Greece 

Driving in Greece

Drivers should be extra cautious in view of the very high incidence of serious road traffic accidents in Greece. In 2005 there were 1,658 road deaths in Greece (source: DfT). This equates to 15.0 road deaths per 100,000 of population and compares to the UK average of 5.5 road deaths per 100,000 of population in 2005.

You are strongly advised not to hire motorcycles, scooters, mopeds or quad bikes, as accidents involving these forms of transport are common and can often result in very serious or even fatal injury. You should check that your travel insurance covers you for the relevant activity (for more advice see travel insurance) and you should note that failure to wear a crash helmet might invalidate your travel insurance if you are involved in an accident.

If you intend to hire a moped you should be aware that you would require a valid driving licence with at least category A1 - 'light motorcycle` for this purpose. Category P, which is valid in the UK for driving mopeds up to 50cc is not valid in Greece. Greek law requires you to wear a crash helmet on a scooter, moped or motorcycle.

You should be aware that when hiring a vehicle, hire companies will often demand your passport as a form of security. You are advised not to hand over your passport under any circumstance. You should also check any waiver which will come into effect if the vehicle is damaged.

Quad bike riders require a full-face helmet (or non-full-face helmet plus goggles) under Greek law. Road insurance and a motorcycle licence are also mandatory.