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Rent From Locals

Car, Scooter & ATV Rental in Zakynthos

Rent a car from verified, top-rated local suppliers at Zakynthos airport, off the Kyllini ferry or in Zakynthos Town. Expect flexible pick-up, no credit card and a choice of full insurance.

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25 cars available

25 cars

25 cars

How you pick up your car

Picking up in town suits you if you arrived some other way and only want a car for part of your stay. The supplier brings the car to your hotel or sends you directions to their office, and confirms which after booking. Parking in the centre is scarce in summer, so if the car is coming to your hotel, agree an exact spot and time.

Driving and parking

Parking in Zakynthos Town

  • Street parking is free at the time of writing, but spaces are very limited in summer and on holidays. Your best chance is on the ring road on the north-western side of town, near the KTEL bus station.
  • Paid parking is planned. In April 2026 the regional authority rejected objections to the municipality's controlled-parking study, which brings a card for residents and paid parking for visitors. The zones, fees and start date still need a separate council decision.
  • At the turtle beaches: use the car parks and never drive or park on the sand. Vehicles of any kind, bicycles included, are banned on the nesting beaches.

On the road

  • No motorways and no tolls. The roads across the central plain and along the east coast are mostly in good condition.
  • The west is mountainous. The roads up to Agios Leon, Kiliomenos, Maries, Anafonitria and Volimes, and those on the Vasilikos peninsula, are narrow, winding and steep in places. Expect to pull in to let oncoming cars pass.
  • After sunset: coming back from a sunset at Navagio, Kampi or Keri means driving the mountain roads at dusk. Take them slowly.
  • Two wheels and quads: scooters and quads are everywhere in high season, so leave them room on bends. If you ride one, both of you need a helmet, on a quad as much as on a scooter. The fine is €350 per person without one, and the rider's licence is withdrawn for 30 days.
  • Fuel: most stations are in and around town and on the central plain. On the west side there are only three, at Agios Leon, near Orthonies on the Anafonitria road and at Agios Nikolaos port. There are none at Kampi, Maries, Porto Limnionas, Keri or the Navagio viewpoint, so fill up before you head west; for Keri, at Lithakia at the latest.

Practical tips

  • Which car: a small car is easiest on the village roads and when parking in town, but the climbs in the west are steep, so a very low-powered car will struggle there. None of the trips above needs a 4x4.
  • Turtle beaches: Gerakas, Dafni, Sekania, Kalamaki, East Laganas and Marathonisi are loggerhead nesting beaches. In the nesting season, roughly May to October, they're closed from sunset to sunrise. Umbrellas go only within 5 m of the water, and digging, lights at night and touching the nest cages are not allowed. Sekania is open only to researchers.
  • Taking the car on a ferry: if you'd like to take it to Kefalonia or the mainland, ask the supplier 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

  • Navagio (Shipwreck) viewpoint

    Navagio (Shipwreck) viewpoint

    35 km, 45 minutes to an hour, over the mountains via Agios Leon and Anafonitria; the turn-off is near the Agios Georgios Krimnon monastery. The view is from the railed platform on the cliff top. In 2026 a ministerial decision closed the beach and the cliff edge until 31 October because of rockfall risk, with no swimming in the bay and no boats within 50 m of the shore. Similar bans have applied every summer since 2023, so check the rules before you go. Parking is free; in summer the queue for the platform can take an hour, less in the morning.
  • Anafonitria and Porto Vromi

    Anafonitria and Porto Vromi

    the monastery at Anafonitria, with its tower, is 5 km from the viewpoint. Porto Vromi, a cove 10 km away, is where boats leave for the Navagio bay, weather permitting.
  • Blue Caves (Skinari)

    Blue Caves (Skinari)

    Agios Nikolaos port is 29 km away (about 40 minutes) and Cape Skinari, at the northern tip, 33 km (about 45). Boats to the sea caves leave from both: about an hour from Agios Nikolaos with a swimming stop, or 40 minutes by glass-bottomed boat from Skinari. Agios Nikolaos is 20 minutes from the Navagio viewpoint, so the two fit in one day.
  • Xigia

    Xigia

    21 km, about 30 minutes, on the north-east coast. Sulphur springs run into the sea from a cave, so the water is cold and you'll smell the beach before you see it. Parking is along the road, and visitors report anything from free to €7 a day. The beach is pebbly, so bring water shoes.

    Photo: dronepicr, cropped, CC BY 2.0

  • Porto Limnionas

    Porto Limnionas

    30 km, about 40 minutes, down from Agios Leon on the west coast. The last stretch is paved but narrow. Parking fills up fast, so come in the morning.
  • Kampi

    Kampi

    28 km, about 40 minutes. A village high on the western cliffs, and the island's other sunset spot besides Navagio. A large cross above the sea remembers those who died in the war.
  • Keri lighthouse

    Keri lighthouse

    22 km, about 25 minutes, at the south-western tip. There's an unpaved parking area beside the lighthouse on the headland, and many people come for the sunset.
  • Marathonisi and Laganas Bay

    Marathonisi and Laganas Bay

    boats to Marathonisi (Turtle Island) and the Keri sea caves leave from Agios Sostis (11 km, about 15 minutes), Limni Keriou and Laganas. The bay lies inside the National Marine Park, with speed limits and no-go zones for boats.
  • Gerakas and Dafni

    Gerakas and Dafni

    both on the Vasilikos peninsula, 16 km and 12 km away, about 20 minutes each. Gerakas has a free car park and a five-minute path down to the sand. Dafni is reached by about 3 km of narrow, steep dirt road from the Vasilikos main road, so ask the supplier whether the insurance covers unpaved roads. Nearby Sekania is closed to the public.

Questions and answers

Can I still see the Shipwreck beach (Navagio)?

Yes, from the viewing platform on the cliff top, 35 km from town. The beach itself has been closed every summer since 2023 after rockfalls; in 2026 the ban, with no swimming and no boats within 50 m of the shore, ran until 31 October. Check before you go whether it has been renewed.

How far is the airport from Zakynthos Town?

About 5 km, around 10 minutes by car. The supplier meets you on arrival, sends you directions to their office or sends a shuttle, and confirms which after booking. The short-stay car park is free for the first 20 minutes.

I'm coming by ferry from Kyllini. Where do I collect the car?

Choose the Zakynthos Port pick-up point, the harbour in Zakynthos Town, where the Levante Ferries ships dock after a crossing of about 1 hour 15 minutes. Give the supplier your ship and arrival time when you book. They meet you on arrival, send you directions to their office or send a shuttle, and confirm which after booking.

I'm arriving from Kefalonia. Can I pick up at Agios Nikolaos?

The ferry from Pessada (late May to September, twice a day) lands at Agios Nikolaos, in the north of the island and 29 km from town. The Zakynthos Port pick-up point is the harbour in town, so ask the supplier before you book whether they can meet you at Agios Nikolaos.

Can I drive to the turtle beaches?

Yes, by day. Gerakas has a free car park above the beach, and Dafni is at the end of a dirt road. In the nesting season you can't stay on these beaches after sunset, and no vehicle may go on the sand.

Should I rent a scooter or a quad instead of a car?

Some suppliers offer both, and they're handy for hopping between beaches on the east coast. On the long mountain roads in the west they're slow and exposed. Rider and passenger must both wear a helmet, and riders have a lower alcohol limit of 0.2 g/l. Ask the supplier which licence the vehicle needs before you book.