Getting to and from Crete

Getting to and from Crete is simple. There are many excellent services. Below we show you how to get to Crete by air and by sea from most of Europe.

We also have a section on connections with coaches and rail through mainland Greece. Summer season is April to October, and services are busy at this time. In the winter season, services can be much reduced and infrequent.

Constant Change. The transport for getting to and from Crete may vary. The following information is liable to change. Always check the fine details with your travel agent and your transport carrier. The information below is a summary only and cannot replace your own detailed research.

Click here to visit our Maps of Crete page, with a detailed interactive map of the island, and Greece.

Getting to and from Crete
by Air

Airports

The main airport of Crete is Nikos Kazantzakis Airport Heraklion HER, flights arrive from Athens just about every hour in summer. The duration of the flight from Athens is about one hour. This is an international airport which also has flights arriving direct from Europe. The airport is 4 km from the town of Heraklion.

There is a second international airport at Chania CHQ. Flights arrive here from Athens and also direct from Europe. 14 km from the town of Chania.

There is a small airport at Sitia JSH, which is due to expand its services, it accepts flights currently from all over Europe. 1 km from the town of Sitia.

In Athens, the airport is Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport ATH, which was completed for the 2004 Athens Olympics and is a very modern and comfortable facility. The airport is located 27 km from the city and is well serviced by buses and the metro. With these services, getting to and from Crete is easy.

Flights

We are also no longer bound to one airline. Internet sales make sure that each airline is competing with the others on a day to day basis. This results in some excellent fares, yet a lot of confusion if you are not familiar with the internet.

Many people ask us - which is the cheapest airline flying into Crete? The answer is: it changes daily. Use the power of search on the internet to find yourself a great fare. We have hunted through the airfare sites and found some great results for you through Flight Co.

Want to find out the latest prices? Check for the most recent value for flights throughout Europe at Flight Co, see below. This website searches all scheduled, charter and low cost flights on offer and consistently brings back the lowest prices. Remember the codes for Heraklion HER and Chania CHQ. Happy hunting!

Getting to and from Crete by Air:

Flights from Athens. The main air companies flying into Crete are Olympic Airways and Aegean Air. Most carriers throughout Europe will connect with these flights in Athens.

Flights from Thessaloniki. There are flights from Thessaloniki in the north of Greece to both Heraklion and Chania with Olympic Airways, duration is one hour and 15 minutes.

Flights from Dodecanese. There are flights from Rhodos to Heraklion, and from Karpathos to Sitia in summer, with Express Air.

Flights from Cyclades. There are flights from Thira (Santorini), Mykonos and Paros to Heraklion in summer with Express Air.

Flights from Cyprus. There are flights from Larnaca to Heraklion with Cyprus Airways and Aegean Airways.

Flights from British Isles. British Airways fly from London & Manchester to Heraklion. Excel Airways fly from the British Isles to Heraklion and Chania. Fly Globespan fly from Scotland to Heraklion. Fly Thomas Cook fly from England and Scotland to Heraklion. Thomson Fly travel from British Isles to Heraklion and Chania. Check for well priced flights here…


Flights from Austria. Air Berlin fly from Austria to Heraklion

Flights from France. Air Berlin fly from Basel Mulhouse to Heraklion and Chania

Flights from Poland. Central Wings fly from Poland to Heraklion and Chania

Flights from Germany. Air Berlin fly from Germany to Heraklion and Chania. Condor fly from Germany to Heraklion and Chania. Hapag Fly travel from Germany to Heraklion and Chania. LTU fly from Germany to Heraklion.

Flights from Switzerland. Air Berlin fly from Switzerland to Heraklion and Chania.

Flights from Scandinavia. Fly Me travels from Sweden to Chania. Sterling travels from Scandinavia to Chania. Norwegian travels from Oslo to Heraklion.

Flights from Hungary. Wizz Air travels from Budapest to Heraklion.

Value Flights. Check with Olympic Airlines and Aegean Air, then compare those prices with a website showing your flight choices such as Flight Co - Compare all scheduled, charter and low cost fares with one click.

Don’t spend too long searching for cheap flights, although there are some bargains to find, those tickets may be inflexible. Better to book well ahead and get a flexible ticket, and know that whatever you pay, your trip to Crete will be worthwhile and memorable.

Prices and tickets change very quickly and different specials are always available. Start your search with Olympic Airlines and Aegean Air and then your country’s carrier. We have found that the best prices and reliability come from the consolidators, as they have good buying power and can pass on those good prices to customers.

Charter Flights. Some seats are left on summer charter flights that are heavily booked by package travellers. These tickets can be really cheap, but have conditions attached or an inconvenient flight time. Charter flights from the British Isles leave London Gatwick to Chania and Heraklion, also from Birmingham and East Midlands to Heraklion. Manchester to Chania and Heraklion. Dublin to Heraklion or Glasgow to Iraklion. Cardiff and Bristol to Heraklion. Compare prices here…

Air Berlin has flights into Heraklion from most German capitals, Switzerland and Austria. Fly Niki travels to Heraklion from Germany. Again, the consolidators, via their websites, are the best source of tickets.

Getting to and from Crete by Sea

The most travelled sea routes to Crete are from Piraeus (port of Athens) to Chania or Heraklion. The duration of the crossing can be from 6 to 12 hours and in summer there are many different ferries to choose from daily. At other times, it is best to check the schedule.

The main ferry companies for this crossing include Minoan Lines, Anek Lines, and Hellenic Seaways. For up-to-date-information always check with your travel agent or the ferry company directly.

Ferries from Italy to Greece. Ferries travel across the Adriatic into the Ionian from Trieste, Venice, Ancona, Bari and Brindisi in Italy into Corfu, Igoumenitsa and Patras in Greece. Other Greek islands in the Ionian can also be accessed. Ferry companies include Superfast Ferries, Minoan Lines, Anek Lines, Medlink, Bluestar Ferries, My Way Ferries and Hellenic Mediterranean Lines.

Connections from Igoumenitsa. Coaches connect to Athens from Igoumenitsa. See coach travel details below.

Connections from Patras. Coaches connect to Kalamata and other major towns in Peloponissos, and Athens. Rail also connects to Athens, travelling along the beautiful Gulf of Corinth. See rail travel details below.

Ferries from Peloponissos to Crete. From Patras coaches travel to Kalamata, where ferries travel to Crete via Kythera. From mainland Peloponissos, at Gythion and Neapolis, ferries also leave for Kythera and Crete. These ferries arrive in the west of Crete, at the port of Kastelli-Kissamos. Departures are less frequent than from Pireaus, however it gives the opportunity to see the beautiful Peloponissos. Miras Ferries and Anen Lines.

Ferries from Cyclades to Crete. In summer it is possible to island hop to Crete via Milos and Thira (Santorini) to Crete with Lane Lines or GA Lines. From Santorini, special fast ferries are scheduled in summer between Santorini and Chania and Heraklion. GA Lines, Sea Jets, and Hellenic Seaways.

Confirming that for 2008, Hellenic Seaways announced that the fast hydrofoil FlyingCat IV will leave from Santorini to Heraklion daily, starting on the 18th of April 08.

More information here about visiting Santorini from Crete...

Ferries from Dodecanese to Crete. From the south of the Dodecanese, ferries leave Rhodos for Crete via Halki, Karpathos and Kasos with L.A.N.E. Lines or GA Ferries. From the northern Dodecanese, it is usually necessary to get to Rhodes to get a connecting ferry to Crete. Blue Star Ferries, NEL Lines, Dodekanisos Lines, GA Lines and Anes Ferries.

Ferries from Turkey to Crete. Ferry services run from the mainland towns of Cesme, Bodrum, Marmaris, Datsa, Gokova, and Dalyan in Turkey to matching island ports in the Dodecanese, including Rhodos, in Greece. Companies include Anek Lines, Bodrum Express, Miniotis Lines.

Connecting to and from Crete by Coach

Connecting to and from Crete by Rail

Trains linking the port of Patras with Athens via Corinth travel along the Bay of Corinth, the journey takes about three and half hours. Other trains on this route stop at each town, making the journey much longer. Be sure to check which one you would like whilst planning your trip.

Getting to and from Crete - the Metro

From Athens to Pireaus or the Athens Airport, you may wish to take the metro underground train. It is called the Attiko Metro after the wider region of Athens, Attika, and information and timetables can be found at the website www.ametro.gr

Getting to and from Crete - the Suburban Railway

From central Athens to Athens Airport you may wish to take the Suburban Railway or Proastiakos. Information and timetables are available at the website www.proastiakos.gr. This service can also connect you from Corinth to the Athens Airport.

As you can see, there are many ways of getting to and from Crete, for a one-stop visit or to incorporate Crete into your Greek trip experience.

A Travel Agent in Crete