Greece on an Australian Licence — The Side Switch & Roads That Test You

Greece is a classic self-drive trip for Australians — the mainland mountains, the coastal roads, and the islands where a hire car opens up beaches the buses never reach. The paperwork is light. What actually demands attention is the side of the road and, more than anything, the roads themselves.

The side, and the first day

Australia drives on the left; Greece drives on the right. That swap is the most likely thing to catch you out, and your first hour is the danger window — pulling out of a petrol station, joining a roundabout that flows the other way, or glancing the wrong direction at a junction. Take it slowly on quiet roads before you tackle Athens or a busy port town.

The roads matter more than the limits

The speed signs are the easy part. Away from the new motorways, surfaces vary sharply — patched tarmac, fading lane markings, sudden potholes — and local drivers overtake assertively, often closer than you’d expect at home. On the islands the roads turn narrow and twisting, sometimes with a sheer drop and no barrier, and a ferry timetable that tempts you to hurry. The rule that keeps you safe is to drive to the conditions, not the posted number. Mainland limits run 50 in town, 90 rural, 130 on motorways; a 10 km/h overspeed costs around EUR 40, which the speeding fine calculator will estimate.

Documents and essentials

Carry your Australian licence with an International Driving Permit recommended, valid for stays up to twelve months — confirm with the driving permit checker. The car must carry a warning triangle, first-aid kit and fire extinguisher. Alcohol is 0.05, the same as home but firmly enforced with on-the-spot fines, so carry a card or cash. Fuel is roughly $1.92 a litre and 112 reaches emergency services. The full rules are on our Greece driving guide.