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Greece
Driving in Greece is not for the
faint-hearted. It has the highest accident rate in western Europe. Eurostat,
the Statistical Office of the European Communities, reported that the road
death rate fell over the last decade in almost every member state, with the
exception of Greece where the rate went up by 5% between 1990 and 1998. In
1999, there were 22,000 traffic accidents in Greece, resulting in 2,000
deaths and 30,000 injuries.
Red lights are habitually ignored and you are advised to a) not slam on your
breaks when approaching a red light as the driver behind you may have
decided to run it b) to go immediately on green, as someone coming the other
WILL be running the red.
Espressways (Motorways, Freeways)
There are some toll motorways in Greece (Ethniki Odos). The middle lane is
used for passing in both directions.
Petrol (Gasoline)
Petrol stations are not as common as in other European countries and it is
wise to never let the tank get very empty in remote areas as a chance to
fill up may NOT be just around the corner. Most stay open until 7pm on
weekdays, but are closed on Sundays. However, by law, one must remain open
in every area on Sundays and overnight. You just have to find it! Unleaded (amoliwdi
wensina) and super unleaded are widely available. Diesel cars are banned in
Greece (the fumes destroy the monuments), although foreign cars are exempt.
However, don't expect to find diesel anywhere so you might as well not bring
your diesel car.
Speed Limits - see our
speed converter
Motorway/Dual Carriageway - 120kph
Open Road - 110 kph
Town - 50 kph
Minimum age for car drivers
18 (even if you legally hold a license at a younger age in your country it
is still illegal to drive in Greece if not 18)
Documentation
At all times you must be able to prove that you are a) licensed to drive the
category of vehicle you are in b) either the owner of the vehicle or that
you have a owner's permission to drive c) insured. Licenses must be
photocard licenses. If you do not have one you must also carry your
passport.
Country of origin stickers
Country of origin stickers (e.g. GB stickers) must be used in Greece, unless
your license plate has the sticker pre-applied.
Headlights
Right-hand drive cars must be adapted using headlight deflectors before you
can drive in Greece, even during daylight hours. Spare bulbs are
recommended.
Alcohol
The blood alcohol limit is very low at 0.25 milligrams of alcohol per litre
of blood (much lower than the UK at 0.4mg/l) so the simple advise is don't
drink and drive. However, despite the Greek police finally cracking down,
the Greek drivers themselves are still likely to have several drinks before
venturing onto the roads, which become more dangerous as the night wears on.
See our guide to
maximum blood alcohol limits.
Seat belts
Seat belts must be worn front and rear.
Children
Children under 10 cannot travel in the front seats.
Signs
Road signs are written in Greek and phonetically in English.
Alenda Car Rental has taken care to
ensure that the information in this website was correct at the time of
publication. However, we can take no responsibility for any harm, or
misfortune, caused by following the advice on this website. You should
always consult the authorities in the country in which you are travelling
for up-to-date advice. |
Suppliers include:
Agg, Alamo, AA, Auto Europa, AutoUnion,
Avis, Budget, Crown, Drive A Matic, Easy Car, Europa, EuroPark, Europcar,
Fox Autorent, Haro, Helle Hollis, Berent, Rentauto, National, Sixt, Niza
Cars, Star Rent a Car, Stoutes, Thrifty.
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