Picking up a rental car at Santorini Airport is the easy part. You walk from arrivals to the desks, sign, and drive off without arranging a transfer first. What surprises people is the island itself: narrow caldera roads, villages you cannot drive into, car parks that fill by mid-morning in August, and a licence rule that catches non-EU visitors out. This guide covers what you need to drive legally in 2026, what the roads are really like, and where a car helps versus where it just gets in the way.
Do you need an international driving permit in Santorini?
It depends on where your licence is from, and the rule has changed in recent years. An EU or EEA licence is valid as it is, and a UK photocard licence is fine too. Since a 2021 change in Greek law, national licences from the United States, Canada and Australia are also recognised, so drivers from those countries no longer need an International Driving Permit (IDP) to rent and drive. The one catch is that an individual rental company can still ask for an IDP as its own policy, and the permit is cheap, so many visitors carry one anyway as a backup. A licence from another non-EU country, or one not written in the Latin alphabet, does still need an IDP alongside it.
| Your licence | IDP needed? |
|---|---|
| EU or EEA | No, your licence is valid as is |
| UK (photocard) | No |
| US, Canada, Australia | Not by law since 2021, though some desks still ask for one |
| Other non-EU country | Yes, carry an IDP plus your home licence |
If you do need an IDP, or just want one as a backup, get it at home before you fly (in the US and Canada through the AAA or CAA), because there is no way to obtain a valid one once you have landed. You also need to be at least 21 for most companies, pay the deposit with a credit card in the driver's name, and to have held your licence for a year or more.
What are the roads like in Santorini?
Traffic drives on the right. The main routes between Fira, Oia and the south are paved and in good shape, and there are no toll roads anywhere on the island. The difficulty is the older village streets, which are narrow, walled on both sides, and shared with pedestrians, so a wrong turn into a lane too narrow for a car is a real risk. Many roads have little or no lighting at night, the caldera-rim bends are tight, and scooters and quad bikes weave through traffic in summer. Drive slowly, tap the horn on blind corners, and do not trust your phone's map to know which lanes are too narrow for a car.
Distances are short, so nowhere on the island is more than about 40 minutes away, but the mix of narrow roads and heavy summer traffic means journeys take longer than the kilometres suggest. Allow extra time around Fira and Oia at sunset, when the whole island seems to move in one direction.
Where do you park in Fira and Oia?
Parking is free almost everywhere, but space is the problem, not price. Fira, Firostefani and Oia have several free public car parks, and they fill quickly in July and August, especially before sunset. One rule matters most: you cannot park inside Oia, and you usually cannot drive to a caldera-edge hotel either. Leave the car in a public lot on the edge of the village and walk in, which can be 10 to 15 minutes on foot, the same catch that comes with staying in Imerovigli. Arrive earlier than you think you need to, and never block a private entrance or a narrow lane, because cars do get ticketed and towed in peak season.
Picking up your car at the airport
The car rental desks sit at the arrivals level, a few steps from where you collect your bags, and the main international and local companies are represented. A small car runs from roughly €15 a day out of season to €40 or more per day in August, when demand peaks and the cheapest cars sell out weeks ahead. Book before you fly to lock the price and the vehicle, bring the credit card in the driver's name for the deposit, and photograph the car all the way round before you leave the lot so existing scratches are on record. Check the fuel policy too, as most cars come full and should be returned full. Our wider Santorini car rental guide compares companies and what the quotes include.
One detail trips up a lot of visitors, especially from North America: most rental cars in Greece are manual. Automatics exist but are a smaller share of the fleet, cost more, and sell out first in summer, so if you can only drive an automatic, book it weeks ahead and confirm it in writing rather than hoping one is free at the desk. The cars are small for a reason, since the lanes and car parks are tight, and a compact is far easier to place than an SUV on a caldera road.
Fuel, scooters and quad bikes
Petrol stations cluster around Fira and the centre of the island and thin out toward the quieter corners, and many close in the evening, so fill up before a late drive rather than counting on a pump near your hotel. Scooters, ATVs and quad bikes are everywhere in summer and look like a cheap, fun alternative, but the rules are stricter than the rental boards suggest: anything over 50cc needs a motorcycle licence or the right category on your IDP, helmets are required by law, and the island sees a high number of quad accidents on its gravel shoulders and tight bends every season. If you have never ridden one, the narrow roads here are not the place to learn.
Is renting a car worth it?
A car earns its keep if you want to reach the south beaches, the inland villages, wineries and the lighthouse on your own schedule, and if you are happy to park outside the caldera towns and walk. It makes less sense if you are staying in Fira or Oia the whole time, since you will pay to park a car you rarely use and fight traffic you could skip. The honest mix that works for many visitors is to base themselves on the bus and taxi network and rent for one or two touring days only.
- Showing up unsure about the licence rule. EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian licences are all recognised; other non-EU licences need an IDP, and some desks ask for one regardless. Confirm your rental company's policy before you fly.
- Trying to drive into Oia or to a cliffside hotel. You cannot. Park in a public lot on the edge and walk in.
- Leaving the car park search until sunset. Lots fill by late afternoon in summer. Arrive early or use the bus for the sunset crowd.
- Underestimating the villages. Old lanes are narrow and full of people. Slow right down and do not follow a map into a footpath.
- Running low on fuel late in the day. Stations are few and close early. Fill up near Fira before heading out.
If you would rather skip the wheel altogether, a pre-booked airport transfer through GetTransfer covers the arrival run, and a guided wine or caldera tour through GetExperience lets someone else handle the roads while you take in the view. For airport background before you travel, see the official Santorini Airport website.
