Guide for Driving In Crete

Tips for driving in Crete and Cretan driving customs

Stop sign: slow down, look around a bit, there is a junction

Priority sign: hurry up someone might be coming

Orange traffic light: drive a little faster, otherwise you'll have to stop

Red traffic light: cross very carefully

Do not overtake sign: be careful when overtaking

Double white lines: do not position your vehicle entirely to the left of the lines when overtaking. Watch for oncoming cars.

Seat belts are compulsory and you can sometimes see Cretans wearing them

Please note: none of the above rules count if you ride a moped. Just go for it and hope for the best. But not to worry, in case of an accident the orthopedic and neurological units of the major hospitals have a lot of practice.

Helmets are required if you ride a moped or a motorbike - especially in cold and rainy weather. In sunny weather they are generally used as elbow protectors.

Drinking and driving: the police now have breathalysers. You are not allowed to drive if you have more than 0.5 mg of alcohol in your blood. In practice it is only frowned upon although things are getting tougher and some people really got into trouble. The only time where you can drink and drive without fear is on major holidays: the police quite rightly finds it in very poor taste to spoil the enjoyment of drivers on a feast day.

Driving on the National Road: The emergency lane is in fact used as a driving lane if you are being overtaken. If you insist on staying in the driving lane when someone wants to overtake, you will make some people really impatient. Anyway, it is not a polite thing to do.

Parking: until recently drivers didn't so much park as abandon their car whenever they felt like it. Things are changing in the cities and parking fines are pretty steep.

Passing through a flock of sheep: Cretans take their sheep seriously so don't mess with them (both I mean): if you have to pass through a flock of sheep, go slow and do not cross in the middle but try to make a way on either side of the road. If you try to pass in the middle, you will probably have to stop and wait it out.

Winding roads: it is usual for people to drive in the middle of the road, even if this one is narrow, so take care in corners. I was once given an interesting explanation for this curious driving behaviour: "if a car comes driving towards you, you always have somewhere to go to if you drive in the middle. If a car comes towards you whilst you are on your side of the road, your only escape is off the road". Ten years on and I am still trying to work out the logic of it!