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.
About Santorini Dave