Why hire a car in Athens
Athens itself is best explored on foot — the Acropolis, Plaka, Monastiraki and the National Archaeological Museum are all within walking distance of each other, and the metro is efficient for moving between neighbourhoods. But the city is also the best base on the Greek mainland for day trips and longer drives, and public transport reaches very few of them. Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon are 70 km south along the coast road; Delphi is 170 km north-west up into the mountains; and the entry point to the Peloponnese, Corinth, is under an hour on the motorway.
For island travellers, Athens is the hub. The port of Piraeus is 10 km from the city centre, and from there ferries run to Hydra, Spetses, Aegina and the Cyclades. Hire a car in Athens, drive to Piraeus and leave the car there while you island-hop, or combine a mainland loop through Nafplio, Mycenae and Epidaurus with the city. Athens Airport (ATH) is particularly convenient — collecting your car on arrival means you can drive straight to a Peloponnese hotel before the motorway traffic builds.
