Collect the car the moment you land at Mytilene 'Odysseas Elytis' International Airport (MJT), then take Lesvos at your own pace: the Castle of Mytilene, the ouzo town of Plomari, medieval Molyvos, the UNESCO Petrified Forest at Sigri and Sappho's Skala Eressou. Clear prices, cash or debit on arrival, and North Aegean partners who know every road on the island.
Collect the car the moment you land at Mytilene 'Odysseas Elytis' International Airport (MJT), then take Lesvos at your own pace: the Castle of Mytilene, the ouzo town of Plomari, medieval Molyvos, the UNESCO Petrified Forest at Sigri and Sappho's Skala Eressou. Clear prices, cash or debit on arrival, and North Aegean partners who know every road on the island.
Local rates, no airport markups
Direct prices from Lesvos partners at MJT: what you book is what you pay at the desk, with no summer-season or charter-flight surcharge.
MJT Airport handover
Every pickup and return happens at Mytilene 'Odysseas Elytis' Airport (MJT), the island's only airport, 8 km south of Mytilene town. The car is there as you step out of arrivals.
Rent without a credit card
Premium Insurance (zero excess) comes straight from the supplier, so nothing is blocked on your card. Pay cash or debit on arrival at the airport.
Real cover, no claims to chase
You are insured by the rental company itself, not by a broker. Nothing to pay and reclaim later after a scrape on the long roads to Molyvos, Sigri or Skala Eressou.
Fleet for a big island
Compact cars for Mytilene's narrow lanes, comfortable sedans and small SUVs for the long west-coast drives to the Petrified Forest, and automatics for relaxed touring of Lesvos.
A Genoese castle, thermal springs, a mountain artist's village and Greece's most famous naive painter — all a short drive from where you land.
Explore one of the largest castles in the Mediterranean above the capital, then wander Mytilene's neoclassical waterfront, the Agios Therapon church and the lively market lanes.
Just minutes from the airport in the suburb of Varia, admire the naive paintings of Theophilos and the Teriade collection of works by Chagall, Picasso, Matisse and Léger.
Drive around the enclosed Gulf of Gera to the historic thermal baths at Therma, silvery olive groves and quiet waterside tavernas serving fresh fish and ouzo.
Climb the slopes of Mount Olympus of Lesvos to Agiasos, a car-free traditional village of cobbled lanes, pottery workshops, plane-tree squares and the pilgrimage church of Panagia.
Lesvos is the third-largest Greek island, so the good things are spread thin: ouzo towns, a Genoese castle, a petrified forest and Sappho's beaches, each a drive of its own.
1 hr 15 – 1 hr 30 one way
Head to the island's north for Molyvos, one of the most beautiful villages in Greece, crowned by a Byzantine-Genoese castle, then Petra with the rock-top church of Panagia Glykofiloussa and the Eftalou hot springs nearby.
50–60 min one way
Follow the south coast to Plomari, the world capital of ouzo, for the historic Barbayannis and Pitsiladi distilleries, the seaside square, and the sandy beach of Agios Isidoros nearby.
2 hr – 2 hr 30 one way
Cross the volcanic west to the UNESCO Global Geopark and the fossilised Petrified Forest near Sigri, a 20-million-year-old landscape of stone tree trunks, and the fishing village of Sigri itself.
1 hr 45 – 2 hr one way
Drive to the birthplace of the ancient poet Sappho at Eressos, relax on the long dark-sand beach of Skala Eressou, and stop at the Kalloni salt pans to spot flamingos on the way.
MJT Airport handover
Mytilene 'Odysseas Elytis' Airport is small with a single terminal, 8 km south of the capital. Share your flight number so the Karpadu agent is waiting kerbside the moment you exit arrivals.
Plan for a big island
Lesvos is far larger than most Aegean islands and its roads are winding. Molyvos, Sigri and Eressos are 1.5–2.5 hours away, so plan a couple of full-day drives rather than trying to see everything at once.
Ouzo and driving don't mix
Plomari's distilleries and the island's tavernas are famous for ouzo, but Greece enforces a 0.5‰ alcohol limit. Nominate a non-drinking driver or taste, don't drink, when you're behind the wheel.
Mountain roads to Agiasos & the west
The routes up to Agiasos and across to Sigri and Eressos are steep and curvy with occasional livestock. A compact car copes fine, but drive slowly on blind bends and allow extra time.
Fuel up before the west
Petrol stations are plentiful around Mytilene, Kalloni and Plomari but sparse near Sigri, Eressos and the Petrified Forest. Fill the tank before heading to the remote western tip.
The car stays on Lesvos
Daily ferries link Mytilene with Ayvalık in Turkey and other Greek islands, but your rental car must remain on Lesvos. If you day-trip to Turkey, park and walk on as a foot passenger.
Choose Premium Insurance (zero excess) and the supplier waives the security deposit outright, so you pay by debit card or cash at the Mytilene (MJT) desk with no credit card. Cover comes from the rental company itself, so there is no 'pay and claim' process when you rent a car in Lesvos.
Real, direct insurance from the rental company on Lesvos, not a broker's reimbursement policy. Those still want a credit card deposit upfront. Premium Insurance means zero deposit and no claim to chase after damage on the long roads to Molyvos, Sigri or Skala Eressou.
At Mytilene 'Odysseas Elytis' International Airport (MJT) only, 8 km south of Mytilene town. There is no pickup at Mytilene port or at hotel addresses. The terminal is small, so your agent meets you kerbside outside arrivals as you come out, with no shuttle bus involved.
No. Rental cars must stay on Lesvos — you cannot take them on ferries to Ayvalık in Turkey, Chios, Limnos or any other destination. If you plan to day-trip to Ayvalık from Mytilene port, leave the car parked and walk on as a foot passenger.
Returns must be at Mytilene MJT Airport — the same location as pickup. One-way drop-offs at other islands or mainland airports are not currently available because Lesvos is an island. If your itinerary continues to Athens, Thessaloniki or elsewhere, return the car at MJT before your onward flight.
For Mytilene, the Gulf of Gera and the ouzo coast to Plomari, a compact or economy car is perfect. For the long drives to Molyvos, the Petrified Forest at Sigri and Skala Eressou, a sedan or small SUV makes the winding roads more relaxed. Either way, keep to asphalt – every route here is paved.
From Mytilene Airport: the Theophilos and Teriade museums at Varia 5–10 minutes, Mytilene town 10–15, the Gulf of Gera springs 20–30, Agiasos 40–45, Plomari 50–60, Kalloni around 55, Molyvos and Petra 1 hr 15 – 1 hr 30, Skala Eressou around 2 hours, and the Petrified Forest at Sigri 2 – 2.5 hours.
No tolls anywhere on Lesvos. Key rules: speed limit 50 km/h in villages and 70–90 km/h on open roads, headlights are recommended on shaded mountain sections, and goats, sheep and farm vehicles often appear on rural roads — drive slowly through bends and respect the 0.5‰ alcohol limit.
Drivers with licences from the EU, UK, USA, Canada and Australia typically do not need an IDP to rent a car in Greece; a valid national licence is accepted by our local partners. If your licence is not in the Latin alphabet, an International Driving Permit is recommended and inexpensive to obtain at home.
Lesvos & Mytilene MJT Airport Car Rental
Book in minutes, pick no deposit car hire with Premium Insurance, and collect the car the moment you land at Mytilene 'Odysseas Elytis' International Airport (MJT).
