Compare cheap 7 seater car hire at Athens Airport. 2026 motorway tolls, the Athens traffic ring, the metro into town, drives to Nafplio and new traffic fines.
Driving into central Athens on a weekday? A traffic ring limits which cars can enter by number plate. Read the section below, and budget for motorway tolls on the way out.
Athens Airport handled 33,993,681 passengers in 2025. The UK was its third biggest international market, with 2,050,337 passengers (Athens International Airport).
A 7 seater is most useful here once you leave the city. The motorways from the airport to the Peloponnese and Delphi are fast, and they are tolled.
Tolls from the airport
The airport sits on Attiki Odos, the Athens ring road. From 1 January 2026, a car pays about £2.17 (€2.55) per passage, at any time of day (Nea Attiki Odos). You can pay by cash or bank card, though Diners and Amex are not accepted (Attiki Odos).
Further out, the tolls add up. 2026 car prices for the main routes (Proto Thema):
- Olympia Odos, Elefsina to Patras: about £11.73 (€13.80) for the full run
- Moreas, Corinth to Kalamata: about £9.99 (€11.75)
- Rio-Antirrio Bridge: about £13.52 (€15.90) per crossing
- Nea Odos towards Delphi: about £3.32 (€3.90) at Afidnes and about £3.87 (€4.55) at Thiva (Nea Odos)
An e-PASS tag works across most Greek motorways (Nea Attiki Odos). Ask the hire desk whether the car has one and how tolls are charged back to you. If not, keep a card and some cash handy.
The Athens traffic ring
Central Athens has a restricted zone, the Daktylios. While it runs, cars may enter only on dates matching the last digit of the number plate: even plates on even dates, odd plates on odd dates (Gocar). Breaking the rule costs about £85 (€100).
The ring runs Monday to Thursday from 7am to 8pm and on Fridays from 7am to 3pm, with no limits at weekends or on public holidays (To Vima). The 2025 to 2026 season ran from 20 October into July (To Vima), and the ring usually returns in mid-October.
Low-emission cars can get an exemption, but we found no clear rule for hire cars. Check the last digit of the plate against the date before you drive in, or leave the car at the hotel.
See the city without the car
For a day at the Acropolis, the airport’s public transport is easier than a 7 seater. Metro Line 3 runs from the airport into the centre and on to Piraeus. Express buses run to Syntagma on the X95 and to Piraeus on the X96 (Athens International Airport).
One option is to spend the city days first, then collect the car at the airport when you leave Athens.
Athens 7 Seaters for the Peloponnese, compared
Compare the six desks at Athens Airport side by side, with the full price before tolls.
Where Athens families drive
Greece’s official tourism website puts the Corinth Canal and Cape Sounion at about an hour’s drive from Athens each, and Nafplio at around an hour and a half (Visit Greece).
Delphi and Meteora are longer days, so it is worth stopping overnight on the way. With seven on board, plan stops every two hours in summer heat.
Greece’s new traffic code
Greece’s new Road Traffic Code came into force on 13 September 2025, with cameras in Attica and fines sent through the government’s gov.gr service (Proto Thema). Using a phone at the wheel costs about £298 (€350) and a one-month suspension, and so does driving without a seatbelt.
Since 1 January 2026, the default limit in towns has been 30 km/h, about 19 mph. Major roads such as Kifisias and Mesogeion keep 50 km/h, and motorways allow 130 km/h (To Vima). Our Heraklion Airport guide lists more of the new penalties.
The drink-drive limit is 0.5 g of alcohol per litre of blood, and 0.2 g for new drivers. Greek cars must carry safety kit, including a first-aid kit and a fire extinguisher (Your Europe). Check both are in the car at pickup.
Paperwork and child seats
GOV.UK says you can drive in Greece on a UK photocard licence, though hire firms may ask for an International Driving Permit (GOV.UK). Check your terms before you fly.
Child restraints are compulsory in Greece (Your Europe). Children aged 12 or under must use one suited to their size and age (IOAS).
GOV.UK says the Greek authorities have indicated they will not collect fingerprints and photos from UK travellers under the EU Entry/Exit System (GOV.UK).
Picking up at Athens Airport
All six car hire desks are in the arrivals hall, by Exit 4 in the main terminal, and they open 24 hours a day (Athens International Airport). Other firms meet you outside and take you to a depot nearby, and your voucher will say which.
On the way home, the drop-off area outside the terminal is free for the first 10 minutes (Athens International Airport). That is enough to unload the family and bags before one driver returns the car.
Seven people, seven cases
A large suitcase holds 80 to 110 litres. With all seven seats in use, the roomiest common 7 seaters manage about 340 to 350 litres of boot.
For a full family with a big case each, look for the ACRISS FV class, meaning seven or more seats plus more space, or book an 8 or 9 seater. On a long motorway drive, the extra space is worth it.
Island hopping after Athens? Our Greece guide covers ferries and the island airports, including Heraklion, Chania, Rhodes and Corfu.
Spending less on a 7 Seater from Athens
- Compare the total, not the daily rate. Fuel policy, deposit, insurance excess and toll charges all sit outside the headline price.
- Budget for tolls. A day trip to Patras and back can pass several toll stations, so add them to your costs.
- Pick up when you leave the city. Days in central Athens are easier by metro, and you save on hire days and parking.
- Book early with free cancellation. Lock in a cancellable rate, then search again nearer the date and rebook if prices fall.
Check Athens 7 Seater rates for your road trip
Enter pickup and return times to see cheap rates, and collect on the day you leave the city.
Questions people ask
How much is the Attiki Odos toll?
About £2.17 (€2.55) per passage for a car from 1 January 2026, at any time of day.
Can a hire car drive into central Athens?
At weekends, yes. On weekdays while the traffic ring runs, entry depends on the last digit of the plate and the date, so check before you go.
How long is the drive from Athens to Nafplio?
Around an hour and a half, by toll motorway past the Corinth Canal.
Do I need an International Driving Permit in Greece?
Not by law with a UK photocard licence, says GOV.UK. Some hire firms ask for one, so check your terms.
How do I find a cheap 7 Seater at Athens Airport?
Compare several hire firms at once. Our search shows 7 seaters from firms in the terminal and nearby, with the total price for each. Prices move with demand, so the earlier you search, the more choice you get.
