Car rental in Greece 2024

You will need to rent a vehicle on just about every Greek Island you visit. There are a couple of exceptions but honestly it is just easier to have your own transport to get everywhere you want to go. Car rental in Greece is tricky if you are not prepared so we did use the bus on a few islands as we ran into trouble with the laws around driving in Greece. Let me tell you what you need to know.

What do I need to rent a vehicle in Greece?

It will depend on the vehicle you want to rent. There are different requirements and you will need to be prepared before you go. Once you are there it generally is too late! Below are the details for scooters and cars:

Renting scooters in Greece

You can rent a simple 50cc scooter with a regular driving licence, however these do not have much power. On our trip in many instances we were left with this as our only option and it was difficult to get up the many mountains/hills with both of us on the scooter so I ended up having to jump off and walk up a LOT of hills! If you want a decent scooter you will 100% need your motorbike licence and an International Drivers Licence. To rent a scooter or motorbike over 50CC you will need an actual motorbike licence. This is strictly adhered to in Greece.

Renting cars in Greece

Car rental will require a drivers licence and in many cases an International Drivers Licence. Australia has just been upgraded to not requiring an International Drivers licence in Greece, it was announced on our Consulate website. However this had not trickled down to every island and rental business. It left us without a vehicle and using the bus system in some places. To be safe I would still bring an International Drivers licence with you. We always book with this car rental company. They have always been great.

Do I need an International Drivers Licence in Greece?

At this stage I would say yes. ( particularly if you are Australian) We visited in June 2022 and the updated information regarding Australian drivers licences hadn’t become widely known. It made it very difficult for us to hire vehicles.

We showed them the announcement from the embassy but it didn’t help, they needed to clarify with the police as many businesses had problems in the past with hiring to people without the correct licence.

Australian Embassy announcement regarding Greece driving

How do I get an International Drivers Licence?

International Drivers Licences (IDL) can be obtained from your local automobile association. In the USA it is AAA. Here in Australia we have multiple associations depending on which state you live in, ours in Queensland is RACQ. A simple where do I get my IDP google search will bring it up. The only thing to be wary of is the online IDPs. We heard that some were not legal and weren’t accepted in Greece. It is better to get yours from your home country before you go.

Incredibly this is just a piece of cardboard with your drivers details on it. That’s it. It cost us about $40 AUD and lasts for one year. So yes we did get one…and yes we did leave it on our kitchen bench at home. I can’t believe there is no International data base or place you can retrieve yours if you do leave it at home it is useless. Keep it in your wallet or bags so you don’t forget it! We called the RACQ from Greece and they said sorry you have to come back in to the branch and re-do it! Crazy!

Which Greek Islands would you recommend renting a vehicle?

We have been to Naxos, Paros, Mykonos, Santorini, Sifnos, Milos, Kimolos, Kefalonia, Corfu, Zakynthos, Lefkada and I would recommend renting a car or a high powered scooter/ATV on all of them. The only exception is if you want to just go to one town and stay there. In all other situations you will want to get out and explore. They are all mountainous and hilly and a 50cc scooter will not do the job (we tried many times and it doesn’t work, they just conk out!) If you want to just stay in one town that is fine, you can catch a bus or a tour for a day trip somewhere but to fit more in your itinerary you will need to be able to get yourself around.

Anitparos is the only island we have been to where we didn’t hire a vehicle of any kind and didn’t feel that we needed to. It was walkable. Unless you wanted to drive out to the remote beaches (we didn’t) you really don’t need it. Antiparos can also be done as a day trip from Paros, some people take their scooter or car over on the ferry so that is an option also.