Santorini car hire

One of the advantages of opting for a hire car in Santorini rather than other modes of transport is that you have the freedom and flexibility to get to parts of the island that otherwise might prove more difficult. For example, you could start your day in the north of the island at Ammoudi, which is a great swimming area, before heading to the south of the island to the archaeological site of Akrotiri. By car this takes about 45min, but using another mode of transport, such as a bus, would take much longer.

When you are driving a car in Santorini you will find it different from that of driving in the United Kingdom. For example, you will be driving on the opposite side of the road. In addition, you will also find the steering wheel on the left side of the car rather than the right. The speed limits are similar to that of the UK, with urban areas requiring you drive no faster than 50km/h (31mph) and roads outside of towns and villages being 90km/h (56mph). There are no motorways on the island so this is the upper speed limit. Keep an eye out for the speed limit changing, especially in urban areas.

Make sure you meet the minimum age requirement when you hire a car in Santorini. It is likely that each individual agency will have its own policy, so it’s worth familiarising yourself with these before you arrive. In general, you will need to be 21 years of age to hire a car, but some companies will require you to be older. You might also be required to have held your license for at least one year to be able to hire a car. Many of the car hire companies will also require you to pay a surcharge if you are under a certain age. Younger drivers will also find that the selection of vehicles available to them is smaller, with the less powerful cars not being available to hire.

On average a car hire in Santorini costs R574 per day.

Compact (Kia Stonic or similar) is the most frequently booked car hire type in Santorini.

In the past 72 hours, the cheapest car hires were found at Sixt (R336/day), Budget (R588/day) and Avis (R782/day).

Take a look at our extensive car hire location map to find the best car hire deals near you.