Greece › Greece Rental Cars
By Santorini Dave
See Also
• Athens Airport – Car Rental
• Heraklio – Car Rental
• Mykonos – Car Rental
• Santorini – Car Rental
• Note: I always use RentalCars.com to book vehicles in advance.
Car Rental in Greece – My Advice
- 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. That said, if you do need to transport a car on a ferry then book in advance on Ferryhopper.com.
- Most rental cars in Greece have a manual transmission. If that’s not your thing then definitely reserve an automatic car in advance.
- Large family minivans are common but heavily booked in high season.
- The airport is nearly always the best place to reserve a car. Airports will have the best prices and best selection: Athens airport • Santorini airport • Mykonos airport • Rhodes airport • Kefalonia airport • Corfu airport • Heraklion airport • Chania airport • Thessaloniki airport
Rental Car Locations in Greece
- 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 place to pick up a rental car. Great selection and cheap prices. A car makes exploring the Peloponnese, Delphi, and the Meteora much easier. There are several car rental companies in 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.- Kefalonia
Car rental makes exploring the island much easier. The Kefalonia 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.- Heraklio (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
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 • HeraklioCan 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.Is it possible to pick up and drop off the car at different locations?
Yes, renting a car at one location and returning at a different location is a common practice and should not cause any problems.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.
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
About Santorini Dave
I'm Santorini Dave. I started this site in 2011 with a short article on tips for visiting Santorini with kids. We're now a small team of writers and researchers dedicated to providing the best travel content on the internet. We focus on Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, and Greece, offering recommendations for top hotels, neighborhoods, and family-friendly hotels worldwide. I can be contacted at dave@santorinidave.com.