Route idea
Cape Sounion
The Temple of Poseidon stands at Cape Sounion on the Attica coast. Plan the visit around current opening information and allow time for coastal stops.
Greece · Athens Airport
Car rental at Athens Airport
Compare car rental at Athens Airport (ATH), with guidance on collection, vehicle choice and planning journeys around mainland Greece.
ATHGreece
Athens Airport
Hiring a car in Athens
Hiring a car at Athens Airport
Athens Airport (ATH) is a useful collection point when your trip continues into Attica, the Peloponnese or central Greece. If you are leaving the city area after landing, airport collection can fit the start of that journey.
The airport has public transport connections into Athens. If your first days are focused on the city, compare collecting later with paying for an unused rental and parking.
For a mainland trip ending elsewhere, compare a permitted one-way rental with returning to ATH. If islands follow, price separate rentals before assuming the mainland car can go with you.
From Athens
Where can you go from Athens Airport?
Use these route ideas to shape an itinerary, then check current access and visitor information before travelling.
Route idea
Delphi
Delphi’s archaeological site can form part of a central Greece itinerary. Check site opening information and plan accommodation around the driving day rather than rushing several distant stops.
Route idea
Nafplio
Nafplio offers a historic coastal stop in the Peloponnese. Use it as one part of a regional itinerary and confirm parking with your accommodation.
Further north
Meteora as a longer trip
Meteora’s rock-top monasteries suit a longer mainland itinerary. Allow separate time for the journey and visits, and check each monastery’s access and opening arrangements.
Route idea
Attica without a city drive
Consider a route through Attica if you want coastal stops before or after the mainland journey. Check your accommodation’s parking and local access instructions.
Plan your collection
When should you collect your car?
Match rental days to when you will actually use the vehicle.
Road trip first
Collect when leaving Athens
Airport collection can suit a trip beginning outside central Athens soon after arrival. Allow time for the rental paperwork and an unhurried first drive.
City first
Visit the city before collecting
Compare public transport into Athens and a later collection date if the first part of the trip is in the city.
Island next
Separate mainland and island bookings
If Crete or Rhodes follows, compare a separate island rental with the cost and permission involved in transporting a vehicle.
Look beyond the headline
What to check before booking
Compare the complete price, deposit, excess and collection conditions alongside the vehicle. Check ferry permission if your journey continues beyond this travel area.
Don't compare rentals on headline price alone.
01
Total price
Compare the final price, including airport charges, extra drivers, child seats, late collection and any one-way fee. Check cancellation terms as well as the daily rate.
02
Deposit and payment card
Confirm the deposit amount, accepted card types and whether the payment card must be in the main driver’s name. Check how and when the deposit is released.
03
Insurance and excess
Compare the damage and theft excess and exclusions for glass, tyres and the underbody. Check how any separate reimbursement cover works.
04
Collection method
Read the booking-specific instructions: a terminal desk, an outdoor collection point and a shuttle or meeting service can involve different arrangements.
05
Vehicle and transmission
Check luggage capacity and passenger space. Select automatic transmission explicitly if needed; an example model does not guarantee the exact vehicle.
06
Fuel and mileage
Confirm the fuel level required on return, refuelling charges and whether mileage is limited.
07
Licence and drivers
Bring your original valid driving licence and the identification required by your supplier. Requirements depend on the licence’s country of issue; verify whether an International Driving Permit or translation is needed for Greece and confirm the supplier’s age and licence-holding conditions before booking.
08
Ferries and one-way rentals
Do not assume a rental car can travel on a ferry. Ask the supplier about permission, any written approval, ferry cover and charges before booking. Compare separate rentals on each island with transporting one vehicle. Check whether a different return location is offered and compare the full fee.
09
Mainland tolls
Mainland motorway routes can involve tolls. Follow the payment signs for the lane you use; on Olympia Odos, cash and card payment options are available alongside electronic-pass lanes. If the car has a toll device, ask how it is charged and whether service fees apply.
mainland Greece by car
Plan a manageable driving itinerary
Choose between an Attica coastal outing, a Peloponnese route and a longer central Greece journey before fixing the rental dates. They involve different driving days and overnight stops.
Greece drives on the right. If you normally drive on the left, take extra care when leaving the airport, a car park or a fuel station and when joining the road after a stop.
Mainland motorway routes can involve tolls. Follow the payment signs for the lane you use; on Olympia Odos, cash and card payment options are available alongside electronic-pass lanes. If the car has a toll device, ask how it is charged and whether service fees apply.
At Athens Airport
Confirm your collection instructions
Athens Airport lists rental company service at the Arrivals level of the Main Terminal Building. This does not mean every offer uses a terminal desk: use your supplier’s voucher for the exact meeting point and vehicle collection route.
Meeting point
Read the voucher for the exact desk or meeting place, supplier contact number and any shuttle procedure.
Flight and opening hours
Provide the flight number if requested. Check desk hours, delay procedures, late-collection fees and what to do if arrival is after closing.
Before driving away
Record existing damage with dated photos and the handover report. Check the fuel level, controls, child seats and emergency contact details.
Return arrangements
Confirm the return address, fuel requirement, inspection process and procedure outside staffed hours.
Choosing your car
What kind of car do you need from Athens Airport?
A smaller car can be useful for town parking, while longer mainland trips with several passengers may put luggage space first. Check parking arrangements before driving to historic centres.
Book the transmission you need and choose for the paved roads on your route. Read restrictions on unpaved roads and confirm child seats in advance.
Before you drive away
Check the rental conditions
Confirm the terms for the specific supplier and vehicle before booking.
Mainland tolls
Mainland motorway routes can involve tolls. Follow the payment signs for the lane you use; on Olympia Odos, cash and card payment options are available alongside electronic-pass lanes. If the car has a toll device, ask how it is charged and whether service fees apply.
Driving licence
Bring your original valid driving licence and the identification required by your supplier. Requirements depend on the licence’s country of issue; verify whether an International Driving Permit or translation is needed for Greece and confirm the supplier’s age and licence-holding conditions before booking.
Ferries and borders
Do not assume a rental car can travel on a ferry. Ask the supplier about permission, any written approval, ferry cover and charges before booking. Compare separate rentals on each island with transporting one vehicle. Obtain permission before any proposed cross-border journey.
Before you book
Car rental at Athens Airport FAQs
Should I collect a car immediately at Athens Airport?
Collecting on arrival can suit an immediate mainland road trip. If you are visiting central Athens first, compare public transport and renting only when you leave the city.
Where are the airport rental desks?
The airport lists rental company service at Main Terminal Arrivals. Follow your booking’s instructions because the desk and vehicle collection arrangements depend on the supplier.
Can I drive from Athens Airport to Crete or Rhodes?
Crete and Rhodes are islands, so a mainland car would need sea transport. Compare separate island rentals and check ferry permission and cover before making any transport booking.
Will my mainland trip involve tolls?
Mainland motorway routes can involve tolls. Follow the payment signs for the lane you use; on Olympia Odos, cash and card payment options are available alongside electronic-pass lanes. If the car has a toll device, ask how it is charged and whether service fees apply.
What driving licence do I need?
Bring your original valid driving licence and the identification required by your supplier. Requirements depend on the licence’s country of issue; verify whether an International Driving Permit or translation is needed for Greece and confirm the supplier’s age and licence-holding conditions before booking.
How do I book an automatic?
Select automatic transmission when comparing offers and confirm it in the booked vehicle category. Check passenger and luggage capacity as well.
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Compare price, deposit, excess, vehicle and collection conditions before booking.
