I'm a seasoned traveler. I've rented cars in 12 countries. I've navigated the left-hand traffic of Ireland, the roundabout density of southern England, and the white-knuckle mountain passes of Morocco. I thought I knew what car rental paperwork required. I was wrong in Crete.
The Heraklion Airport Moment
Crete in August is extraordinary. The island has a particular quality of light — brighter and more golden than anywhere else I've been — and renting a car to drive the E75 coastal highway and into the White Mountains was the whole point of the trip. I'd booked a Hyundai i20 with Europcar, prepaid, arriving at 11am to maximise the first day.
The agent asked for my Canadian driving license and my IDP. I had the license. I didn't have the IDP.
The reason this shocked me specifically is that I'd rented cars in France, Spain, and Portugal without anyone mentioning an IDP. That's because those countries don't require it for most foreign visitors the way Greece does. Greek traffic law requires non-EU license holders — which includes Canadians — to carry a valid IDP.
EU/EEA license holders can drive throughout Greece without an IDP. But non-EU license holders (including those from Canada, the USA, Australia, and the UK post-Brexit) are legally required to carry an International Driving Permit. This is distinct from France, Spain, and Portugal, where enforcement is less strict.
The Solution — And the Cost
Europcar at Heraklion Airport could not rent me a car without an IDP. That's their policy, aligned with Greek law. They offered to hold my reservation for 24 hours — a generous compromise. I found a hotel near the airport, applied for my IDP online that evening, and received my digital copy by 9am the next morning.
I returned to the counter at 10am, presented my digital IDP on my phone, and was driving the E75 by 10:45. I lost one day of my six-day trip. It was a painful loss — but I was fortunate that Europcar held my reservation and that the rental company accepted the digital copy.
Not all rental companies in all countries will wait for you. Some will simply reassign your car.
Driving in Greece: What I Learned
Greece turned out to be one of my favorite driving countries in the world. The road infrastructure on the main islands and mainland highways is better than its reputation suggests. But it has specific characteristics that require attention:
Greek driving culture is assertive. The concept of indicated lane changes followed politely by the car behind yielding is somewhat theoretical on Greek urban roads. Horns are used early and often — not aggressively, just communicatively. Adapt your mental model accordingly.
The E75 National Road vs. the old coastal road. The E75 is the new expressway — fast, smooth, tolled. The old coastal road is slower, narrower, and incomparably more beautiful. Use the E75 if you need to cover distance; use the old coastal road if the journey is the destination.
August means August. The narrow roads through village centers in August are genuinely challenging — tourist rental cars, delivery trucks, donkeys (occasionally), and pedestrians who treat the road as an extension of the taverna are all competing for the same space. Slow down and enjoy it.
Yes. Canadian license holders are required by Greek law to carry an International Driving Permit when driving in Greece. This applies throughout the mainland and all Greek islands, including Crete, Santorini, Rhodes, Corfu, and Mykonos. All major car rental companies enforce this requirement.
A Note on the Greek Islands Specifically
The island situation is worth addressing separately because a lot of travelers assume island car rentals are more casual than mainland ones. In my experience after Crete, they're not — at least not at reputable companies. I subsequently rented cars in Santorini and Rhodes on the same trip. Both asked for my IDP. Both had been warned by my now-excellent preparation.
Small local hire companies — the ones with handwritten price lists and a grandfather doing the paperwork — sometimes don't ask. But driving in a foreign country with a potentially invalid rental agreement and no IDP is legally precarious regardless of what the rental operator said or didn't say.
Get the IDP. Lose the stress. Keep the full trip.