Road peculiarities in Greece
Before renting a car, every traveler always thinks about what roads he will have to travel and what to expect from them. For Greece, there is no need to worry too much: the roads are good here.
Municipal (toll-free) roads
All municipal roads in Greece are free of charge. Only a few major highways are toll. This means that you do not need to buy a vignette or to pay for something extra.
Most of the roads in Greece are good. Even in countryside, most of them are in good condition. Although sometimes exceptions may happen. You should also have in mind that they are narrow, and you will not speed much on them. The unpaved roads can be found in very remote or unimportant areas, but you can drive there by any passenger car.
You should always consider the local features, because Greece is a big country. For example, 80% of the country's territory is occupied by mountains, so most of the roads go through mountainous areas, and steep serpentines are common there. You will see especially many of them on the islands. Besides, there are many unlit, mountainous and unpaved road sections on the Greek islands.
Roads on Greek islands
The roads on the islands are worse than on the mainland. This is because of the fact that it is much more expensive and difficult to repair and build them. Here ground and narrow road sections occur very often, and there is a lot of serpentine.
Driving along island roads requires accuracy and attention. In particular, you should always maintain a distance from the car in front of you, so that a stone does not rebound from it.
Peculiarities of the Greek traffic rules
Basically, the rules in Greece are the same as in Europe:
Speed: in cities 50 km/h, outside the cities — 90 km/h. Along the highways with a green pointer — 130 km/h, and on roads with a blue sign "road for cars" — 110 km/h.
The maximum blood alcohol level is 0.5 %.
All the passengers must wear seat belts, if there are.
Use low beam only at night and in poor visibility conditions.
Alcohol cancels any insurance. That is why we strongly recommend that you do not drink while driving.
The similarity in traffic rules is complemented by some national driving characteristics. The Greeks are not very disciplined, often skip traffic priority signs, do not use turn signals, run at the first seconds of a prohibiting traffic light signal, often park cars chaotically. And, of course, they do not stick to speed limits. But on the roads, mutual respect is accepted, so drivers often yield and give a way, regardless of the rules. Especially if they recognize a foreigner at the driver’s seat.
Besides, on the Greek roads, an unspoken rule is adopted: those who drive slowly should keep as close to the edge of the road as possible, allowing more hurried drivers to pass. It is normal to drive one wheel on the road border. Or right on it, if the road border is wide.
Greek road traffic police
You can meet the police, but not often. They don't make secrets out of their presence, but they try not to show up too much. The police are patient to tourists and try not to disturb them unless necessary. But if after all it comes to a fine, you can ask the inspector for indulgence. Or, to put it simply, try to “swing him round”. If you are lucky, the amount of the fine will decrease. But never be rude with a police officer.
Parking areas
Parking in cities is difficult. Especially in large ones. You can leave the car if there are no banning signs and yellow markings (and in Athens, also blue ones). Blue markings mean the paid parking zone, white markings are used for free areas.
But there are many paid parking lots in cities, so it is always possible to find a place for a car.
So is it difficult to drive in Greece?
Greece is a beautiful and hospitable country with good, convenient roads that are a pleasure to drive along. The main thing is to follow the rules of the road, be careful and comply with the terms of the car rental agreement.
The most important thing is to travel with pleasure and joy. In a country where it is customary to shoot at road signs at a wedding, kind and hospitable people live!
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