Mykonos Car Rental
Mykonos is a small island with few villages and settlements scattered around the island’s perimeter. Still, it has beautiful beaches and picturesque landscapes worth exploring. A car rental can give you just that: the opportunity to visit even the remotest parts of Mykonos at your own pace and stress-free.
Is it Worth Renting a Car in Mykonos?
Renting a car is the best way to discover all the popular attractions as well as the hidden gems of Mykonos island. The other alternatives -taxi and bus- are far from convenient for your everyday transfers. Mykonos taxis are few and often hard to find, and even though they aren’t considered very pricey, they can end up costly if used for every transfer during your stay in Mykonos. On the other hand, KTEL buses reach every corner of the island. However, their routes aren’t frequent enough. Moreover, they are usually indirect, whereas buses don’t always stick to their times. As a result, they are often crowded. On the other hand, a Mykonos car rental allows you to drive everywhere, whenever you feel like it, without stress or hassle.
How to Rent a Car in Mykonos?
If you make up your mind and are in for a Mykonos car rental, the big question isn’t “how are you going to rent it?”. Conversely, you should focus on how to find the best car rental deals and offers. Mykonos hosts numerous car rental agencies, from local providers to major international companies. Thus, the competition is fierce, and the prices are squeezed. Ferreting out the best value-for-money car rental option depends highly on the dedicated time to your “search-and-compare” effort. However, there are some useful tips and tricks to help you do the job:
- Do your research and make your reservation as soon as possible. In that way, you will find the lowest prices and have access to more car types and models.
- Take as many photos as you can before picking up the car rental and when dropping it off to have evidence of existing damages along with the car’s condition at the end of your rental period.
- Extra amenities require extra money. From GPS and Wi-Fi to adding extra drivers, the add-ons raise the final cost.
- The charge for your car rental will be calculated per 24h. Hence, you should plan the dropping-off time carefully to avoid an extra day’s surcharge.
- Fill in the car before returning it. You’ll pay much less than what the car rental company will charge you for fuel.
What Documents do you Need to Rent a Car in Mykonos?
Renting a car in Mykonos requires the usual documents. Thus, you should bring your passport or your ID, your driver’s license, and the credit card you plan to use. If your driver’s license isn’t also written in English (with Latin characters) or wasn’t issued in a country-member of the EU, you’ll have to issue an International Driving Permit (basically a translation of your license) and hand it over as well.
How Old do you Have to Be to Rent a Car in Mykonos?
Although the age limit for driving in Greece is 18 years, 21 years is the minimum age to rent a car. Moreover, besides the age requirement, drivers should have at least one year of driving experience, meaning they should have acquired their driver’s license at least one year ago. In any case, drivers between 21 and 23 usually pay a young-driver fee, while the age limit for some expensive and luxurious car types is 25 years.
How Much does a Mykonos Car Rental Cost?
The cost of a car rental varies depending on the car type you are going to choose and, of course, the time of the year (for instance, prices in August are sky-high). In general terms, the average fare for a mini car is 41€/41$.
What Car Rental to Use in Mykonos?
When it comes to car renting in Mykonos, the most popular cars are the mini ones. Besides the cost, mini cars are ideal for driving in Mykonos, as they are easy to maneuver on the narrow Mykonos road network.
Our Tip: Most Mykonos car rentals are manual. Therefore, if you are used to automatic cars, you should opt for an automatic car rental to drive comfortably and stress-free around the island’s twisty roads, even if it is slightly more expensive.
Where to Rent a Car in Mykonos?
The car rental companies offer pick-up services at the airport, the port, Mykonos town, and potentially other locations upon request. Thus, depending on whether you are arriving at the island by plane or ferry, your hotel’s location, etc., you should choose the ideal spot for your car rental pick-up. Nevertheless, it is advisable to avoid the port and prefer another location (even if that requires an extra transfer from the port), as the port area tends to get really crowded when the ferries arrive, making the picking-up procedure stressful.
Our Tip: A good tip is to inform the car rental company about your flight number or your ferry’s name. In that way, they will be up to date about potential delays. Thus, rescheduling the pick-up time will be easier.
How Long does it Take to Return a Rental Car?
Dropping off your car rental shouldn’t be time-consuming. In fact, the entire process should last approximately 5-10 minutes. The car rental agent will check the car thoroughly for potential damages, you will hand him over the key, and that’s all. Nevertheless, if you have an upcoming flight or ferry to catch, you should return the car on time and not risk missing the plane or the boat.
Do the Car Rental Companies Offer After-hour Services?
In general terms, each car rental office has specific operation hours during which it provides its services. Nevertheless, after-hour pick-ups and drop-offs can be arranged. Still, you’ll probably be charged a small extra fee.
Can I Rent a Car Without Insurance?
At least minimum insurance is required to rent a car in Mykonos. However, it is recommended to carefully check the provided insurance options. Thus, if your original insurance doesn’t include car rentals or your credit card doesn’t offer similar coverage, you should opt for full insurance, providing comprehensive coverage in case of an accident or damage.
Our Tip: Some damages are not included, not even in the full insurance package. Tires and glasses are only some of them.
How can I Rent a Car Without a Credit Card?
Even though most car rental companies require credit cards, some car rental agencies also accept bookings via debit cards. However, in that case, they immediately draw the entire amount of money and not only a small sum as a guarantee.
Where to Park your Car in Mykonos?
Mykonos Town (Chora) offers some private as well as some public parking facilities. For example, private parking lots are to be found in the Fabrika area, near the Windmills and close to the Archaeological Museum. On the other hand, public parking spaces lie at the Old Port and adjacent to the Windmills region. Nevertheless, they are always full. Parking on the street is free, yet parking spots are rare. Still, you should always check the road signs. If parking is prohibited, it is highly likely to receive a fine.
Outside Mykonos Chora, you can park on the street. Parking your car close to your destination and not exactly on the spot is recommended, as the parking space is usually limited and the roads narrow. Please keep in mind that most beach bars and restaurants have designated parking areas upon payment.
Mykonos Car Rentals: Final Tips
- It is advisable to check if your car rental company has a mileage limit. In that case, exceeding that limit means paying an extra fare.
- You should ask everything you want to know about your car rental operation before starting your journey.
- Many Mykonos visitors opt for ATVs. However, most road accidents involve ATVs. Thus, it is recommended to rent a scooter or an ATV only if you have previous driving experience.
- Apart from young drivers, old-age drivers pay an extra fee too.
- In Mykonos, motorists drive on the right side of the road.
- The alcohol limit is 0.5
- Seatbelts aren’t optional and talking on the phone results in fines.
- If you get fined while driving your car rental, the car rental company will send you the bill added to the sending cost.
- In general terms, Greek drivers don’t drive carefully. Mykonos is no exemption. Thus, you should drive slowly and respect traffic laws.
- The car’s papers and your personal documents should always be on tap.
- The European Emergency Number is 112.