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Car rental in Greece. Traffic rules in Greece and fines

Do you love sauna? When the heat permeates your whole body? In every cell, in every chromosome? Yes? Then it's time for you to go to Greece! And imagine the situation that you took a steam bath in the sauna, you leave the bathhouse, and the same sauna is outside the door. This is Greece in the summer. Vacationers can hide under the air conditioner, but for travelers, the only salvation is a car.

Well, where Car rental in Greece, there are questions about roads, especially in Greece there are toll roads and, making up the route, they are small, but, nevertheless, expenses should be taken into account.

So, what about the roads in Greece? The roads in Greece are good. A lot of them. They are different. We talked about how rural roads look in the article. It's not just dirt roads. These are roads slightly littered with large stones.

If you do not dream of getting out of your car every minute to remove a stone from your narrow path, then choose big roads, freeways and highways. A lot of them.

See for yourself:

  • The length of public roads throughout Greece is 117,000 km.
  • Paved roads 107,406 km.
  • Motorways for 1600 km.

The concept of "paved roads" includes asphalt roads. In the countryside (where we were - the road to Halkidiki), paved roads are similar to our own: the asphalt swells and fails in places. So what to do? - nature rules. Hard surface against grass. The cover loses.

After adventures with rural roads, Galya and I made it a rule to drive along the same 1,600 km of motorways. And they didn't regret it!

You can learn about the driving style of the Greeks from the article.

Road signs limiting speed

Speed ​​limits in Greece are standard.
For auto:

  • 50 km/h in built-up areas
  • 90 km/h outside built-up areas
  • 110 km/h on the road
  • 130 km/h on the autobahn

We heard stories from acquaintances how they were speeding along the autobahn at a speed of 170 km/h and covered the distance super fast. We ourselves did not see signs allowing movement at this speed. We suggest you calculate the travel time based on the realities and permit signs.

Travel expenses

When we prepare a route, we take into account both large and small expenses. Small ones tend to accumulate and turn into medium ones. Therefore, we advise you to pay attention to the details:

1. When we rent a car, we make sure in advance that we take it one way - one way. Those. We take in one place, for example, in, and rent it in another place, for example, in Athens and we do not pay for the return trip of the car in Thessaloniki.

  • Information for those who take the car for the first time:

There is such a clause in the rental agreement - one way (one way) you take a car or round trip. Note! If your route is looped - from where you left, you returned there, then - there are no problems. If your itinerary does not involve returning to the starting point of the trip, then carefully study the contract. The issue price can be 200 and 300 euros. Depending on the travel distance.

2. Part of the roads and some objects - tunnels and bridges in Greece are paid. So the journey along the famous longest cable-stayed bridge in Europe Rio - Antirio, connecting Greece and the Peloponnese peninsula, costs: for cars 13.20 euros, for motorcycles 1.90 euros.

The fare for the Aktio - Preveza tunnel for a passenger car is from 3 euros and 0.70 euros for a motorcycle.

Rio - Antirio - the longest cable-stayed bridge in Europe

3. When preparing the route, we select the road and look in Google Maps to see if there are toll sections on it and where they are.

4. In the same place, in Google Maps, you can roughly estimate how much gasoline you need and how much money it will take. This information is also included in the lesson.

How much are toll roads

In Greece, different sections of the road are managed by different management companies. The fee is based on the distance travelled. We have written in detail about prices and which roads are tolled.

We pay before entering the toll section of the road.

The place of payment is impossible to miss. Don't worry, you won't pass by. Tariffs and pictures hang on the bridge. Fares are calculated based on vehicle height and number of axles. Actually the picture quickly makes it clear where you better get up and how much to pay.

For household expenses, you can estimate about 2 to 3 euros. For auto.
It is better to keep money at hand and prepare a trifle. There are no queues. Everything is done quickly.

Gasoline in Greece

In our opinion, the most convenient way to travel around Greece is by car. But with gasoline you need to be careful. We hit history when there was a gas station strike in Greece. Left without gasoline. Since then, Galya and I have been trying to keep the tank full. Without fanaticism, within reasonable limits. What we wish you.

Greece is so big and interesting that it makes no sense to take a sightseeing tour there - you still won't see much. And due to the underdevelopment of rail and bus transport, the only option for moving around the country of the Hellenes is a car. How to travel around Greece by car - this article is about it.

I didn’t say about the rest of the transport in vain, you can fly to Corfu, Thessaloniki and Kalamata, rare trains run from Athens to the Peloponnese, there are suburban buses, but 90% of the sights are not in cities, and only tourist buses with booked excursions go there, of course, it's expensive.

For the trip we chose an ordinary city small-sized car (author's word). It is convenient in cities on not the widest streets and in general on roads without complaints - good maneuverability and speed. The only thing is that she took the climb uphill very badly, but we came across this only once in the reserve in the south of the Peloponnese. True, the distances between the sights are large, a certain comfort also does not hurt.


As you can see in the photo, the sticker of the distributor is present, and is present on all rental cars, this immediately distinguishes your car from the locals, especially in case of parking in the wrong place

The roads in Greece are good, in the countryside and in the mountains the roadway is slightly worse, but there are no serious comments. The main thing here is not to look at the beauty around you. First of all, this concerns the mountains in the north in the Ioannina region, and the reserve in the Kalamata region in the south. The rest are endless hills with fields, and olive groves in the countryside.


Cape Sounio


Gulf of Corinth


Somewhere in the mountains in the north


Mycenae


Mountains near Kalamata


Bridge at Sparta


In the area of ​​Ioannina

Rules, markings and signs in Greece are standard. Nothing complicated. Pointers to the sights are present and quite well lead to where you need to go even without a navigator. Look for brown signs, however, in the Peloponnese such signs are constantly, sometimes ruins, sometimes a church.

The locals drive in a civilized manner, they love speed, but other than that, they don’t particularly violate and don’t cause problems.

gas stations. Gas stations in Greece are located mainly in cities and small towns, there are almost none on the roads and highways, since settlements are quite common. In central Greece, this case is worse. Almost all gas stations are private and no matter what brand, sometimes there is one gas station near the house. You don't need any cards or anything. We drove up, gave the tanker a bill and said what kind of gasoline to fill. Usually I gave another coin for the service. I can’t say anything about the quality of gasoline, but there was a case near Athens, when gasoline was suspiciously quickly gone, possibly diluted with water.

Toll roads. There are many toll roads in Greece, and for the most part they have no alternative. Near Athens, this is the road from the airport to the city, you won’t be able to bypass it - it’s too long to go around. Further from Athens, the toll road goes to the Peloponnese to Tripoli in the center of the peninsula. And north to Thessaloniki. In addition, there is a toll road in the west of mainland Greece along the cities of Angelokastro and Amfilochia, but there it is still being built in places and so far you can drive for free. Roads are not very expensive - 2-4 euros every 30-50 km. With payment, everything is quite simple - you drive up to the booth, the cost is displayed on the scoreboard - you give the money and drive through.


You can drive 130.


The fare is on the left of the booth and right on the monitor

There are also toll bridges in Greece, most of them you are unlikely to pass, but the Millennium Bridge across the Corinthian Gulf in the Patras region will most likely be able to pass, the alternative is a detour of at least 600 km. But the journey is also expensive - 11.5 euros for the bridge for a couple of kilometers.

parking. In Greece, there are no problems with parking at all, put it wherever you want. In large cities, there are plenty of places where you can get up for free, there are no parking meters here, you either can park or you can’t, but you big cities and almost no need. For the whole trip, I did not pay a single euro for parking. But all this does not apply to Athens, there is a wild situation with parking, a night costs 15-25 euros, paid places on the side of the road are full, you can’t stand in the places for residents. I was driving in Athens only one night and it cost me 43 euro fine...I advise you not to drive into this city by car.

Animals. Perhaps main feature traveling in Greece by car is a huge number of animals on the roads. This is especially true of the south of the Peloponnese, where there is almost no civilization. As it gets dark, all the flora and fauna runs out onto the road - cats, dogs, turtles, snakes, foxes, various rodents. Someone's eyes glow in the dark almost every kilometer. And from this a huge number of corpses of downed animals on the roads. In general, be careful.


Here is a rare specimen of the local fauna - our Niva


Another one...

cameras. There are a lot of cameras on the roads. But the main secret for me at the same time is that no one observes the speed. I trudged along like a turtle, leaving Athens, and I was overtaken by a local at the crossroads under the camera on red with a strong excess. That is, the navigator tells me that there is a camera ahead, I slow down, and a stream of cars rushes past me, and no one cares about the camera. What's the catch - I did not understand. I even wanted to ask the locals. But I have not seen any accidents in Greece. Much later, I was told that most of the cameras are now turned off, since the standard of living has fallen due to the crisis and the Greeks are not going to pay fines ... in general, a matter of faith


Pointer on the right to the cameras and to the post of collection of money


rear camera


camera in the face


rear camera

Police. I didn’t see ambushes or policemen on the roads in general, although I traveled all over Greece. Once, however, I was stopped by the police just on the highway when I drove into it without letting this police car go by. That's all.

Roadside life in Greece is poorly developed, in some places they sell oranges and olive oil, but basically everything is empty. Large shops and gas stations should be looked for on the outskirts of the city.

My trip went well - without excesses and other troubles.

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Everything a tourist needs to know about car rental in Greece: cost, documents, insurance, traffic rules, toll roads, as well as the main car rental companies in Greece.

Rent a car in Greece and go on an exciting trip around the mainland or fly to Rhodes or Crete and travel around the island in a week - the choice is yours. And we will try to provide you with all the necessary information for a comfortable trip. When going on a trip to Greek cities and villages without knowing the language, keep in mind that the inscriptions on the signs are duplicated in English only on highways and in cities, and on roads local importance and in Crete it is customary to use only Greek. We do not recommend renting a car to travel around Athens - traffic in the city is chaotic, with parking in the center of the problem, and you can easily get stuck in a traffic jam. For trips in mountainous areas, choose an all-wheel drive car, and in cities it is more convenient to drive around and park, having a compact subcompact at your disposal.

In Greek, car rental is ενοικίαση αυτοκινήτων, but you can also refer to the signs "rent a car". In the high season (from mid-June to mid-September), it makes sense to book a car in advance via the Internet, and in the low season, on the contrary, negotiate on the spot, demanding a discount. Booking through a hotel or guide provides a guarantee of the reliability of the rental broker, but slightly increases the price. Local distributors have traditionally lower prices than international companies, but the level of support in the event of an accident can be limping.

The approximate cost of renting an economy class car is 30-50 EUR per day, on the islands it is always a little more expensive.

In Greek rental companies, you can often get a car without leaving a deposit either in cash or by freezing funds on the card. You need to return the car with the same amount of gasoline in the tank with which you received it.

Often, contrary to expectations, the prices on the rental company's website differ by one and a half to two times (in a big way) from the prices in their office. Using the intermediary services of a guide, get something in between these two values.

Documents, insurance

To rent a car in Greece, you will need a driver's license (often our national one is quite suitable, but with an IDP, the choice of rental offices becomes wider). The age of the driver must be at least 21 years old (in some agencies, at least 23 years old and not more than 70 years old), with at least a year of experience. The cost of car rental in Greece usually includes: fire insurance and civil liability. TPC - Theft Protection Coverage (insurance against theft) and different types CASCO: CDW- insurance with deductible; Super CDW - insurance with a deductible, the amount of which decreases with a daily surcharge; FDW - full CASCO (does not include compensation for a perforated wheel, damage to the bottom, broken windshield or rearview mirror). Sometimes an additional payment may be assigned for each kilometer that you drive, and will be taken from you when you return the car - be careful when concluding a contract.

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Fuel and refills

At Greek gas stations, you can fill up with 95th and 98th unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel (petreleo). Leaded gasoline is not sold. It is not allowed to transport gasoline in canisters. On the islands, gasoline is always slightly more expensive than on the mainland, due to the need to transport it by water. Many gas stations close at 19:00, but there is always one round-the-clock gas station per city.

Traffic Laws

Dipped beam during the day is mandatory only in conditions of poor visibility, the rest of the time its use is prohibited. Children under 3 years of age can only travel in special seats, and under 11 years of age they are not allowed to ride in the front seat. Seat belts must be fastened for everyone in the car. Talking on the phone "with the use of hands" is prohibited. An audible signal is allowed to be used only in case of danger of an accident.

Speed ​​limit in Greece. Settlement: 50 km/h. Outside built-up area: 90 km/h. Road: 110 km/h. Motorway: 130 km/h.

Make sure that the car you rented is equipped with everything you need: a warning triangle, a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher. It is prohibited to use and transport radar detectors in Greece.

Greece is the leader among European countries in terms of the number of accidents. Greek drivers are often dismissive of traffic rules. You should not follow their example.

On the streets of Greek cities there are specific signs: "Parking is prohibited on this side of the road on odd months" and "Parking is prohibited on this side of the road on even months."

fines

In Greece, traffic police officers do not have the right to collect fines on the spot. The receipt issued by them must be paid at the bank, and in the same region in which the fine was issued. For prompt payment of the fine (up to 10 days) - 50% discount. However, if payment is delayed, the amount of the fine can increase significantly. For a short-term car rental, you can give the receipt (and money, of course) to the rental company along with the car. They will pay the fine themselves.

The permitted blood alcohol content of a driver in Greece is 0.5‰. For drivers with experience less than 2 years - 0.2 ‰.

Some amounts of fines: speeding - from 40 EUR to 350 EUR; incorrect parking - 120 EUR; non-use of seat belts - 350 EUR or even a short-term deprivation of rights; talking on the phone without hands free - 150 EUR or even a short-term deprivation of rights; drunk driving - from 200 EUR to 2000 EUR, possible imprisonment; passing a red light or crossing a double solid line - 1050 EUR; violation of the rules for transporting children - 80-100 EUR; the presence of a radar detector in the car - 2000 EUR.

Toll roads

In full accordance with the famous statement, there are also toll roads in Greece. The fee for each paid section is usually 2.80-4.80 EUR. On the Egnatia motorway, which stretches from west to east almost across the entire mainland of Greece, there are 5 payment points, at each of them you will have to leave 2.80 EUR.

Sections with special payment: the underwater tunnel Aktio - Preveza (passage for cars - 3 EUR) and the 3-kilometer bridge Rio - Antirio (passage for cars - 13.20 EUR).

Parking in Greece

Like almost everywhere in Europe, in the center of large Greek cities it is not easy to find a place where you can park for free and not get a ticket for your windshield. Do not try to save money by leaving the car in the wrong place. If you can't find free parking - park your car in paid parking. On the islands and coastal areas of the mainland, each port has large parking lots. True, from there it can be far from the main attractions.

The price of parking is different everywhere. Maybe you will be lucky to leave the car for an unlimited time for 2-3 EUR, and sometimes you have to fork out 2-3.50 EUR per hour. In Thessaloniki, for example, parking costs 3.5 EUR per hour. Best of all, the situation with free parking is in Crete. In Rhodes, paid parking is only in Rhodes (1.5 EUR per hour) and in Lindos (3 EUR per hour). You can park on the street only if there are white (free) or blue (paid) markings. Parking at the yellow line is prohibited.

The usual practice for Greece is that the first hour is the most expensive, and then it is cheaper. The exception is the new rules for the center of Athens.

Parking on the street in the center of Athens for city guests is only possible if the markings are made with white lines. Yellow lines indicate places for residents of the city. You will have to pay for parking on weekdays from 9 am to 9 pm and on Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm. On Sunday parking is free. You can park for a maximum of 3 hours, cost: 1 hour - 0.50-1 EUR, 2 hours - 2-3 EUR, 3 hours - 4-6 EUR.

The local police have the right to confiscate the license plates of an incorrectly parked car. This also applies to rental cars.

Prices on the page are for October 2018.

Renting a car in another country is convenient and profitable, but there are many nuances that are important to know before the trip. Today I will tell my story about a trip to Greece. What are the prices for travel on the roads, what are the fines, what should be feared and where is it better for a tourist to park, what you need to know when you rent a car. Only real impressions and facts.

Greece is definitely best country for recreation and tourism. Unique natural landscapes, incredible scenic spots, golden beaches, sea and mountains. All this is captivating and inspiring. I am more than satisfied with my trip to Greece. I plan to do it again in a while. My trip was not very standard, I planned the trip myself, without travel agencies. I won’t say that it turned out cheaper, but it’s certainly more informative, interesting and freer. To be honest, when traveling to other countries, I don’t like to be part of a tourist group and visit only what is supposed to be according to the plan. It's not uninteresting. I like to feel free and make decisions on my own. Therefore, upon arrival in Thessaloniki, I rented a car. And I absolutely did not regret it, because in the end I did not waste time waiting public transport, visited many interesting places and learned what Greek roads are. I will talk about this and much more.

First, a few words about how I prepared for the trip. I already had a Schengen visa. Since I got a Spanish tourist visa for a year. I just had a couple of months left before it ended. Naturally, I also had an IDP. The main thing is not to forget to take it with you along with your Russian license, just in case. It is also desirable to have separately notarized copies of all documents. If you suddenly lose your documents, and this sometimes happens, you can restore them much faster at the embassy.

And of course, you need to think about the connection too in advance. It is most profitable to buy local SIM cards, but, firstly, if you do not know the local language, it is quite difficult, and secondly, if you travel frequently to different countries, this is not so necessary, why save up a lot of SIM cards and spend time trying to figure out which fare is cheaper in that country. It is easier to buy one SIM card, which will be valid in several countries at once. I found one, and what is most surprising - I found it in Russia. Before traveling to Spain, I bought an Orange SIM card. I don’t need calls, but I do need the Internet, and there was just a bonus in Spain - 2GB of Internet. As a result, for the entire trip I did not spend a single cent from the balance. When I bought it, they also told me that it also operates in other countries. But the rate is a little different. I checked the site, the tariff is quite favorable - 1 euro per 100 MB. It seems that after 2GB this is very little, but in fact, if you do not sit for hours on the Internet and download nothing, this is quite enough. I decided that this was enough for me. Moreover, I still have 30 euros left on the card after the purchase. Activation is not difficult sent SMS “Go” to the service number and that's it. This time I went with a friend, advised him to buy such a card too. So we could still call up without problems. 1 euro provided an opportunity for 1 hour of calls within the country and to other Orange numbers.

Nuances of car rental in Greece and toll roads

In Greece, compared to the same Spain, which I recently talked about a trip to, the article, the requirements for tenants are a little tougher. Of course, as everywhere, we need driver's license international standard. But you can rent a car if you are over 25 years old and not more than 70 years old. So keep this fact in mind, in addition, you must drive for at least three years (for example, in Spain from 2). I note that the requirements in private companies that offer this service are a little more loyal. So if you don't meet any of the requirements I mentioned, check out private companies, you can even pre-book a car. I did just that, it's easier and calmer. In addition, it is possible to choose a model. By the way, the price of a simple economy class car starts from forty euros per day. The bigger the car, the more expensive. If you want to take part in the famous jeep safari, take a more powerful car. Although, the organizers themselves provide a vehicle (however, the price of such entertainment is not small).

In Greece, as in most European countries, there are toll roads. At the same time, the paved areas are divided between different companies. Therefore prices may vary. But in general, the cost depends on the distance traveled and the class of the vehicle. You have to pay at the entrance to the toll section of the road. Lowest rates for motorcycles, followed by cars without a trailer or with a trailer. I, of course, went without any additions. But this did not affect the price in any way. In Greece, they pay more attention to the height of the car and the number of axles. Therefore, prices start from 2.40 euros and up to 8 euros. You have to pay at every point. So, for the distance from Thessaloniki to Lamia (Aegean motorway) I paid 2.70 (electronic). I note that for some reason, manual payment is less profitable, for the same distance you need to pay more.

Each motorway has several toll points. Therefore, before drawing up a route, consider this fact. So, on the Moreas highway (the cities of Korinstos, Tripoli, Kalamanta) there are five toll stations in both directions.

In addition to toll motorways:

  • Aegean;
  • Moreas;
  • Olympia;
  • path;
  • Attiki;

There are other paid sites:

  • The Aktio Tunnel is the only underwater tunnel in Greece, thanks to which you can quickly get from Aitoloakarnania to Southern Greece. The cost of moving for an ordinary car up to 2 meters high is 3 euros.
  • The bridge Rio - Antirio connects the most important Greek cities of Athens, Corinth, Patras. I paid a little more than 13 euros for crossing the bridge, which is a little expensive for me, but I was ready for this. Since I made inquiries about prices on the official website in advance.

Parking in Greece

Parking in Greece personally surprised me with its prices and simple conditions. I was already educated because I had a bad experience in Italy ("Roads in Italy"). That's why I always arrive on time. And I advise you not to ignore the time frame, fines abroad are very expensive.

Thanks to new system parking, which has been introduced since 2006, everything has become much easier. Local residents have their own parking spaces (blue markings), and separate ones for tourists (white markings). There is also markup for special situations, special Vehicle(yellow lines). On weekdays, payment is made from 9 am to 9 pm, on weekends from 9 am to 4 pm. I parked my car for an hour and a half to have lunch at the restaurant and get some rest, paying only 0.75 euros. And these are loyal prices, guys. After my surprised look, the guy told me the intricacies of the Greek prices for parking spaces. So, in the first two hours the cost is 0.50 cents for 60 minutes, then more expensive. For example, for 2, 30 hours you will have to pay 4 euros, for 3 hours - 6. By the way, the maximum parking time is 3 hours. But I note that you should be careful and park only in designated areas. License plates can be taken away for illegal parking. This rule applies to local cars. Be carefull!

Basic traffic rules and fines in Greece

  • In the city no more than 50 km (such restrictions apply in most European countries).
  • Outside the settlement no more than 90 km per hour.
  • On the road, you can accelerate to 110 km per hour.
  • Speed ​​on the motorway up to 130 km per hour.

There are other restrictions for trailers, but this is not relevant for us. Although renting a trailer is also good idea if it is well equipped and you can live in it. Savings on the hotel, and decent.

Of course, let's talk about alcohol. Drunken drivers are not liked and favored abroad. The fines are impressive, so if you want to drink something alcoholic, then carefully monitor the amount. Permissible alcohol content is up to 0.5 ppm. If the figure is higher and reaches up to 0.8 ppm, then you will have to pay 200 euros. Alcotest showed from 0.8 to 1.1 the amount of a fine of 700 euros + a driving ban for 3 months. More than 1.1 ppm, the fine increases to 1200, and the ban - up to six months. In addition, they can be put in jail for 2 months (it was a shock to me when I found out). And if the driver has been repeatedly caught drunk driving over the past two years and the blood alcohol level is 1.1, then the fine will be 2,000 euros and imprisonment for up to 6 months + deprivation of rights for 5 years. Of course, this information does not apply to tourists, but the severity surprised me personally. Although, it is quite justified.

If the driving experience is less than three years, then the restrictions are more stringent (no more than 0.2 percent). The same rule applies to motorcyclists. By the way, the fine in this case is up to 250 euros.

Now for the other rules. It is customary for us to fasten only the driver and front passenger. In Greece, everyone should be wearing a seatbelt. Otherwise, a fine of up to 80 euros and confiscation of rights up to 20 days. By the way, during the trip, I decided to give a compatriot from Thessaloniki a lift to Lamia. Fortunately, I knew about this rule and immediately asked him to buckle up. By the way, this is another advantage of car rental, you can meet new, interesting people and do a good deed.

Also, do not talk on the phone when you are driving, in this case they can deprive you of your license for a month + a fine of 100 euros. If in Spain the policeman has the right to collect a fine on the spot, then in Greece the policemen do not take money. The receipt must be paid within ten days in one of the bank branches. Let me tell you a little more about penalties:

  • For speeding up to 20 km, the amount of the fine is 40 euros (the driver's license remains with the owner).
  • For exceeding from 21 to 30 km you will have to pay 100 euros (the rights are not taken away).
  • Exceeding more than 30 km, a fine of 350 euros and confiscation of rights for 60 days.
  • Travel to the red will cost 700 euros + confiscation of those. passports and numbers for 20 days.
  • They did not let a pedestrian pass - 200 euros and the confiscation of those. passports and numbers for 10 days.

In Greece, they sell unleaded and diesel fuel, but there is no leaded gasoline. There are not many gas stations, so keep this in mind when choosing a car. Gasoline prices are quite loyal, as for foreign countries:

  • 95 will cost 1.35 euros.
  • 98 in 1, 545 euros.
  • Diesel 0.97 euros.

By the way, I advise you to check the equipment of the car that you rented. If I had not been attentive, I would have had to answer for someone else's negligence. My rented car did not have a first aid kit, although it is required, as well as a fire extinguisher and an emergency sign.

Main emergency numbers in Greece:

  • 199 - fire service.
  • 100 - police.
  • 166 ambulance.
  • 171 - tourist police.

Having little experience in traveling and renting a car in different countries, I realized that this is a completely new experience that you will not get moving around the city in a tourist bus. After all, it is independent trips give us invaluable experience and develop. Do not be afraid to travel on your own, the main thing here is preparation, and with this I will help. Follow my new articles and learn useful, practical experience. Enjoy new opportunities as I do.

Going to travel in greece by car, you need to know the rules of traffic on the roads of the country and take into account the national characteristics of the driving of local residents.

On the territory of Greece, all highways are divided by a concrete fence or flower lawns into three lanes. All car roads well lit, in all directions you can find gas stations, cafes, as well as pockets for exiting the road.

Motorway toll

Each highway belongs to certain territories, which are managed by different transport companies. The entrance fee is 1.2-9 euros, depending on the height of the car and the number of axles. Special images suggest which category the transport belongs to. Also, a fee of 13.2 euros is taken for movement on the Rio Antirio bridge, which connects the mainland with the Peloponnese peninsula. However, some, wanting to save money, are transported by ferry, paying only 6.5 euros.

Payment is made at special points where automatic payment kiosks are installed and cashiers work. You can also pay using an electronic pass, which is purchased in advance. There are practically no queues at the checkpoints.

Driving on the free highway

On the territory of Greece there are free roads that stretch along the highway. As a rule, they consist of one strip without dividing marks and their quality leaves much to be desired.

Going on a trip on a free road, you can easily get confused and go astray, as there are no signs along the way. And the lack of high-quality lighting and signs of dangerous turns increases the accident rate on the road. Even local motorists will not tell you how to get on a free road. Therefore, it is better to use the toll motorway and save your nerves than to save a few euros and crash your car on poor quality roads.

More or less free roads have been repaired in the area of ​​settlements. There is lighting here, on all rises and serpentines the road expands to two lanes, there are signs and fences.

Driving on the roads of Greece

Of the three lanes, Greeks most often choose the second lane, adhering to a speed of up to 100 km per hour. There are practically no motorists in the right lane, and the first lane is occupied by speed riders who move at speeds up to 160 km per hour, despite the restrictions. Meanwhile, in the event of rain or snowfall, motorists reduce their speed to 80 km per hour.

Local motorists love to zigzag and maneuver between cars. Many of them don't want to follow the rules. traffic and deploy where it is convenient for them. At the same time, drivers rarely use the turn signal, but often honk.

In general, motorists in Greece drive a car very well, they like fast speed, but they don’t like serpentines. Therefore, they drive at maximum speeds along a straight road, and when a turn appears, they sharply reduce speed, often creating an emergency situation.

Traffic police in Greece

Police officers on the roads of Greece are distinguished by strictness and incorruptibility. Most often, the striped wand can be found on the roads of Athens and Thessaloniki. For a small excess of speed, they rarely stop, but non-compliance with other traffic rules entails large waste. The fine for running a red signal is 700 euros, for not wearing a seat belt - 150 euros, for talking on a cell phone while driving - 100 euros.

Do not bribe the police and swear at them because they stopped you. All issues should be resolved with the head in one of the police departments. It is important to remember that the issued fine must be paid within ten days, otherwise the payment amount is automatically doubled.

Parking in Greece

When traveling around the country by car, always leave the car in specially organized parking spaces. For this, parking is organized in the port area on all the islands. Otherwise, the traffic police will issue a receipt with a large fine for parking in the wrong place. Including the police have the right to confiscate license plates if necessary.

Since the roads in Greece are quite narrow, it is safest to park backwards. Thus, it will be more convenient to go to the track and merge into the general flow of cars. Before entering the road from the parking lot, it is necessary to use an emergency signal so that motorists can slow down in time.

Parking in the country is both paid and free. To use paid services, you need to buy a special parking card in advance, erase the arrival time on it and attach the card to inside car windshield.

On the territory of Athens, all parking lots are divided into zones that differ in color. Special services have the right to park on the territory designated yellow, local residents parking is blue and guest parking is white. The cost is from 0.5 to 6 euros, depending on the duration. More than three hours is prohibited in the parking lot.

Car rental in Greece

You can rent a car in Greece for at least one day at the airport, at the railway and bus stations or at any hotel. Vehicles are issued only to drivers over 21 years old, whose experience is at least a year. If the client rents a car for a week or more, he is offered favorable discounts.

The rental service is paid in cash or by credit card. Sometimes 1,000 euros are blocked as a deposit on a credit card for the period of using the car, which are returned after the rental car is returned. Also, the insurance premium when paying in cash is 350-450 euros.

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