Ultimate Guide to Driving in Rhodes

Ultimate Guide to Driving in Rhodes (2025)

If you’re considering hiring a car for your holiday in Rhodes, it’s natural that you’ll have some questions. How does driving here compare to driving at home? We’re here to take the stress out of driving in Rhodes by answering all your questions and sharing our top tips so you know what to expect as soon as you put the keys in the ignition.

Is driving in Rhodes easy?

Many tourists find that driving in Rhodes is easier than driving in the UK. Hiring a car here is a popular option as it allows you to explore many more parts of the island during your holiday, including some key attractions that you might not be able to see just using public transport.

You may encounter some potholes and there may be some roads that aren’t as well-maintained as European tourists are used to back home, but generally tourists find the island easy to navigate. Several people have observed that local drivers are patient with tourists as the island is so used to visitors who are unfamiliar with the roads.

Driving in the city centre is considered to be more challenging than around the rest of the island due to pedestrianised areas and heavier traffic. Trying to find parking in Rhodes town during peak season is often difficult, so it’s worth asking at the office when you collect your car hire if they have any locals’ suggestions for where to park. Parking isn’t usually a problem in the rest of the island, although spaces may be limited in Lindos in busy times.

Of course, it’s important that when you hire a car in Rhodes, you take the time to familiarise yourself with it before setting off driving. It’s a good idea to practice in a quiet area such as a car park before going onto busy roads.

What side of the road do they drive on in Rhodes?

We drive on the right side of the road in Rhodes (the opposite to in the UK). Some tourists used to driving on the left back home say they find it helps to use a left-hand drive car in Rhodes to help them acclimatise to driving on the other side of the road here. 

But many people report that it doesn’t take them as long to get used to driving on the other side as they expected! There are lots of visitors who have been coming to Rhodes for 30+ years and hire a car each time, which shows how comfortable they are with driving here.

How long does it take to drive around Rhodes? Can you drive around Rhodes in a day?

It takes around 1 hour 40 minutes to drive from the northern tip of Rhodes down to the most southern point of the island if you go down the east coast, and around 2 hours if you go down the west coast.

To drive across the island, it would take around 1 hour 15 minutes from the most western point (near Mandriko) to the most eastern point (Pefkos). So technically you can drive the length and width of Rhodes in a day, but you definitely can’t see everything the island has to offer in a day!

While the island is small and towns are close together, most tourists feel that hiring a car for between 3 days to a week allows them to explore most of Rhodes.

What are the driving rules in Rhodes?

The rules for driving in Rhodes are similar to most of Europe. Using a mobile phone while driving is prohibited, and all passengers as well as the driver need to wear a seatbelt. 

The drink driving laws in Rhodes are actually stricter than in the UK. In Rhodes, the alcohol limit is 0.05% blood alcohol content and there’s even a lower limit of 0.02% for motorcycle drivers and drivers who have had a licence for less than two years. For comparison, in most parts of the UK the limit is 0.08% (it’s 0.05% in Scotland). 

As alcohol affects everyone differently, it’s difficult to say how many units you can have without exceeding these limits. It’s much better to be safe than sorry - don’t risk it if you’re not sure you’re safe to drive.

The speed limits on highways in Rhodes are generally 80 kilometres (50 miles) per hour. On residential roads, it’s usually 50km/h (30mph).

Where to drive in Rhodes

Having a car unlocks loads of great places you can visit in Rhodes. We’ve created some handy step-by-step instructions for common driving destinations:

• Rhodes Town to Kallithea Springs (20 mins)
• Rhodes Town to Valley of the Butterflies (30-40 mins)
• Rhodes Town to The Seven Springs (45 minutes)
• Rhodes Town to Lindos (1 hour)
• Rhodes Town to Prasonisi (pictured above) (1.5-2 hours)

Can I just use public transport or taxis to get around?

It depends what you want from your holiday. If you’re going to spend your holiday by the pool or on the same beach, you might not need a car hire. 

But if you want to explore the island, car hire will work out a lot cheaper (and more convenient) than hiring taxis to get around. While the island has some good bus services, it won’t get you everywhere - some attractions like the Valley of the Butterflies (Petaloudes) are hard to reach - and it’s not always reliable. A car gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace and on your own timetable.

Car hire FAQs

If you have questions about the practicalities of hiring a car in Rhodes, check out our FAQ page.

Ready to hit the road? Book your Rhodes car hire today and see why we’re rated 4.8/5 on Google!

 

Image credit: Shi Annan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. No changes made.