Planning a trip to beautiful southern Italy? Want to take the road less travelled in the stunning and lesser-known region of Calabria with its warm Mediterranean climate offering year-round appeal?

Located in the ‘toe’ of Italy’s boot with a coastline along the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west and the Ionian Sea to the east, Calabria offers everything from soaring mountain ranges to stunning beaches with pretty towns and villages steeped in history. Its coastline has something of the wow factor of the iconic Amalfi coast but without the level of visitors.

The attractive town of Lamezia Terme lies at the heart of the region and is the perfect base to explore this peaceful, unspoiled part of Italy where the pace of life is unchanged and where hidden wonders are waiting to be discovered.

Lamezia Terme International Airport is the main airport in Calabria. It opened in 1965 and has recently been expanded – facilities for passengers include a wine bar, shops and even a hair salon – today welcoming around 3 million visitors a year from 40 cities with flights to Europe and Canada. It’s within easy reach of the must-see attractions in this enchanting region making it the ideal destination to begin your southern Italy adventure.

Equally, another easy way to reach Lamezia Terme is by taking the train to Lamezia Terme Centrale, which has direct trains to and from Rome and Bologna and a local Avis rental location.

If you're planning a trip to Calabria, our friendly Avis teams at Lamezia Terme Airport or at Lamezia Terme Centrale station will be on hand to offer advice and provide the perfect rental car for your trip.

You’ll find our Avis counter at Lamezia Terme International Airport in the arrivals area within the terminal building. The Avis rental car park is just a short walk from the terminal entrance.

From the Avis car park at Lamezia Terme Airport, Lamezia Terme town centre is a 25min, 13.2km drive. As you leave the airport, turn right onto Viale Fortunato d'Amico. At the roundabout join the E848 towards Lamezia Terme taking the exit for Lamezia Terme Sud onto the SS109 into the centre of town.

On your journey from the airport, you’ll get a real flavour of the region around Lamezia Terme passing small towns and villages with terracotta roofs along the palm-fringed route. In the fields there are orchards and vineyards and in the distance, the mountains of the La Sila National Park.

When you arrive in the centre of Lamezia Terme, you’ll find a bright town with a mix of small tree-lined squares and wide streets with cream painted, green-shuttered townhouses. As you explore, you’ll discover a rich architectural heritage with Greek, Roman, Norman and Byzantine influences. But don’t be fooled, Lamezia Terme is a relatively modern town, created as recently as 1968 when the municipalities of Nicastro, Sambiase and Sant'Eufemia Lamezia were drawn together.

On a trip here, there is plenty to see over several days both in the town and further afield. The town’s Norman castle and much of its historical fabric was destroyed in an earthquake back in 1638 but you can still see the ruins of the castle today. Alongside it, remarkably intact is the Bastion of Malta, a defensive tower built to repel the Turkish army in 1550. Also worth a visit is the Cathedral of St Peter and Paul, reconstructed after the earthquake. The town is filled with churches to peek inside and you can learn more about their history at the museum within the Palazzo del Seminario Vescovile.

As its name suggests, wellbeing is a big draw for visitors to Lamezia Terme home to spas and thermal baths visited for centuries by Italians and international travellers seeking health cures – and offering both relaxing and medically-focused treatments for a range of ailments. There’s even one right by the airport, Contrada Caronte, so you can book in for some R&R when you get off the plane.

Finally, no visit to Lamezia Terme would be complete without trying one of the many family-run restaurants in and around the town serving everything from seafood to simple fresh pasta dishes offering the true taste and atmosphere of southern Italy.

Lamezia Terme nestles in the heart of Calabria in the province of Catanzaro beneath the La Sila Mountains and midway between the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas.

If you are in search of authentic Italy, you are in the right place from its laid-back coastal resorts with white sandy beaches and clear blue waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea to the mountainous hinterland, ancient monuments along with peaceful medieval towns and villages.

Just a short distance from the town, Lamezia Terme International Airport is a major hub for travelers to southern Italy. It’s well connected to the motorway network, railway station at Lamezia Terme Centrale plus the port of Gioia Tauro and offers great access to the wider region, whether you are planning a road trip to the southern Italian coast or inland to the Calabrian mountains.

Tropea

Tropea is for many the jewel on the western Calabrian coastline. Within an easy drive of around 1hr (60km) along the E45 motorway and onto the Strada Statale 522 coast road, you’ll be cruising along the peaceful, light-filled route that hugs the ocean.

Explore the town with its hilltop houses, take in the magnificent views of the Stromboli Volcano just off the coast of Sicily and at low tide, walk across to the Santa Maria dell' Isola sanctuary on a rocky 'island' in the bay of Tropea. Make time to chill out on the immaculate white sandy beach before enjoying a magical evening in one of the cliffside restaurants at sunset.

Catanzaro

Head for Catanzaro, the regional capital of Calabria and otherwise known as the City of the Two Seas for its proximity to both the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas. The 36km drive from Lamezia Terme International Airport to Catanzaro will take around 30min along the E848 highway. The trip takes you right through the heart of Calabria towards the east coast to the striking hilltop city of Catanzaro.

Start the day in the old town with its impressive Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta de Catanzaro, head to the International Sculpture Park with its botanical gardens, museum and waterways. Jump back onto the car and drive west to the coast stopping off for a tour of the archeological park at Scolacium before arriving at the magnificent Gulf of Squillace to discover hidden beaches including Pietregrande and Soverato.

Cosenza

Drive north along the SS18 coast road before joining the E46 highway for the 65km, 45min drive to Cosenza. At the meeting of the Rivers Crati and Busento. Cosenza straddles 7 hills and has a history reflecting its position as a trading centre with a Roman past. Enter the old town and you’ll find yourself in a medieval maze of narrow streets. Don’t miss the Duomo di Cosenza or the hilltop Hohenstaufen Castle which dominates the skyline.

Reggio Calabria

Drive 125km southwest of Lamezia Terme International Airport along the A2 motorway and after 1.5hr you’ll reach the beautiful resort town of Reggio Calabria, the largest city in Calabria. Home to the ferry port for Sicily, Reggio Calabria is worth visiting for a day to experience life in this vibrant southern Italian city. Stroll the whitewashed waterfront, check out the art galleries in this cultural melting pot and don’t miss the famous Riace Bronzes, Greek statues discovered in the 1970s and on show at the National Archeological Museum.

While Lamezia Terme is a walkable city and you can catch an airport shuttle bus from the airport to the centre of town, to get the most out of your trip, you’ll need a hire car to explore the wider region of Calabria and create your own special memories at your own pace.

The Avis team at Lamezia Terme International Airport are experts on the region and ready to advise you on the best places to go and help make your trip a magical one from the moment you touch down. If you're feeling inspired, check out our guide to great Italian road trips.

Hiring a car is a wonderful way to explore southern Italy. The roads are quiet and the road network includes some major motorways as well as stunning coastal routes and mountain roads, ideal if you fancy going off the beaten track. Be aware that as in the rest of Italy and mainland Europe, you’ll be driving on the right-hand side of the road as you leave the airport.

If you have not driven in this part of the world before and want advice on everything thing from guidance what to carry in your car to national speed limits or latest news on congestion zones, we’d advise checking the road rules for driving in Italy before you set off.

As a regional centre, Lamezia Terme can get busy but there is generally a good level of parking available from on-street to secure car parking facilities where you can leave your Lamezia Terme Airport hire car while you explore the town’s many attractions. Airport parking at Lamezia Terme is also plentiful with around 700 spaces outside the terminal building.