Greece › Athens › Airport Car Rental
By Santorini Dave
See Also
The rental car parking lot at Athens International Airport. It’s easy to find and a very short walk from the Arrivals terminal. There is a free shuttle that runs every few minutes if you have too much luggage to walk.
Athens Airport Car Rental
My recommendation: If you need a rental car for your time in the Athens area then reserve a vehicle in advance at the Athens airport. If your plan is to see the historical highlights of Athens and then ferry or fly to a Greek island, then you probably don’t need a rental car.
Tip: If you need a family minivan or a car with automatic transmission (most cars in Greece are manual) then definitely book in advance.
Rental cars available at Athens airport: Budget • Thrifty • Enterprise • Europcar • Alamo • Sixt • Drive S.A. • Volta • Record Go
Athens Rentals – Where To Pick Up
The rental car parking lot at Athens International Airport.
- Athens Airport Car Rental
Easy and convenient place to pick up a rental car. Great selection and good prices. A car makes exploring the Peloponnese, the Athens Riviera, Cape Sounion, Delphi, and Meteora much easier. If you need a vehicle at the airport then it’s best to book a car online in advance.- Piraeus Ferry Port Car Rental
Well-connected by public transit with central Athens and the airport. Taxis are plentiful. Renting a car is not necessary for most tourists. Hertz, Thrifty, and Europcar have locations in Piraeus about a 10-minute walk from most ferries.- Central Athens Car Rental
Car rental is not necessary for most tourists staying in central Athens. But renting a car can be a great way to visit Nafplio, the Peloponnese, Delphi, and the Meteora. The best located rental car offices in central Athens are Budget, Thrifty, Hertz, and Enterprise. These rental offices are located on Sygrou Avenue (busy but not crazy busy) just a two minute walk from the Akropoli metro station and a three minute walk from the Acropolis Museum and the Plaka neighborhood. The excellent Niche Hotel is steps from the above car rental agencies.Rental Car Pick Up at Athens Airport
Sofitel Athens Airport Hotel is the only hotel at the Athens airport. It’s an easy walk from both the terminal and the rental car parking lot.
- If you plan to see the sights of central Athens and then take a ferry to the Greek islands there is no need to rent a car for your time in Athens.
- Don’t take a rental car on a Greek ferry (more info below).
- Sofitel Athens Airport Hotel is the only hotel located at the Athens Airport. Steps from both the terminal and the rental car parking lot.
Where should I pick my rental car up in Athens?
It’s quicker and easier to pick up a rental car at the Athens Airport than in the busy and chaotic city center. Cars rented at the airport do not need to be returned to the airport; you can pick up at the airport then drop off in central Athens or at the Piraeus ferry port.
There are several car rental companies operating out of the Athens airport including Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Alamo, National, Enterprise, and Sixt. Available cars range from small economy cars to full-size SUVs and mini-vans for groups or families. Rental kiosks are located in the arrivals terminal, between doors 3 and 4. The rental car parking is a short walk from the terminal.
Should I rent a car in Athens?
Central Athens is compact and walkable. Public transportation within the central core and between downtown Athens and the airport and ferry port is excellent. For tourists visiting the top attractions in Athens and then traveling to the Greek islands, a rental car is not recommended. For tourists wanting to explore mainland Greece and the Peloponnese, the Athens Riviera, Cape Sounion, Delphi, and the Meteora, a rental car makes getting around much more efficient and pleasant.
Is it hard to find parking in Athens?
Finding parking in central Athens is difficult and expensive. Most of the Best Hotels in Athens will have valet parking, but midrange and cheap hotels in Athens typically will not have any parking.
If your hotel does not provide parking, we recommend taking the train, a taxi, or a private car service from the airport to the hotel. Most of the main attractions of Athens are walkable from most central Athens hotels; other attractions, like the National Archaeological Museum, require just a short taxi, metro ride, or 45-minute walk. Renting a car for sightseeing in central Athens is not recommended.
Can I take a rental car from Athens to the Greek Islands?
In theory, you can take a rental car on a ferry but in practice it’s a big expensive hassle. Car passage on a ferry is expensive. It’s much easier to rent a different car on each island you visit. For example, take the ferry to Santorini as a foot passenger and then rent a car in Santorini.
Athens Airport Car Rental
Booking.com – the best way to rent a car at the Athens International Airport. Car pick up and drop off is steps from the airport terminal. If you’re going to rent a car for Delphi, the Peloponnese, or mainland Greece it’s much easier to get the car at the airport than in the city center.
The rental car companies at the Athens International Airport are on the Arrivals level. Book in advance on Booking.com and then pick up from these kiosks.
The kiosks are in the main terminal for both international flights and domestic arrivals from the Greek islands.
There are two areas of the Arrivals terminal: Flights from non-Schengen countries (A gates) and flights from domestic airports and all Schengen countries (B gates). The rental car companies are located between these two areas but slightly closer to the B gates. If you arrive at a B gate, follow signs towards the A gates.
If you arrive at an A gate, follow signs towards the B gates. (There are no directional signs for the rental car companies.)
The rental car companies are in this hall (about halfway between A and B gates) and can not be missed.
The parking lot of the car rental companies is easy to find: head out the main doors from Arrivals and turn right.
Rental car companies will give you a map of the airport with directions to the rental car parking lot. It’s very simple. Out the main doors, turn right, and it’s hard to miss.
There are signs directing you to the car rental parking lot to get your vehicle.
The parking lot is small and it’s possible to see all the car rental companies from any spot in the lot.
There are a large variety of cars for rent at the airport. Everything from budget sedans to family-friendly mini-vans to large SUVs.
All the rental car companies have customer service kiosks in the parking lot.
The highway to and from the Athens Airport is a modern freeway that is usually light on traffic. Getting into the city takes about 30 minutes and isn’t usually busy or stressful (though traffic increases the closer you get to the city center).
Pick up and drop off of rental cars are both done at this parking lot. When returning to the airport for rental car return follow the signs to the rental car lot – it’s well marked with traffic directions.
Rental Car Alternatives
The metro train to central Athens is cheap and reliable. The station is a short walk from the Arrivals terminal. Follow the signs.
The taxi queue is just out the doors from the Arrivals terminal. There’s a flat fare to central Athens: 40€ in the day and 55€ at night. (The photo is a few years old.)
There are buses from the airport to central Athens and the Piraeus ferry port. Buses leave just out the door from the Arrivals terminal.
A day trip to Cape Sounion and the beach towns along the Athens Riviera is made much easier if you have a rental car. If you’re staying at one of the beach resorts along the Riviera then it’s definitely best to reserve in advance and pick up the car from the Athens airport.
Santorini Dave was started in 2011 when I posted a short guide to visiting Santorini with kids. Now, my site publishes regularly updated guides to 
This is a great website. thank you for putting and also timestamping the update.
I am having problems with booking per my requirement. I would like to pick a car in the morning in/around Athens City Center and then return the following morning at Athens airport. I am unable to make such a booking. It is not clear to me what companies have offices in the city and what are their hours.
Several rental car companies are on Syggrou Avenue in central Athens (also spelled Syngrou or Siggrou). Some open at 8am (e.g. Hertz, Sixt, and Budget). Others at 9am (e.g. Enterprise). When booking select “Drop off at different location”. This is a busy area but I find it fine for car pickup and drop off.
Hi Dave, my family and I are beginning to organize a 2.5 week trip to Greece. I was wondering if you offer any itinerary planning services that we could pay for. We are feeling slightly overwhelmed and would love to work with you if you offer that.
Fred Hill
Sorry Fred, the blog keeps me busy enough. Good luck with your trip.
Hi, I plan to rent a car and drive from Athens to Delphi and Meteora. Do you recommend buying full coverage insurance that covers tires, windshields, scratches, etc.? Thanks.
If your credit card offers car rental insurance (which mine does) then that’s what I’d use. If not, then yes, I’d buy rental car and driver insurance.
Hello Dave
Can you rent a car from the airport without having a flight? Can you access the pick up/customer service without having flown into the airport? Thanks!
Yes, the rental car parking lot and kiosks are outside of the security area and accessible to everyone.
Hi Dave, great site — thanks.
I note you recommend rental car pickup at the airport in Athens. But what if I’m starting in downtown Athens — having already been there a few days — and then need a rental car to go to Delphi, Olympia, Nafplio, etc.. (I have plenty of time.) Given that the airport is east of Athens, and my first destination (Delphi) is northwest, would it not make more sense, under those circumstances, to rent the car, say, from the Hertz location at the Hilton in downtown Athens?
Thank you.
Yes, in that case, I would pick it up from downtown Athens.
We have 2 weeks in Greece. We land at the Athens airport and have a car booked for one week (8 nights) when we’ll return to the airport to fly to Santorini. For our week on the mainland we’d like to visit Athens, Delphi, the Meteora, and as much of the Peloponnese as possible. A few questions:
What is driving in Greece like?
What is parking in Athens and other big cities like?
Is there a best route for driving to Delphi, and then from Delphi to the Meteora, and then the Peloponnese?
Is there a best route for driving into Athens?
Any must-see sites that we might not know about along our itinerary?
Thanks.
For me, driving in Greece, despite many peoples’ observations, is actually quite fine. It is potentially a little different to your own perception of what ‘good driving’ may mean to you, but as long as you go with the flow, you will be fine. It can be a little less ‘ordered’ than in your home country, but this is the norm, so drive with the local style. Don’t be surprised if people cut in on you, or if Greek drivers seem a little less predictable to what you are used to. This is the norm here.
Your weeklong mainland itinerary looks a tad too adventurous and you will be doing a lot of driving. The difficult one is Meteora as it is a fair way north and a decent day’s driving. Still you can do it if you go there first, then back-track to Delphi and from there to the Peloponnese. In the Peloponnese the two main archaeological areas on opposite sides: Olympia and Epidavros/Mycenae so again plan for some lengthy driving. The best route is Athens -> Meteora -> Delphi -> Nafpaktos -> Olympia -> Epidavros/Mycenae -> Athens. You are not going to be able to get to the southern Peloponnese or anywhere else in the Peloponnese.
Parking in Athens or any major town can be fraught with frustration. Multi-storey carparks are few and far between and street parking can be difficult. In Athens in particular don’t hesitate to use the block lots – empty building sites that cars are parked in like biscuits in a packet. Just hand your car to the operator and he will park it for you. Charges are not too expensive.
The best route for driving into Athens if you are coming from the Peloponnese is to follow the main highway from Corinth until you hit the Ring Road. You can follow the Ring Road all the way around Athens to the airport if you wish to miss Athens on the way back. If you are planning on staying in central Athens once more, then your safest bet is to follow the Ring Road to the main junction at Metamorfosi then turn onto the Piraeus freeway. Follow this to say Leoforos Athinon then turn left to get to the Centre.
There are plenty of could-see sights as you wend your way around the country. One might be taking a trip on the rack and pinion railway to Kalavryta on the north coast of the Peloponnese. If you were to forego Olympia, you might make it to Monemvasia on the southeastern tip of the Peloponnese, but it’s a fair drive. Nafplio is good to spend a night in and it’s the best base for Epidavros and Mycenae.
I want to rent a car for Athens, Delphi, and the Peloponnese. Do you recommend booking in advance or going to one of the booths at the airport and getting a car there?
I would book in advance for pickup at the airport. I know some people have gotten terrible (expensive) deals when walking up to the counter and booking on the spot. Much better to reserve cars in advance.
Hi Dave
Is October a good time for traveling at islands? And do the ferries work normal or with reduced services?
Thanks in advance
Ferry schedules are reduced in October (compared to July and August) but it’s still possible to get almost everywhere you’re going. Early October still has good beach weather. By late October the hot days are usually gone but the weather is still great for sightseeing.
Do you recommend renting a car at the Athens airport or at a different location in or near Athens?
Renting from the Athens airport is easiest, offers the largest choice of cars, and often has the best rates.