the city's most popular train stations, many people choose to rent a car at Catania Centrale and explore the city and its environs from there. The station is about a 20-minute walk from the city centre and just 12 minutes from Catania's busy ferry port. Outside the station entrance is a bus station offering local bus and coach services to several popular destinations around town and across the region. A cab rank is also located outside the station with cabs normally painted white with a taxi sign on the roof. Although the city's official taxis are equipped with a meter, we advise you to always check the estimated fare with the driver before setting off. Catania Train Station is connected to the city's subway network which currently consists of a single line that takes passengers from Nesima to Stesicoro.

Parking tips

Just outside station entrance is a car park with several parking spaces available adjacent to the station. It's important to note that some of these parking spaces are reserved for cabs, so be sure to take heed of the signs before parking your car rental at Catania Train Station. Car rental suppliers have their own private car park, so renting a car at the station is a seamless process with an easy drop-off at the end of the rental period. With around 50 parking spaces available, paid parking is also available daily from 8.30am to 1.30pm and again from 3pm to 8pm.

If you don't mind a bit of walking, you'll find plenty of free parking in the street around the station and in the port area. In the centre of Catania, parking is more limited but not difficult to find. There are a few official municipal car parks located throughout the city in key locations like Via Luigi Sturzo, Piazza Paolo Borsellino and Via Plebiscito 747, to name a few. Due to the high number of break-ins, it's advisable to avoid street parking, opting instead for secure car parks. All the on-street parking spaces in Catania are marked with a blue line with an automatic ticket machine situated nearby. Avoid people who try to sell you parking tickets directly.

Useful links

Catania Train Station