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Counterwise

CTA · Report · November 2026

Catania Airport car hire report

Key numbers for the 37 car rental desks we rate at Catania-Fontanarossa "Vincenzo Bellini" Airport (CTA), computed from our published data.

Data updated · reviewed by our editor on · Methodology

Desks rated
37
8,528 reviews analysed
Average score
4.3/10
median 4.3
Median starting deposit
€150
10 of 37 deposits known
No credit card needed
14%
5 of 37 desks, 10 not confirmed

Key findings

  • Counterwise rates 37 car rental desks at Catania-Fontanarossa "Vincenzo Bellini" Airport (CTA): 0 Great (8 or more out of 10), 6 Mixed (6 to 7.9) and 31 Poor (below 6). The average Counterwise Score is 4.3/10.
  • The best-rated desk at Catania Airport is Centauro (7.1/10); the lowest-rated is Surprice (1.8/10).
  • Where the deposit is known (10 of 37 desks), the typical starting deposit at Catania Airport is €150 (median), from €90 at B-Rent up to €2,300 at Centauro.
  • 5 of 37 desks at Catania Airport (14%) do not require a credit card (debit cards accepted); the card rule is not confirmed yet for 10 desks.
  • 36 desks at Catania Airport are in or next to the terminal (average score 4.3) and 1 are off-site, reached by shuttle (average 4.5).
  • The most common traveller complaints at Catania Airport are damage charges after return (32 of 37 desks), pressure to buy insurance or extras (30 of 37 desks) and car refused over card, licence or flight rules (29 of 37 desks).

Score distribution

How the 37 desks split across our score bands.

Best and worst desks

Lowest rated

  1. 37. SurpriceMany recent reviews say prepaid customers were refused the car at the counter because their card was judged not a valid credit card (debit, online-bank, near expiry, not embossed), then offered the car only if they bought the desk's own cover for roughly 170-830 euros.1.8 · Poor
  2. 36. Rental PlusDozens of kept reviews from the last 12 months say a prepaid booking was treated as expired after about an hour of lateness, even when the flight was delayed or the desk had been told. Travellers were offered a larger car at a much higher price or lost the money paid.2.1 · Poor
  3. 35. AcaRentMany reviews across the whole period, including recent months, say staff pressed them to buy the desk's own much pricier insurance even though they already had broker or card cover, sometimes with warnings of very large charges for any damage.2.2 · Poor

Deposits and card rules

Deposits

Lowest starting deposit
€90 (B-Rent)
Highest amount
€2,300 (Centauro)
Median starting deposit
€150
Deposit known
10 of 37 desks

Not confirmed yet for 27 desks: left out of these figures.

All deposits, lowest first →

Credit card or debit card

No credit card needed (debit accepted)
5 of 37 · 14%
Credit card required
22 of 37 · 59%
Not confirmed yet
10 of 37 · 27%

Debit cards accepted at: Centauro, Enterprise, Avis, Record Go, Hertz.

Desks without a credit card →

In the terminal or by shuttle

In the terminal
2
avg score 4.5
Short walk
34
avg score 4.3
Shuttle
1
avg score 4.5

Desks reached without a shuttle average 4.3/10; shuttle desks average 4.5/10.

Most common traveller complaints

Number of desks whose published red flags mention each problem. A desk counts once per theme; one red flag can touch several themes.

  1. Damage charges after return32 of 37 · 86%

    Charges for scratches, chips or dents that travellers say were already there or tiny. Desks: Centauro, Sicily by Car, SRC Rent Car, Automania, Sixt, Goldcar, Easy Car Hire, Autovia, Avis, OK Mobility, Record Go, HSA Rent a Car, Europcar, Target Rent, Budget, Maggiore, U-Save, Hertz, Drivalia, Italy Car Rent, Car Motion, Noleggiare, Viaggiare, Wheego, Waycar, Felirent, RentSmart24, Differental, Carwiz, AcaRent, Rental Plus, Surprice.

  2. Pressure to buy insurance or extras30 of 37 · 81%

    Hard selling of the desk’s own cover, upgrades or extras, or cover added without clear consent. Desks: Centauro, Automania, Sixt, Goldcar, GaldieriRent, Easy Car Hire, Autovia, Avis, OK Mobility, Record Go, HSA Rent a Car, Europcar, Budget, Maggiore, U-Save, Hertz, Italy Car Rent, Car Motion, Noleggiare, Viaggiare, Wheego, Waycar, Felirent, RentSmart24, Differental, B-Rent, Carwiz, AcaRent, Rental Plus, Surprice.

  3. Car refused over card, licence or flight rules29 of 37 · 78%

    Pickups refused or made conditional because of card type, licence or permit, or a missing flight ticket or boarding pass. Desks: Sicily by Car, SRC Rent Car, Automania, Sixt, GaldieriRent, Easy Car Hire, Autovia, Avis, OK Mobility, Record Go, Europcar, Eurorentcar, U-Save, Hertz, Drivalia, Italy Car Rent, Car Motion, Noleggiare, Viaggiare, Wheego, Waycar, Felirent, RentSmart24, Differental, B-Rent, Carwiz, AcaRent, Rental Plus, Surprice.

  4. Booking not honoured or price changed26 of 37 · 70%

    Booked car not available, a smaller or different car, a higher price at the desk, or fees not clear at booking. Desks: Sicily by Car, Automania, Sixt, GaldieriRent, Easy Car Hire, Autovia, Avis, OK Mobility, HSA Rent a Car, Europcar, Eurorentcar, Maggiore, U-Save, Hertz, Drivalia, Noleggiare, Viaggiare, Wheego, Waycar, Felirent, RentSmart24, Differental, B-Rent, Carwiz, AcaRent, Surprice.

  5. Closed desk or late-arrival problems21 of 37 · 57%

    Desk closed for late arrivals, bookings cancelled after a flight delay, or out-of-hours fees. Desks: SRC Rent Car, Automania, Goldcar, GaldieriRent, Easy Car Hire, Autovia, OK Mobility, Budget, U-Save, Hertz, Drivalia, Car Motion, Viaggiare, Wheego, Waycar, Felirent, RentSmart24, B-Rent, Carwiz, AcaRent, Rental Plus.

  6. Hard-to-reach customer service19 of 37 · 51%

    Phone lines, emails or complaints unanswered for weeks after the rental. Desks: Centauro, Sicily by Car, SRC Rent Car, Sixt, Goldcar, Autovia, Avis, Record Go, Budget, Maggiore, U-Save, Hertz, Drivalia, Italy Car Rent, Noleggiare, Wheego, B-Rent, Rental Plus, Surprice.

  7. Fuel charges or fuel policy16 of 37 · 43%

    Refuelling fees despite a full tank, part-empty tanks at pickup, or a different fuel policy at the desk. Desks: Centauro, SRC Rent Car, Automania, Sixt, Autovia, Record Go, Europcar, Target Rent, Budget, Maggiore, Hertz, Drivalia, Viaggiare, Waycar, Differental, Rental Plus.

  8. Other fees after the rental16 of 37 · 43%

    Cleaning, admin, traffic-fine handling or late-return fees charged after the car was returned. Desks: Sicily by Car, Automania, Sixt, Avis, Target Rent, Maggiore, Hertz, Drivalia, Car Motion, Noleggiare, Viaggiare, Wheego, Waycar, Differental, B-Rent, Surprice.

  9. Car condition problems16 of 37 · 43%

    Dirty cars, warning lights, worn tyres or breakdowns. Desks: SRC Rent Car, Automania, Sixt, GaldieriRent, OK Mobility, Record Go, HSA Rent a Car, U-Save, Drivalia, Viaggiare, Waycar, Felirent, Differental, Carwiz, AcaRent, Surprice.

  10. Deposit or refund held back14 of 37 · 38%

    Deposits, holds or refunds released late, only in part, or not at all. Desks: Centauro, Sicily by Car, Automania, Sixt, Goldcar, Easy Car Hire, Autovia, Avis, Record Go, HSA Rent a Car, U-Save, Wheego, RentSmart24, Surprice.

  11. Long queues or waits14 of 37 · 38%

    Long waits at the desk, for the keys or for the shuttle. Desks: Sicily by Car, SRC Rent Car, GaldieriRent, Avis, OK Mobility, HSA Rent a Car, Europcar, Target Rent, Eurorentcar, Budget, Maggiore, Hertz, Italy Car Rent, Viaggiare.

  12. Desk, shuttle stop or return hard to find6 of 37 · 16%

    Poor signs or directions to the desk, the shuttle pickup point or the car return area. Desks: Sicily by Car, HSA Rent a Car, Budget, Maggiore, Hertz, Noleggiare.

  13. Rude or unhelpful staff3 of 37 · 8%

    Curt, dismissive or aggressive staff at the desk, at return or on the shuttle. Desks: Centauro, Waycar, B-Rent.

The data behind this report

  • 8,528 traveller reviews analysed across 37 desks.
  • 9,283 recent reviews read; 755 (8%) excluded by our cleaning step as unreliable (mostly solicited staff praise: 594; about another location: 88; duplicates: 53). How reviews are cleaned
  • Data collected on 12 November 2026; scores last updated 12 November 2026.
  • Summaries and red flags reviewed by our editor on 12 November 2026.
  • Complaint themes are counted with a fixed keyword list applied to each desk’s published red flags (no AI), so the same data always gives the same counts.
  • Unknown facts (“Not confirmed yet”) are left out of averages, medians and ranges, never guessed. Full methodology

How to cite this report

You are welcome to quote these figures. Please name Counterwise and link to this page. The numbers update with each data refresh, so mention the date.

Suggested citation

Counterwise (2026). Catania Airport car hire report, November 2026. Counterwise. https://counterwise.eu/airports/cta/report (data updated 12 November 2026).

Permalink

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