Before hitting the road in Greece, it is important to understand the subtle differences between driving laws there and in the United States. For example, it is generally illegal to honk in urban areas of the country and the use of cell phones is prohibited while driving throughout Greece.
Fortunately, however, many of the rules and regulations governing the operation of a motor vehicle are similar to those in the rest of the European Union, so once you understand the Greek driving laws, you are ready to travel almost anywhere in the region.
Checklist for driving in Greece:
- An international driver’s license
- Must be at least 18 years of age
- Security test
Handling requirements
Unless you are a member of the European Union, you will need to acquire an International Driving License (IDL) before renting a car in Greece. If you plan to drive your own car, you need valid registration and internationally valid proof of insurance (check with your insurance company beforehand) in addition to your IDL.
However, while operating a motor vehicle in Greece, most police officers generally accept a recognizable photography license. US state licenses have been easily accepted in the past, but we recommend having an IDL as a useful second form of identification anyway.
Rules of the street
While many of the laws and regulations governing driving are the same in Greece as they are in the United States, Greek driving laws have some slight variations, including the need to have an International Driver’s License and the country’s total ban of using a cell phone while driving.
- Using your horn: Technically, using your car’s horn is illegal in towns and urban areas, except in emergencies. However, on high mountain roads, give a short beep before turning a blind curve to alert oncoming traffic of your presence.
- Parking: When in urban areas, parking is prohibited within nine feet of a fire hydrant, 15 feet from an intersection, or 45 feet from a bus stop (although this may not be marked). In some areas, street parking requires the purchase of a ticket from a booth. These areas will generally be marked with signs in English and Greek.
- Seat Belts – Seat belts must be used by front seat passengers. However, since Greece has a high accident rate, rear seat passengers may also want to fasten their seat belts.
- Children: Passengers under the age of 10 cannot sit in the front seat. Also, children under the age of 3 must use a car seat.
- Speed limits: Typically, urban areas have speed limits of 50 kilometers per hour (30 miles per hour) while non-urban highways have a speed limit of 110 kilometers per hour (68 miles per hour), and motorways and expressways have speed limits of up to 120 kilometers per hour (75 miles per hour).
- Highways: The two special highways called Ethniki Odos , National Road, require tolls, which vary and must be paid in cash.
- Cell Phones: It is illegal to use your cell phone while driving in Greece. Violators can be arrested and fined. Periodic offensives are bringing this point home.
- Roadside Assistance: The Automobile and Touring Club of Greece (ELPA) offers coverage to members of AAA (Triple-A), CAA and other similar assistance services, but any driver can contact them. To quickly access ELPA while in Greece, dial 104 or 154 on your phone (while not driving).
- Tickets: Traffic tickets and parking tickets are quite expensive, often costing hundreds of euros each.
- Driving Side – Drive on the right side of the road as you would in the United States.
- In case of emergency: For visitors to Greece, dial 112 for help in multiple languages. Dial 100 for police, 166 for fire, and 199 for ambulance service. For highway service, dial 104 or 154 for ELPA.
Driving in the middle of the road
Driving in the middle of the road is very common in Greece, especially on narrow roads, and it is not necessarily a bad idea if you are hoping to avoid a sudden obstruction such as rock falls, grazing goats, or an unexpected parked car. However, when navigating tight corners, you will want to stay to the right of the road and be sure to honk your horn before making the turn.
Traffic circles and roundabouts
Traffic circles and roundabouts are standard in many European countries, but may be new to many American drivers. These circles serve as a kind of perpetual motion intersection, keeping traffic flowing without the use of signal lights, which sounds more difficult than it actually is. Basically the traffic inside the roundabout has the right of way, but you need to slow down as you approach the circle and merge smoothly into the flow without much of a problem.
Athens restricted area
Downtown Athens and other major Greek cities restrict access to cars to reduce congestion, based on whether or not the car’s license plate ends in an odd or even number. While these restrictions do not apply to rental cars, you should be more courteous to pedestrian traffic when driving in these areas of Athens, as locals expect tourists to be the majority of drivers on the roads here.
