Athens Airport Car Rentals

Six car companies currently operate at Athens international Airport with offices located at the Arrivals level. The car rental area is within walking distance from the main terminal building, located at the northern side of the building.

Athens Airport is an international, modern and big airport served by wide roads that visitors will enjoy driving on all day. Why should you queue for a taxi when you can easily hire a car with the car rental services that are available at the airport? Some of the car hire companies that are available at Athens Airport include many of the industry’s most credible names including Alamo, National, Budget, Hertz, Sixt, Thrifty and Europcar.

The greatest advantage of renting a car is the fact you will be able to make your own itinerary of the places that you want to visit in Athens. You will be in a good position to visit the various historical sites in Greece at your own pace thus making sure that you will enjoy all these wonderful sights.

A traveler can hire a car at the Athens Airport terminal or from an agent who is always located at the terminal exit. This therefore means that the process of renting a car is much faster plus you will have access to friendly agents who will offer guidance and give you tips on how to drive safely on the Greek roads. The cars available for hire are clean and reliable modern cars that have air-conditioning, even for the economy cars. The car rental services also offer various types of cars so as to suit each and every traveler’s requirements. In this regard there are family cars, minivans, and even luxury cars available for hire.

To pre-book your car hire online please click here

Cars In Greece: Tips On Renting And Driving Across The Country

One of southern Europe’s most popular countries to visit is Greece, because it offers a wonderful climate throughout the year and centuries of history with plenty of famous landmarks and places for tourists to see and explore. Many people that come to visit will stay in one of the big cities like the capital Athens, but the countryside and other parts of the country are worth exploring — and one of the best ways to see what’s on offer is by driving a car.

However, there are some very important tips and requirements to know before making the decision to rent and drive a car during your time in Greece. You need to be aware of basic things like the minimum requirements for driving in the country and what you’ll need to be able to rent a car, but also tips of the road that are vital to prevent accidents. Fairly or not, Greece has a reputation for being home to some terrible drivers, so be sensible on the road.

Check out the guide below for everything you will need to know to plan on first renting a car, and secondly on how to get around Greece by car, and you’ll have a successful trip.

• Renting Cars In Greece

Because most international tourists visiting Greece will arrive by air, one of the easiest ways to rent a car is to go online in advance and find a rental company that operates at the airport where you’ll arrive. For many people this will be Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos, which is served by several global rental car companies. Once your flight lands and you have your luggage, simply follow the signs located in the airport to the rental car kiosks where you can choose from the likes of Alamo, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and more. You can also do this for renting a car even if you haven’t booked one in advance here

The total cost of your rental will depend on several factors including the size of vehicle that you need and how many days you will want to have it. If it’s just a solo trip or two or three of you then a regular passenger car will probably be fine. For small families or groups it’s recommended to get a minivan for exploring Greece, although these sometimes don’t have a lot of space for many bags. For the casual tourist there’s no need to rent off-road vehicles, but if you want one for any reason some companies in Greece offer this as well. Some cars designated as “small” or “mini” will be too tight for many people to consider comfortable, but the range known as “compact” usually has enough room for the average driver.

It’s essential to pay for travel insurance, typically offered as part of a package fee for the rental. This will protect you in the unfortunate event of accident or other problem. Always read the fine print to make sure that the insurance will cover your entire time with the car.

Greece requires that travelers from overseas posses a driver’s license from their home country that is valid, in addition to also having an International Driver’s Permit (IDP). It’s important to known at the IDP is not the international driver’s license that is accepted for driving in other countries. Find out which organization in your home country issues IDPs and seek one before you travel to Greece; for example in the United States you can obtain an IDP through either the American Automobile Touring Alliance or the Automobile Association of America.

When you first get your car from the rental company, give it an inspection — if you see any scratches or other damage on the vehicle then you should alert the company representative so that you can prove it was not you that caused the damage when you return the car.

• Driving In Greece

Once you have your rental car and are on the road in Greece, there are several important tips and tricks to remember that will help to make your experience a pleasant one.

BP is the owner of many gas stations around the country, and you can usually find a good range of food, drink, and useful things like maps at these facilities. But they’re also placed at random parts around the country, and you’ll find that most gas stations do not open on Sunday. Should you be struggling to find a gas station with either a map or a GPS, try asking someone local.

Greece’s reputation as a place with bad drivers might be unfair, but is based partly in truth, as some drivers will not respect the rules of the road and will drive dangerously. The best way to deal with this is to follow all the rules and laws and drive in a defensive but safe manner.
As in other countries, if you see double lines in the center of the road that means you cannot pass vehicles – although some drivers will ignore these restrictions, you should not.

At traffic lights you are required to stop at the orange light, but some impatient drivers behind you may try to speed up in an effort to force you to go through the light so that both of you can get through before it turns to red. Do not be intimated by aggressive drivers and instead when you see a light turn orange, start to slow down with plenty of time and notice for those behind.

Keep an eye out for motorcyclists who are perhaps the least likely to follow the rules of the road, including many tourists who dangerously rent bikes when they are intoxicated.

Driving in the cities can be frustrating because of the congestion, while in the country it can be dangerous because of some narrow badly maintained roads and steep drops where roads line the edge of cliffs. It’s best to drive slowly on these roads regardless of whether someone behind you is honking their horn impatiently, as it’s better to be safe than have an accident.

Be sure to have a functioning GPS on your phone or a map that you understand so that you can get around, because not all the road signs will have English translations. In the major cities such as Athens you will see road signs in both English and Greek, but the more you get into remote parts of the countryside, the higher the odds that signs might be only in Greek.

Seatbelts should be worn at all times, by both the driver and passengers. Note that any child under the age of 10 can only sit in the back of the car and not the front. And young people age under 18 are not allowed to drive, even if they can in other countries.

When driving on highways you can expect the speed limit to be between 100 and 120 kilometers per hour, whereas in residential neighborhoods it’s typically 50 kilometers per hour.