Driving Tips in Greece

Our Driving Tips series gives you the need-to-know advice for driving abroad!

Driving in Greece can be different from driving in the UK so it’s a good idea to learn the road rules of the country before your road trip. Sixt has provided this guide below for all of our customers to read through before they travel to Greece.

Click to jump to: Speed Limits Rules & Regulations What to Bring Along

Speed Limits in Greece

These are the standard legal limits when driving in Greece, which may be varied by signs which are shown.

In Urban Areas	50 km/h
On open roads	110 km/h
Motorways	120 km/h

Greece Driving Rules and Regulations

Here are some rules and driving tips that you should make yourself aware of before you start your road trip in Greece.

• Drive on the right-hand side of the road.
• All occupants of the vehicle must wear seat belts when fitted.
• Children under 10 may not travel in the front seat. Child seats are mandatory for children up to age 4.
• Children between 3 and 11 years, measuring less than 1.35m must be seated in an appropriate child restraint for their size.
• Use of a mobile phone is illegal whilst driving.
• It is illegal to have a level of alcohol in the bloodstream of more than 0.05 per cent.
• The middle lane of a three-lane highway is for passing.
• Dipped headlights should be used in poor daytime visibility.
• The use of full beam headlights in towns is strictly prohibited.
• Traffic already on a roundabout has to stop and give way to traffic entering the roundabout.
• In Greece it is prohibited to overtake at bottlenecks, humps in the road, on bends, at pedestrian crossings, at junctions and when there is inadequate visibility
• Changing lanes on junctions is forbidden in Greece.

What to Bring Along

• Full UK driver’s licence
• Warning triangle in case of breakdown
• Reflective jacket
• Make sure you have a current GPS and road map of the area that you are driving in.

Additional Information

• There are two toll roads in Greece. One goes from Athens to the Peloponnesus and the other goes from Athens to Thessaloniki.
• In the major cities of Greece, on-street parking is virtually non-existent so you should use the available parking lots.
• You are not allowed to park within 3 metres of a fire hydrant, within 5 metres of a junction, or within 15 metres of a public transport stop. If you park in a No Parking zone in Athens or certain other areas, the police may remove your licence plates if you owe a traffic fine or fines.
• Police can impose fines but not collect them on the spot. The fine must be paid at a Public Treasury office within 10 days.
• You can be fined for the unnecessary use of a car horn.
• Snow chains may be used when roads are covered with snow or ice, usually between November and March. The maximum speed limit for cars with chains is 50 kph.
• Watch out for animals on the road, sometimes they can wander onto roads so be prepared.

Rely on Sixt for your car hire needs in Greece

If you need more information about driving on Greek roads with your rental vehicle, our friendly local staff will be happy to advise. In Greece we have stations in major travel hubs and airports, and in cities, islands and towns such as Athens, Crete, Zakynthos, Kos, Thessaloniki, and many more.

Browse all Sixt Stations in Greece