Skip to content

We use cookies for traffic analytics and to credit our affiliate partners. Choose "Accept all" to allow them, or "Necessary only" to keep just the essentials. Details in our privacy policy.

Rent From Locals

Car Rental in Thessaloniki

Rent a car from verified, top-rated local suppliers at Thessaloniki airport, in the city or at the port. No credit card is required, pick-up times are flexible and full insurance options are on offer.

Filters84 cars

Category

All categoriesEconomyMid-sizeSUV / 4x4Full-sizeLuxuryMinivanVanMotorcycleCamper
Price per dayAny
VehicleAny
Production year
InsuranceAny
Deposit & guaranteeAny
OptionsAny
More filtersAny
Means of payment and deposit
Promo codeAny

84 cars available

84 cars

84 cars

How you pick up your car

Picking up in the city suits you if you're spending the first days on foot. The metro has crossed the centre from the railway station to Nea Elvetia since November 2024, with a branch to Kalamaria and Mikra since August 2026, so you can see the city first and collect the car on the day you leave town.

The supplier brings the car to your hotel or sends you directions to their office, and confirms which after booking. Street parking in the centre is short-stay only, so for a full day the port car parks by the main port gate, or the free park & ride at Nea Elvetia metro station, are easier.

Driving and parking

Parking in Thessaloniki

  • Street parking in the centre is the municipal THESi system. White lines are for visitors; blue lines are for residents only. Visitors pay €1.70 an hour, charged by the minute, for up to 4 hours in one sector.
  • When you pay: Monday to Friday 08:00-21:00 and Saturday 09:00-16:00. Outside those hours, on Sundays and on public holidays, parking is free.
  • How to pay: in the ParkPal app, by scanning the QR code on the sign (Scan & Pay), or at kiosks and shops with a blue THESi sticker: give them the five-digit sector number from the sign and your plate.
  • For a full day or overnight: the port authority's three open car parks by the port gates are open 24 hours and cost less per hour the longer you stay, with a low overnight cap. Private garages in the centre charge roughly €12-40 a day.
  • Free park & ride: 400 spaces at Nea Elvetia metro station since April 2025, with the metro into the centre.

On the road

  • The ring road and the Flyover: the eastern section of the inner ring road, about 12.5 km from the Papageorgiou Hospital junction (K5) to the junction with the Halkidiki road (K12), is being rebuilt with a 4 km elevated section, the Flyover. It was 62% complete in September 2026 and is due in May 2027. Until then expect delays, and overnight closures with diversions.
  • Busy times: the ring road and the city are at their slowest on weekdays from about 07:00 to 10:30 and 15:00 to 17:00. On summer weekends the exits fill with people heading for the beaches: on a Sunday in July 2026, queues formed at the Malgara toll from about 10:00 and traffic on the Nea Moudania road to Halkidiki was heavy.
  • Tolls: the motorways out of the city are tolled: the A1 south towards Katerini and Athens, and the A2 Egnatia Odos west to Veria and east to Kavala, whose tolls went up on 1 January 2026. The nearest stations are Malgara, west of the city, and Analipsi, towards Kavala. Staffed lanes take cash and cards; if the car has an electronic tag, ask the supplier how its charges are settled. Roads within Halkidiki have no tolls.
  • Fuel: most stations are attendant-served, and many close at night and on Sundays, with one on duty in each area.

Practical tips

  • Which car: a small car is easier to park in the centre. None of the trips above needs a 4x4: the only rough stretch is the road up to Prionia.
  • Halkidiki weekends: a Friday or Saturday arrival with a Sunday departure puts you on the road with everyone else, and late July to mid-August is the busiest time.
  • Leaving Greece: the borders with North Macedonia (Evzoni, 76 km) and Bulgaria (Promachonas, 113 km) are about an hour and 1½ hours away. You can't take the car abroad unless the supplier agrees in writing before you book.

Driving rules in Greece

  • Speed limits: in towns the limit has been 30 km/h since 1 January 2026, and 50 km/h on roads with two or more lanes in each direction, on one-way roads with two or more lanes and on roads with a central divider. Outside towns it is 90 km/h, 110 km/h on expressways and 130 km/h on motorways. Signs can set other limits.
  • Alcohol: the limit is 0.5 g/l. It is 0.2 g/l for new drivers, and for motorcycle and moped riders.
  • Phones: hands-free only. Since the new traffic code of 2025, a first offence costs €350 and a 30-day licence suspension.
  • Helmets: compulsory on mopeds, motorcycles and quads, for the rider and the passenger.
  • In the car: a warning triangle, a first-aid kit and a fire extinguisher are compulsory. Check they're in the boot at pick-up.
  • Emergencies: call 112.

Places to visit by car

  • Kassandra (Halkidiki)

    Kassandra (Halkidiki)

    the Potidea canal, where the first peninsula begins, is 67 km away, just over an hour by the Nea Moudania road. Afytos and Kallithea on the east coast are about 85 km, 1 hour 20 minutes. On summer weekends leave early: the road is at its busiest from mid-morning.
  • Sithonia (Halkidiki)

    Sithonia (Halkidiki)

    Nikiti, at the top of the second peninsula, is 97 km, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Neos Marmaras is 117 km, about 2 hours, and Kavourotrypes in the south-east 137 km, about 2 hours 20 minutes. A road runs right round the peninsula, so you can go down one coast and come back up the other.
  • Ouranoupoli and the Mount Athos cruise

    Ouranoupoli and the Mount Athos cruise

    125 km, about 2 hours 20 minutes, via Polygyros and Ierissos. This is as far as you can drive: Athos is reached only by boat. In summer, sightseeing cruises of about three hours run along its coast. They stay 500 m offshore, so women can go too. Landing on Athos is for men only, with a permit (the diamonitirion) and the daily ferry to Dafni. Departure times vary by operator.
  • Vergina (ancient Aigai)

    Vergina (ancient Aigai)

    68 km, just over an hour on the motorway west. From 1 November to 31 March the royal tombs museum is open 09:00-17:00 and closed on Tuesdays; the €20 ticket also covers the necropolis, theatre and palace.
  • Pella

    Pella

    45 km, about 45 minutes, on the old road to Edessa. The capital of ancient Macedon and Alexander the Great's birthplace, with a museum by the site. From 1 April to 31 October the museum is open daily 08:00-20:00 (Tuesdays from 12:00); from 1 November to 31 March it is open 08:30-15:30 and closed on Tuesdays. Tickets are €10, or €5 reduced.
  • Edessa waterfalls

    Edessa waterfalls

    91 km, about 1½ hours via Pella and Giannitsa. The falls are in a park on the east side of town, and a path goes behind the 70 m Karanos fall. A free car park is reported next to the park.
  • Mount Olympus from Litochoro

    Mount Olympus from Litochoro

    Litochoro is 90 km, about 1 hour 10 minutes down the A1. The steep road on to the Prionia trailhead is another 17 km, about 25 minutes, with a short section reported unpaved.
  • Lake Kerkini

    Lake Kerkini

    98 km, about 1 hour 40 minutes north. Local fishermen take boats out from Kerkini village to see the pelicans, which show their breeding colours in January and February.

Questions and answers

Can I drive from Thessaloniki airport straight to Halkidiki?

Yes. The airport is on the south-east side of the city, on the way to Halkidiki, so you don't cross the centre. Nea Moudania is about 51 km from the terminal, around 45 minutes, and Neos Marmaras in Sithonia about 108 km, under 2 hours.

Where can I park in the centre of Thessaloniki?

In the white-lined THESi bays: €1.70 an hour for up to 4 hours, paid in the ParkPal app or at shops with a THESi sticker. It's free on Sundays, after 16:00 on Saturdays and after 21:00 on weekdays. For a full day, use the port car parks.

Is the ring road still under construction?

Yes, at the time of writing. The Flyover on the eastern ring road, between the Papageorgiou Hospital and the Halkidiki road junction, is due in May 2027. Until then, allow extra time on the ring road, especially at rush hour.

Are there tolls around Thessaloniki?

On the motorways, yes: the A1 towards Katerini and Olympus, and the A2 Egnatia Odos towards Veria and Kavala. Pay in cash or by card in the staffed lanes. Roads within Halkidiki have no tolls.

Can I take the car to North Macedonia or Bulgaria?

Only if the supplier agrees in writing before you book. The borders at Evzoni and Promachonas are about 1 and 1½ hours' drive away.

Can women take the Mount Athos boat trip from Ouranoupoli?

Yes. The sightseeing cruises stay 500 m off the coast and are open to everyone. Only men with a permit can land on Athos.