Car hire - Western Crete - suitable for dirt roads

globalnomad

2007-08-13 11:02:45

Hiya,

We're off to Crete (our first visit to Greece!) in September. We need to hire a car, and would normally have gone with Holiday Autos, as we've had favourable experiences with them in the past.

However, this time, we're staying at Milia, which requires navigating a 5 km dirt road to get to. Even if we took the Super CDW option with Holiday Autos, we'd still be liable for any chips that happened whilst on this dirt road, and their excess is very high (Euro1000 for a small B-group car!).

Are there any recommended car hire companies in Crete (flying into Hania) that don't have such strict conditions for off-road driving? I've come across EuroCar and AthensCars, but can only find one review, so don't know if they're reliable.

Any advice would be much appreciated! Getting a bit nervous that suddenly the cost of our holiday will double if we have to pay for any stone chips to the car.

Thanks!

Patricia

SMa

2007-08-13 13:53:37

Unfortunately, in my experience you simply won't be able to get cover with any of the hirers from Chania for any damage to either the body work or the car underside caused by drivng on dirt roads. Your best bet is probably to make sure that you do a very careful inspection of the car before taking charge of it and get a signed, agreed record of any existing damage or marks and then take the dirt road very, very slowly indeed.

SM

Romantica99

2007-08-14 14:55:03

All the companies have an exeption in the rules that you should no drive off road and if you will the insurance will not cover if any damamges happen. you must drive only asphalt roads. i have used twice http://www.eurocar.gr and was very satisfied but they have the sam rule..as all the others. take a jeap and the risk of damages will be much lower is u drive off road

globalnomad

2007-08-15 09:03:46

Thanks for replies so far. What I'm getting confused by is this definition of "off road". It's not like I'm planning to take the car and drive it over verges, hillsides, etc. But on a dirt road that just hasn't been tarmacked. But some (most?) car rentals seem to consider this "off" road.

I might have to get a jeep, as I've come across one place that offers them with off road insurance. Just rather more expensive than I'd planned to pay...

In my search, I did actually email Eurocar, but they haven't yet replied.

Thanks. GN

SMa

2007-08-15 10:36:55

But on a dirt road that just hasn't been tarmacked. But some (most?) car rentals seem to consider this "off" road.

That's the definition that all hire companies will use and one of the reasons why hire companies in Crete stress this, is because they know that there are some places that tourists like to visit that cannot be reached by anything other than an untarmaced, dirt track. And it will be a track in my experience! A lot of them in western Crete, especially up in the White Mountains, are little better than the bulldozed tracks you get on the shooting estates up here in Scotland - to call them 'roads' is something of a misnomer I'm afraid.

SM

Romantica99

2007-08-15 12:34:19

You know i have asked many rent a car agencies and all said u must drive asphalt roads. non-asphalt roads are in your responsibility..so i never drived off road because i was afriad that if anything happen i will have to pay. the only one day we drived non asphalt was the road to preveli beach...its a terrible road very dangerous it seemed...i was so afraid for our small car..fortunately it was everything ok with it but when we meet a bus it was terrible. only with Gods help nothing happened with us with the car...ist not a road for cars ist a road for goats i would say...
so i recommend u for sure to take a jeap if u want off roads......and note - the road to balos lagoon is very bad..eventhough some brave people went with small cars some i heard few had damaged their cars a bit...and for that road sure only jeap!!

fwh

2007-08-15 13:08:57

It is a standard item on hire conditions that "underside damage" is excluded from insurance.

fwh

Romantica99

2007-08-15 14:03:36

its a bit not like this. underside of the car and tyres often included in the insurance or may be for additional price but the same..even if u have it in the insurance it will not work on non asphalt roads. i remember i asked in Eurocar what to do if we will go to some place and suddenly the asphalt rooad will end and non asphalt will start...they told me to learn carefully a map before going somewhere or to take a jeap...the rule is a rule,,unfortunatly...

globalnomad

2007-08-20 14:23:46

Thanks so much for replies. Guess jeep it will have to be, since we're staying in the mountains, so it sounds like we'll be encountering more than just the one dirt "road" (or track, or whatever best describes them). Wouldn't want the holiday ruined by not being able to go anywhere for fear of a massive hire car damage bill at the end of it.

GN

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