The basic rules to keep in mind when driving in Greece are vital for personal and public safety. In Greece you drive on the right hand side of the road with the vehicles steering wheel on the left side of the car or van rental.
Following speed limits and basic traffic regulations is important while travelling throughout Greece. The speed limit in Greece is approximately 50 km/h (31 mph) inside the Athens city and residential areas, 80 - 90 km/h (50 - 56 mph) outside of Athens, towns and on small Highway and open roads and 100-120 kilometers (62 to 75 mph) on the major Highways throughout Greece. This is just a guide line as you should be aware of the speed limit from the signs located on the road you are travelling on. The speed limit varies so be aware while driving. The Greek Traffic Police monitor the speed limit at various undisclosed areas with laser technology, while in other areas of Greece cameras monitor the speed. The city of Athens is monitored by all means. If you are pulled over for exceeding the Greek speed limit the fines are as follows. Up to 20 km/h above the speed limit the fine is 40 Euro, 20 to 30 km/h above the speed limit the fines is 100 Euro, 30+ km/h above the speed limit the fine is 350 Euro and the driver’s license revoked for 60 days, 150+ km/h on motorways the fines is 350 Euro and the driver’s license revoked for 60 days, 130+ km/h on high speed roads the fine is 350 Euro and the driver’s license revoked for 60 days and last 120+ km/h on other roads the fine is 350 Euro and the driver’s license revoked for 60 days. And for those wondering if it is a good idea to use a speed camera detector the fines is 2,000 Euro, the driver’s license is revoked for 30 days and the vehicles number plate license confiscated by the Greek Traffic police for 60 days.
The use of seatbelts for the driver and all passengers including babies and children is compulsory. We strongly advise all passengers travelling in a vehicle to wear a seat belt. Children and babies need to be properly restrained in baby seats, booster seats and seatbelts to insure their safety. Children aged 10 or under may not sit in the front seat. With today’s safety technology in modern cars, the safety features of an airbag are effective only when the driver and the passengers use their seatbelts. The Greek Traffic Police closely monitor the use of seatbelts. Don't be your own worst enemy... buckle up! The fine for the driver and passengers not wearing the car or van seat belt is 350 Euro and the driver’s license revoked for 10 days.
Be careful not to drive while intoxicated or under the influence of a controlled substance. The legal blood alcohol limit in Greece is 0.5 percent. For drivers who have their driver’s license for less than 24 months the limit is 0.2 percent. If you are above this you will pay a fine. If your blood alcohol content is over 0.08 percent it is a criminal offence and in most cases the driver will be detained. The alcohol level is monitored with breath tests carried out at random road stops. The fine for drinking and driving while under the influence of alcohol is (0.25 to 0.40 mg/l tested by means of a breathalyzer or 0.50 to 0.80 g/l by means of a blood test) is 200 Euro, for (0.40 to 0.60 mg/l with breathalyzer test or 0.80 to 1.10 g/l with blood test) is 700 Euro and 90 days revocation of the drivers licensee and last for (above 0.60 mg/l with breathalyzer test or above 1.10 g/l with blood test) the fine is 1,200 Euro, 180 days revocation of the drivers licensee and a minimum two months imprisonment.
Park only in designated parking areas and where it is permitted. Valet parking is available in several Athens locations. Flashing the vehicles hazard lights indicates your intent to park. Parking in a prohibited area will result in the Greek Traffic Police parking fine and possible license plate confiscation or even towing of the car rental to the impound. Also park where the rent a car is safe and does not block the traffic. Parking the car rental is not allowed within 3 meters of a fire hydrant, 5 meters of an intersection, or 15 meters of a bus stop. The fine for parking illegally is 80 Euro and the vehicles number plate license confiscated by the Greek Traffic police for 20 days. If you incur a parking violation and the car rentals license number plates are removed you must contact ACE Rent a Car Athens Greece. Driving without number plates is a serious offence and a high fine. Simple fines may be paid at the local Post Office and if you decide to pay the fine within 10 days of issue, the due amount will be half.
The downtown city of Athens has a specific parking system in place. Spaces marked in blue are for short-term visitors and spaces marked in yellow are for commercial use only. Short-term visitors can use the blue spaces from 09:00 to 21:00 on weekdays, and from 09:00 to 16:00 on the weekends. The pay-and-display parking system in central Athens requires you to purchase a scratch card allowing you to park in specially designed spots in the city center. Parking tickets are necessary for the use of blue short-stay spaces, and can be bought at newsstands, Kiosk and other small shops. Tickets are valid for up to three hours, and any fines incurred will be halved if paid within ten days. Central Athens area restricts car access via the odd-even license plate rule to reduce congestion, but these restrictions do not apply to rental cars.
If you must leave your valuables in the rental car or van make sure they are out of sight and not visible when you leave the car unattended. It is best to plan ahead and place the valuables in the trunk or glove box compartment before you start your travels. Also store power cords, GPS navigation unit or mobile phone chargers, mounting accessories, devices and valuables. If your GPS charger is visible to a petty thief, he will assume the GPS unit itself is also in the car rental. It is not uncommon, in any major city, to have your visible valuables stolen while the car rental is parked or at a traffic light
When selecting a car or van rental category determine with the help of vehicle pictures and description if the overall space you will need is ample to travel safely and with comfort. Also check to see if there is adequate luggage space. Feel free to review all vehicle details and trunk capacity by clicking on the car rental category you request At Ace rent a car Athens Greece we offer a variety of Automatic and Manual transmission vehicles for business and leisure transport. Our typical car rental fleet consists of budget & economy cars, city cars, family cars, hybrid, multi passenger van rentals, 4-wheel drive cars, cargo vans rentals, convertibles, SUV, utility vehicles, luxury and prestige cars.
All car rental vehicles are available at the Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” AIA, the Piraeus Port of Athens, Down Town Athens city, Athens railway & Metro stations, local neighborhood locations and Athens hotels such as the West Inn Athens Astir Palace Resort Beach Resort in Vouliagmeni.
Legacy of the 2004 Olympics is the Greek National Road Infrastructure, which has meet European standards and continues to expand including new motorways. Most road signs that are in Greek are followed below by a transliteration in English. All major High Ways and Greek National Route have signs both in Greek and English. Improved road lighting, road sign dimension, tunnels, and electronic traffic signs which update and send warnings to drivers are just to mention a few of the new improvements. Advances in the Highway sections like the Rio-Antirrio bridge Charilaos Trikoupis(e-Pass), undersea tunnel Aktio - Preveza, highways Aegean Motorway (eWay), Attiki Odos (e-Pass), Egnatia Odos, Moreas (e-Pass), Nea Odos (FastPass) and Olympia Odos (Olympia Pass). The cost of the tolls range from 0.50 cents to 13 Euro for crossing the bridge Rio-Antirrio, with the average cost at 2.50 Euro. Prior to your trip it might be a good idea to review your destination via the Michelin route planner or Google maps to prepare and familiarize yourself with the trip. With the use of a GPS unit or smartphone you should be prepared for all scenarios. Adding a GPS to your next car rental can take the worry out of getting there so you can relax and enjoy the drive. To request a GPS rental, you may do so when reserving your car hire. The GPS units are available for delivery to the Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” AIA, the Piraeus Port of Athens, Down Town Athens city hotels and the West Inn Athens Astir Palace Resort Beach Resort in Vouliagmeni. We’re excited to be able to offer this device at an extremely affordable cost to help promote safe and efficient traveling. We may also provide road maps so don’t forget to ask the ACE Rent a Car Athens Greece representative for directions. Tip: Athens is called "Athina" “Attiki” on some newer road signs.
We specialize in the Airport Car Rental Service and serve the Athens International Airport fast and direct. The Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport 27 km (17 miles) east of the city center Athens, near the suburb of Spata is an efficient major European airport. There is a Tourist information station in Arrivals that will have the latest literature put out by the Tourist Information Department; this is useful for getting information on the local festivities in Athens and Attica. They will also have a printed brochure of Ferry information from the Piraeus port of Athens and other Attica ports. There is also a small museum on the top floor that has an interesting history on Athens as well as a space put aside for temporary exhibits. The airport also has a popular business hotel in the event you have travel fatigue. The Sofitel hotel at the Athens airport is just a short walk from the arrivals hall. There is Free Wi-Fi in the Airport.
Welcome to the Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” AIA, the "European Airport of the Year for 2004". Serving up to 16 million passengers annually this state-of-the-art International Airport has been serving travelers to Greece's capital since the opening date March 28th, 2001. Upon arrival at the airport terminal you will go through passport control, one line for European Union Nationals and all other member in another. Travelers from the US, Canada and Australia do not require a visa. In general, the Terminal is virtually divided in 2 halls: hall A - serving Extra Schengen destinations, and hall B serving Intra Schengen destinations, so arriving passengers exit from one of the pre-described halls based on their origin. The Next stage is baggage pick-up and customs, all simple procedures. You are going to need euro coins if you want a trolley for your luggage; trolleys are available at the airport, you will find them in the baggage hall on arrival. The Terminal is divided in 2 baggage reclaim halls E/S A, and I/S B. Baggage information displays are available next to each conveyor; provided through the flight information display monitors. Travelers, who have arrived in Greece, via other European countries, do not have to go through customs control. After reclaiming your baggage you will exit into two halls; A - serving Extra Schengen destinations, and hall B serving Intra Schengen destinations. Both exits will lead to the Arrivals Hall, greeting area. In the arrivals hall from which you will exit, you will find your surname posted on a sign where a representative of ACE, dressed in a company shirt will assist you with your rental. Together you will exit the main terminal building. Check out will be done directly from the Airport drive terminal and within minutes you will be on your way. A short walk from the airport arrival hall to the short term arrivals where you will receive the rental. When you receive the rental you will need to have the following: Show a valid driving license. Review & sign the standard ACE rental agreement. Leave an imprint of your credit card (MasterCard & Visa Card). Store your luggage and get a tour of the cars features and vehicle integrity. We provide road maps so don’t forget to ask the ACE representative for directions, GPS navigation & mobile phone tips.
The Attiki Odos is a modern motorway from which you will travel and constitutes the ring road of the greater metropolitan area of Athens and the backbone of the road network of the entire Attica region. It forms the link which connects the PATHE road axis (Patra - Athens -Thessaloniki - Evzoni), as it links the Athens - Lamia National Road with the Athens - Corinth National Road, by-passing the center of Athens. You may refuel at a gas station located on the Airports main straight before meeting the ACE Rent a Car Athens Greece representative. Meeting the ACE representative at the departures main driveway is easy and without hassle. You may re-confirm your return details when receiving your rental and receive tips for a speedy departure. It is recommended arriving 2 hours prior to your scheduled flight time. Departures Gates A & B are located on the top level and the Arrivals on the ground level. Returning to the Athens Airport is easy and road signs are displayed throughout. The most common road sign to look for is El. Venizelos which is the name of the Athens International Airport.
In the event of a minor accident the driver should stop at the accident scene immediately and move to a safe place, allowing the traffic to resume without creating any additional risk to oncoming traffic. If necessary alert oncoming traffic by placing a warning triangle; we supply a warning triangle, a first aid kit and a small fire extinguisher in all car and van rental. In the event of a serious car accident assist and support victims. Call the road track police and remain at the scene. Exchange personal and insurance information with the other involved parties Drivers should take down contact details of any witnesses and any other relevant information such as the color, type and registration number of any vehicle leaving the scene. If there are injuries call the appropriate emergency services:
Emergency Service: Telephone
Medical Emergency Tel: 112
Fire Service Tel: 199
Ambulance service Tel: 166
Police Tel: 100
Athens Road Traffic Police Tel: 1033 / 210 528 4000
You are required to have an official Police report for all instanced. As a driver involved in the car accident it is advised to not agree or disagree to the cause of the accident and is necessary to call the Greek road traffic police to the scene. The police report can help determine who was at fault, even for relatively minor accidents. ACE Rent a Car Athens Greece requires a Statement of Accident from the renter for the insurance company. A Statement of Accident should be filled in which all the relevant details concerning the road accident are summed up and should include the following details:
In the event you receive a fine don’t forget to present the fine to the ACE representative at the time of returning the car rental. We will be able to assist you. Remember any fines incurred will be halved if paid within ten days. Don’t forget in Greece, traffic on a roundabout has to stop and give way to traffic entering the roundabout.
All our car and van rentals have Radio CD-players and other vehicles have an aux port to connect your iPod or other mp3 devices so that you can enjoy your selection of music while traveling.
