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Counterwise

PMO · Report · November 2026

Palermo Airport car hire report

Key numbers for the 31 car rental desks we rate at Palermo Falcone Borsellino Airport (PMO), computed from our published data.

Data updated · reviewed by our editor on · Methodology

Desks rated
31
7,354 reviews analysed
Average score
5.1/10
median 4.8
Median starting deposit
€200
7 of 31 deposits known
No credit card needed
16%
5 of 31 desks, 16 not confirmed

Key findings

  • Counterwise rates 31 car rental desks at Palermo Falcone Borsellino Airport (PMO): 1 Great (8 or more out of 10), 6 Mixed (6 to 7.9) and 24 Poor (below 6). The average Counterwise Score is 5.1/10.
  • The best-rated desk at Palermo Airport is Masicar (8.2/10); the lowest-rated is Rental Plus (3.0/10).
  • Where the deposit is known (7 of 31 desks), the typical starting deposit at Palermo Airport is €200 (median), from €100 at Locauto up to €2,300 at Centauro.
  • 5 of 31 desks at Palermo Airport (16%) do not require a credit card (debit cards accepted); the card rule is not confirmed yet for 16 desks.
  • 13 desks at Palermo Airport are in the terminal (average score 5.2) and 18 are off-site, reached by shuttle (average 5.0).
  • The most common traveller complaints at Palermo Airport are pressure to buy insurance or extras (28 of 31 desks), damage charges after return (26 of 31 desks) and car refused over card, licence or flight rules (25 of 31 desks).

Score distribution

How the 31 desks split across our score bands.

Best and worst desks

Lowest rated

  1. 31. Rental PlusMany recent reviews report charges or deposit deductions of roughly 100-700 EUR for scratches on wheels, bumpers or body that travellers say were already on the car or were barely visible; photo and video evidence at pick-up appears to be what settles disputes. Recent consumer-site reports describe similar contested charges.3.0 · Poor
  2. 30. RentSmart24Around 10 reviews from the last 12 months report extra payments of roughly 100-400 EUR, or a refused rental, at pick-up because of the card: debit or combined debit/credit cards, a card with less than about three months' validity, or a card not in the driver's name. Several say this was not clear at booking. The operator's own pages state that a credit card is required for the deposit.3.5 · Poor
  3. 29. DrivaliaMany recent reviews report being refused the car, or having to pay a costly extra cover package (roughly €60-80 per day, several hundred euros in total), because the card was not a physical, embossed credit card in the driver's name. Several say this was unclear when booking through brokers, and refunds were often refused.3.6 · Poor

Deposits and card rules

Deposits

Lowest starting deposit
€100 (Locauto)
Highest amount
€2,300 (Centauro)
Median starting deposit
€200
Deposit known
7 of 31 desks

Not confirmed yet for 24 desks: left out of these figures.

All deposits, lowest first →

Credit card or debit card

No credit card needed (debit accepted)
5 of 31 · 16%
Credit card required
10 of 31 · 32%
Not confirmed yet
16 of 31 · 52%

Debit cards accepted at: Locauto, Centauro, SRC Rent Car, Record go, Hertz.

Desks without a credit card →

In the terminal or by shuttle

In the terminal
13
avg score 5.2
Short walk
0
none
Shuttle
18
avg score 5.0

Desks reached without a shuttle average 5.2/10; shuttle desks average 5.0/10.

In-terminal vs shuttle, compared →

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. Pressure to buy insurance or extras28 of 31 · 90%

    Hard selling of the desk’s own cover, upgrades or extras, or cover added without clear consent. Desks: Locauto, Sixt, Centauro, Automania, L'Automax, Sicily by Car, Goldcar, Brid, GaldieriRent, Avis, Differental, Wheego, ECH - Noleggio Auto, Italy Car Rent, Record go, Hertz, U-Save, Europcar, Car Motion Italy, Maggiore, Eurorentcar, Budget, Noleggiare, Viaggiare, Felirent, Drivalia, RentSmart24, Rental Plus.

  2. Damage charges after return26 of 31 · 84%

    Charges for scratches, chips or dents that travellers say were already there or tiny. Desks: Locauto, Sixt, Automania, SRC Rent Car, Sicily by Car, Goldcar, Brid, GaldieriRent, Avis, Differental, Wheego, ECH - Noleggio Auto, Italy Car Rent, Record go, Hertz, U-Save, Europcar, Car Motion Italy, Eurorentcar, Budget, Noleggiare, Viaggiare, Felirent, Drivalia, RentSmart24, Rental Plus.

  3. Car refused over card, licence or flight rules25 of 31 · 81%

    Pickups refused or made conditional because of card type, licence or permit, or a missing flight ticket or boarding pass. Desks: Sixt, Automania, L'Automax, Sicily by Car, Goldcar, Brid, GaldieriRent, Differental, Wheego, ECH - Noleggio Auto, Italy Car Rent, Record go, Hertz, U-Save, Europcar, Car Motion Italy, Eurorentcar, Budget, Noleggiare, Viaggiare, Felirent, Target Rent, Drivalia, RentSmart24, Rental Plus.

  4. Long queues or waits20 of 31 · 65%

    Long waits at the desk, for the keys or for the shuttle. Desks: Centauro, L'Automax, SRC Rent Car, Sicily by Car, Brid, GaldieriRent, Avis, Differental, Record go, Hertz, U-Save, Europcar, Car Motion Italy, Maggiore, Eurorentcar, Budget, Noleggiare, Viaggiare, Felirent, Drivalia.

  5. Booking not honoured or price changed20 of 31 · 65%

    Booked car not available, a smaller or different car, a higher price at the desk, or fees not clear at booking. Desks: Sixt, Sicily by Car, Goldcar, Brid, GaldieriRent, Avis, Wheego, ECH - Noleggio Auto, Italy Car Rent, Hertz, Europcar, Car Motion Italy, Eurorentcar, Budget, Viaggiare, Felirent, Target Rent, Drivalia, RentSmart24, Rental Plus.

  6. Other fees after the rental14 of 31 · 45%

    Cleaning, admin, traffic-fine handling or late-return fees charged after the car was returned. Desks: Sixt, Automania, Sicily by Car, Brid, GaldieriRent, Wheego, ECH - Noleggio Auto, Record go, Hertz, Car Motion Italy, Maggiore, Eurorentcar, Noleggiare, Rental Plus.

  7. Fuel charges or fuel policy12 of 31 · 39%

    Refuelling fees despite a full tank, part-empty tanks at pickup, or a different fuel policy at the desk. Desks: Centauro, SRC Rent Car, Sicily by Car, GaldieriRent, Avis, Italy Car Rent, Record go, Europcar, Maggiore, Drivalia, RentSmart24, Rental Plus.

  8. Closed desk or late-arrival problems12 of 31 · 39%

    Desk closed for late arrivals, bookings cancelled after a flight delay, or out-of-hours fees. Desks: Automania, Sicily by Car, Goldcar, Brid, Italy Car Rent, Hertz, Car Motion Italy, Eurorentcar, Viaggiare, Felirent, Target Rent, RentSmart24.

  9. Hard-to-reach customer service12 of 31 · 39%

    Phone lines, emails or complaints unanswered for weeks after the rental. Desks: Locauto, Sixt, Centauro, SRC Rent Car, Sicily by Car, Avis, Record go, Hertz, Maggiore, Budget, Viaggiare, Drivalia.

  10. Car condition problems12 of 31 · 39%

    Dirty cars, warning lights, worn tyres or breakdowns. Desks: Locauto, Centauro, Automania, SRC Rent Car, Sicily by Car, Record go, Hertz, U-Save, Car Motion Italy, Maggiore, Drivalia, RentSmart24.

  11. Deposit or refund held back10 of 31 · 32%

    Deposits, holds or refunds released late, only in part, or not at all. Desks: Centauro, SRC Rent Car, Sicily by Car, Goldcar, Wheego, U-Save, Eurorentcar, Viaggiare, Felirent, Drivalia.

  12. Desk, shuttle stop or return hard to find3 of 31 · 10%

    Poor signs or directions to the desk, the shuttle pickup point or the car return area. Desks: Record go, Eurorentcar, Viaggiare.

  13. Rude or unhelpful staff2 of 31 · 6%

    Curt, dismissive or aggressive staff at the desk, at return or on the shuttle. Desks: Differental, Record go.

The data behind this report

  • 7,354 traveller reviews analysed across 31 desks.
  • 7,764 recent reviews read; 410 (5%) excluded by our cleaning step as unreliable (mostly solicited staff praise: 270; duplicates: 70; about another location: 61). 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). Palermo Airport car hire report, November 2026. Counterwise. https://counterwise.eu/airports/pmo/report (data updated 12 November 2026).

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