Greece has the highest per capita road fatalities in the (expanded) European Union. This is not something to be proud of! And that Corinth – Patras highway that I have the unfortunate experience of driving on quite often on the way down to Katakolon is a nightmare. They are slowly (very slowly) making it into a 2 lane divided highway, but for the last xx years we have had to contend with 2 lanes no divide and passing in the middle as you say. And we have to pay tolls for that pleasure!

I guess if I had a nice powerful mercedes that can go from 80-140 in 4 seconds to pass those lumbering goods vehicles things might be a bit better, unfortunately my loaded down Fiat with 2 kids in the back doesn’t accelerate that fast. The grass is always greener I guess!

I have driven all over the world and have to admit the best fun I ever had was driving in Italy and in Greece.

I am sorry to say to all the safety zealots but it is great to drive in a Countries were the car is King!

No pedestrian fumbling across the road taking up valuable road space I drove a high powered Mercedes that got respect from all the other drivers and pedestrians alike.

I especially loved the Corinth to Patras road way were you can pass down the middle.
Try to get some of the brain dead North American drivers to figure that one out!

Long live the Southern Mediterranean way of life
and driving !!

We were also impressed with the way Greeks in general don’t lose their cool on the road, even when one driver cuts another driver off. Nothing personal, you know? In Canada, people would be yelling at each other and shaking their fists out their windows.

We even had a driver flash his lights to warn us that there were police up ahead. That’s considerate driving.

(I’m from Autralia and we drive on the opposite side of the road, as well).

I have just got back (July 2009) from driving in the southern Greek mainland, Crete, Mykonos and Santorini (& entering /leaving Athens) and I can ABSOLUTELY verify all of the above.

Even though driving in Greece is ‘character building’ to say the least, the thing I experienced was that if you maintain your ‘cool’ , indicate what you want to do, don’t hesitate, and drive within the speed limit you will be basically OK. Reason being is that no one wants to hit you and they will back off.

Also, if after a while the ‘character building’ gets to you and you wish to aggravate the local drivers all you need to is keep within (or under) the speed limit. By staying within the speed limit (it keeps you safe) but it UTTERLY frustrates the Greek drivers. It’s amazing, in their daily life Greeks will take all the time in the world to actually complete a task ( I have Greek relatives) but when it comes to driving they want to get to their destination ‘yesterday’ (my nephew was doing 140km/h in the inner north of Athens – scared the kaka out of me and my family… made him slow down.).
The Greeks believe the the speed limit signs are a decoration or they can’t read Greco/Roman numerical characters.

Overall, to see Greece properly, drive, you won’t regret it.

PS. For competely INSANE local drivers you need to go to Lake Como (Italy), this where I got my batism of fire driving in Southern Europe…but that’s another story…