Car hire information

Where car hire is included, you will receive a category A car with air-conditioning as a minimum. Larger parties are automatically upgraded – please see car categories below. Furthermore, we have negotiated for our guests Super CDW insurance to be included in all car hire.

Our car hire agents in Italy are Avis who provide an efficient and reliable service.

Car-inclusive holidays

Where a hire car is included, the category of car included in the basic holiday price will vary according to the number of people in your party (see below). Please note that we do not consider infants as part of the total party size. The cars we have included offer comfortable seating for the size of party travelling. We do however ask you to take into account if any infants will be in your party as well as the size of the boot space for your luggage and to bear this in mind when packing.

Upgrading your car

You may wish to upgrade your car to give you extra comfort and space for your luggage or in order to take advantage of the other types of vehicles available. To calculate the up-grade cost, take the difference between the cost of the group of car included and the cost of the group of car you wish to upgrade to.

Category of air-conditioned car included in the basic holiday price

* Please also note that the Group K people-carrier and Group M minibus is subject to availability, and we will usually be able to confirm availability within five working days after making the reservation.

All cars have air-conditioning (except Group N) and a radio/cassette or CD player.

We regret that Avis is not able to supply roof racks.

Included in your car hire

In order to assist you with a trouble-free holiday we have negotiated a special ‘package’ of insurance with Avis. This comprehensive package ensures that you are suitably covered for most events and also reduces the excess amount normally payable in the event of damage to a €60 administration fee*. The only other additional charges payable will be for the optional ‘Super Theft Protection’ (below), and delivery charges (Sicily only) and charges for infant or child seats if required.

Our car hire includes:

• Drivers 23 - 75 years of age, inclusive
• Unlimited mileage
• Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)
• Super CDW (reduces CDW excess to a €60 administration fee)*
• Theft Protection (TP) – see below re. Excess
• Personal Accident Insurance (PAI)
• Two main drivers
• Compulsory road tax and Italian taxes
• Airport collection and domestic one-way charges
• 24 hour breakdown service
• VAT @ 20%

Our car does NOT include:

• Deposit (see below)
• Petrol and refuelling charges
• Theft excess (approx. €600/£429)
• €60 administration charge in the event of damage to your vehicle*

* In the event of damage to your vehicle that is covered by Super CDW you will be charged €60 as an admin fee. Please be aware that Avis will also apply an administration fee of €60 in the case of a traffic violation charge or if you fail to pay the correct tolls on the motorways – further details will be provided with your travel documents.

Please note that it is not possible to insure against damage to tyres, windscreen or the undercarriage, so you should take extra care on country roads and unsurfaced roads. Damage or loss caused by negligence will also not be covered.

Optional extras payable locally

• Super Theft Protection covers the excess (approx. €600/£429) in the unlikely event that the car is stolen. The daily rate is approx. €12/£9 for Groups A, B, D, E, F, G, J, N and €14/£10 for Groups H, I, K, L, M, P. Avis reserve the right to amend these rates.
• Infant and child seats (approx. €48/£32 per rental)
• Pre-purchase of the full tank of petrol

Conditions of hire

• Drivers must be between 23 and 75 years of age and have held a full licence for at least one year.*
• Deposit: the principal driver is required to leave an imprint of their credit card when the car is collected. This is to cover the deposit of €312/£222. Provided that you return the car with a full tank of petrol and the car is not damaged no charges will be made on your card – unless you have elected to take any optional extras.
• If you wish to pay this deposit with cash (applicable only for Groups A, B, D, E, M, N) you must agree, at the beginning of rental, to pre-purchase a full tank of petrol and take out Super TP insurance.
• The maximum number of people for each vehicle is specified as under ‘No. seats’ – infants must be included in this number.
• Petrol: cars are consigned with a full tank of petrol and should be returned with a full tank (otherwise you will be charged a ‘refuelling charge’ in addition to the cost of the missing petrol (approx. €14/£10). You have the option to pre-purchase a full tank of petrol at the beginning of you rental, avoiding this re-fuelling charge.
• Car hire is based on periods of 24 hours. If your dropoff time is more than 59 minutes over your pick-up time you will be charged an additional day by Avis at local rates (unless you have pre-booked and paid for this in the UK, and the correct time/number of days is on your Car Hire Voucher).

* Drivers of 21 or 22 years of age may drive (Groups A, B, D, E) if they pay a ‘Young Driver’ charge of approx. €16/£12 per day (to a maximum of 10 days)

Picking up your car

Regrettably Avis no longer offers a pre-registration service. We therefore ask you to note that if you are arriving on a Saturday there may be long queues to collect your car your car hire, especially at Pisa and Catania Airports where a number of charter flights arrive at the same time. We recommend that, when practical, the main driver of the party goes through to the car hire office (with a credit card and all driving licenses) whilst the rest of the party waits for luggage.

Driving licence

Please ensure that you have a valid EU driving licence (this includes both the pink/green European Community licence and the newer photo-card licence). The driver of the car must always carry both licence and passport when driving the car.

Child seats

Child, baby and booster seats can be provided if booked at least 2 weeks prior to your departure. They are charged at €48/£35 per seat per rental and this is payable to Avis directly. (Please remember to specify the age of the child.) Please note that in the event that the seat is not returned or is damaged Avis will charge approx. €124/£89.

Children under 12 that are less than 1.5m tall must be seated in a booster/child seat.

Please note that Avis staff do not install the child seats. As style and installation may differ to those in the UK, you may prefer to bring your own child or baby seat for your own peace of mind.

Car hire prices - Valid 01 Jan - 31 Dec 2008

NB: For car hire crossing date barriers use the daily rate applicable for the relevant days of travel.

Please note:

• Groups E – P are subject to availability and we will need to request them in advance – it will take up to five working days to confirm whether your choice is available
• Group N (convertible cars) and automatic cars must be picked up and dropped off at the same airport
• The vehicle types listed above are only a sample of the vehicles available within each group. Unfortunately we cannot guarantee a specific car to you as the car hire agency reserves the right to change their fleet at any time.

Please note that if a car in the group you require is not available Avis reserve the right to supply a higher group vehicle at no extra charge to you.

Bookings without car hire

Bookings at certain properties in Sicily do not include car hire and return transfers are provided from the nearest airport. We do recommend hiring a car for at least part of your stay and you may do so for a minimum of 3 days at the rates below (if booked in advance in the UK). Avis has offices in Palermo, Taormina, Cefalù and Siracusa. Furthermore, on request, for properties within a 5km radius of Palermo, Cefalù and Siracusa we may be able to arrange for Avis to deliver your car to your accommodation on certain days, subject to a supplement of approximately €20, payable directly to Avis.

Transfers

Return transfers are provided for certain properties where car hire is not included, as indicated in the Sicily brochure. Transfers will be by private car, and the driver will meet you at the airport and take you to your accommodation (or the nearest point to it if road access is difficult).

For multi-centre holidays we can also quote for transfers between your chosen properties if you choose not to hire a car.

Please note that if you are travelling with young children or babies, car seats will not be provided for any transfers. For your own peace of mind, we strongly recommend taking your own.

Furthermore, the driver will not assist you carrying your luggage to your accommodation, so please bear this in mind, especially if there are steps involved.

Driving in Sicily

We ask you to take extra care when driving in Sicily, particularly on narrow and winding roads, some of which may be in a poor state of repair. Unmade tracks may often have bumps and pot-holes, especially after periods of rain. We do ask you to take particular care when driving all roads, bearing in mind the conditions of your car hire contract.

Please also note that many of our apartments and hotels have limited or no car parking, and we have indicated where this is the case in our main Sicily brochure. Some car parking may be payable locally, and during busier months (June – September) patience may be needed to find a car parking space. Please also bear this in mind when packing – suitcases with wheels are often easier to carry if you need to walk some way to your accommodation. If there are steps involved, please ensure that your luggage is not too heavy.

Approximate driving times and distances