- Off the Beaten Track in Crete - Noddy Guevara
Car hire in Crete is a thriving modern business that bears no resemblance to the bucket shops of old. The agencies that line the street of every resort are, in the main, professional and experienced and take great pains to get the best car rental deal for their customers. Because there is such a lot of competition, anyone who feels they are not getting the attention they want can simply go to the next agency further down the road.
The majority of European drivers will not find the direction of traffic confusing as driving in Greece is on the right. British and Irish drivers may need to concentrate on this more initially until they get used to it.
See Crete by Car
There are some idiosyncrasies that those new to Cretan roads should be aware of. First of all, roads in Crete are not always of the best standard, even the highways. Many an unsuspecting driver has fallen foul of potholes, loose gravel and the unevenness caused by the tar melting in high temperatures. For this reason, speed limits should always be adhered to. On highways, this is usually 90 kph or 56 mph. Care should be taken even then as some of the corners can be either very sharp or very wide.
Crete Roadside Manners
Along the highway, there is a hard shoulder on the right of the road which is an emergency lane and should not be used as anything else. However, it is often used by slower drivers to let the faster drivers pass on the left. In Crete, this is almost de rigueur and deemed considerate good roadside manners. On the smaller roads which do not have the emergency lane, slower drivers would be better to keep a little to the right rather that drive in the center of the road as this enables passing and limits impatient beeping of horns and dangerous tail-gating.
Speed is a sensitive subject for Cretan drivers and it is a curious thing that the usual laid-back character undergoes a transformation and becomes a speed demon. According to Harry Anapliotis of Just Rent a Car, “The only thing is not to drive too fast and not too slow which is also dangerous. The best thing to do is drive with the traffic flow.”
Expect the Unexpected in Crete
The best thing to do when driving is to expect the unexpected. While there are many good drivers in Crete, unfortunately there are also drivers who will not always do the logical thing such as indicating when they want to turn or giving way when they should. This should not put anyone off driving around this fascinating island. Just remember to stay alert and enjoy the experience.
Marlene de Wilde - Marlene has a BA in journalism and psychology. She teaches English as a Second Language in Crete.
