Renting a Car in Greece: Ferries, Deposits and Insurance

Fact-checked: October 12, 2026. This guide compares current Greek rental-company terms and official European licence guidance. Rental prices, deposits and cover vary by supplier, vehicle, location and date, so the examples below are planning tools rather than quotes or guarantees.

Renting a car in Greece can be useful for mainland road trips, larger islands and accommodation outside town centers. It becomes more complicated when a route includes a ferry, a one-way return or a driver whose licence was issued outside the European Union. The cheapest headline rate is rarely the full decision: the excess, card hold, airport surcharge and ferry permission can matter more than a small difference in the daily price.

Quick answer

Book a rental car in Greece only after checking the exact supplier terms for your pickup station. Confirm five points in writing: accepted licence, payment card, security deposit, damage excess and ferry permission. A ferry ticket does not automatically authorize the rental vehicle to travel by ferry.

Current Autohellas Hertz and Thrifty terms require prior written approval for ferry transportation and a separate ferry cover. Hertz lists that cover at €20 per rental day, capped at €60 per rental. Thrifty lists €20 plus VAT per day, also capped at €60 plus VAT. Other companies can use different rules or prohibit particular routes.

When a rental car makes sense

A car is most useful for:

Peloponnese, Epirus, Meteora and other multi-stop mainland routes.
Large islands such as Crete where beaches, villages and trailheads are spread out.
Families or groups carrying luggage between several bases.
Stays outside reliable bus routes or far from a ferry port.

It can be poor value for central Athens, a short stay on a compact island, or a trip that repeatedly changes islands. Parking, ferry tickets, one-way fees and the cost of transporting a car can outweigh the convenience. Compare the full car plan with local buses, taxis and renting a different car on each island.

For city logistics before or after a road trip, see our Athens digital nomad guide.

Licence and pickup documents

EU driving licences are generally valid across the EU while they remain valid. A provisional licence or temporary certificate may not be accepted for cross-border driving. Rental companies can impose additional contractual rules.

Current Autohellas Hertz terms require the driver to have held a valid licence for at least one year. Its country-specific acceptance tool determines whether a national licence is accepted or an International Driving Permit is required. Avis Greece publishes a country list and says documents must include the accepted licence, a payment card and passport or identity card in the renter’s name.

Bring:

The physical driving licence, not only a phone image.
An International Driving Permit when the supplier requires one, together with the original licence.
Passport or accepted identity document.
The payment card required by the booking terms, with sufficient available credit for the deposit.
Booking confirmation and written ferry or one-way authorization.

Do not rely on a general travel blog to decide whether your licence is accepted. Check the supplier’s current country list and ask the pickup station if the wording is unclear.

Deposits, excess and insurance

Three amounts are easy to confuse:

Rental price: the charge for time and mileage, plus mandatory taxes and location fees.
Damage or theft excess: the renter’s potential responsibility under the included or selected waiver.
Security deposit: the amount pre-authorized or charged to secure that responsibility and other possible charges.

Hertz Greece says the deposit normally corresponds to the excess attached to the included cover. With its Super Cover, the deposit is stated as €100–€500 depending on vehicle group. The company says release can take up to 14 days depending on the card issuer. Thrifty similarly links its deposit to the applicable waiver excess and warns that release may take up to 14 days.

Collision damage waiver is not the same as comprehensive insurance with no exclusions. Wheels, tires, glass, roof, underside, keys, wrong fuel, negligent use, unauthorized drivers, unapproved roads or ferry transport may be excluded. Read the damage matrix for the exact booking before paying for an upgrade.

Ferry transport needs written permission

This is the most important Greece-specific check. Current Hertz Greece terms say ferry transport is allowed only with prior written approval and accepted Ferry Boat Cover. Without it, the renter can be responsible for ferry-related damage regardless of other cover purchased. The listed ferry cover costs €20 per rental day, capped at €60 per rental.

Thrifty publishes the same approval requirement and lists €20 plus VAT per day, capped at €60 plus VAT. A broker’s voucher is not necessarily the rental company’s written approval.

Before booking a car onto a ferry, ask:

Is this vehicle allowed on the exact ferry route?
Does approval cover island-to-island travel or only mainland-to-island travel?
Does roadside assistance operate on the destination island?
What happens if the car is damaged during loading or the sailing?
Must the car return to its original island or station?

Sometimes two separate rentals are simpler: return the mainland car near the port, travel as a foot passenger and collect another car on the island.

One-way rentals and island returns

Do not assume that a national brand accepts a different-island return. Hertz Greece says one-way rentals between its locations require written authorization and a specially agreed charge. Availability can depend on vehicle group, station and season.

For a route such as Athens–Crete, compare these structures:

One rental on the mainland and a second rental on Crete.
A flight to Crete and one island rental.
A ferry with a single authorized car, including vehicle ticket and ferry cover.

The third option can be convenient, but only after adding the vehicle’s ferry fare, passenger fares, cover, fuel, parking and any one-way charge.

Fees that can change the total

Current Hertz Greece terms illustrate why the headline rate is incomplete. They list:

Additional driver: €7.50 per day.
Airport surcharge: 6% at Greek airports and 13% at Athens airport, calculated on specified charges.
Out-of-hours collection or delivery: €50.
Refuelling service charge: €16, separate from fuel.
Ferry cover: €20 per day, capped at €60 per rental.
Accident or fine administration fee: €30 in the listed circumstances.

These are examples from one supplier’s terms, not universal Greek rates. Your confirmation should show which taxes and station fees are already included.

A transparent seven-day planning model

Use this worksheet before paying. Replace every assumption with the live quote:

Cost line	Example assumption	What to verify
Base rental	€315 (€45 × 7)	Vehicle group, mileage and taxes
Damage-cover upgrade	€73.50 (€10.50 × 7)	Excess after upgrade and exclusions
Ferry cover	€60	Written approval and tax treatment
Additional driver	€52.50 (€7.50 × 7)	Whether included in a package
Fuel	€90	Route distance and fuel policy
Tolls and parking	€55	Route and overnight parking
Illustrative trip total	€646	Excludes ferry tickets and refundable deposit

The €45 daily base, fuel and toll assumptions are not market averages. They simply show how a €315 headline rental can become a €646 trip before ferry tickets and the temporary card hold.

Booking workflow for fewer surprises

Choose the route before comparing cars.
Decide whether the vehicle must travel by ferry or cross a border.
Open the supplier’s full terms, not only the broker summary.
Record the included excess, deposit, accepted card and licence rule.
Request ferry and one-way permission in writing.
Save the confirmation and photograph the car, wheels, glass, roof and fuel level at pickup.
At return, obtain a receipt or condition confirmation and keep it until the deposit is released.

Common mistakes

Booking a non-refundable car before confirming licence acceptance.
Assuming “full coverage” removes every exclusion.
Treating the deposit as part of the rental price instead of a temporary card hold.
Putting the car on a ferry without written approval.
Comparing daily prices without airport, driver, one-way and fuel fees.
Reserving an oversized vehicle for narrow village streets and limited island parking.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an International Driving Permit in Greece?

It depends on the issuing country and rental company. EU licences are generally recognized across the EU, but suppliers publish their own acceptance rules. When an IDP is required, it accompanies rather than replaces the original licence.

Can I take any Greek rental car on a ferry?

No. Hertz and Thrifty currently require prior written approval and a specific ferry cover. Other suppliers can impose different restrictions.

How large is the security deposit?

It depends on supplier, vehicle and cover. Hertz says its deposit generally follows the applicable excess; with Super Cover it lists €100–€500. Check the exact booking and available card limit.

Is zero excess the same as zero risk?

No. Contract exclusions can remain for unauthorized use, parts of the vehicle, missing keys, wrong fuel or ferry travel. Read the exclusions rather than relying on a label.