| Driving in Greece | |
Road Rules of Greece
Note: Many of these rules are ignored by many Greek drivers, but tourists do so at their peril.
Minimum Age: Drivers must be 18.
Seat Belts: Must be used by front-seat passengers. With Greece's high accident rate, please, everybody, strap yourself in.
Children: Kids under 10 can't sit in the front seat.
Speed Limits Use these as a guide, but always obey the posted limits, which may vary.
Urban areas: 30 mph/50 kmh
Outside cities: 68 mph/110 kph
Freeways/Expressways: 75 mph/120 kph
Horning: Illegal in towns and urban areas except in case of emergencies. Use it freely if needed; it could save your life.
Parking: Forbidden (though it may not be marked) within 9 feet of a fire hydrant, 15 feet of an intersection, or 45 feet from a bus stop. The "No Parking" sign is a red X in a blue circle.
In some areas, street parking requires purchase of a ticket from a booth. These areas will be posted in both English and Greek.
Driver's Licenses: EU citizens can use their own. Other nationals should have an International Drivers License, though in practice, a recognizable photo license is usually accepted. US licenses have been readily accepted in the past but I recommend having the international version as a second form of ID. Many passport photo services also offer the International Driver's License forms.
Roadside Assistance: ELPA offers coverage to members of AAA (Triple-A), CAA and other similar assistance services. Check with your membership department for information on using the ELPA shared services in Greece.
ELPA has quick-access numbers dialable in Greece: 104 and 154.
Athens Restricted Area: The central Athens area restricts car access to reduce congestion, but these restrictions do not apply to rental cars or those owned by foreigners in the country for a short stay.
Driving Your Own Car: You need a valid registration, proof of internationally valid insurance (check with your insurance company!), and your driver's license.
Emergency Numbers:For visitors to Greece, dial 112 for multi-language help. Dial 100 for Police, 166 for Fires, and 199 for ambulance service. For roadside service, use the ELPA numbers above.
Toll Roads: Some of the special roads called Ethniki Odos do require tolls, which vary and must be paid in cash. There are only a few of these in Greece; keep 4 Euro handy in the car..
Driving Side: Drive on the right, same as in the United States.
Circles and Roundabouts: While these are standard in many European countries and in the UK and Ireland, they are new to many US drivers. These circles serve as a kind of perpetual-motion intersection, keeping traffic flowing without the use of signal lights. This sounds more difficult than it actually is, and roundabouts are actually kind of fun once you get used to them.
