What to Know Before Driving in Santorini (2026 Edition)

Driving in Santorini is genuinely fun — short distances, beautiful scenery, almost no motorway-grade roads. But it's also unlike driving at home. Here's what we tell first-time renters at pickup.

The non-EU licence rule

If your licence isn't from an EU country and isn't written in Latin script, Greek law requires an International Driving Permit (IDP) on top of the original. We can't waive it — and rental insurance is void without it. Get the IDP before you fly; in the US, AAA issues them while you wait for ~$20.

Where to pick up

If you arrive by air at JTR, picking up at the airport is fastest — you're on the road in 10 minutes. If you arrive by ferry, Athinios port at peak hours (cars rolling off, donkeys, taxis, three buses arriving at once) is chaos. Pickup at the airport via a taxi from the port, or hotel delivery later in the day, is usually saner.

The car size question

Smaller is better. The streets in Fira's old centre, Pyrgos's spiral, and parts of Megalochori are designed for donkeys, not Land Rovers. Compact options (Citroën C1, VW Polo, Toyota Yaris) park anywhere and you barely think about the width. SUVs are useful only if you plan dirt-track beaches like Eros or Koloumbos.

Hairpin etiquette

The roads up to Imerovigli, to Ancient Thera, and from Oia down to Ammoudi all have blind switchbacks. Two rules: tap the horn before the corner, and if you meet another car on a single-lane stretch, the one going up has right of way (it's harder to reverse uphill). Locals do this without thinking; tourists often don't.

Parking, the real challenge

Don't try to drive into Fira's old centre or Oia's main street. Park in the marked lots at the edge and walk in — five minutes saved trying to find a spot will cost you forty looking for one that doesn't exist. Free lots: above Fira, the Oia northern lot, the Pyrgos summit lot. Avoid yellow kerb stripes — they're towed without warning.

Other small things

• Right of way at intersections: often unsigned. Default to "give way to traffic from the right" unless there's a clear marking.
• Petrol: the south of the island has more stations than the north. Fill up at the Pyrgos junction if you're heading toward Akrotiri or Vlychada.
• Speed limits: 50 km/h in towns, 90 km/h on open roads. You won't get close to either most of the time.
• Drink driving: 0.5 g/L (0.2 for under-25 or recently-licensed). Take the wine route over two days if in doubt.
• Mopeds and ATVs: they overtake everywhere. Mirror, signal, then move — and always check the right mirror before turning right.

None of this is dramatic; Santorini is one of the more enjoyable Greek islands to drive. A short briefing at pickup covers all of it, and after the first day the rhythm clicks.