Travel to, from and around Crete





Airports

There are two big airports in Iraklio and Chania. Almost all tourists arrive here. The airport near Iraklio is the biggest on Crete and, after Athens, the second biggest airport in Greece. The third airport in Sitia is small and only has very few flights a day, most of them go to Athens or small Greek Islands. There is a new big airport planed near Kastelli south of the capital Iraklio. Building has not started yet (in early 2024):

Ferries to and from Crete

Athens: There are at least 2 ferries a day between Athens and Iraklio, 1 daily to Chania. The ferries from Piraeus (port of Athens) to Rethymnon and Agios Nikolaos do not sail anymore. Most ferries leave in the evening between 9 and 10 pm, arriving early the next day between 6-7pm in Piraeus or Crete.

A normal night ferry costs €35and 45 for a deck seat, whilst the faster ferries can go up to €55. If you take a cabin it is more expensive. There are cabins for up to 4 people you can share. Most expensive is a single cabin (about 120 Euro one way). Anek Lines and Linoan Lines both sail daily to and from Crete to Piraeus. Only in high saison there are extra connections during the day.



Cyclades: Crete also has connections to other Greek islands by ferry. There’s one or two daily catamaran in the summer (April – October) every morning at around 9am sailing from Iraklio to Santorini, Ios, Paros, Naxos and Mykonos. After arriving in Mykonos, the ferry sails back to Iraklio, arriving at about 7pm. It’s a very fast, expensive ferry – one way to Santorini costs about €40 to 50, and more to Mykonos. The 100km/h ferry has no room for cars or motorbikes.

There is a slower ferry which goes from Sitia and Iraklio to Santorini then on to Milos, which is three times cheaper – but three times slower. This ferry also transports cars, and sometimes stops over in Iraklio. In winter these unfrequent connections are the only ferries between Crte and Santorini. Then most people take an airplane.

Dodecanese: Leaving from Sitia (and less frequently from Iraklio) there is an big ferry to Rhodes which also stops off in Kasos and Karpathos. The boat is dirt cheap at about €25 for the 10-12 hour journey all the way to Rhodes.

Gavdos: Gavdos, the southernmost point of Europe with a permanent population of only 30, is served by 4-5 ferries a week in summer. Three of them leave from Chora Sfakia, the others from Paleochora. You can buy tickets from the port and many travel agencies without hidden charges (circa €12 one way). Only in the high season do these ferries get booked out, so you should try to buy the tickets a few days in advance to guarantee your seat.



From Europe by Ferry to Crete: From Britain the best option is to drive or take a bus or train to Italy. You can then take a ferry from Italy to Greece via Venice, Trieste, Ancona, Bari or Brindisi to Patras on the Peloponnese, 230 km from Athens. If you have an Interail or Eurorail ticket, you can use this on some routes, paying only the port tax. Alternatively, you could drive overland via Eastern Europe – a long, but potentially interesting adventure.

Important tickets for Crete

Some tickets for Crete can be bought in advance on the Internet. This improves the planning of your holiday and saves time as you don't have to queue up at the ticket offices or search for ticket sales points on Crete. Tickets for the 3 most important sights on Crete:

1. Excavation of Knossos, often long queues at the cash desk: tickets Click here

2. A good overview of bus tours to the famous Samaria Gorge, which can be booked online: Click here

3. Former leprosy island of Spinalonga. Various tickets, ferries, tours: Click here

See also: Many other tickets, excursions on Crete: Tickets Crete

Map of Crete


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Roads on Crete

The National Road: The National Road is the main road of Crete, winding along the north coast. In some parts it’s four lanes wide. This arterial road links all the main towns along the north coast, and there’s no equivalent on the south coast. Often it is better to use the National Highway to get somewhere on the south, since it’ll be quicker – especially in the extremely mountainous areas of Chora Sfakia and Paleochora. There are ferries which substitute for the lack of roads there. The National Road is also called "New Road" one Crete.

Buses on Crete


City Bus in Iraklio

There is no railway on Crete. Almost all public transport is from the state-run KTEL bus company. The buses are fast, inexpensive, modern and reliable. On the main routes there are up to two or three buses an hour, and on others, only one or two buses a day. There are more buses a day in summer than in winter. It’s a cheap way to get around; you can travel 100km for only €8. In towns with bus stations, you can buy tickets at the station. Otherwise, you purchase them from the bus conductor or the driver. Big luggage is stored in compartments at the bottom of the bus. If you’re out of town, you can flag down buses sometimes by waving, but it’s generally safer to find a bus stop. The buses do not have toilets and some journeys can last two hours. Smoking is forbidden, but the drivers frequently ignore this rule. This does not, however, mean you too can flaunt the no smoking signs! Always do as the driver and conductor tell you, as they are the bosses and demand your respect accordingly.

No hotel on Crete yet?

There are thousands hotels and other accommodations on Crete. In our opinion the best overview is at Booking.com. You can sort accommodations by price or display only accommodations in certain cities. The hotels can be booked quickly and easily on Booking.com, there are also many holiday apartments.

Bicycle riding on Crete

Crete is a very mountainous island, making for challenging cycling terrain. There are many smaller roads with little traffic. Any cyclists in Crete will be foreigners – Greeks are not big cyclists. There are no bike-lanes anywhere in the cities or out of town. Cycling in the cities is a nightmare, but exhilarating in more remote areas.

There are thousands of miles of road ranging from flat to high mountain roads. Flat roads are harder to find than steep mountain roads. The best months to cycle are April, May and October. Winter is not too bad for cycling, but it rains a lot. In the summer, the temperatures and fierce sun making cycling very hard work.

Taxis on Crete

Taxis are cheaper than in Britain. 100km in a taxi costs approximately €70. Hitchhiking in rural areas is easy and far less dangerous than Northern Europe. The big problem is drink driving and speeding, which is more prevalent on Crete than the mainland. You can rend vehicles from almost anywhere, though you’ll get a better deal over the internet. Normal prices for a small car are €25 to 35 for a day, €45 to 60 for two days or €150 for one week, though prices vary according to season and demand. In high saison these prices can be higher, off saison even lower (prices from 2024).

 

In tourist areas you can find ‘road trains’. They can act as public transport in smaller places, but on the whole they’re used to drive tourists around to see the local sights or beaches. They are not particularly cheap.

 

All infos ybout Pompeji Italy and about the colosseum in Rome

 

 

Crete Guide
 
INFORMATION
Where to go on Crete?
Transportation
Airports Crete
  Airport Iraklio
  Airport Chania
Car Trips Crete
Accommodation
Climate Crete
Figures Crete
Money and Prices
Food on Crete
Menu Crete
Drinks on Crete
Fauna of Crete
Flora of Crete
Snakes in Crete
Dangerous Animals
Troubles on Crete
Sport Crete
Beaches Crete
Gorges Crete
Southern Crete
Cretan Diet
General Advice Crete
Caves on Crete
Islands around Crete
Other Greek Islands
Hotels in Crete 2024
PLACES
Eastern Crete
Ierapetra
Keratokambos
Mirtos
Sitia
Vai
Agios Nikolaos
 Voulismeni Lake
 Agios Nikolaos Beach
 Agios Nikolaos Tours
Gournia Crete
Kritsa
Elounda
Spinalonga
Amazonas Park
Neapoli
Xerokambos
Zakros
Central Crete
Iraklio
  Historical Museum
Knossos
Hersonissos
  Zoo Hersonissos
  Museum Hersonissos
Koutouloufari
Piskopiano
Gouves
  Aquarium Crete
  Dinosauria Park
Malia
Stalida
Karteros
Milatos
Sissi
Rethymno
 Rethymno Fortezza
 Rethymno Museum
 Rethymno Beach
Platanes
Panormo
Melidoni Cave
Bali
Agia Pelagia
Fodele
Moni Arkadi
Georgioupolis
Armeni Tombs
Plakias
Mirthios
Sellia
Lefkogia
Damnoni
Preveli
Argiroupoli
Spili
St Antonios Gorge
Agia Galini
Matala
Kalamaki
Pitsidia
Phaistos
Gortys Crete
Zaros
Lendas
Western Crete
Chania
 Football Museum
 Maritme Museum
 Chania Lighthouse
Platanias
Agia Marina
Kolymbari
Kissamos
Agia Triada Crete
Stavros
Kalives
Falassarna
Elafonisi
Paleochora
Sougia
Agia Irini Gorge
Samaria Gorge
White Mountains
Aradena Gorge
Botanic Garden Crete
Lakki
Omalos
Imbros Gorge
Frangokastello
Anopolis Crete
Chora Sfakia