Recommendations for car rental from Athens Airport

Hello, in the Fall I will travel to Greece, flying into Athens and
heading to the Pelopponese by car, for maybe 10 days.

There are several car rental places at the airport: Avis, Budget,
Hertz, National/Alamo and Sixt.

Can anyone recommend one more than the rest? I wouldn't be buying the
high-dollar collision damage waiver.

Thanks,
--
Dan Stephenson
http://web.mac.com/stepheda
Travel pages for Europe and the U.S.A. (and New Zealand too)

Dan Stephenson wrote on Jun 19, 2011:

Hello, in the Fall I will travel to Greece, flying into Athens and
heading to the Pelopponese by car, for maybe 10 days.

There are several car rental places at the airport: Avis, Budget,
Hertz, National/Alamo and Sixt.

Can anyone recommend one more than the rest? I wouldn't be buying the
high-dollar collision damage waiver.

Thanks,


Wouldn't you be better off travelling to the Peloponnese by public transport
and renting a car from there? That's what I did a few years ago. You would
save yourself the trouble and expense of driving through Athens which is a
place to be avoided these days as far as possible.

I took a ferry from Piraeus to Porto Heli - a small place on the east coast
of the Peloponnese near Spetses - and hired a car there for a week. It was a
very relaxed experience compared to the hassle of Athens.

--
Mike Lane
UK North Yorkshire
mike_lane at mac dot com

"Mike Lane" wrote in message
dia.com...
Dan Stephenson wrote on Jun 19, 2011:

Hello, in the Fall I will travel to Greece, flying into Athens and
heading to the Pelopponese by car, for maybe 10 days.

There are several car rental places at the airport: Avis, Budget,
Hertz, National/Alamo and Sixt.

Can anyone recommend one more than the rest? I wouldn't be buying the
high-dollar collision damage waiver.

Thanks,


Wouldn't you be better off travelling to the Peloponnese by public
transport
and renting a car from there? That's what I did a few years ago. You would
save yourself the trouble and expense of driving through Athens which is a
place to be avoided these days as far as possible.

I took a ferry from Piraeus to Porto Heli - a small place on the east
coast
of the Peloponnese near Spetses - and hired a car there for a week. It was
a
very relaxed experience compared to the hassle of Athens.

Athens airport to the Peloponnese is 100% motorway.

The only time you'll have to stop is to pay the toll

tim

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:46:57 +0100, "tim...."
wrote:


"Mike Lane" wrote in message
media.com...
Dan Stephenson wrote on Jun 19, 2011:

Hello, in the Fall I will travel to Greece, flying into Athens and
heading to the Pelopponese by car, for maybe 10 days.

There are several car rental places at the airport: Avis, Budget,
Hertz, National/Alamo and Sixt.

Can anyone recommend one more than the rest? I wouldn't be buying the
high-dollar collision damage waiver.

Thanks,


Wouldn't you be better off travelling to the Peloponnese by public
transport
and renting a car from there? That's what I did a few years ago. You
would
save yourself the trouble and expense of driving through Athens which is
a
place to be avoided these days as far as possible.

I took a ferry from Piraeus to Porto Heli - a small place on the east
coast
of the Peloponnese near Spetses - and hired a car there for a week. It
was
a
very relaxed experience compared to the hassle of Athens.

Athens airport to the Peloponnese is 100% motorway.

The only time you'll have to stop is to pay the toll

Why waste time driving and paying per kilometre, if you can start from
a more convenient place?

As the options for this more convenient place a

1)Taking the bus to the Peloponnese presumably from Athens bus station. Any
idea where that is? I'll wager it isn't very convenient
2) Flying to Kalamata. Hm, I wonder how many flights a day that gets from
London/New York or wherever it is that the OP is starting.

They don't seem very convenient to me.

It's a 100 km drive, how hard can it be?

tim

tim.... wrote on Jun 23, 2011:


"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:46:57 +0100, "tim...."
wrote:


"Mike Lane" wrote in message
dia.com...
Dan Stephenson wrote on Jun 19, 2011:

Hello, in the Fall I will travel to Greece, flying into Athens and
heading to the Pelopponese by car, for maybe 10 days.

There are several car rental places at the airport: Avis, Budget,
Hertz, National/Alamo and Sixt.

Can anyone recommend one more than the rest? I wouldn't be buying the
high-dollar collision damage waiver.

Thanks,


Wouldn't you be better off travelling to the Peloponnese by public
transport
and renting a car from there? That's what I did a few years ago. You
would
save yourself the trouble and expense of driving through Athens which is
a
place to be avoided these days as far as possible.

I took a ferry from Piraeus to Porto Heli - a small place on the east
coast
of the Peloponnese near Spetses - and hired a car there for a week. It
was
a
very relaxed experience compared to the hassle of Athens.

Athens airport to the Peloponnese is 100% motorway.

The only time you'll have to stop is to pay the toll

Why waste time driving and paying per kilometre, if you can start from
a more convenient place?

As the options for this more convenient place a

1)Taking the bus to the Peloponnese presumably from Athens bus station. Any
idea where that is? I'll wager it isn't very convenient
2) Flying to Kalamata. Hm, I wonder how many flights a day that gets from
London/New York or wherever it is that the OP is starting.

They don't seem very convenient to me.

It's a 100 km drive, how hard can it be?

Or:
3) Bus to Piraeus (leaves from airport outside arrivals), then100 metre walk
to ferry gets you to Ermioni, or Porto Heli in the Peloponnese.

I know which I would rather do.


--
Mike Lane
UK North Yorkshire
mike_lane at mac dot com

"Mike Lane" wrote in message
dia.com...
tim.... wrote on Jun 23, 2011:


"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:46:57 +0100, "tim...."
wrote:


"Mike Lane" wrote in message
dia.com...
Dan Stephenson wrote on Jun 19, 2011:

Hello, in the Fall I will travel to Greece, flying into Athens and
heading to the Pelopponese by car, for maybe 10 days.

There are several car rental places at the airport: Avis, Budget,
Hertz, National/Alamo and Sixt.

Can anyone recommend one more than the rest? I wouldn't be buying
the
high-dollar collision damage waiver.

Thanks,


Wouldn't you be better off travelling to the Peloponnese by public
transport
and renting a car from there? That's what I did a few years ago. You
would
save yourself the trouble and expense of driving through Athens which
is
a
place to be avoided these days as far as possible.

I took a ferry from Piraeus to Porto Heli - a small place on the east
coast
of the Peloponnese near Spetses - and hired a car there for a week. It
was
a
very relaxed experience compared to the hassle of Athens.

Athens airport to the Peloponnese is 100% motorway.

The only time you'll have to stop is to pay the toll

Why waste time driving and paying per kilometre, if you can start from
a more convenient place?

As the options for this more convenient place a

1)Taking the bus to the Peloponnese presumably from Athens bus station.
Any
idea where that is? I'll wager it isn't very convenient
2) Flying to Kalamata. Hm, I wonder how many flights a day that gets
from
London/New York or wherever it is that the OP is starting.

They don't seem very convenient to me.

It's a 100 km drive, how hard can it be?

Or:
3) Bus to Piraeus (leaves from airport outside arrivals), then100 metre
walk
to ferry gets you to Ermioni, or Porto Heli in the Peloponnese.

I know which I would rather do.

But the guy is still going to be hiring the car (presumably) to go touring.
Why **** around lugging your bags on/off a ferry to save a 100km (one hour)
drive?

And what happens if when he get to Piraeus the next ferry is full?

tim

On 06/24/2011 10:05 AM, Mike Lane wrote:
tim.... wrote on Jun 23, 2011:


wrote in message
...
On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:46:57 +0100, "tim...."
wrote:


"Mike wrote in message
dia.com...
Dan Stephenson wrote on Jun 19, 2011:

Hello, in the Fall I will travel to Greece, flying into Athens and
heading to the Pelopponese by car, for maybe 10 days.

There are several car rental places at the airport: Avis, Budget,
Hertz, National/Alamo and Sixt.

Can anyone recommend one more than the rest? I wouldn't be buying the
high-dollar collision damage waiver.

Thanks,


Wouldn't you be better off travelling to the Peloponnese by public
transport
and renting a car from there? That's what I did a few years ago. You
would
save yourself the trouble and expense of driving through Athens which is
a
place to be avoided these days as far as possible.

I took a ferry from Piraeus to Porto Heli - a small place on the east
coast
of the Peloponnese near Spetses - and hired a car there for a week. It
was
a
very relaxed experience compared to the hassle of Athens.

Athens airport to the Peloponnese is 100% motorway.

The only time you'll have to stop is to pay the toll

Why waste time driving and paying per kilometre, if you can start from
a more convenient place?

As the options for this more convenient place a

1)Taking the bus to the Peloponnese presumably from Athens bus station. Any
idea where that is? I'll wager it isn't very convenient
2) Flying to Kalamata. Hm, I wonder how many flights a day that gets from
London/New York or wherever it is that the OP is starting.

They don't seem very convenient to me.

It's a 100 km drive, how hard can it be?

Or:
3) Bus to Piraeus (leaves from airport outside arrivals), then100 metre walk
to ferry gets you to Ermioni, or Porto Heli in the Peloponnese.

I know which I would rather do.



If Dan wants to rent a car at Athens airport, then let him rent a car at
Athens airport for heaven's sake.

I can't think of many things more mind-blowingly stupid than wasting
half a day dragging my luggage through the strike-ridden mysteries of
Greek public transport to get to a car rental depot somewhere on the
other side of Greece when I could just walked into a car rental office
at the airport. Not to mention doing the whole thing in reverse at the
end of the trip.

On 2011-06-23 12:32:57 -0500, tim.... said:

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:46:57 +0100, "tim...."
wrote:


"Mike Lane" wrote in message
dia.com...
Dan Stephenson wrote on Jun 19, 2011:

Hello, in the Fall I will travel to Greece, flying into Athens and
heading to the Pelopponese by car, for maybe 10 days.

There are several car rental places at the airport: Avis, Budget,
Hertz, National/Alamo and Sixt.

Can anyone recommend one more than the rest? I wouldn't be buying the
high-dollar collision damage waiver.

Thanks,


Wouldn't you be better off travelling to the Peloponnese by public
transport
and renting a car from there? That's what I did a few years ago. You would
save yourself the trouble and expense of driving through Athens which is a
place to be avoided these days as far as possible.

I took a ferry from Piraeus to Porto Heli - a small place on the east
coast
of the Peloponnese near Spetses - and hired a car there for a week. It was
a
very relaxed experience compared to the hassle of Athens.

Athens airport to the Peloponnese is 100% motorway.

The only time you'll have to stop is to pay the toll

Why waste time driving and paying per kilometre, if you can start from
a more convenient place?

As the options for this more convenient place a

1)Taking the bus to the Peloponnese presumably from Athens bus station.
Any idea where that is? I'll wager it isn't very convenient

It's this huge affair right in the middle of tear-gassy Athens. No
thanks! ha ha

2) Flying to Kalamata. Hm, I wonder how many flights a day that gets
from London/New York or wherever it is that the OP is starting.

Well, that would be a small flight from Athens. I understood this to
be what was meant. I think the logistics to hook up flight times will
make this option infeasible, but I hadn't thought of it. And I know a
hotel I trust in Kalamata, the Elite City Hotel. I am gotten
super-picky with age and this one checked out alright with me. Also,
for those wondering: Panorama Hotel in Monemvasia, the Kalamaki Beach
Hotel south of Corinth, Olympic Village S.A. above ancient Olympia, and
a sufficient place on the right side of the road from the Athenian tomb
mound to the shore, at Marathon Beach.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=38.11....panoramio.all



They

don't seem very convenient to me.

It's a 100 km drive, how hard can it be?

tim


--
Dan Stephenson
http://web.mac.com/stepheda
Travel pages for Europe and the U.S.A. (and New Zealand too)

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:32:57 +0100, "tim...."
wrote:


"Martin" wrote in message
. ..
On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:46:57 +0100, "tim...."
wrote:


"Mike Lane" wrote in message
inmedia.com...
Dan Stephenson wrote on Jun 19, 2011:

Hello, in the Fall I will travel to Greece, flying into Athens and
heading to the Pelopponese by car, for maybe 10 days.

There are several car rental places at the airport: Avis, Budget,
Hertz, National/Alamo and Sixt.

Can anyone recommend one more than the rest? I wouldn't be buying
the
high-dollar collision damage waiver.

Thanks,


Wouldn't you be better off travelling to the Peloponnese by public
transport
and renting a car from there? That's what I did a few years ago. You
would
save yourself the trouble and expense of driving through Athens which
is
a
place to be avoided these days as far as possible.

I took a ferry from Piraeus to Porto Heli - a small place on the east
coast
of the Peloponnese near Spetses - and hired a car there for a week. It
was
a
very relaxed experience compared to the hassle of Athens.

Athens airport to the Peloponnese is 100% motorway.

The only time you'll have to stop is to pay the toll

Why waste time driving and paying per kilometre, if you can start from
a more convenient place?

As the options for this more convenient place a

1)Taking the bus to the Peloponnese presumably from Athens bus station.
Any
idea where that is? I'll wager it isn't very convenient
2) Flying to Kalamata. Hm, I wonder how many flights a day that gets from
London/New York or wherever it is that the OP is starting.

I flew from South America via Paris to Athens and changed planes to
get to Kalamata.

and how much waiting around at Athens did you have to do? (Skyscanner show
one flight a day)

And how much did it add to the cost?


They don't seem very convenient to me.

It's a 100 km drive, how hard can it be?

100 km drive to where?

Peloponnese. he's going to be there for 10 days, so he's going to be
covering all of it. If he starts off in the south west he's still going to
have to drive to the bit in the NE

tim

On 2011-06-24 05:35:00 -0500, tim.... said:

Peloponnese. he's going to be there for 10 days, so he's going to be
covering all of it. If he starts off in the south west he's still
going to have to drive to the bit in the NE

Laconia, actually. I drove all over the Peloponnese back in 2009; this
is a revisit to Monemvasia with a base at a nice hotel on the mainland
(Panorama Hotel). I want to revisit the ruins at Monemvasia - there is
a lot more to see than I did. I want to see where I can go around the
outside of the massif. I want to see how the Knights of St. John tried
to ascend on the northwestern side. I want to see if there are traces
of the ancient site of Minos that Pausanias mentioned in his
Description of Greece. There are are at last two other ancient sites
nearby, Epidaurus Limera and Zarax. Plus just relaxing. My vacations
have always been far more active than my normal daily life, but the
area around Monemvasia is just .. so .. relaxing... I would park a
ways to the south, near the rocky shore, roll down the windows and pull
back the sunroof, and lean back the car seat back... and relax to the
sound of the waves and scent of the ocean... very nice.
--
Dan Stephenson
http://web.mac.com/stepheda
Travel pages for Europe and the U.S.A. (and New Zealand too)