Greece › Rental Cars
by Santorini Dave • Updated: May 13, 2022
See Also
• Athens Airport Car Rental
• Heraklion Airport Car Rental
• Mykonos Car Rental
• Santorini Car Rental
A rental car driving onto a ferry in Greece.
Greece Car Rental – Tips & Information
- RentalCars.com is my favorite site for booking rental cars in Greece. Easy to use, reliable, good prices.
- It’s a hassle (and expensive) to take a rental car onto a Greek ferry. Much cheaper and easier to rent different cars on each island.
- Most rental cars in Greece have a manual transmission. If that’s not your thing then definitely reserve an automatic car in advance.
- Family-friendly minivans are common but heavily booked in high season.
- Athens – Downtown
Car rental is not necessary for most tourists staying in central Athens. Budget, Avis, Hertz, and Enterprise have convenient locations close to the Acropolis and the Plaka neighborhood.- Athens – Piraeus Ferry Port
Well-connected by public transit with central Athens and the airport. Taxis are plentiful. Car rental not necessary for most tourists but there are several car rental companies close to the ferry terminal.- Athens – International Airport
Easy and convenient place to pick up a rental car. Great selection and good prices. Car rental makes exploring the Peloponnese, Delphi, and the Meteora much easier. There are several car rental companies located within the airport terminal.- Santorini
Car rental is not necessary for most visitors. The Santorini airport is the best place to pick up a rental car.- Mykonos
Car rental is not necessary for most visitors. The Mykonos airport is the best place to pick up a rental car.- Naxos
Car rental is not necessary for most visitors. Naxos Town is the best place to pick up a rental car.- Paros
Car rental is not necessary for most visitors. Parikia or Naoussa are the best places to pick up a rental car.- Rhodes
Car rental makes exploring the island much easier. The Rhodes airport is the best place to pick up a rental car.- Corfu
Car rental makes exploring the island much easier. The Corfu airport is the best place to pick up a rental car.- Heraklion (Crete)
Car rental makes exploring the island much easier. The Heraklion airport is the best place to pick up a rental car.- Chania (Crete)
Car rental makes exploring the island much easier. The Chania airport is the best place to pick up a rental car.- Thessaloniki
Easy and convenient place to pick up a rental car. The Thessaloniki airport is the best place to pick up a rental car.Car Rentals in Greece
A rental car is often unnecessary for visiting the most popular sights in Greece. But if you want to get away from the crowds and see the less visited spots, then a rental car can be essential.
Do you need a rental car in Greece?
For most visitors, visiting the most popular sights and attractions, renting a car in Greece is not necessary. A mix of public transport and taxis will get tourists where they need to go with little trouble and low costs. That said, a rental car can definitely make getting to less-visited spots much easier. If seeing the “other side of Greece” is on your to-do list, then renting a car is a good plan.What is the best way to rent a car in Greece?
RentalCars.com is the best site for booking rental cars in Greece. The site searches the top rental car companies and returns the cheapest prices for all available vehicles. You can reserve cars in advance for all of the most popular destinations: Athens • Santorini • Mykonos • Rhodes • HeraklionCan a rental car be taken on a Greek ferry?
Yes, it is possible to take a rental car on a ferry between the Greek islands. But in practice, it’s an unnecessary hassle that requires a car-ferry ticket, written permission from the rental car company, and lots of patience. For most visitors it’s much easier to just return your current rental car, take the ferry as a walk-on passenger, and rent a new car on the next island.Do rental car companies provide car seats?
Yes, some car-hire companies will have car seats to rent for an extra fee. But when I traveled with young children I always brought our car seat from home to use in the rental car. You’re just never sure what type of car seat you’ll get from the car company and what condition it will be in. And what happens if they mess up and there’s no car seat waiting for you? Much better to bring your car seat from home and know what you’re getting.Do you need an Internation Drivers License to drive a rental car in Greece?
For non-EU citizens, yes you do (officially) need an international driver’s license to rent and drive a car in Greece. That’s in theory. In practice, I have never had an international driver’s license and have rented countless cars in Greece and never been asked for the special license.What is the best place to pick-up a rental car in Greece?
I find picking up car rentals from the airport to be easy and convenient. There are multiple car companies and lots of variety. If for some reason your reserved car is not there it’s easy to find a replacement. Prices are usually cheaper than in the city center.What car rental companies are available in Greece?
All the big car hire companies are here: Avis, Budget, Europcar, Enterprise, Thrifty, Hertz, Sixt.
Car rentals at the Athens International Airport: There are many rental car companies in the Athens airport terminal (arrivals level).
The rental cars are located a short walk (or quick shuttle bus) from the terminal.
Many of the top historical and cultural sights of Athens are located in a small area that’s walkable and well-connected by public transportation. A rental car is not recommended for visiting central Athens.
Car rentals in Santorini: Pick-up and drop-off at the Santorini airport is very easy.
The rental car parking lot is just a 30-second walk from the Santorini airport terminal.
The road to the Santorini ferry port is a little tricky. I recommend pick-up from the airport or one of the island’s villages.
A rental car is not absolutely necessary for Santorini but it does make getting to some of the inland sights easier, like this Santorini winery.
All Santorini boat tours have hotel pick-up and drop-off so do not require a rental car.
Car rentals in Mykonos: Getting your car at the Mykonos airport is what I recommend for most visitors.
The best Mykonos hotels will have airport and ferry port shuttles.
The Mykonos water taxi runs between several of the top Mykonos beaches.
If you’re going to be drinking at one of the many Mykonos beach clubs then please don’t drive.
There are not a lot of taxis in Mykonos which does make a rental car more appealing.
Helicopter tours and transfers in Santorini and Mykonos are awesome! And they include pick-up and drop-off.
Rental cars at Heraklion International Airport: A rental car shuttle at the Heraklion airport.
Crete is loaded with great beaches. A rental car can be essential for getting to the more remote ones.
Knossos near Heraklion, Crete. Though there are tours a rental car is helpful for getting here.
The fantastic Elafonisi Beach in southern Crete. It’s served by bus from Chania but a rental car does allow for more freedom coming and going.
Restaurant bar in Old Town Chania. A rental car is not necessary for exploring this magical town.
The rental car parking lot is steps from the terminal.
Car-free Old Town in Rhodes. A rental car is not necessary here.
But getting to the beaches down the coast a rental car makes things quite a bit easier.
A rental car in Milos is essential to getting to many of the remote sights and best beaches.
The bus network is excellent but a rental car in Naxos does make visiting all the inland villages easier.
A historical church in Naxos.
The rental car parking lot is just out the door at the Corfu airport terminal.
The rental cars at Thessaloniki airport are a short walk from the terminal.
A car ferry from Paros to Antiparos. There are a small number of rental cars available on Antiparos.
Read More
• Where to Stay in Santorini
• Where to Stay in Mykonos
• Where to Stay in Naxos
• Where to Stay in Paros
• Where to Stay in Crete
• Where to Stay in Athens
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