For those who want to explore greece on their own, away from hotels or beaches, a rental car is the way to go. With a car, travelers can get to know the country and its people better and are completely independent of public transportation. In order to avoid unpleasant surprises, it is important to pay attention to some special features of greek car rental companies. Moreover, a vehicle that suits your travel preferences and regions.
The right rental car for your trip
Greece has a varied landscape that can place different demands on the rental car. If you travel in the mountains and off paved roads, you must ensure that your vehicle is suitable for off-road use. For those who love to drive with the top down and feel the sun and wind on their skin, rent a convertible car.
as in all mediterranean countries, vacations in greece can be exceptionally hot in spring, summer and fall. Therefore, every rental car should have air conditioning, so that driving in the heat does not become a torture. Most rental cars can be picked up directly at the airport. Some of the providers are located a bit outside and therefore offer a shuttle-service to the car rental.
Check itinerary
Through a comparison on verivox.De, vacationers can find out which travel routes different providers allow – the information is located under "more info". Not everyone allows you to drive rental cars on dirt roads or travel by ferry and car when island hopping. off-road trips are also often excluded.
Lower liability rates in greece
Whereas in germany, liability insurance covers at least 1.12 million euros for property damage and 7.5 million euros for personal injury, in greece only one million euros is required for both types of damage. The cheaper car rental offers are usually limited to this amount, but it can be increased for an additional fee. Make sure that you take out an insurance without deductible.
hidden costs in the refueling system
We recommend car rental companies that allow you to pick up the car with a full tank of gas and return it with a full tank of gas. The same applies to the tank regulation half/half. With these fuel arrangements, vacationers will not incur any fuel charges to the rental company as long as they fill up just before the end of the rental period.
hidden charges may apply if you pick up the car with an empty tank, if you have to pay for a full tank of gas on the spot and pay a service fee. Because, as a rule, gasoline prices at car rental are higher than at local gas stations. In the comparison of verivox you can see at a glance which fuel regulation is common for car rental.
Requirements for the rental
When picking up the car, the car rental company usually requires the presentation of a valid driver’s license, an identity card and a credit card for the deposit of the deductible. Only a few rental companies waive a deposit and offer the car without a credit card. You can find them with the filter "without deposit/credit card". An international driver’s license is not required in greece.
minimum age for renting a car is 21 years with at least one year of driving experience. some car rental companies may charge an additional fee if the driver(s) is (are) under the age of 25.
traffic rules in greece
some traffic rules in greece are different from the german ones. The blood alcohol limit is 0.5 and for novice drivers (less than 2 years of driving) 0.2. If you drive into a traffic circle with your rental car, you must know that the right has priority over the left and that the person entering the traffic circle has the right of way. As far as traffic rules are concerned, they are usually interpreted generously by the locals. If travelers drive carefully and with foresight, they will have no problems on greek roads.
The following maximum speeds apply in greece:
- On highways up to 130 km/h
- On highways 110 km/h
- 50 km/h in built-up areas
- And outside built-up areas 90 km/h
Destinations: what greece offers you
Greece has a lot to offer tourists: from secluded beaches and bays to sleepy mountain villages and bustling metropolises like athens and thessaloniki.
Thessaloniki and the north of the country
Thessaloniki is the second largest city in greece and an ideal starting point for exploring northern greece by rental car. Among others, chalkidiki with its island-like fingers jutting far into the sea and the monk’s republic of athos are easy to reach.
Olympus
the road from thessaloniki to athens passes by olympus, greece’s highest mountain. especially for nature lovers and mountain hikers a trip to the area around the mountains is recommended. There you can hike wonderfully in untouched nature. An overnight stay in one of the numerous mountain huts of the region will remain unforgettable. The most experienced hikers and mountaineers can even climb to the top of Mount Olympus, which is almost 3000 meters high.
Big city flair in athens
If you are not put off by the hustle and bustle of the big city and dare to go into the city with a rental car, you will find many things worth seeing and typical Greek sights in the capital athens – above all the acropolis, the symbol of greece. the old town of athens and the plaka are among the other places worth seeing and let you get to know the greek life and bustle of the city.
Traveling the peloponnese
The peloponnese is worth a visit by rental car. There you will find famous archaeological sites such as sparta, mycenae, epidaurus and olympia. the largely untouched south of the peninsula can be toured from kalamata. from there, places like gythio, monemvasia and the wild mani are easy to reach. Bathing enthusiasts and sun worshippers can also enjoy the southern peninsula and visit beautiful, secluded bathing bays with a rental car.
the peninsula can be reached and left by rental car via ferry ports such as patras, the impressive rio andirrio bridge or the worth seeing corinth canal.
The greek islands
Always worth a trip are the various greek islands. on crete, the beautiful cities of heraklion or chania attract you in addition to the landscape. The other islands, such as kos, mykonos or samos, are also best explored by rental car.
The best time of year
the best months to explore greece by rental car are may and june. In these months you can avoid the greatest heat of the summer and experience a blooming and colorful vegetation. The air and water temperatures are usually sufficient for swimming at this time of year. Driving a car at lower temperatures is much more pleasant – even with air conditioning. Autumn also offers bearable temperatures and still very warm water, but has the disadvantage that the flora has already dried up due to the hot summer.
If you want to do a lot of hiking in greece, midsummer is an absolute no-go, because even a well-trained hiker can quickly reach his limits in the midday sun.
Popular regions in greece
- Chios and psara
- Euboea
- Ikaria
- Ios and sikinos
- Karpathos and kasos
- Kefalonia and ithaka
- Corfu
- Kos
- Crete
- Lefkas and meganissi
- Lesbos and lemnos
- Mykonos
- Naxos
- Paros, kimolos, milos, serifos and sifnos
- Patmos
- Poros
- Rhodes
- Samos
- Santorini
- Skiathos, skopelos and skyros
- Syros, kea and kithnos
- Thassos
- Tinos
- Zakynthos
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