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Car hire in Athens is the launchpad for everyone planning Greece beyond the capital. The city itself is a metro-and-walking job, but the moment you want Delphi, Cape Sounion, Nafplio or a Peloponnese loop, a car turns a day from a marathon into a calm drive. Athens is the most convenient base for mainland Greece, which is why the country's widest fleet sits here.
Most guests collect the car not on day one but two or three days in — Acropolis tickets and Plaka walks first, wheels once the focus shifts outwards.
Athens also has the country's best automatic supply: 35–45% of the fleet against 15–20% on the islands, driven by steady business and cruise demand. The April–June and September–October windows are easiest — the Acropolis isn't punishing, central car parks have room, and Sounion and Delphi stay calm.
Do you need a car in Athens
It depends on the plan. Inside the city a car gets in the way more often than not: the metro covers most tourist points, Beat and Uber sit at $5–15 across the centre, and Plaka and Monastiraki are pedestrian-only zones.
A couple staying near Syntagma did two days of Acropolis, Plaka and Anafiotika by metro and a $15 cab to Glyfada for dinner. Car collected day three for Sounion at sunset.
Day trips are where a car earns its keep. Delphi, Sounion, Nafplio, the Riviera, Meteora — all are either poorly served by public transport, or eat a full day each way by bus. With wheels the day trip turns into a calm drive with the option to stop wherever you fancy.
For long-term, Athens has been the main Greek hub for monthly hire since 2022. Students, freelancers and remote workers rent for 28+ days from $470 — often better value than buying.
Nissan Micra in Greece
Все было хорошо, за исключением того, что машина была с пустым баком (мы заранее просили полный). из-за этого мы потеряли много времени на поиск заправки после 00 часов.
Toyota Yaris in Greece
I paid for the navigator in the car for 4 days - and the rental company in principle does not have one. In the end, I had to spend money to solve this problem.
Nissan Note in Greece
It was okay. thank you!
SEAT Altea in Greece
Car rental was no problem, convenient and at the time of filing and convenient car return. The machine met the declared specifications. Thank you for organizing.
Where to collect the car
Athens airport, Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH), sits 33 km east of the city — one of the more distant European airports. Picking up here is convenient but not mandatory: the direct Blue Metro Line 3 runs to Syntagma in 40 minutes for $10.
A family on a late Aegean flight landed at 23:50, met the host at the ATH terminal exit, signed the contract in five minutes and drove straight to their Glyfada apartment. International desks at the CarPark building were already shut.
Local Greek operators on TakeCars offer a meet-by-name pickup right at the terminal exit. That's friendlier than the international desks, because the international chains sit in the separate CarPark building, a 5–7 minute walk or shuttle away.
The city is the second pickup option. Many local operators have offices in Kolonaki, Glyfada and Piraeus, and they will deliver the car to your hotel on advance request — sometimes free for rentals from 5 days. Confirm via the TakeCars chat before you book.
Parking in Athens
The rule many tourists miss: the historic core — Plaka, Monastiraki, Anafiotika — is fully pedestrian. You can't drive in, and the satnav may try to send you there if your hotel address falls into that zone.
A guest with an apartment listed as "Plaka, central Athens" followed Google Maps to the door, met a row of bollards on a stairway street, and reversed back out for ten minutes. Park at the Acropolis Museum garage and roll the case the last 400 metres.
For visiting the Acropolis, the most convenient option is the Acropolis Museum garage on Dionysiou Areopagitou — about $7–10 a day. Alternatives are the covered car parks at Plateia Klafthmonos and Syntagma Square: pricier, but closer to the nightlife. On weekdays remember that blue markings mean residents-only, white means paid for visitors.
Sunday and after 20:00 on weekdays are the only window when central paid zones go free — perfect for a quick dinner in Plaka. The most underrated tip: don't try to storm the central narrow streets on a Friday or Saturday evening. Reach the restaurants in Plaka and Psyrri by taxi and pick the car up from the car park on Sunday.
Rates in Athens vary throughout the year depending on the season and the rental length.
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How expensive is renting a car in Athens: average daily rates for a one-week car rental, across all car classes.
Why book with us
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Widest automatic fleet
Around 35–45% of the Athens fleet is automatic. In high season Athens automatics are the first to go nationwide.
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Meet-by-name at ATH
Local TakeCars suppliers meet you at the terminal exit. No shuttle bus to the separate CarPark building.
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Hotel delivery in the centre
Many Athens operators bring the car to Plaka, Kolonaki or Glyfada at your chosen time.
Day trips from Athens
A car opens up the entire Attica region and a big slice of the mainland. The most popular short trip is Cape Sounion — 70 km along the coast road with no tolls, the Temple of Poseidon at sunset is worth leaving an hour before sundown.
A traveller left for Sounion at 18:30 in August, found the temple car park full and walked 12 minutes from the overflow lot. The 17:00 departure is a five-minute parking job — the 18:30 is a hike.
Delphi is the headline UNESCO day trip: 180 km and about 2.5 hours one way on the Olympia Odos motorway ($10–15 in tolls return). The usual rhythm is to be on site by 11:00 to beat the noon heat, then dine through the mountain town of Arachova on the way back. Nafplio with Mycenae and Epidaurus is a parallel universe: 130 km, scenic road, and the city itself is widely held to be the prettiest on the mainland.
Meteora is the one place we tell people not to do as a single day from Athens. 360 km one way is at least eight hours behind the wheel, leaving two for the rocks themselves. Stay overnight in Kalambaka. The Athens Riviera — Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and the thermal lake — is all 15–25 km from the centre, ideal for an evening after a city day.
Frequent Questions
In shoulder season (April–June, September–October) economy starts at $43 a day; in July–August prices add around 30%. Athens usually runs 20–40% below the islands thanks to its larger fleet. Automatics sit 40–60% above manuals, but Athens has the country's widest auto choice — about 35–45% of the fleet.
For the city itself — yes, and often it's the smarter choice. The metro covers all the main points, Beat and Uber are $5–15 across the centre, Plaka and Monastiraki are pedestrian-only. Take the car on day three or four, when the focus shifts to day trips — Sounion, Delphi, Nafplio. Without one, a short trip out by bus turns into a marathon.
Depends on the plan. If your first 1–2 days are central, the metro Line 3 is cheaper and easier ($10, 40 minutes to Syntagma); pick the car up in town a few days in. If you're heading straight for the Peloponnese or Delphi, pick up at ATH with a meet-by-name right at the terminal exit.
No. Plaka, Monastiraki and Anafiotika are fully pedestrian. The satnav may try to send you there if the hotel address sits inside — ignore the prompts and find parking outside. The most convenient options are the Acropolis Museum garage ($7–10 a day) and the covered car parks near Syntagma.
The most convenient is the Acropolis Museum garage ($7–10 a day) — five minutes' walk to the entrance. Alternatives are the covered car parks at Plateia Klafthmonos and Syntagma (pricier, $15–20). Don't try the on-street blue markings — those are residents-only and almost always full.
Attiki Odos (the A6 ring road) is around €3 each way, €6 return. You pay at manual gates with euro cash or card. Most rental cars already have the transponder fitted, but check with your supplier — some lanes on this motorway are electronic-only.
Sundays and after 20:00 on weekdays are the only times when central paid zones go free. Perfect for a dinner stop in Plaka or Psyrri. Outside the centre — beyond the Attiki Odos ring road — and the suburbs of Glyfada are mostly free off-hours.
Yes — that's a mainland-rental advantage: an Athens car is allowed to board with a written declaration from the operator. Notify 24 hours ahead. Bear in mind: CDW does not apply during the crossing for most operators, and the car ferry slot is $65–160 one way. For 1–2 days it makes sense; longer is cheaper to hire on the island.
Depends on the route. The one-way fee between major cities is $60–150, plus around $32 in tolls along the A1. If you're going to Thessaloniki without a return leg, one-way is often cheaper than buying a flight back plus a fresh hire. Confirm with the supplier — not every operator offers it.
70 km along the coast road, about an hour without traffic. No tolls — a scenic drive along the Athens Riviera. Parking by the Temple of Poseidon is small — leave 1–1.5 hours before sunset, otherwise it's a 10–15 minute walk from the overflow lot. The site itself is €10.
180 km and 2.5 hours one way along the Olympia Odos motorway (tolls $10–15 return). Doable in a day if you leave by 8 a.m. The overnight stop is Arachova — a mountain town 12 km from Delphi, with tavernas overlooking the gorge. The two-day format takes the rush out and is worth it.
Technically yes, but we don't recommend it: 360 km and 4 hours each way along the A1, about $20 in tolls. That's eight hours behind the wheel, leaving 2–3 for the monasteries. Take an overnight in Kalambaka or Kastraki — the two-day format with the rocks at sunset turns it into a proper trip.
Small class — Hyundai i10, Fiat Panda, Toyota Aygo, Kia Picanto. Narrow streets, tight parking, dense traffic — the smaller the car, the easier. An SUV in Athens itself is overkill and costs more in car parks. If you're heading for Meteora or the Peloponnese, a Hyundai i20 or Volkswagen Polo is a better balance: compact and comfortable on the motorway.
Athens is the only Greek city with a properly wide automatic choice — about 35–45% of the fleet against 15–20% on the islands. Most local Athens suppliers on TakeCars list automatics. Book 2–3 weeks ahead in high season — July and August clear them out first.
Yes — Athens has been the main Greek long-term hire hub since 2022. 28+ day rates run from $470 for an economy to $1,100 for a compact automatic. Many operators offer extended CDW, monthly washes and free service for long-stay customers. Ask whether you can swap the car every 60 days.