Car rental in Athens: from the airport to Sounion, Delphi and the Peloponnese

Athens is a city where you are best off leaving the car parked, but the region around it cries out for a road trip. From the capital you drive in an hour to the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, in two and a half hours to the oracle of Delphi, or into the Peloponnese with Mycenae, Nafplio and Epidaurus. This guide helps you start smart from Athens Airport: where to pick up, which routes are worth it, and the practical things that surprise visitors most.

Do you need a car in Athens?

Not in the city itself. The metro links the airport directly to the centre, you do the Acropolis and the old quarters on foot, and parking is difficult and crowded. A car comes into its own outside the city: for the coast of the Athens Riviera, for Cape Sounion at sunset, and for the classic loops through the Peloponnese or up to Delphi. Many travellers therefore combine a few car-free city days with a rental car for the excursions.

Picking up at Athens Airport (ATH)

Athens International (ATH) lies about 30 km east of the centre. All the major and many local companies have a desk or shuttle there. From the airport you drive straight onto the Attiki Odos toll motorway, which carries you smoothly around the city to the coast or the Peloponnese. Book ahead in high season, as the choice is then thinner and pricier.

At pick-up, watch the fuel policy (full-to-full is fairest), photograph any existing damage before you drive off, and ask how the toll and any extras are settled.

The best routes from Athens

The classic is Cape Sounion at sunset, with the marble temple high above the Aegean. If you have more time, drive into the Peloponnese to atmospheric Nafplio, with Mycenae and the theatre of Epidaurus nearby. Delphi is a beautiful day trip into the mountains. Allow generous travel times, as the finest stretches take time by themselves.

How does the toll work in Greece?

Greek motorways use classic toll booths (diodia), where you pay per passage by cash or card, with no electronic system. From the airport you drive straight onto the Attiki Odos, and the routes to the Peloponnese and Delphi partly run on toll roads too. So keep some coins and small notes handy, plus a card as backup. Off the motorways you drive toll-free.

When is renting in Athens cheapest?

Prices follow the tourist season. In winter and early spring daily rates are lowest; from May it rises, peaking in July and August. If you are flexible, rent outside the summer holidays and book a few weeks ahead, when choice is widest and the price softest. Exact rates vary by period, category and company, so always compare live for your dates.

Documents, insurance and deposit

You need a valid driving licence, your ID card or passport and a credit card in the main driver’s name. The deposit is blocked on that credit card at pick-up and released after you return the car. Look closely at the excess on the basic cover: you can buy it down, usually cheaper in advance through a separate excess policy than at the counter. Make that choice deliberately, beforehand.