Greece on a German Licence — Ferries, Mountain Roads & the Style Shock

Two things people from Germany ask first about Greece are quick to settle. Your German licence is valid there, so no International Driving Permit is needed. And the alcohol limit is 0.05 percent, the same number you already know from home. Everything else on this page is about what is not the same: the fines, the roads and the ferry timetable.

The fines are on another scale

Germany treats minor offences with small amounts and points. Greece’s code, rewritten in Law 5209/2025, goes for larger fixed fines and suspending the licence on the spot. Compare them side by side:

A repeat phone offence in Greece is EUR 1,000 and a 180-day suspension. The seatbelt row is the one Germans misjudge, because EUR 30 at home becomes EUR 350 and a month without a licence. For how fines abroad reach you, see our guide on who pays driving fines abroad.

Limits and equipment

Motorways are posted at 130 km/h, the same figure as Germany’s recommended speed, but unlike the Autobahn there is a hard limit, and on rural roads it is 90 km/h where Germany allows 100. Look for signs in towns instead of assuming a number. A warning triangle, first-aid kit and fire extinguisher are required in the car in Greece; Germany asks for a reflective vest as well, but in Greece it is only recommended. A rental should have the required items, so check the boot before you drive away.

The islands run on ferries you must book

If the trip includes islands and you want your own car there, the constraint is the vehicle ferry. Deck space is limited and sells out in July and August, and the rental contract has to allow it. Plenty of German visitors keep the car on the mainland, cross as foot passengers and rent a scooter or small car on arrival. Decide before you are standing at the port in Piraeus.

Surfaces and manners

The new motorways are genuinely good. The rest of the country is a different experience: mountain and coastal roads narrow without warning, potholes and gravel appear mid-bend, and livestock and parked cars turn up on blind corners. Lane markings are treated loosely, overtaking is bolder than German norms, and a horn tends to mean “I am coming through” rather than anger. Leave room, expect the late pass and read the road.

What to check at the rental desk

Ask which tolls the route will hit and whether the car carries an electronic tag, since the newer motorways charge and a missed payment turns into an admin bill later. Confirm the excess on damage, because narrow village streets and tight car parks account for more scratches than any motorway. Photograph the car with the agent present, check that the three required items are actually in the boot, and ask in writing whether the contract covers the ferry if you plan to cross to an island.

Emergency numbers

Greece uses 112 as the general number, with 100 for police, 166 for ambulance and 199 for fire. Germany’s are 110 for police and 112 for ambulance and fire, so save the Greek ones before you leave. Full rules are in the Greece driving guide, and you can estimate tolls and ferry legs with the fuel cost calculator.

Tolls, parking and island towns

The motorways are tolled, so keep small change or a card ready at the booths, and check whether your rental includes a pass. In island towns and old villages the streets can be too narrow for a mid-size car, so park at the edge and walk. Where a sign or a marked bay is unclear, take the longer walk rather than risk a ticket that the rental company will pass on with a fee.

Sources

• Law 5209/2025 (new Greek traffic code, ΚΟΚ), Art. 24 on speeding penalties and Art. 94 par. 3 on foreign licences, as recorded in our Greece dataset (no web link)