Renting a car or motorcycle in Santorini/Crete?
May 18th, 2006, 01:58 AM
#1
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Renting a car or motorcycle in Santorini/Crete?
I'm going to visit Santorini and Crete in early June for a few days. I was wondering what's the best way to tour the island.....rent a car or motorcycle? Or is the bus system adequate and easy?
Thanks!
Thanks!
May 18th, 2006, 02:15 AM
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We rented a car on both islands. It definitely is needed on Crete and having it on Santorini was nice but I'm not sure IMO altogether necessary.
It certainly was easy enough and not expensive to rent cars on either island so if your not sure just rent a car. Now you can go anywhere.
It certainly was easy enough and not expensive to rent cars on either island so if your not sure just rent a car. Now you can go anywhere.
May 18th, 2006, 03:21 AM
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I ran into the no motorcycle license problem so I rented one of those little smart cars. I can't drive a stick, but she said "I think you can figure out this Smart Car." It was a lot of fun to drive. No clutch, but you do shift it from first to second and up to fifth. It shifted back to first automatically when I had to stop.
May 19th, 2006, 08:21 AM
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We just got back this weekend from Greece – Athens, Crete, and Santorini. A car is much safer and a wiser choice for driving than a motorcycle in Crete!! We had one for the week we were there. Warning, driving on the “New National Road” is quite stressful. You really need to concentrate and drive defensively. The week we spent in Santorini, we took cabs (quite reasonable), walked, and rented a car for one day to tour the Island. Many people were on motorcycles, but, I would not feel safe myself on one because the streets are so narrow. We did not find the bus system so user friendly since the schedules was not conducive to our timing
May 19th, 2006, 12:00 PM
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I think (as my mother would have said) that a scooter is a serious error in any holiday destination- certain death or maiming. Car's are much better and jeeps better still.
You can see a huge amount of Crete fro the buses if you're no' feart.
You can see a huge amount of Crete fro the buses if you're no' feart.
May 19th, 2006, 12:59 PM
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Just came back from a few days in Santorini. "Main road" is twisting, barely 2-lanes, and often has no guard rails on the cliff side. Taxis frequently driving up to 50 MPH on what I would call an "alley" back in US. Taxis and local vehicles frequently passing one another under fool-hardy conditions. On 2 separate occasions, the taxis I was in forced oncoming scooter drivers to swerve, to avoid collisions.
Driving a motorcycle without knowledge of their local, unwritten "rules of engagement" invites serious crashes or injury
Driving a motorcycle without knowledge of their local, unwritten "rules of engagement" invites serious crashes or injury
May 14th, 2011, 01:28 AM
#10
We were in the hospital in Santorini last August, due to an ear infection, and the doctor told us about all the foreign tourists who end up there because of road accidents, mainly with motor scooters. He said they were dangerous because tourists are not used to the roads, or handling motorbikes, and are often looking at the views instead of the cars. We've had two visits to Santorinii and one to Crete and have always managed fine with local buses.
Also the hospital looked old, run-down and inadequately staffed, not the sort of place you want to end up.
Kay
Also the hospital looked old, run-down and inadequately staffed, not the sort of place you want to end up.
Kay
May 14th, 2011, 08:40 AM
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i have worked in a hotel in Santorini long time ago..
this means i saw things , a normal tourist wouldn't see...
renting a motorcycle, without driving at home one, and without having a license is absolutely dangerous !!!!!
I have seen many tourists having really bad accidents, some had even to be sent back to their country with a jet ambulance. The small Santorini hospital is exactly as described by Kayf....
It is better to stay on the safe side and either use local busses or rent a car.
Renting a car usually is better to be done in advance and not on the spot, where prices are higher.. i would also recommend not to trust unknown car rentals that you will find often on Greek islands... use the international well known ones to avoid any problems !
this means i saw things , a normal tourist wouldn't see...
renting a motorcycle, without driving at home one, and without having a license is absolutely dangerous !!!!!
I have seen many tourists having really bad accidents, some had even to be sent back to their country with a jet ambulance. The small Santorini hospital is exactly as described by Kayf....
It is better to stay on the safe side and either use local busses or rent a car.
Renting a car usually is better to be done in advance and not on the spot, where prices are higher.. i would also recommend not to trust unknown car rentals that you will find often on Greek islands... use the international well known ones to avoid any problems !
