Minimum & Maximum age restrictions

Minimum age :

23 years of age and have held a driving licence for at least one year for A,B,C car categories.

25 years of age and have held a driving licence for at least two years for D and E & F car categories.

Maximum age :

Drivers must not be older than 80 years of age.

Documentation

In Greece, drivers may use only their national driving license—without the need for an International Driving Permit (IDP)—under the following conditions:

-  EU & EEA Countries: All member states of the European Union (27 countries), plus EEA countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein).

-  Contracting Parties to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (approximately 85 countries worldwide). Click here to see if your country is included in the 1968 Vienna Convention.

- Countries with bilateral license recognition agreements with Greece, including: United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Serbia, Albania, Georgia.

If your driver’s license was not issued by a country covered by the Vienna Convention or a bilateral agreement with Greece, you must also hold a valid International Driving Permit (IDP) in order to drive in Greece.

Please note that an IDP is only valid when presented together with your original national driver’s license

In the event of failing to provide us with a valid driving license, your booking will be cancelled and the prepaid amount of money will not be refunded.

Rental Vehicle

The rental is not necessarily linked to a specific vehicle (brand/model, colour, specifications, etc.) but a group of vehicles with similar technical specifications and comfort.
A specific vehicle can only be booked on request and is depending on availability. For specific car model requests an additional fee may apply.

Rental Period

The rental period is counted in days ( 1 rental day equals to 24 hours from the moment you sign the the rental agreement)

Up to two (2) hours grace period is being applied to the end of the rental period prior informing us of the delay.

If you were to return your vehicle more than hundred and twenty (120 ) minutes after the end of the agreed rental period, you will be charged for one (1) extra day in accordance with the current rate for every day that drop-off is delayed, plus an additional fee of €30 for the late return of the car.

In case of returning the rental vehicle before the agreed return date stated in the rental agreement , refunds are not possible in any case.

Refunds for the unused time of the vehicle or unused extras ( GPS, Baby Seats etc ) within the agreed rental period are not possible in any case.

We do not have a maximum rental period.

Protos Car Rentals has the right to charge you the rental amount corresponding to the number of days that drop-off is delayed in agreement with the rate applicable at that moment in time.

Out of Office hours fees

For rental car pick up or drop off during the following hours an additional fee applies that will automatically be added to your reservation:

22:30 - 01:00 - +25,00€

01:00 - 6:00 - +35,00€

6:05 - 7:59 - +25,00€

For Hotel deliveries or returns during the following hours an additional fee applies:

22:00 - 7:59 - +100,00€

Additional drivers

One (1) additional driver can be registered in the rental agreement without any extra charges.

The maximum amount of registered drivers in the rental agreement are three (3) including the main driver. The cost of the third ( secondary additional )driver is 3,00 € / day.

Individuals driving the rental car without being registered in the rental agreement, will be liable 100% for their actions, without being protected by insurance in any circumstance.

In case of accidents or damages to the vehicle the unregistered driver will be held accountable.

Rental agreement extension

If you have already picked up a rental vehicle and you want to extend your rental period you have to contact us via chat, email, or phone call. We have the right to accept or deny a rental extension according to the availability and demand of the vehicle.

If the rental extension is being granted, the renter has to meet with one of our employees and update/ renew the rental agreement. The meeting point will be determined by us and can vary in certain situations.

Exceptions can be made in certain cases, where a meeting to renew the rental agreement is not necessary. Although Protos Car Rentals has the right to determine if your circumstances qualify for a no-meeting rental extension.

If you were to decide to extend the agreement without prior authorisation from Protos Car Rentals, it will be considered as unauthorised vehicle use for the purposes of your liability for any damage that could be caused to the vehicle.

If the rental agreement extension is not possible due to a lack of vehicle availability or due to any other reason, you must return the vehicle on the date and time agreed at the location agreed.

Depending on the original rental agreement terms and conditions, Protos Car Rentals may decide to draw up a new rental agreement when rental extensions are requested, thus cancelling the current rental agreement.

If the rental extension is possible a rental extension fee will not apply, though Protos Car Rentals has the right to charge you with the current daily rate at that time or with the rate you had booked prior.

Driving limitations

By booking any car from Protos Car Rentals, unlimited kilometres is always included.

Fuel policy

You have to return the rental vehicle with the same amount of fuel you received it.

We recommend you to always take a picture of the fuel level to avoid misunderstandings and extra charges when you return the vehicle.

Ferrying the car

Ferrying the rental vehicle is strictly prohibited. By doing so your insurance protection is no longer valid and you are at risk of being charged for violation of terms & conditions of the rental agreement. For any kind of damage made to

Protos rental vehicles the driver is obliged to pay the full amount (100%) for the repairing costs of the rental vehicle.

Exiting the Greek borders

Exiting the Greek borders with the rental vehicle is strictly forbidden. By doing so your insurance protection is no longer valid and you are at risk of being charged for the violation of terms & conditions of the rental agreement. For any kind of damage made to Protos rental vehicles the driver is obliged to pay the full amount (100%) for the repairing costs of the rental vehicle.

Taxes

V.A.T (Value Added Tax) 24% is always included in our rates and offers.

State of the vehicle and drop off

You, the renter, shall receive the vehicle in perfect operating conditions.

In any case detailed pictures of the car will be taken by a Protos employee to document the condition of the rental car.

We recommend you to always take pictures of the rental car as well to avoid misunderstandings at the return and inspection of the vehicle.

Furthermore, you agree to preserve said conditions and drive the vehicle in accordance with the Greek traffic law and regulations and those regulations here described in the General Terms and Conditions.

Roadside assistance

Roadside assistance is available 24/7 on the whole island of Crete and is always included in your booking. In the case of required roadside assistance please call one of our 24 hour mobile numbers and we will provide you with assistance immediately.

Accidents

In the unfortunate case of an accident, the renter should immediately call one of our 24 hour support numbers, so that we can provide you with assistance on how to handle the situation. You are not allowed in any case to leave the location of the incident without informing us about it.

If the renter fails to provide the report to our company then he is obliged to pay for repairing costs of any damage caused to the rental vehicle. If the driver or one of the passengers is injured you should also inform the Police/Hospital.

If by any chance the other involved party leaves the accident place, take a photo or video and write down the plate number. We will also call our insurance partner for an accident report.

Cancellation policy

Partially paid reservations:

If you decide to cancel your reservation more than 48 hours prior car pick up we will fully refund your deposit. Once cancelled, we will credit you within approximately 5 business days.

Your deposit can not be refunded in case you cancel your reservation within 48 hours.

If you are not able to pick up the rental car at the agreed location without cancelling or informing us, your deposit can not be refunded.

Fully paid reservations:

If you decide to cancel your reservation more than 48 hours prior car pick up we will fully refund the whole amount. Once cancelled, we will credit you within approximately 5-7 business days.

If you decide to cancel your reservation within 48 hours, 50% of the amount will be refunded.

If you are not able to pick up the rental car at the agreed location without cancelling or informing us, the full amount paid can not be refunded.

Delivery & Collection of the rental cars

Protos Car Rentals can deliver and collect cars from all the supported locations on the website. This includes all the ports, airports, towns and city centres as well as apartments, airbnbs, villas and hotels.

There are areas that are not supported for car deliveries. If your accommodation is located in such an area, we will inform you through email, chat or phone call and try to arrange a different pick up location for your convenience.

Heraklion airport

Google Maps: https://g.page/Protos-Heraklion?share

Our rental station is 100 metres from the arrivals hall. Follow these instructions to reach our station:

• Exit the Arrivals Hall and cross the street at the crosswalk.
• Turn left until you see the yellow metal ramp leading to the Hertz parking.
• Walk straight across their parking for 20 meters until you reach our station.

Chania airport

Google Maps: https://g.page/Protos-Chania?share

Our rental station is located 500 metres from the arrivals building. Be informed that you won't need to walk to our office, as we will provide a car or shuttle transfer. Follow these simple instructions to avoid any inconvinience:

• Once you have collected your luggage proceed to the Exit 1 of the arrivals hall.
• To be picked up in no time by one of our agents with our shuttle or car call us or text
  us via WhatsApp or Viber at +306942644646.

Important Information:
Due to size and capacity limits, we can only pick up the main driver of the rental car (without luggage). Other passengers and luggage must stay at the airport. A second driver may also join, or the main driver can bring their required documents instead. The pick-up process is quick and takes just a few minutes, so passengers won’t have to wait long.

Exceptions may be granted at the discretion of our agent on a case-by-case basis. We kindly ask for your understanding and for respecting the agent’s decision. Exceptions include:

• Single travelers
• Single parents or individual family members traveling with children
• Travelers with minimal luggage
• Companions of persons with special needs

Sitia Airport

As we do not have a physical location at Sitia Airport, a company representative will be waiting for you at a meeting point just a few metres from the airport terminal. Your rental agreement will be completed and signed on the spot, and the remaining balance will be settled at that time. As soon as you have collected your luggage and exited the airport terminal please call us at +306979337078 or message us via WhatsApp, or Viber so that we can provide you with further instructions on how to locate one of our agents and pick up your rental car.

Meeting point on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/FENw6CkMcD9eMobr6 

Heraklion Port

As we do not have a physical location at Heraklion Ferry Port, a company representative will be expecting you for the car pick up (check in) at a designated meeting point within the port area, just a few metres from where the ferries arrive. Your rental agreement will be completed and signed on the spot, and the remaining balance will be settled at that time. If you have trouble locating the meeting spot or our agent, please call us at +306979337078 or message us via WhatsApp or Viber.

Meeting point Heraklion (P3 parking lot): https://goo.gl/maps/WjYZeMkpmA48aHXS7

Chania Port (Souda)

As we do not have a physical location at Chania Ferry Port (Souda), a company representative will be expecting you at a designated meeting point just a few metres from where the ferries arrive. Your rental agreement will be completed and signed on the spot, and the remaining balance will be settled at that time. If you have trouble locating our agent or the meeting point, please call or text us on WhatsApp, Viber at +306942644646.

Meeting point (Oniros Residences): https://g.page/oniros-residences?share

Insurance

Full Insurance with 500€ / 800€ Excess (CDW) :

If you, the renter, selected the Full Insurance with 500€ excess, your liability for the damage caused shall be reduced to the amount of 500€ ( excess amount ) for A, B, C and D car groups and €800 ( excess amount ) for D,D1, D2, E1, E2, F1, F2 car groups and you shall be exempt from paying more than the excess amount, provided that you comply with the following conditions:

1. In case of a collision, you, the renter has to stay at the location of the incident and immediately call Protos car rentals. You or the person/persons involved shall not leave the site until the insurance consultant or police arrives.

2. If the insurance company does not reject the incident, as a result of not driving the vehicle under the physical and mental conditions required by the Greek traffic law.

3. If you, the renter, were to notify Protos car rentals of the collision, theft, fire or act of vandalism caused to the vehicle within a period of twenty-four (24) hours after it occurred.

4. You, the renter have not made prohibited use of the car in accordance with the “ unauthorised use of the car “ paragraph.

The Full Insurance with 500€ / 800€ Excess( CDW ) does not fully cover in any case :

a. Damage to tires, rims, vehicle interiors, external and internal rear-view mirrors, headlights, windows, chassis and bodywork.

b. Vehicle theft due to negligence.

c. Tire punctures and blow-outs on non asphalted roads.

d. Damage to the clutch, engine, case, catalytic converter and/or radiator due to unauthorised use of the car.

e. The days that the vehicle is immobile (due to negligence) until its repair.

f. Towing expenses due to negligence

g. Battery replacement due to negligence

h. Refuelling errors.

i. Damage to the vehicle bodywork.

j. Missing tire repair kit, security triangles, high visibility vests, antennae, child seats

Full Insurance with 0€ Excess (FDW) :

If you, the renter, purchased the Full Insurance with 0€ Excess, your liability for the damages caused shall be waived. The following are covered by the Full Insurance with 0€ Excess, provided that you comply with the following conditions:

1. In case of a collision, the renter has to stay at the location of the incident and immediately call Protos car rentals. You or the person/persons involved shall not leave the site until the insurance consultant or police arrives to make the report.

2. If the insurance company does not reject the incident, as a result of not driving the vehicle under the physical and mental conditions required by the Greek traffic law.

3. If you, the renter, were to notify Protos car rentals of the collision, theft, fire or act of vandalism caused to the vehicle within a period of twenty-four (24) hours after it occurred.

4. You, the renter have not made prohibited use of the car in accordance with the “ unauthorised use of the car “ paragraph.

Included in the Full Insurance with 0€ Excess and covered are the following :

1. Tire punctures, blowouts and damage to rims or tyres
2. Damage to the locks
3. Damage to vehicle chassis and roof
4. Damage to the windows
5. Damage to bodywork
6. Damage to the mirrors
7. Damage to the paint
8. Damages to the engine, case, catalytic converter and/or radiator
9. Damages to the battery
10. Damages underneath the car

In any case, the following aspects are not covered by any Insurances mentioned above:

a. Damage caused to the vehicle or third parties due to negligence.

b. Loss of child or booster seats, safety triangles, high visibility vests, documentation, rear shelves, jacks, repair kits.

c. Paying fines.

d. Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

e. Transportation of illegal substances.

f. Theft with keys left in the vehicle.

g. Loss, damage or theft of keys.

h. Burnt or broken seats.

i. Damage caused to the engine due to negligence.

j. Damage caused due to the infringement of highway regulations.

k. Damage caused by driving on unsuitable roads

Both Insurances (Full Insurance with 500€ Excess and Full Insurance with 0€ Excess) always contain the following:

1. Public Liability Protection :
Covered to a maximum of €1.000.000 for death, bodily injuries and material damages.

2. Personal Accident Protection :
Passengers are insured to a maximum of €1.000.000. Driver is insured for €15.000

Unauthorised use of the vehicle

All insurance coverings & waivers are valid provided that the renter has complied with all Terms, Conditions & Qualifications. The renter is obliged to pay for repairing costs of any damage caused to the rental vehicle if the use of the car is not proper.

Unauthorised use includes but are not limited to the following:

a. Pushing or towing any other vehicle.

b. Driving in places that are not suitable for public access, such as beaches, car race tracks, forest tracks, estate roads, etc.

c. Driving on roads that are not tarmacked or paved, which may be susceptible to causing damage to the vehicle.

d. Driving the vehicle in restricted areas, including, more specifically, airport runways and others carriageways associated with aeronautic and/or military use.

e. Negligent action with regard to the illumination of indicator lights or warning signs on the rental vehicle dashboard.

f. Transportation of goods or animals, especially dangerous substances, inflammables and/or those substances that may harm the vehicle or your passengers.

g. The transportation of people or goods that directly or indirectly imply payment.

h. Subleasing of the vehicle.

i. The use of the vehicle in any other activity that infringes the law.

j. Transportation of a number of people or amount of luggage exceeding the vehicle's authorised load weight.

k. Any type of manipulation of or interference with the mileometer; you must immediately inform Protos car rentals of any mileometer malfunctioning.

l. Transportation of luggage or any other element on the roof of the vehicle, even if you use a suitable device to do so. This applies if a roof rack from our company is not installed on the roof of the car .

m. Leaving objects on view in the vehicle that could be susceptible to theft, and therefore the subsequent damage to the vehicle.

n. Dirtying of the vehicle's interior in excess to what is considered to be of reasonable and careful use.

o. Driving the vehicle in a state of fatigue, ill or under the influence of alcohol, medication or drugs.

p. Reckless driving or driving in contrary to the Greek traffic laws.

q. Using the vehicle to teach another person to drive in any circumstance and/or teaching any special skills at the steering wheel.

r. Allowing a person, who is not authorised by the rental agreement as a driver and/or additional driver(s), to drive the rental vehicle.

s. Driving the vehicle off the island of Crete.

t. Using the vehicle once the rental period has terminated.

u. Driving the vehicle with affected physical faculties, either by the intake of alcohol, drugs, medication or due to illness.

v. Participating in competitions or similar events with the vehicle.

w. Smoking in the interior of the car

x. Sitting in the interior of the car with wet swimwear or wet hair.

Theft or loss of personal belongings

Protos car rentals do not hold themselves liable for stolen, forgotten or lost belongings inside the vehicle.

Deposit guarantee

It is noted that in most cases a security deposit is not necessary and will not be required from you,the renter. By signing the rental agreement, and in the event that you do not purchase the Full Protection without excess ( Full insurance without excess ), Protos car rentals has the right to charge you with a deposit you shall have to pay as a security deposit. The amount of the deposit is €500 for A, B, C and D car groups and €800 for D,D1, E1, E2, F1 car groups. This deposit serves as a guarantee of compliance of the general terms and conditions of the rental agreement.

This deposit shall be settled in cash or by holding the amount on your credit card.

If said the amount was paid in cash, it shall be reimbursed at the time of drop-off, once the necessary inspections of the vehicle are made and in compliance with the general and specific terms and conditions of the rental agreement.

If said amount were to be held on your credit card, it shall be held for a period of 7 days to guarantee your payment obligations are undertaken, and in accordance with these General Terms and Conditions, if any additional charge were necessary subsequent to this period, it shall be debited from the card. You shall receive prior notification of such, with an itemised summary of the pending payments.

Child / infant seats and boosters

Child seats, infant seats and boosters shall not be fitted in the car by an Protos employee as the parents shall always be responsible for fitting the child seat in the vehicle.

Traffic law violation tickets

Tickets resulting from any violation of the Greek traffic laws during the rental period is solely the renter's responsibility. If any ticket or fine is not disclosed to the company at the end of the rental period (contract), the violation will be charged to the renter.

Key loss

The customer is liable for all costs to replace keys which have been lost or damaged and the cost of retrieval of keys which have been locked inside a vehicle. This includes the transportation costs of the spare key to the vehicle's location or the costs of the technician in case the key is inside the car.

Online Payments

All payments made using the card are processed through the electronic payment platform of "Alpha e-Commerce" of Alpha Bank and uses TLS 1.2 encryption protocol encryption with 128-bit (Secure Sockets Layer - SSL). Encryption is a way of coding the information until it reaches its recipient, who will be able to decode it using the appropriate key

Personal Data Collection – ID and Driver’s License

In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), we inform you that, as part of the car rental process, we are required to verify your identity and driving eligibility.

To fulfill this requirement, we may request to view and, where strictly necessary, retain a copy or photograph of your passport or ID card and valid driver’s license.

We process and store this information based on:

 - The necessity of verifying your eligibility to rent and operate a vehicle.

 - Our legitimate interest in protecting our business against fraud, damage, or loss (e.g. non-return of vehicle, non-payment).

 - Our legal obligation to cooperate with law enforcement authorities in case of traffic violations or unpaid fines during the rental period.

Accordingly, your identification data may be shared with:

 - Law enforcement or competent authorities in case of traffic violations, criminal investigations, or legal disputes.

 - Insurance companies in the event of damage, theft, or accident claims.

Retention Period:
We retain copies of ID and driver’s license documents for up to 12 months after the end of the rental agreement. This period may be extended only if:

there are pending legal or administrative proceedings (e.g. unpaid fines or claims), or if required to comply with Greek legal obligations.

After this period, your documents are securely deleted or destroyed.

We ensure your data is:

 - Stored securely and accessed only by authorized personnel.

 - Used only for the purposes stated above.

 - And handled in accordance with your rights under GDPR, including the right to access, correct, or request deletion of your data (unless we are legally obliged to retain it).

By proceeding with the rental, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this notice and agree to the above processing of your personal data.