Driving in Greece

[unicornsarereal1]

Hi, has anyone driven in Greece before?
I've never driven abroad - I'm in the UK - slightly nervous about driving on the opposite side of the road etc even though I've held a driving license for over 10 years .....

Just wondering on other people's experiences before I go ahead and book a hire car

Locals like to drive very close and the roads are often dirt tracks on the islands. It is nothing like driving in the UK.

Do check in case I'm wrong, but I think the roundabout rules are different. Priority is given to cars coming on to the roundabout, not cars already on it. It's a bit mad.

Oh no ... maybe I need a re-think then

It's much easier driving a hire car which is set up for driving on the right rather than using your own car to drive on the wrong side.
Have driven on a couple if the islands with no real issues. Roads outside the main areas can be variable though 😁
It's easier if you are with another driver. I usually concentrate purely on the driving while DH navigates. Even with a sat bag, it's useful if someone can be checking junctions, turnings etc for you - the layout, rather than whether there is any traffic.
I find roundabouts tricky.

I'm going with another adult so could add them onto the insurance as well I guess. Also have a sat nav for use out there ....

We're going to Corfu - maybe I'll brave it then - I could just go slow I guess. the transfers are so expensive whereas to hire the car for a week is less than 1/4 of the cost of the transfers

Depends where you are going. Some of the roads are very twisty, and local traffic a bit devil may care, but if you're in a town you'll be ok

Corfu isn't too crazy for driving, but very different to the U.K. Be assertive and expect lots of beeping!

I'll try to post more tomorrow but briefly: roundabout rules are different (traffic on the roundabout has to stop for traffic entering the roundabout) unless there are stop signs for the cars entering the roundabout (in which case it operates like an English roundabout).

Stop signs are used A LOT. So really at most junctions without traffic lights that aren't major roads, you should slow down and check to see who has the stop sign before you carry on driving. On smaller roads especially, you may want to slow down for junctions even if you have priority as people often cross stop signs when they shouldn't.

I think you'll be fine though if you're careful. I've had friends who have come over and driven here and we've not had a problem.

We nearly always hire a car when abroad and haven't ever had a problem.

I just drive more carefully I suppose. Like stop at every little junction and double check every direction. I am extra careful, and a bit slower at roundabouts too. I find that some locals will take the piss once they see a tourists hire car, like they'll pull out when it's not their turn etc

Really helpful. We are going to Crete for a week. I knew about the roundabout thing. I've seen that in other countries. Never experienced it as a driver.

We drove in Crete and it was fine. Lots of European money gone into upgrading main roads in recent years.

Thank you @SileneOliveira .

We got a hire car in Kos last summer. It was interesting but an experience Im glad we had.

The being on the other side of the road threw me a bit, and I was forever grabbing the door handle rather than the handbreak but soon got into it 🤣

The only other thing was the roundabouts. Priority/give way goes to those getting onto the roundabout which is odd. And I was a bit nervous about going round them the wrong way. But the lanes leading up to them make it really simple.

Oh and don't trust Google maps. A rickety hand made local road sign is always going to win !

Lots and lots of mopeds. Me and DP saw one guy riding a moped on the motorway wearing nothing but a pool inflatable

Not the easiest of countries but depends where - Rhodes was ok, Athens never again!

yes driving in Athens can be crazy! But I've see worse!

I driven abroad a lot. In my car in Northern Europe so with the wheel on the wrong side and in a hire car in Spain, Portugal and Greece. The Canaries were the nicest and easiest.
Greece was by far the scariest.
Lots of hairpin bends up and down mountains, very poor roads and the locals give only a cursory nod to the rules. Also lots of mopeds and tourists who aren't used to the roads.
Unless you think you'd really enjoy it I'd just get a taxi from the airport.

Depends where you are driving in Greece. We drove round Northern Greece - loads of lovely new roads. But inside Thessoloniki - no way! Did that on foot thank-you very much and picked up car later.

I drove in Rhodes and it was fine. I didn’t drive into Rhodes town though, and went on the bus for €2 - one look at the twisty turny roads in the town and I was very glad.

I found the car set up very odd and have actually preferred driving a UK car abroad as everything is still in the right place. Hire an automatic if you can as less to get confused with being on the wrong side.

I loved it, the freedom to go and explore our of the way places was definitely worth it.

Have driven in southern Greece (on Mainland) twice now. It's fine and you get to see a lot more. Roads no worse than ones in UK (although I do use some pretty bad UK roads). (Rather crazy overtaking practices, but everyone seems to drive more carefully as a result because they know a car might come round a bend on their side of the road.)

Hire a car which is powerful enough to take the hill bends though if you're going into the mountains.

Driving in Corfu will be fine! How much have you been quoted for transfers as we go to Corfu a lot and transfers are always much cheaper than hiring a car! Hoppa do good deals but if you join a Corfu fb forum you can get quotes from local firms. For example from the airport to Roda in peak season we've paid around €40-50 for a taxi for 4, much cheaper than car hire. Lots also have minibuses and that was even cheaper for 11 of us.
If you are driving then the coastal roads can seem a bit scary with sheer drops and big buses coming towards you but you have more room than you think! Most holiday islands are used to tourists hiring cars and not being used to the roads.
Hiring a car is s good way to see the island but if it's just for cost then look at local taxis for transfers as the local bus service is pretty good and you can arrange pretty much what trips you want in resort - and haggle over the price if you are booking more than one plus a return transfer.

Thanks everyone!
It's an hours drive from the airport to our hotel - transfers were costing nearly €230 with hoppa and taking 2.5 hours.

I've just booked a car for €80 for the week so driving is definitely happening ha!
I feel reassured reading the thread back .. there's no going back now anyway ha!

In addition to what the pp’s babe said:
Get a good road map as well as the Sat Nav, or you’ll find yourself driving on goat paths 🐐. (Crete)
Watch out for goats and other wandering livestock.
Hire a car with enough power to get up hills AND have the air conditioning on - we had to choose between them in an underpowered car in 38 degree heat! (Rhodesia)

*have not babe
Rhodes not fucking Rhodesia!
And I bloody checked this before I posted!!

We went to Corfu last year. We were staying in kalami so it was an hours drive from the airport. Definitely get a sat nav and what I thoroughly recommend is going on google street maps and taking a virtual tour on the actual journey as that really helps. Look out for landmarks that will help you .