Car Hire in Greece
A short guide to Driving in Greece and Car Hire in Greece.
Please enjoy your hire car in Greece
Are you going on holiday to Greece? To see as much as possible and to get the most out of Greece, the best way of transport is certainly by car. But of course you will have to abide by Greece's law of driving. Below you will find some useful information about driving in Greece.
Documents you need when driving in Greece
As a EU national for a maximum of 6 months, you may import a foreign-registered car, caravan, motorcycle, boat or trailer. This period may also be extended to 15 months for a fee and further paperwork. To drive a foreign registered car legally in Greece you must have the following documents with you, which are your full driving licence, vehicle registration document and certificate of motor insurance minimum Third-party cover. EU nationals who are taking their own cars to Greece are advised to obtain a Green Card, this is to top up the insurance cover to that provided by the car owner's domestic policy
Special rules you must follow
When driving in Greece it is compulsory for all vehicles to have a Warning Triangle, a First Aid kit and a Fire Extinguisher. For all passengers it is compulsory to wear front seatbelts and rear seatbelts if fitted.
Minimum age
The minimum age of a driver in Greece is 18 years. Children under the age of 10 years are not permitted in front seats.
Parking
Parking in Greece is similar to Britain with car parks and parking meters. Parking is limited in Athens but visiting tourists are exempt from some regulations. In some streets you are required to purchase a ticket from a booth. A red light to the rear of the vehicle must be displayed if parked on a public road at night.
A few basic rules
In Greece, they drive on the right hand side and overtake on the left, pay full attention especially at roundabouts. Your driving licence and vehicle documents should be carried at all times. Use dipped headlights in reduced visibility. Do not use main beam headlights in towns. Only single tone horns are permitted. In towns the use of the horn is for emergencies only. Special care should be taken when crossing unguarded level railway crossings. When travelling through Greece do not point at or otherwise gesticulate in the vicinity of Greek aircraft, military or otherwise. There is a serious danger of being accused of treason, helping the enemy in time of war, etc and you could be carted off to the nearest high security establishment where even the Greek Foreign Minister can't help you. It is illegal to carry spare petrol in the vehicle.
Speed limits
Urban areas: 50 kph (30 mph)
Outside cities: 110 kph (68 mph)
Freeways/Expressways: 120 kph (75 mph)
Use these as a guide, but always obey the posted limits, which
may vary.
Bus
There is a bus, which links Athens and all main towns in Attica, northern Greece and the Peloponnese. Service on the islands depends on demand, and timetables should be checked carefully. Some islands do not allow any kind of motorised transport, in which case islanders use boats, or donkeys and carts to travel around.
Taxi
Rates are per km and are very reasonable, with extra charge for fares to/from stations, ports and airports. Do not be surprised if the taxi picks up other passengers for the journey as taxis in Greece run on a shared basis. There is an additional charge from 0100 to 0600, with double fare from 0200 to 0400.
Road assistance
A breakdown service is available on main roads, conditions of which have vastly improved. There are good repair shops in big towns and petrol is easily obtainable.
Urban
There are several services around Athens and Attica. Trolley buses (ILPAP) and regular buses (ETHEL) have frequent links to tourist attractions and places of interest. You can purchase tickets for buses and trolley buses from the Athens Urban Transport Organisation (OASA) at various booths and kiosks situated around the city.
Metro
Athens has a reliable underground system that consists of three major lines. The old line runs north-south between Athens and Piraeus daily between the times 0500 to 0015. There are also two new lines: Line 2 runs between Sepolia and Dafnia and line 3 runs between Ethiniki Amyna and Syntagma. Tickets can be purchased at every Metro and ISAP station.
Travel times
The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours
and minutes) from Athens to other major cities/islands in
Greece.
Road
Corfu 11.00
Thessaloniki 8.00
Please note
The travel time by road to Corfu includes a sea crossing from Patras.
Driving in Greece will be a pleasurable experience as long as you remember you are in their country and abide by their laws. Please remember it is not a good enough excuse to plead ignorance, as you are a foreigner, you are the driver and it's your responsibility to know the law.