Two weeks on a loop from Athens: Delphi and Meteora to the north, then the Peloponnese via Olympia, the Mani, Monemvasia and Nafplio. Recent toll motorways link the stages, and the last few kilometres run along mountain and coastal roads, without a single ferry thanks to the Rio-Antirrio Bridge.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | Athens | Start |
| Day 3 | Delphi | 200 km · 3h20 |
| Days 4 to 5 | Kalambaka (Meteora) | 222 km · 3h15 |
| Day 6 | Nafpaktos | 340 km · 4h25 |
| Day 7 | Olympia | 134 km · 1h45 |
| Days 8 to 9 | Areopoli (Mani) | 191 km · 4h10 |
| Day 10 | Monemvasia | 92 km · 2h |
| Days 11 to 13 | Nafplio | 218 km · 3h50 |
| Day 14 | Back to Athens | 139 km · 2h05 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
April to June and September to October: bearable heat, less crowded sites. In July and August, heat and crowds at Meteora; the wildfire risk remains high from April to October. In winter, shorter opening hours (Delphi closes at 15:30) and possible snow on the Pindus and Parnassus.
🚗 200 km · 3h20 of driving from Athens
Toll A1 to Thebes, EO3 via Livadia, then the EO48 mountain road via Arachova. Detour via Hosios Loukas.
🚗 222 km · 3h15 of driving from Delphi
EO48 via Amfissa, the Bralos pass and the descent to Thermopylae, then the E65 (A3) motorway via Trikala.
🚗 340 km · 4h25 of driving from Kalambaka
E65 then the Egnatia (A2) beneath the Pindus, a stop in Metsovo, the Ionia Odos (A5) via Arta to Antirrio. Toll motorways.
🚗 134 km · 1h45 of driving from Nafpaktos
Rio-Antirrio Bridge (toll €15.90), then the A5 motorway from Patras to Pyrgos and a short road to Olympia.
🚗 191 km · 4h10 of driving from Olympia
EO9 southwards, the A7 to Kalamata, then the winding Mani road along the coast, via Kardamyli.
🚗 92 km · 2h of driving from Areopoli
Via Gythio and Skala, then the EO86 to Monemvasia. Two-lane roads, no motorway.
🚗 218 km · 3h50 of driving from Monemvasia
Via Sparta and Mystras, the EO39 to Tripoli, then the A7 motorway (Nestani toll) and down to Argos.
🚗 139 km · 2h05 of driving from Nafplio
Keep the Peloponnese: Athens (1 night), Nafplio (2), Monemvasia (1), Areopoli (1), Olympia (1), then back to Athens on the A5 and A8 motorways. Delphi and Meteora need three more days.
| Small car, August | ≈ €41 a day |
|---|---|
| Small car, February | ≈ €12 a day |
| Small car, annual average | ≈ €18 a day (Kayak, Sept. 2026) |
| Mid-size car, annual average | ≈ €46 a day |
| Vehicle | A city car or compact: the whole route is paved. Manual gearbox by default, book an automatic early. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | No use in the city: pick it up on the day you leave for Delphi, return it at Athens airport before your flight. |
| Insurance | The basic offer often covers third parties only (FCDO). CDW and SCDW exclude the underbody, wheels and tyres (Hertz). |
| Age and card | At Hertz Greece: 21 with a credit card for the small categories, 25 otherwise. |
| Licence | EU licence accepted; Hertz Greece requires at least 1 year's driving experience. |
⚠️ Tyres, rims and underbody remain your responsibility even with SCDW: take care on the verges and on the tracks of the Mani.
Any European Union licence is enough, with no International Driving Permit. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
As in mainland Europe. In town, traffic is fast and chaotic, and limits are often ignored.
Motorway, expressway, road. In town 50, and 30 by default on streets with one lane in each direction.
0.2 g/l for licences held under 2 years. From 0.5 to 0.8 g/l: €350 and 30 days' licence suspension.
Phone in hand, seat belt: €350 and a 30-day suspension. Red light: €700 and 60 days.
They fine speeding, phone use, seat belts and helmets; fines are handled online.
Each concession has its own toll plazas, and you pay at every barrier. Cash or card on the Attiki Odos.
Hairpin bends and narrow sections. Chains compulsory on Pindus roads from December to March.
High risk. Turn on your phone's emergency alerts; call 112 if you see a fire.
≈ €2.20 per litre of petrol, €2.22 for diesel (21 Sept. 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Check it before you go.
⛽ 1,536 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €240 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
European Commission Weekly Oil Bulletin. A sharp rise since June, when diesel cost €1.61. Fill up before the Mani.
| A1 Athens-Thebes (Nea Odos) | €3.90 at Afidnes, €1.80 at the Thiva exit |
|---|---|
| E65 Lamia-Kalambaka (Kentriki Odos) | €2.05 at Lianokladi, €3.70 at Sofades, €3.25 at Trikala |
| E65 north of Kalambaka | €4.50 at Oxynia |
| A2 Egnatia, Metsovo-Ioannina | Toll barriers, rate displayed on site |
| A5 Ionia Odos, Ioannina-Antirrio | €3.70, €3.55, €4.20 and €3.55 (Terovo, Menidi, Angelokastro, Klokova) |
| Rio-Antirrio Bridge | €15.90 per car |
| A5 Patras-Pyrgos (Olympia Odos) | €3.60 at Patras, €2.10 at Pyrgos (2026) |
| A7 Moreas | €2.25 at Kalamata, €2.80 at Nestani, €2.95 at Spathovouni (2026) |
| A8 Corinth-Athens (Olympia Odos) | €2.10 at the Isthmus, €2.50 at Eleusis (2026) |
| Attiki Odos, towards the airport | €2.55, cash or card |
| Archaeological sites | €20 (Delphi, Olympia, Mycenae, Epidaurus, Mystras), €30 for the Acropolis; free on the 1st and 3rd Sundays from November to March |
| Meteora monasteries | €5 per monastery, in cash |
| Katara Pass (EO6, 1,705 m) | Snow in winter: take the A2 and its tunnels |
|---|---|
| Pindus roads (Metsovo) | Chains compulsory from December to March |
| Site of Delphi | 08:30-15:30 from 1 November to 31 March |
| Archaeological sites | Closed 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter, 25-26 December |
| Meteora monasteries | Each closed one day a week; all six open at weekends |
| Wildfires | April to October: follow the 112 alerts |
Allow 10 to 14 days for this loop of 8 stages and 13 nights: Athens, Delphi, Meteora, Nafpaktos, then the Peloponnese via Olympia, the Mani, Monemvasia and Nafplio. In 7 days, keep to the Peloponnese alone from Athens; Delphi and Meteora need three more days.
In August, about €530 of car hire over 13 days (€41 a day, Kayak average for a small car), €12 a day in February. Tolls: about €75 excluding the Egnatia, including €15.90 for the Rio-Antirrio Bridge. Petrol at €2.20 a litre (September 2026). Sites: €130 per adult for the six major ones, €5 per monastery.
Not with an EU licence: any valid European Union licence is enough. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required. Rental companies have their own rules: at Hertz Greece, 1 year's driving experience minimum, 21 with a credit card for the small categories, 25 without a credit card or for larger cars.
No vignette: each motorway has its own barriers, where you pay at every pass. On the Attiki Odos, €2.55 in cash or by card. Expect from less than €1 to €4.55 per toll plaza; the Rio-Antirrio Bridge costs €15.90 per crossing.
In town, traffic is fast and chaotic and limits are often ignored. The 2025 Highway Code has toughened penalties: €350 and a 30-day suspension for holding a phone, €700 and 60 days for running a red light, with more than 4,000 cameras announced. Outside the towns, the motorways are recent.
The basic insurance sold by the rental company often covers third parties only, and damage to the vehicle is charged to you. At Hertz Greece, even CDW and SCDW exclude the underbody, wheels and tyres. Check these exclusions before driving on the minor roads of the Mani.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/greece · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
