(Credits: Vasilis Drosakis)

Alonissos island is replete with lush terrain, spectacular viewpoints and some of the most beautiful beaches in the Sporades archipelago. It’s also a relatively easy island to get around, with main roads spanning the majority of its 20-kilometre length and idyllic winding lanes and footpaths helping you reach its more remote parts.

To help you travel around Alonissos, you’re likely to want a car or motorcycle. Luckily, the island’s main town and port Patitiri has a variety of options for vehicle rental. What’s more, certain ferries taking you from neighbouring islands, Skiathos and Skopelos, include a car deck, meaning you can bring a vehicle from those islands if you prefer.

If you’re planning to take a car or motorbike with you on the ferry, make sure you book a Blue Star Ferry operated by Hellenic Seaways or a Seajet ferry. Higher-speed Aegean Flying Dolphin ferries don’t provide the option of boarding with your vehicle.

Either way, renting from a company on the island or bringing a vehicle from outside saves you the hassle of trying to get around Alonissos without one. Do you need a car or motorcycle to enjoy your stay? Not necessarily, but if you plan to do any kind of exploring, it’s highly advisable.

The advantages of car hire

It allows you to stay anywhere, will enable you to get to more places, is comfortable and saves exhaustion, saves time, and is cheaper than hiring taxis for excursions

Having access to a car on Alonissos means you’re not limited to one part of the island. You can choose to stay pretty much anywhere from the array of stunning spots it has to offer. And regardless of where you stay, you can also get to any place on the island in under an hour. This freedom gives you the luxury of visiting any beach you like and exploring all the sights Alonissos has to offer, as well as its best food and drink options.

Not only that, having a car, in particular, allows you to travel comfortably, protected from the Greek sun in an air-conditioned interior, and not exhaust yourself walking up and down sloping highways that often aren’t built for pedestrians. Of course, compared to walking (or cycling), having a car will give you many hours of extra time to enjoy your holiday, too.

If you don’t rent a car for the whole trip, you can also hire a taxi to take you on an excursion. To a beach on the other side of the island, for example, or to the meeting point for a scuba diving session. But renting a car yourself will be much less expensive than repeatedly hiring a driver for different excursions.

And you certainly can’t rely on the somewhat limited public transport that Alonissos has to offer. Buses only travel between Patitiri, the island’s Old Village, and the seaside village of Steni Vala. They run infrequently outside of the June to September peak season, and even in the summer, they involve long waiting times.

How about a scooter?

If you’re looking for something cheaper and with more mobility than a car, it’s worth considering moped scooter rental instead. This option has the same time and energy-saving advantages as a car, without the problems you might encounter parking or traversing, especially narrow side roads in certain parts of the island.

Bear in mind that a scooter won’t offer the same from the sun that a car can provide during the hottest times of the year. On the other hand, you might get further up Alonissos’ winding hills and mountains, from the top of which you can marvel at views of the Aegean and the other Sporades.

Although not quite as numerous as car-only hire companies in Patitiri, there are several rental dealers in the island’s main town that offer mopeds for hire. Just ensure that you have the relevant documents ready to provide to the dealership.

It’s best to contact them before your trip to confirm what they need and agree a fee for your rental. And make sure that you have the requisite experience to ride a motorcycle (or drive a car) along high-altitude roads with blind corners.

Best rental companies on Alonissos

Here is a selection of some of the best-rated, most reliable and most trusted dealerships for vehicle rental on Alonissos island. You can check out their websites through the links below, and reach out to them through the contact form, email address or phone number they provide.

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car – Alonissos (car & van rental)
• Alkyon – Rent a Car (car & motorbike rental)
• Imbikes Rent a Bike-Car / I&M rent a Car-Moto (car & motorbike rental)
• Alonissos Travel & More
• Top Cars Alonissos
• Holiday Cars
• Crossroad Car Rental
• Turismo car rental Alonissos