Driving in Santorini – 25 tips

Do you want to see more than Oia and the Red Beach? Then renting a car and driving in Santorini is your best option.
Below is my complete guide about driving in Santorini to help you prepare, including:

• Is driving difficult? safe?
• Driving rules,
• Road conditions and safety tips,
• Parking,
• Car rental tips,
• Where to go in Santorini by car,
• …

Don’t worry, it is not as difficult as some people write!

Before my tips + photos, here are my favorites for Santorini:

My favorite platform to rent a car in Santorini: DiscoverCars

The unmissable boat tour: Full day catamaran along the cliffs

My favorite excursion: the Highlights Tour

My favorite places to stay:

• In Oia, the most famous area on the cliffs: Marizan Caves
• In Fira, the most central to explore by bus: Keti Hotel
• In Kamari for a stay by the beach: Hotel Sunshine

Contents

Before my tips + photos, here are my favorites for Santorini:

The main question – Do you need a car in Santorini?

Driving in Santorini – Essentials to know

#1 to 6 – Santorini Driving Rules (Greece)

#7 to 13 – Santorini Roads conditions and Road Signs

#14 to 15 – How to drive safely

#16 to 17 – Parking in Santorini – rules

#18 to 19 – Gas stations

#20 to 25 – Santorini Car Rental Tips

Where to go – Road trip in Santorini by car

The main question – Do you need a car in Santorini? 

Do you need a car in Santorini? – short answer

• No, if you mostly want to stay at the beach and just see a few things in Santorini
• No, if you have only one day – it would be easier to book an excursion
• Yes, if you are curious about the island and want to see more about what it has to offer
• Yes, if you are traveling during Winter 
• Yes, if you want to avoid the crowds by visiting early morning or late afternoon

During the high and shoulder seasons (April to November), it is possible to explore a little of Santorini without a car. But you will be limited in what you can see and for how long. Moreover, there are not many taxis compared to the demand. Therefore, renting a car is a great option to discover some of the best locations in Santorini you would not have seen otherwise (and to get away from the crowds). 

Compare car rental prices in Santorini

Getting around Santorini without a car

It is possible to get around Santorini  without a car:

• Bus – There is a network of public transportation – they all leave and come back to Fira (wherever you go, you always have to come back to Fira to go to another part of the island) – however they are often full and then don’t always stick to the timetable (see the routes)
• Organized tours – Your other option is to not worry at all about where you are going – book organized tours and enjoy the scenery with a guide. This is a great option if you want to see the highlights without stress. Check out the many options – However you can’t control how long you stay at each places. 
• Taxis and private transfers – there are taxis and you can also book private transfers. But the demand is often higher than the supply and it will get expensive.

Where I rent my cars

I always compare prices right away on Discovercars.com.
This is one of the best customer-rated comparison sites on the market.
I have found really great deals and I think the platform super easy to use. I can filter based on my criteria.

Plus, they have a practical coverage option at great price that will cover you in case of damage to the outside of the car.

Check out their current car rental deals in Santorini.

Need more help? Read my 36 tips for a worry-free experience. 

Driving in Santorini – Essentials to know

Essentials to know before driving in Santorini

• Driving is on the right side of the road
• Greek rules apply
• Minimum driving age is 17, but rental companies will ask for drivers to be 21 with at least 1 year of driving
• Seatbelts are mandatory for all
• Alcohol limit is 50mg per 100ml of blood  – but I always recommend not drinking at all if you are driving
• Urban speed limit is 50km/h but often less – check the signage
• Must-carry items – reflective warning triangle, Fire extinguisher, first aid kit
• In case of accident – emergency number: 112

Is driving in Santorini safe? Is it difficult?

A lot of people are reluctant about driving in Santorini, thinking it might not be safe.
There is no need to worry, it is not that difficult. I don’t know why it has such a bad reputation.

On the positive side:

• Roads are generally in correct conditions
• Rules are classic and road sign easy to read
• Distances are short so you are never driving for a long time. You can keep your attention sharp
• The most difficult roads are often in the villages, so park outside and walk around, they are not that big.

On the negative side:

• A lot of people rent ATV/Quad and think rules don’t apply to them
• Like on other islands or in the mountains, locals have a tendency to drive fast – just pull to the side as soon as you can to let them overtake
• Some spots can become quite busy and you will have to be patient

In my personal experience:
I have not felt unsafe any time during my stay. I felt a little bit of stress once as I was trying to find my way and locals were getting annoyed behind me. But I stopped on the side, as soon as I could and it was all ok after.

Driving times in Santorini

To help you decide if you are going to rent a car or not, below is map of the driving times you can expect around the island:

You can find more practical maps to help you plan your Santorini itinerary, in my eBook:

Plan your dream trip in Santorini thanks to my guide

• 6 maps to easily plan your itinerary
• 40+ pre-selected locations
• GPS + tips to make the most of your time
• Planning tips
• 90+ original photos to help you choose

Discover it!

#1 to 6 – Santorini Driving Rules (Greece)

Let’s start with general rules and regulations you should be aware of:

#1 – License requirement / Age – Do I need an international driver’s permit?

It is always better to have you International Driving Permit anywhere you travel out of the country.
This way you never wonder.
However, know that to be allowed to drive in Santorini / Greece (for a short stay):

• EU citizen can use their EU license
• Visitors from outside of the EU must have and International Driving Permit on top of their valid driving license from their country.

Official driving age in Greece is 17.
However, if renting a car, companies will require you to be 21 and to have held a license in your home country for a year or more.

#2 –  Side of the road

Driving in Santorini is on the right side of the road.
It means that upon entering a roundabout, you head right.

#3 –  General behavior rules

• Seatbelts are mandatory for all
• No cell phone while driving
• Kids under 12 cannot seat in the front of the car
• Traffic that is on the roundabout has priority

#4 –  Alcohol and driving

The legal limit for driving is 50mg per 100ml of blood.
I always recommend not drinking at all if you are driving

#5 –  Mandatory equipment to have in your car

In Greece, the following pieces of equipment must be available in the car:

• Warning safety triangle
• First Aid Kit
• Non expired fire extinguisher

#6 –  Mandatory insurance

The mandatory insurance in Greece is: third-party liability insurance – it is automatically included in the price of all car rentals.
If you are visiting with your own car, don’t forget to bring proof of insurance.

Compare car rental prices in Santorini

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But I also like other drinks and sweets!
Do you like the free content you find on my blog? All my tips and practical information, without intrusive advertising…

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#7 to 13 – Santorini Roads conditions and Road Signs

#7 – The Santorini Roads

• Between villages, roads are generally in correct conditions
• They are paved
• They are wide enough with one lane in each direction
• To reach most beaches in Santorini (Kamari, Perissa, Red Beach, Monolithos…), the roads are paved

#8 – Unpaved Santorini Roads

Just a few spots can only be reached via a track such as Eros beach or Mesa Pigadia.
In that case remember that your rental is probably not covered and if you need assistance, the assurance will not work on those tracks.
You can park before and finish on foot.

#9 – Driving in the Santorini Towns and Villages

• The most difficult roads are inside some of the villages
• The oldest parts have narrow streets often without a sidewalk, so you are mixing with pedestrians. Just take your time.
• Avoid driving in Oia around sunset!
• Some have carparks before entering the village. It might be easier to park and visit on foot

#10 – Tips for driving in Santorini

• Ask your hotel for directions – GPS can get lost inside the villages 

#11 – Speed limits and signs

• Speed limits are indicated on circular signs with red border and a number
• Speed limits are in kilometers per hour
• Speed limits are – 30 to 50km/h in residential areas

#12 – Road signs in Santorini

Road signs are quite clear and using the Latin alphabet as well as in Greek alphabet.
Brown signs indicate points of Interest, but you can also see some on blue signs (as in the picture below).

#13 – Tolls in Santorini

There are no tolls on the roads of Santorini

#14 to 15 – How to drive safely

#14 – Know the potential dangers

Generally, driving in Santorini felt fine. Especially if visiting early, you have a lot less traffic.
The main dangers to be aware of are:

• Difficulties in villages
  The most difficult roads are inside some of the villages.
  The oldest parts have narrow streets often without a sidewalk, so you are mixing with pedestrians. Just take your time.
  Avoid driving in Oia around sunset!
• Quads
  People driving quads can be reckless
• Locals
  Local can get frustrated with you as they are familiar with the road. Just stop on the side as soon as you can to let them overtake you.

#15 – What to do in case of accident

In case there are people hurt or there is a conflict, the emergency number is 112.
The best order of actions is:

• contact emergency services
• contact the police
• contact your rental provider

#16 to 17 – Parking in Santorini – rules

#16 – Parking in towns and villages

Contrary to what the picture below is showing, parking in Santorini can be complex, especially around the cliff villages.
Don’t try to find a spot inside the village. Check out the large carparks beforehand and go directly there.
As much as possible, I have noted the GPS coordinates of those carparks in my eBook: Explore + Photograph Santorini.

If staying at one of the traditional villages, make sure you accommodation comes with a parking solution. Otherwise it can be a nightmare.

#17 – Parking at beaches and attractions

For some of the most popular attractions, the earlier you come, the easier it is to park (like above at the Red Beach).
Otherwise, you have to be patient and something will free up.
Most parking areas are free.

Where to stay in Santorini?

My favorites:

• For the charm: Oia – See best-rated accommodations
• To explore by bus: Fira – See best-rated accommodations
• To enjoy the beach & nightlife: Kamari – See best-rated accommodations
• For cheaper options: Emporio – See best-rated accommodations
• Away from the crowds: Vlychada – See accommodations

See our article on where to stay

#18 to 19 – Gas stations

#18 – Fuels and their names

• Petrol is called “Benzine”
• Diesel is called “Diesel”
• Gas stations are called  “Benzinadiko”
• See the concentration of electric car charging station, where you are going in Santorini on this website

#19 – Management of gas stations

• Nothing much to stay about refueling in Santorini.
• It is not cheap.
• There are stations in the main tows and around the airport.
• The island is small, you are never far away from a gas station.
• They accept credit cards

#20 to 25 – Santorini Car Rental Tips

Below is a snapshot with the main things to know.
You can find all my tips in this other complete guide about renting a car in Santorini.

#20 – Type of car to rent

Here are a few things to keep in mind when traveling in Santorini:

• Village roads are narrow, roads are not especially wide and distance are not long.
  Therefore, I recommend however booking a small compact car – it will be easier to get around, cross path with large bus and park. And as you are not driving for a long time, comfort is not the main criteria, in my opinion.
• There are now long steep roads or fast roads.
  Therefore, power is not an important criteria

#21 – Should you rent an ATV

ATVs are popular for exploring the island.
However, I don’t recommend them.
There are not really tracks, it is mostly road, so I don’t see the point.
Plus, they are more difficult to manoeuver and are more dangerous in case of wind (less stable)

#22 – Where to rent your car in Santorini 

The largest car rental hubs in Santorini are:

• The Santorini airport – see car rental deals
• The Santorini ferry port – see car rental deals

My preference is the airport for 2 reasons:

• this is where you have the largest choices of rental companies and cars
• driving around the airport is easy. So you have time to get used to the car before the traffic, narrow roads or hairpin bends (if at the ferry port).

If you are arriving by ferry, you can book a transfer to the airport – see options and availabilities

Compare car rental prices in Santorini

#23 – Best car rental company in Santorini

I don’t have a specific recommendation for a rental company in Santorini. There are no famous local ones.
But you can find all the major brands at the airports and ferry ports.

• Compare car rental prices on my favorite platform: Discovercars.com – one of the best customer-rated comparison sites
• Each rental company has a mark on 10 points. This is an average of the marks given by actual customers.
• Book early to have a large choice of vehicles!

Don’t forget that on Tripadvisor or Google for example, anyone can write a review even if they have not used the company.

Some of the best rated on Discovercars.com are:

• Global Rent a car
• National
• Enterprise
• Addcar

#24 – General tips for worry-free experience

There is no particular thing to do when renting a car in Santorini, no specific scam.
I recommend always doing those things wherever you are renting:

• Take pictures of the car as you pick it up 
• Don’t forget to check the state under the bumper of the car (look for scratch and take pictures)
• Don’t forget to check the state of the roof (look for rock fall dent and take pictures)
• Take pictures of the car as you leave it 

#25 – Be careful if changing island

From Santorini, you could also visit Mykonos, Crete and many other island.
However, that implies taking a ferry.

This is not allowed by all rental companies. And for others, there are fees included.
I don’t think it is worth keeping a rental between islands.

However, if traveling with your own car, it works well.

Where to go – Road trip in Santorini by car

Discover some of my favorite places:

• My Top 10 best things to do in Santorini – read article
• 25 inspiring pictures of the best Santorini landscapes to capture – read article
• The best beaches in Santorini – read article
• My selection of the most amazing boat tours around Santorini – read article
• The best places to stay in Santorini – read article
• The best things to do in Oia – read article
• My Santorini itinerary suggestions for 1, 2, 3 days or more – read article

And my favorite places to visit are:

• Oia – see my article
• Emporio village – see my article
• Vlichada beach – see my article

Planning a trip to Santorini?

Check out my travel guide eBook to help you plan:

Plan your dream trip in Santorini thanks to my guide

• 6 maps to easily plan your itinerary
• 40+ pre-selected locations
• GPS + tips to make the most of your time
• Planning tips
• 90+ original photos to help you choose

Discover it!

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