Greece-carhire-ferries.
 

Having booked car hire from the airport in Athens with Hertz, we have just noticed that they prohibit taking the car on a ferry without specific consent. We emailed and the reply tells us that we can take the car on the ferry but that it is not insured whilst on the ferry and if it breaks down whilst on an island where they have no cover then we have to pay to get it towed back to the mainland.
What is the history to this? Is it that ferries can be rough and the cars are not secured ?
This must be my 20th visit to Greece but I've never seen this before.

That you haven't noticed it before doesn't mean much Frances. It is in my experience normal. Simply put, you don't take a rental car on the ferries. You rent on each island you want to have a car on.

Why pay for the car on the ferry and have it just sit there doing nothing anyway? You will no doubt find a place within walking distance of the dock where you can rent a car and be on your way in 15 minutes.

This has always been the case !
You take the rental car on the ferry at your own risk.
I have done this many times in the past years ( with my own car) and i never had any problems with accidents or even scratches.

Would you take an uninsured car on this ferry? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqgXjHGsTPU

Every island has many competing car rental agencies, including branch offices of the "big boys", so why not just pick one up at the ferry port when you first arrive at an island? It's a common practice for the agents to provide this pick-up/delivery service.

We are travelling to Kithira and the Peleponnese but as the ferry schedules weren't published when we booked our flights, the Kithira part of the trip is occuring from day 4 to day 7. We need the car to see the Peleponnese both before and after.
As for the film Greg the horror of that is due to the weather not the ferry - you can't insure for act of God anyway.

Frances

I wouldn't want to be on that ferry anyway, with or without a car... this doesn't happen often of course.

Now if you plan to visit the Peloponnese and Kythira you can't drop off the car at the port... Juat do what everyone does, take the car on the ferry and nothing will happen. :)