Road trip in Greece or Crete: ride or rent your bike?

You are planning a motorcycle road trip in Greece or Crete, and you are wondering whether to take your own motorcycle or rent one. To decide on the best option, ask yourself the following questions.

1. Is riding your own motorcycle a matter of principle for you?

If that's the case, that's the end of the matter: no motorcycle hire for you, you'll be riding your own motorcycle in Greece, whatever the route, distance or time required. 

However, if you're asking yourself this question, it's because you think the answer may not be self-evident, and you're right.

The main issue is distance. Greece isn't at the end of the world, but it's still at the end of Europe, so it's a long way. Count on at least 700 km of freeway to Ancona in Italy if you start from Nice, double that if you start from Lille, Nantes or Bordeaux, and we're not talking about Brest or Brussels. And you'll add a whole night on the ferry, or even more if your port of disembarkation is Patras, in the north of the Peloponnese.

To pick up a ferry, you may want to aim for Venice rather than Ancona if you're leaving from Strasbourg, Lyon or Geneva, which will mean a shorter motorway journey, but at the cost of a longer crossing. Allow 24 hours to reach Igoumenitsa, opposite Corfu, and 30 hours to Patras.

You can also consider a complete descent by road, taking a route through the Balkans or along the Adriatic coast. But this superb route, 2,000 km from the French border, should be seen as a journey in its own right, not as a link. Allow around ten days to do it right.

However, it's not just a question of where you're leaving from, but also of where you're going to in Greece, which can potentially make your journey much longer!

 If your final destination is Corfu or the Ionian coast for a seaside holiday, leaving with your motorcycle may be a good solution if your starting point isn't too far away.

On the other hand, if you're planning a road trip in Greeceyou're probably thinking of visiting the great Unesco sites in Greece, such as Meteora in Thessaly, or heading down to the Peloponnese, or even as far as Athens. And that's just the beginning!

As for Crete, be prepared for a second 12-hour crossing from Piraeus to Heraklion or Chania! 

As you can see, traveling to Greece involves considerable distances. The next question is how much time you have.

2. Is time an issue?

 If you're retired and time is not an issue for you, or even the opposite, then riding down to Greece on your own motorcycle is definitely an option.

On the other hand, if time is of the essence for you, ask yourself how much you want to spend going downhill and then back up, and how much you want to have available on site for your road trip.

 If you don't have at least 3 days to get off and another 3 to get back on, including the ferry crossing, forget about your personal bike, unless you're prepared to put up with hundreds of boring, tiring kilometers on Italian, then French, Swiss or Belgian freeways. 

Likewise, if the price you have to pay for coming down with your own motorcycle is having no time left to ride for at least a full week, and ideally even ten days, then give up with your own motorcycle or your road trip to Greece.

No, if time is limited for you, then clearly the best option is to rent a motorcycle locally. 

A three-hour flight, or thereabouts, and you're in Athens or Heraklion, with 100% of your time free to explore Greece or Crete by motorcycle.

 If, on the other hand, time isn't an issue for you, is travel enjoyment?

3. Compromising on comfort and pleasure when getting off your bike?

 If you're prepared to endure a multi-day liaison trip with no interest other than staying loyal to your mount, the personal motorcycle option is available.

On the other hand, if you want your trip to Greece to be a pleasure and comfortable, then you'll want to make it a leisure trip in its own right. You'll want to plan your itinerary carefully, so that you take roads that are well worth the effort, and don't miss any places of interest along the way. 

 And then you'll want to be selective about where you stop, so that you can enjoy good food and quality bedding. And if you do the ferry crossings, you'll take a cabin to avoid the nightmare of crowded lounges and air mattresses...

If you have the time and the means, then it's a good idea to use your motorcycle rental budget to ride your own bike for longer and better.

Behind this question, of course, lies the question of your budget. 

4. Is budget the main reason for taking your motorcycle to Greece?

It's possible to rent a motorcycle in Greece from a serious professional rental company with a fleet of exciting new bikes. If you take the time to look hard enough, you'll find them in Athens, Thessaloniki and even Heraklion in Crete. 

 Mind you, we're not talking about scooters here, but real motorcycles, in excellent condition, with all the necessary luggage, insurance and assistance in the event of a problem. There are already a lot fewer people out there!

Depending on the make, model and rental period, you'll need to budget between 100 and 200 euros per day, or even a little more depending on the model you're looking for. To this budget, you'll also need to add the cost of flights.

 Obviously, if you come to Greece with your motorcycle, you'll save on these costs, but you'll have to pay for fuel, tolls, ferry crossings, stages, and so on. In the end, the difference won't be that great.

 If budget is the only justification for taking your motorcycle to Greece, it's not really a good calculation.

 If, on the other hand, your idea is to start the journey from the very first day and from the very first kilometer, then setting off with your motorcycle can be an excellent idea.

5. With or without your own motorcycle, you can count on the support of a passionate and competent professional! 

Whether you want to take your own motorcycle or rent one locally, the ideal solution is to rely on the skills and knowledge of a motorcycle road trip professional. 

At Hellenic Rideswe're specialists in Greece, which we know very well. We offer charming road trips, with or without motorcycle rental, throughout Greece and Crete.

 We're also very familiar with the routes to Greece from Western Europe, whether through Italy or down the Adriatic coast. 

Ask us, and we'll make you a proposal tailored to your needs and budget!