Car Rental in Greece - The Cradle of Western Civilization

Drivers must be at least 21 years old and have held a valid driving licence for at least a year in order to be eligible. If you are under 21 years of age, you are below the minimum age to rent a car in Greece, plus you might find that individual suppliers may impose their own age requirements depending on the car category you have requested. For example, you might find that a young driver’s fee may be added to the bill if you are under the age of 26, the amount of which is paid locally to the car rental staff when you arrive to collect your vehicle. Drivers over the age of 75 might be similarly penalised by being asked to pay a senior driver’s fee, so please make sure you enter your correct age when making your reservation on Auto Europe’s website which will allow us to only display the suppliers willing to rent a car to someone in your age group, along with any additional restrictions they may wish to impose. To find out if any fees apply to your reservation, just click on the blue and white info (i) button in the car details after making a quick search through our booking engine. For more information, please consult our dedicated age restrictions page.

Yes. A major advantage of booking an affordable car rental in Greece through Auto Europe is being able to request what is known as a one-way car rental, which for many drivers is a very convenient way to go further and enjoy an extended road-trip in one of Europe's most fascinating countries. One-way car rental journeys are normally subject to an additional charge - a one-way fee - which is either included in Auto Europe’s published rates or will need to be paid directly to the local supplier when you arrive to collect your vehicle. Sometimes vehicle provider might impose their own restrictions on one-way bookings, such as limiting the number car categories (i.e. Luxury vehicles) into one or more of the neighbouring countries, etc. To find out how much the one-way fee is for your trip and learn about any such restrictions, all you need to do is click on the blue and white info (i) button in the car details after making a quick search in the Auto Europe booking engine, where all the relevant details are clearly stated. The same information also included in the car rental voucher sent to you by e-mail once your reservation has been confirmed. Please note that the entire amount of the one-way fee goes to the local supplier and not Auto Europe. Each supplier determines its own fees depending on your selected dates, vehicle and locations.

Yes. When booking a low-cost car hire in Greece with Auto Europe, you will find that the majority of our suppliers will require a credit card and deposit before allowing you to collect your vehicle. The reason for this is that they will need to place a hold on the value of the deductible for the vehicle being rented out to you for the duration of your trip, the amount of which is promptly refunded once the vehicle has been returned undamaged. Please note that debit cards are rarely accepted by local car hire providers, which is why it is always best to present a major credit card (i.e. Visa, Mastercard, etc.) in the name of the main driver when you arrive to pick up your car. Furthermore, you should always make sure that the card has enough credit to cover the deposit plus any costs and other expenses that might be incurred during your trip, like speeding or parking fines, for instance. It's worth remembering that the supplier might require a second credit card (also in the name of the main driver) for cars booked in the premium or luxury categories due to the very high value of such vehicles. It's very easy to find out which credit cards will be accepted, as well as the amount of deposit that will be required, simply by clicking on the blue and white info (i) icon where all the credit card conditions are clearly explained in the Mandatory Deposit Information and Supplier Payment Policy Information sections.

Cars in Greece drive on the right-hand side of the road, while overtaking is done on the left. The use of seat belts is compulsory for all the car's occupants and children between the ages of 3 and 7 (under the height of 1.35cm) are obliged to use a child seat (babies under 3 must also use a baby seat). Drinking and driving is frowned upon in Greece and the alcohol limit is 0.5 mg/ml for drivers who have held their licence for more than two years and 0.2 mg/ml for drivers who have held their licence for less than two years. Any unnecessary use of horns (especially in built-up areas) is subject to fines, for which you'll have up to 10 days to pay (in the case of a hired car, the supplier will forward these fines onto you, plus any additional administration fees). Petrol stations are normally open until 7pm during the week but you might that many are closed on Sundays. The use of mobile phones is prohibited whilst driving, unless an appropriate hands-free kit is being used.

Yes. Greece has a network of toll roads that includes motorways and other routes. The two main toll roads in Greece are the Athens to Thessaloniki motorway and the Igoumenitsa to Alexandroupolis motorway. Other toll roads include the Thessaloniki - Lamia, Lamia - Athens, Trikala - Lamia, Patras - Ioannina, Athens Ring Road, and Corinth - Kalamata. If you are touring the country extensively, the chances are you’ll encounter plenty of tolls during your trip, although there are plenty of alternative routes to take to save money. Please note that the main route between Athens city centre and Athens International Airport is tolled. Tolls can be paid in cash, by credit card or electronically using a transponder (the Greek Interoperable Toll Service (GRITS) allows drivers to use a single transponder on participating motorways) and the amount depend on the category of the vehicle (i.e. car, van, lorry, etc.).

All the rates quoted on the Auto Europe website include the minimum amount of legally required coverage comprising Liability Insurance, Theft Protection (TP) and Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) either with or without excess. As one of the world's leading car rental companies, we are proud to be able to offer our many customers around the world a high-value package of additional coverage called Full Damage Protection which for a few extra euros will guarantee total peace of mind for the duration of your trip. All the information you need regarding coverage, liability, etc. can easily be found after making a quick search for your car rental in Greece through the Auto Europe booking engine just by clicking on the blue and white info (i) icon in the car details where the relevant details can be found in the Standard Package Rate and Additional Information sections. You'll probably find that the local vehicle suppliers in Greece will try to offer you additional insurance during the pick-up process on top of what you have already purchased through Auto Europe. Please note that this is entirely optional and most probably won’t be required. Any insurance you sign up to directly with the local car rental company cannot be refunded by Auto Europe regardless of the circumstances, so please be very careful what you sign for when collecting your vehicle.

Yes. It's very easy to add an additional driver to your car hire in Greece, but doing so might incur an additional fee charged by some of the local suppliers, although Auto Europe occasionally provides Free Additional Driver offers which you can take advantage of right through the year. Some car hire companies include the additional driver fee as part of the quoted rate, whilst others may charge this fee when you arrive to collect your vehicle at your chosen destination. Please note that all additional drivers need to be officially registered on the rental contract and failure to do so may invalidate your car insurance coverage completely, thus making you fully liable for any damage caused to the vehicle or its theft. Additional drivers must provide exactly the same personal data as the main driver at the time of picking up the car, including a valid driving licence, identification (Passport or ID card) and an International Driving Permit if applicable. Any applicable fees can be viewed on the Auto Europe website in the Driver Information section by clicking the blue and white info (i) button found in the car details after making a search through the Auto Europe booking engine.

Generally speaking, when you book a low-cost car rental in Greece with Auto Europe you'll find that it is normally prohibited to take the vehicle onto a ferry, which in short means you won't be allowed to travel between islands. Nevertheless, some drivers who wish to do this might be able to find a local car hire supplier who may allow it, in which case they will need to inform Auto Europe about their travel plans beforehand, bearing in mind that the supplier may want to impose an additional surcharge and some restrictions.