Athens Car Hire and Rental Guide - Getting around Athens - Transportation
Athens is not only one of the most compact European capitals, but also one of the most traffic clogged; which means that you might want to think twice before hiring a car. If you're planning on visiting some of the capital's outlying attractions then a car is a must. However, if you're going to stick within the city limits then you're better off with a combination of legwork and public transport.
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If you're planning on hiring a car in Athens it makes sound financial sense to book in advance over the Internet. Criticism has been levelled at several of big name rental companies for levelling a surcharge of up to 10% for the pleasure of picking up your hire car from the airport (rather then their city centre), so make sure that you read the small print. If you hold an EU license you won't have any trouble renting a car, however visitors form other countries should consider getting an international license. You will need to be over 21 and able to leave credit card details as a deposit.
Having your own car really comes into its own if you want to explore some of the countryside surrounding Athens. Within a few hours you can be driving through olive and citrus groves, past dozing fishing villages and beneath Byzantine monasteries perched on cliff tops. The breathtaking ruins at ancient Corinth and Delphi also make for memorable day trips.
Driving in Athens is practically an extreme sport, and with cars flying at you from all angles you begin to understand it's no accident that chaos is a Greek word. Side effects of Athenian motorists' addiction to adrenaline include: colour-blindness (manifested in an inability to see red traffic lights), regularly mistaking the horn for the brake, and a pathological love of speed. To make matters worse the potholed roads are and in a parlour state and parking is nigh on impossible. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that: just because nobody else is wearing a seatbelt, you don't have to. Not only is it a legal requirement, but Greece also has some of the worst RTA statistics in Europe.
City Break
