Europe > Greece > Chios (JKH)
The Car or no Car advice for Chios can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Chios ; is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in Chios ?
These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.
💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Chios?
These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.
🚌 Getting around without a car
You can enjoy Chios without driving, especially if you plan to stay close to Chios Town or Karfas. Buses link the airport, the port, and a handful of villages. Additionally, the waterfront promenade, castle area, and central streets are entirely walkable, so days here feel slow and easy.
However, bus routes thin out dramatically once you leave the main spine of the island. Frequencies vary by season, and village-to-village journeys often require returning to town to change buses. This means that if you want to explore at your own pace, public transport may feel quite limiting.
🚗 Why renting a car is so helpful
Chios rewards drivers with quiet roads, dramatic coastlines, and some of the most atmospheric villages in the Aegean. For example:
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Pyrgi with its black-and-white geometric façades
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Mesta, a fortified medieval settlement
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Olympi, with caves and traditional tavernas
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Emporios, close to black-pebble volcanic beaches
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The mastic villages, scattered across the southern half of the island
Moreover, the best beaches require wheels. Places like Vroulidia, Apothika, and Nagas are much easier to reach with your own car. Because taxis are limited outside the main towns, self-drive often becomes the most practical option.
Roads are generally good, though expect narrow stretches in mountain villages. Traffic is light compared with islands like Crete or Rhodes, so driving feels relaxed rather than stressful.
🛬 Airport arrivals
Chios Airport (JKH) sits right beside Chios Town, making arrivals quick and simple. All major rental desks operate here, and pick-up is painless. If you prefer not to drive immediately, you can take a taxi to your hotel and collect the car the next morning from the town branches.
🛥️ Ferries and onward travel
Many travellers arrive by ferry from Athens, Lesvos, or Samos. Renting a car directly in Chios Town is equally easy, and you can choose whether or not to take the vehicle on onward ferry routes (availability and rules vary by company).
🧭 Conclusion – Should you rent a car in Chios?
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🚗 Yes for exploring mastic villages, beaches, medieval towns, and remote coves. A car transforms the island into a smooth, flexible adventure.
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❔ Maybe if you plan to stay only in Chios Town or Karfas, where walking, taxis, and limited buses may be enough.
