UKC

Not sure if this has been covered elsewhere, or if I'm just the last to notice, but turns out you can't hire scooters in Greece anymore with just a car licence  Mine has category p, mopeds, as I passed it a long time ago. Used to be fine but not anymore https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/greece/safety-and-security

Looks like a cbt is required if you want two wheels! 

David 

Your link suggests that category A1 is fine, and https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-categories suggests that category A implicitly covers category A1.

I don't know how many others have category A but I have, simply as a result of passing my car driving test a few decades ago.

I was going to counter that I just rented scooters from two different places in Kaly last month and I have a completely standard post-97 licence (when a lot of the categories changed) but upon looking at my license and looking at the gov website it seems I have category A too which enables me to ride any bike, is that right? I took a CBT around 2001 but nothing else!

I don't have category A on my license. Passed a car test in 1989 but have never taken a CBT. My latest photo licence was issued in 2011so only shows category P (mopeds). Tried a couple of scooter hire shops and they wouldn't accept it. Last time I was here was 2016 and it was fine then

As John Arran says A1 gives you the right to ride up to 125 cc from what I understand. Helmets are mandatory apparently. Pictures and dates on the back of a French licence are presumably standard throughout EU. Good luck with hiring anything next Spring after Brexit!

It's a right muddle. I have Cat A (full motorbike) since 1987 and also a Cat P (2 wheel drive vehicles of not more than 50cc and with a max design speed over 45kph but not more than 50kph) gained at the same time.

When I renewed my licence last year the DVLA then added Cat AM (2 or 3 wheel drive vehicle of not more than 350kg and max design speed over 25kph and not more than 45kph) to the licence.

The above go nicely with my Cat Q for 2 wheel vehicles not exceeding 50cc with a design speed not exceeding 25kph...

Buggerit, just looking this up and I think you're right. I've a licence type AM (122) valid on successful completion: Basic Moped Training Course 

Looks like I'm walking to the crags

It's a bit more expensive but I think you can still hire a quad bike on a car licence if you really need transport. Funny really because its both faster and potentially more dangerous than a scooter. (You also might need additional travel insurance cover as quad biking is classed as an extreme sport)

Mine says I have category A but not A1/A2.

Ive never taken a CBT... but that implies I can ride any bike...

This must be a very recent change. I was there in April this year and hired one without problems.

I renewed my license last year. I've never had any sort of motorbike instruction or test, yet the DVLA added category A and AM to my licence in 2013. I just took a standard driving test in 2009. If your licence is from 2011 then I'm guessing maybe you also had these categories added around the same time as me, only it doesn't show on your current license?

I don't think there is anything to worry about, Kalymnos scooters are above the law. 

This gets even more confusing. If you only took a standard car driving test (Cat B) you cannot legally ride a Cat A bike (no restriction on size/power).

If you're over 24 then you probably have a provisional Cat A licence. Is there any code on the licence next to the Cat A?

I was there a year ago and some rental companies wouldn't let us hire due to our UK licence types.  It was an insurance thing they said. 

How much would it costs to get the certification added to your licence ? 

Lots of confusion but from what I can find if you have licences of type

AM code 122 you need a CBT to ride a moped

A code 79(3) you can ride a trike, not a motorbike 

You'd need a CBT, about £100

Exactly what I just found out, so they probably shouldn't have been renting me a scooter...

Ignorance is a valid defence, right?

Given the fact no one can make head nor tail of the A, AM, A1, A2, P and Q categories and associated codes on our standardised EU licences I don't think Brexit will have much effect...

79(3) for A and 122 and AM, which look to have already been explained by the above poster. 

Just checked in a hire shop again. They will hire 50cc scooter provided your licence covers AM, contrary to the FCO site which reckons you need A1. Either way the old P doesn't work. Pretty sure if I renew my photo licence it will say AM on the new one. Whether I bother doing that before it expires rather depends on what happens in 2019.

The quad bike is a good idea. Though as you say may be a problem with travel insurance.

1st time I went only one of us had been on a motorbike before. So he rented the moped and then we had a quick " scoot" on it up the road away from Massouri.All went back to the hire shop and we all answered "yes" to us when asked if we had  driven motorbikes before. One of my mates looked very sheepish when he answered so he was given an impromptu test . He promptly fell off the scooter and failed! Much laughter. My next mate then failed to do a u turn on the scooter in a reasonable manner,and also failed. He had some more practise " up the road" and he then passed.

We have climbed with each other for nearly 40 years and this tale adds to a long list of amusing stories which are recounted when we get together.

Having the correct license is only the first step. Make sure you can ride the things first!

I've got a full license with Cat A with a 79(3) restriction and I hired a scooter in Kalymnos the week before last, just try a few different places if the first one won't sort you one.

Anyone know how hot the local police have been this year about the one way system?

The only time i went to kalymnos there were no scooters left due to climbing festival so i hired a bike and it worked out great. 

A1 is a restricted A, just like D1 is a restricted D (max 17 seats), and C1 is a restricted C (max 7500kg).

So if you have A you can ride an A1 vehicle, just as if you have C (large rigid lorry) you can drive C1 (large van), or if you have D (bus or coach) you can drive D1 (minibus).

It is. We were told by the vendors that the law changed in July 2018. That said we were able to rent 50cc scooters with a standard license with Cat A/AM. No CBT. As others have suggested, rental companies in Kalymnos are lax to say the least. Ride at your own risk

I've looked into this as have category P on my license. Renewing a (car) license if passed before 1/2/2001 will get AM automatically, so should be fine for hiring 50cc scooters. I'll have to renew my license before the next trip! If you passed between then and 18/1/2013 you'll need to get CBT done to get the AM category.

Isn't it time they got rid of them whining scooters (they wake me up too early in the morning) and moved to electric mountain bikes. You could ride to most of the crags, then have a blast down the hill at the end of the day. Charging points could unfortunately be a problem though.

I've hired crappy mountain bikes in the past 20 euro for 5 days. Ridden round the island in 3.5 hrs included a couple of pub stops on my rest days.