Car Hiring in Greece

greeceGreece is an extremely beautiful country with stunning scenery. This part of the world has been blessed with a lot of natural beauty and amazing weather at all times. The country is known for its famous architecture, ancient lore, Greek mythological figures, their sculptures, and the serene lifestyle the country offers.

Evern though, the country is not inexpensive. The prices are comparatively high as compared to other popular tourist destinations in the world, due to the new tax on services. However, accommodation is comparatively of low price.

The country is sunny on most of the days of the year. The tourists love to spend some quality time in the country with rich culture, history, and ambience. The people in Greece are very friendly and treat tourists with hospitality.

A majority of population of Greece lives in Athens. White homes with blue tops are classic and so beautiful. Travelling by car in Greece seems like a perfect idea when you are determined to see as many places as possible during your stay in the amazing country.

Hiring a Car in Greece

To be able to rent a car in Greece will be a similar experience than the one you would have in any other part of the world. However, to be able to rent a car in Greece you have to be at least 21 years of age.

Be warned, the driving experience in Athens, Greece will not be a child’s play. The traffic of Athens is known to get a little cramped during rush hours. It can get a bit tricky to be able to drive carefully, though if you strictly adhere to the driving rules and regulations in Greece, it will not be much of a big deal.

Like other European countries it is advised that you make your booking with the car dealer at least a month in advance. Due to considerable tourism in Greece every year you might not even get a ride in extreme situation.  However, there are a couple of car rental services available on the airport as well. In case you forgot to make their reservation until the last minute, they are your go-to-guide.

Prices of Car Hiring

The prices of rental cars in Greece are not inexpensive. Comparatively to other countries of Europe, the prices in Greece are much higher. In Greece, people are not yet familiar to the automatic cars. You will find an abundance of manual cars in Greece and for getting an automatic car you probably have to pay a little extra.

Numbers of options on renting a car are available, with the car dealers in Greece. You can either get a car on rent on per day rates as well as on per week basis too. However, some dealers might charge you on the mileage used. Make sure you ask your dealer about any such restrictions or charges. You can get a car on rent in Greece for as low as €50 per day and onwards.

Fuel Policy in Greece

The only fuel policies enforced are the ones by the rental service providers. In Italy, the car fuel policies are similar to the ones available anywhere in the world.

The fuel policies functional in Greece are:

  • Full-to-empty Tank policy:  The dealer provides you a full tank and you return him an empty tank. Payment is made in advance for the fuel and is non refundable.

  • Full-to-Full Tank policy: The dealer provides a full tank and you return him a full tank. You don’t have to pay for the fuel.

  • Pay on Return Tank policy: You get a full tank and you only pay for the fuel you have used on your return. Which I s ideal choice among the tourists.

  • Fuel up Front: In this facility dealer provides you a full tank which saves you the time and hassle of getting the tank filled from the station.

  • Bring Back Full: You only have to get the tank refueled on your way back.

Popular Destinations in Greece

Most of the tourists head towards Athens or the suburbs of Greece to enjoy the Mediterranean cost. Apart from the historical places and amazing monuments, Greece has incredible and scrumptious delis and food offerings. The regular and not so lavish food outlets and cafes offer you the most alluring and appetizing food in the entire Europe.

The destinations in Europe which are worth visiting are:

  • Acropolis of Athens

  • Acropolis Museum

  • Lychnostatis Open Air Museum

  • Myrtos Beach

  • Aquaworld Aquarium

  • Benaki Museum

  • Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art

  • Aegean Maritime Museum

  • Temple of Hephaestus

  • Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens

  • National Archaeological Museum, Athens

  • Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes

  • Samariá Gorge

  • Syntagma Square

Greece Road Rules

The golden rule of travelling on the road of Greece is to assume that all and the utmost responsibility of driving safe is yours. People in Greece are known for rash driving which might result in a terrible accident. Better safe than sorry.

  • The driving in Greece is towards the right, like most of the European countries.

  • The fuel stations are not functional 24/7, they are operating from 7:00AM till 7:00PM.

  • The tourists or the locals, all of them have to carry a registered driving license and other necessary paper work.

  • Use of mobile phone is strictly prohibited. If you must than use a hands-free.

  • Wearing the seatbelt is not optional it’s mandatory.

  • The rules about drunk driving are not very strict the allowed limit of blood alcohol level is 0.5g

Penalties & Fines

To ensure the safety of the drivers on the roads of Greece, there has been a strict implementation of rules and penalties. The police in Greece are very strict when it comes to driving laws and penalties. The fines have been imposed to encourage careful driving.

  • For Bikers: if found texting or talking on mobile phone while ridding they can be fined up to €150.

  • Drivers are not allowed to drive in the lane of the bus and it can result in the fine up to €250.

  • If you fail to produce legitimate and authentic driving license on query then you can be charged €200-€400.

  • If found driving without the seatbelt it can cost you up to €350 and 10 driving points.

  • If you trespass a red light a fine of €700 and 9 driving points will be regulated.

  • Driving a vehicle with no insurance can result in the form of confiscation of driving license for up to 3 years.

Speed Limit

The Speed limit in Greece is different depending upon the traffic on the route, usually.

Urban/Metropolitan/Downtown: 50 km/h

Secondary/Out of station vast lanes:  70 km/h

Small/ limited excess routes:   50 km/h

Motorways/Highways/Underpass:  100-120 km/h