Chania on the map of Crete.
Chania is a city that many tourists recognize as the most beautiful in Crete. People come here to walk along the Venetian streets, visit museums with rich collections, and at the same time go to the Samaria Gorge, Balos Lagoon and Elafonisi Beach. Near the city there are many resorts, among which every tourist will find a suitable place to relax. How to get to Chania? Here are some basic ways.
By plane to Chania
In Chania, there is an airport "Ioannis Daskalogiannis", located 10 km from the city - near the bay of Souda. This is the second largest and busiest airport in Crete with one double-decker terminal. The air harbor receives regular flights from Athens, Thessaloniki (Aegean Airlines, Ryanair), Munich (Aegean Airlines), charters from Larnaca (Blueair), Tel Aviv, Oslo, Stockholm, Vilnius, Bucharest (Aegean Airlines), Belgrade (Air Serbia) .
There are no direct regular flights from Russian cities, but sometimes charter flights are launched during the summer season. It is much easier to fly to Heraklion first. One of the largest international airports in Greece is located here, which receives flights from Moscow and many other regions of Russia. From the airport you need to get to the bus station of Heraklion (bus number 78), and already there transfer to a regular bus to Chania. Travel time is about 3 hours.
Nevertheless, if you are going to rest in the west of Crete, then it is, of course, better to fly to Chania.
Flights to Chania:
From the airport to Chania
As for the transport connection between the airport "Ioannis Daskalogiannis" and the city of Chania, it will not be difficult to get to your destination. From the terminal to the city, buses leave daily according to the following schedule: 7:15 the first bus, then at 9:15, 10:40, 14:15, 16:50 and 18:50. The last one leaves at 21:15. Travel time - 30 minutes.
For those who do not want to wait for the bus, there are taxi desks near the terminal to Chania. But it is better to reserve a convenient time and a suitable car before arrival.
Ferry to Chania
You can get to Chania by sea from mainland Greece. The large modern port of Souda is located in the nome. It accepts ferries and cruise ships. Most often, tourists arrive here from the Athenian port of Piraeus. The journey from the capital of Greece lasts approximately 10 hours. And luxury liners, which inevitably attract the attention of Cretans and tourists, make a stop during the Mediterranean cruises from Israel and the countries of Southern Europe.
The other port of Chania is located in Kissamos. It is 43 km away from the city and connects Chania with ferries to Corfu, Gythio and Kalamata. Ferries from Athens (Piraeus) run three times a week. On the way to Chania, they make stops on other islands of Greece.
Souda port is located 6.5 km from Chania (15 minutes drive). The easiest way to cover such a short distance is by taxi. Also, buses run between the two points from 6:00 to 23:00 every 20 minutes. They depart from the port terminal and stop at the central market of Chania. From the port of Kissamos, you can reach Chania in 60 minutes. The final stop is KTEL Chanion.
How to get to Chania from other regions of Crete
Crete has excellent intercity transport links. Therefore, you can get to Chania at least for a couple of days from the major settlements of the island.
From Rethymnon, intercity transport departs from the bus station. The distance to Chania is 55 km, approximately 50 minutes drive. KTEL buses run daily through Kavros, Georgioupolis and Vrisses. The first bus leaves at 6:00 (on weekends - at 7:00) and then - every hour until 23:00. The trip will cost 6.7 euros.
From the bus station of Heraklion, the distance to Chania is 103 km (3 hours on the way). Buses run daily, every hour from 5:30 to 21:30, and also at 12:00 - on the old road (except weekends). The route Heraklion - Chania is laid through the village of Bali, then - through Rethymnon and Georgioupolis. The trip will cost about 15 euros. There are no buses from Agios Nikolaos to Chania. First you need to get to Heraklion.
All buses in Crete are comfortable, air-conditioned and much safer and cheaper to travel than rented cars. But in some cases, tourists prefer to call a taxi. A trip from the center of Rethymno to Chania can cost between 75 and 90 euros. From the center of Heraklion to Chania by taxi can be reached for 170-190 euros. From Agios Nikolaos, Elounda - for 240-280 euros, and from Ierapetra - for 310 euros.
To Chania - by rented car
Numerous rental offices offer their services to tourists arriving in Crete. You can rent a car at the representative office of Avis, Sixt, Hertz, Suropcar, Firefly. During the peak season (from the beginning of July), the price per day will be approximately 45 euros, per week - 192 euros. In the low season (spring or with the arrival of autumn) - from 33 euros per day and from 110 euros per week. It is worth remembering that rental offices have the right to increase the price if the client is under 25 years old.
It is best to rent a car at the airport, for example at Heraklion airport, and get to Chania with this car.
Note that it is better to book a car in advance - in the middle of summer there are not enough cars.
Getting to Chania by car from other regions of Crete is very easy. Along the entire northern coast of the island, a national highway is laid, connecting all the main cities of Crete. It also passes by Chania. You just need to not miss the right turn. But with road signs in Crete, everything is in order, and there are several turns in the city area. - wild gorges and picturesque beaches, ancient monasteries and hospitable villages, as well as many picturesque views.
If you want to actively move around Crete, keep in mind that this island is more than it might seem at first glance. And if you want to travel around Crete on your own by public transport and actively explore the sights in different parts of the island, plan in advance in your itinerary the time that you will spend on buses.
Automobile
The most convenient way to get around Crete is by car. You can rent a car in any major city, at the airports of Heraklion and Chania, or in advance online.
Driving in Crete is not the easiest process, it all depends on where you are. Major cities along the north coast have signs in Greek and English. However, in more remote areas, you will come across unsigned dirt roads. According to the stories and reviews of tourists, you need to drive very carefully on mountain roads and, whenever possible, consult with the locals in advance.
To rent a car, you will need an international driving license and be over 21 years of age.
Buses in Crete
Public transport on the island is provided only by buses. All major cities - Heraklion, Rethymnon, Chania and Agios Nikolaos - are well connected by bus routes. Buses also run to the southern cities, but their schedule is subject to seasonal tourist influxes. Bus prices range from 2 to 11 euros depending on the length of the trip.
You can also take buses to the main attractions on your own, including the Palace of Knossos, the Samaria Gorge, Hora Sfakion, etc.
In major cities, there are bus stations with a waiting room, a toilet and a snack bar. In smaller cities, buses stop at cafes and taverns, which in parallel serve as ticket offices.
I advise you to use the local bus carrier KTEL. On their website you can buy tickets online, see routes and bus schedules. This service will remove your question "how to get somewhere in Crete".
© currybet / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0
Rules for using buses:
- Be sure to check and recheck the bus schedule, it can change quite unexpectedly. It is especially important to know this rule during the holidays (January 1, March 25, May 1, August 15, October 28, December 25 and Easter Sunday)
- In the summer, buy tickets the day before your intended trip and arrive early at the bus station to take convenient seats. Tickets for local buses are sold at kiosks and at bus stops.
Taxi in Crete
© jonas06 / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0
Inside the Cretan cities you can easily move around on foot. However, if you get tired or need to quickly get to your destination, choose a taxi. Negotiate the price in advance so that it doesn’t turn out that the taxi driver “forgot” to turn on the meter and charged you at a double rate. The price of a taxi in Kita can be approximately calculated based on the formulas of 1 euro per kilometer.
Be sure to write down the address of your destination to avoid confusion as there are many places in Crete that have the same name. Do not get into a taxi if there is already a passenger, this is a great way to pay for a trip 2 times more expensive.
Buses in Crete: features of public transport
Good afternoon, dear reader.
It is at these bus stations that all intercity routes arrive and it is from them that you will start walking.
Note: You can pick up a brochure with bus timetables at bus stations for free., as well as with the cost of travel between the end points. If you find yourself there, be sure to capture it.
Suppose you want to visit the reptile rescue center (Aqua World) in the city of Hersonissos. In this case, the nearest stop will be Bus Stop 20 (found on the map). Similarly, you can find stops for other attractions.
Now let's move on to traveling by Ktel buses.
I note that boarding a bus at the bus station and at a regular station differs significantly. Let's consider each of them in more detail.
Boarding the bus at the bus stop
Stops in Crete very often have inconspicuous appearance, so you need to make some effort to find them. The stop is usually marked with a blue sign with a picture of a bus. Also, quite often, the number of the stop is written above the sign.
However, there is a significant difference from Russian stops. It lies in the fact that in Crete the signs are usually located parallel to the road border, i.e. drivers of passing cars can see them only by turning their heads. In addition, tablets can often be hidden somewhere among the branches of a tree. Finding them, in principle, is not difficult. Especially if you know where the stop should be approximately.
After the stop is found, you can study the schedule for it. Usually there are routes passing through this stop, as well as the approximate time of the buses. This time is very relative. I'll give you an example. At the already mentioned bus stop number 13, a bus schedule to the city of Hersonissos was posted. They were supposed to run every 15 minutes, however on one of the trips we had to wait 40 minutes for the bus. This is quite an impressive time, especially considering the fact that we drove only 10 minutes. So I do not recommend taking the schedule to heart. Just stop and look out for the bus.
You need to look out for the bus, as it will only stop if someone gets off at your stop. Therefore, I recommend getting closer to the road and looking out for a green or yellow bus. In front of the bus, a scoreboard with the final destination of the route is installed. If you see a bus coming up, start waving at it.
Buses don't always stop. Why dont know. However, if the bus has stopped, then half the work has already been done.
Entrance is through the middle door. Near the entrance, as a rule, the conductor (male) also sits. You should not pay at the entrance, first take a free seat.
After the conductor approaches you, tell him the end point of your route (not necessarily the stop number, the name of the city is enough). He will name the cost of tickets in English. After payment will give you a ticket and change.
Boarding the bus at the terminal
Boarding the bus at the final station has its own characteristics.
First of all, the purchase of a ticket is carried out not at the conductor, but at the box office. It's not hard to find the ticket office at the station. Name the final destination of the trip and the number of passengers in English. For example, Gouves - Two tickets (2 tickets). After that, pay for the trip, get tickets and change. An example of a ticket can be found in the picture on the left.
Please note that the time and date of the trip are indicated in bold on the ticket. In addition, the bus number is highlighted in bold (in the picture - Bus No: 52). This is important information. You need to find a bus at the station, on the windshield of which the number 52 is indicated. Sometimes the numbers are three-digit, sometimes they consist of a combination of letters and numbers.
In general, take a ticket and find the right bus. Half the job is done.
Bus ride
When traveling by bus, be sure to save your tickets. During almost every trip, the controller enters the bus, who needs to show the tickets.
Getting off the bus
Getting off the Ktel bus is a different story. The bus stops on demand, and your desire must be expressed in advance.
During our holiday in Crete, some buses came across good conductors. They asked passengers for the numbers of the final stops in advance and warned the driver about them in a timely manner.
Sometimes there were ordinary conductors who did not ask anything. In this case, it was necessary to independently press the red button with the inscription "Stop" when approaching the desired stop. Please note that the buttons may not be above all seats, sit closer to them.
Also, quite often, bad (possibly drunk) conductors came across Ktel buses. They asked passengers about stops in advance, but the driver was not warned about them. What did this lead to in practice?
Passengers, when approaching the desired stop, began to demand to stop, but the driver shrugged his shoulders (they say, I don’t have time) and drove on, always to the next stop.
In practice, I happened to observe how the driver drove several people to the next settlement (several kilometers) and stopped only there. We were also once taken to a stop further, since it was not far to return, about 15 minutes.
So the quality of service in Ktel is unique. If you wish, you can, of course, adapt to it and go out exactly where you need to.
Fare
The fare on Cretan buses depends on the distance.
For example, a ticket Heraklion - Agios Nikolaos costs 7.10 euros (2014). If you break this route into 2 parts, then the cost will be 2.20 (Heraklion - Gouves) + 5.20 (Gouves - Agios Nikolaos), i.e. somewhat more expensive.
The cost of tickets between different settlements can be found in a special brochure, which can be found at the bus station in Heraklion.
I will give here cost of popular bus routes in Crete in 2014:
Heraklion - Chania - 13.80.
Heraklion - Rethymnon - 7.60.
Heraklion - Malia - 3.80.
Heraklion - Agios Nikolaos - 7.10.
Heraklion - Ierapetra - 11.00.
Heraklion - Sitia - 14.70.
Agios Nikolaos - Ierapetra - 3.80.
Agios Nikolaos - Sitia - 7.60.
Agios Nikolaos - Kritsa - 1.60.
Agios Nikolaos - Elounda - 1.70.
Agios Nikolaos - Plaka - 2.10.
Bus timetable in Crete in 2014
You can find the bus timetable in Crete on this page.
Please note that it consists of several files. They are all different, so you need to download each of them.
In principle, I talked about all the features of Ktel intercity buses in Crete. Now let's move on to the city buses of Heraklion.
City buses of Heraklion
Heraklion city buses are significantly different from intercity ones.
Firstly, the fare in them depends on where you buy a ticket. If you buy a ticket on the bus, it will cost 2 euros, if you buy a ticket at a kiosk, then the cost will be 1.5 euros. I want to draw your attention to the fact that tickets are often sold in ordinary souvenir stalls, between ice cream and magnets. Those. from the first time it is not easy to understand that it is here that they sell tickets.
As for the capital's public transport itself, the quality of travel in it is much lower. There are old buses that are not equipped with air conditioning. At the same time, a crowd of local pensioners and students fills the salon.
You may need Heraklion city buses, for example, if you decide to visit the Palace of Knossos on your own (I will tell you how to do this in one of the following articles).
Let's sum up this article:
1. Ktel buses in Crete are quite comfortable. If desired, with their help you can get to many attractions.
2. When landing at a bus stop, you must first carefully look out for the bus, and then frantically wave to it. Payment is made to the conductor.
3. When landing at the station, you need to look for a bus by the number indicated on the ticket. The ticket is purchased at the box office.
4. During the trip, you need to keep tickets, because. controllers go often.
5. Pay close attention to stops and press the "STOP" button on the bus in advance. Passing a stop for local drivers is in order, but going back can be very far.
6. The fare depends on the distance. You can find it in the brochure with the bus schedule at the bus station of Heraklion.
Despite the large number of shortcomings of Ktel buses, it is quite possible to use them. Unlike renting a car, bus tickets will cost you much less. Well, unlike organized tours, you can spend as much time as you want anywhere.
Well, in the next article I will talk about visiting Crete. Do not miss!
The most common type of public transport on the island of Crete, I would say intercity buses. They are owned by Ktel. Official website of this bus company: ktelherlas.gr
I'll tell you about the buses themselves and the rules for using them. The buses of this company are quite new and quite comfortable. Each has air conditioning inside. In many ways, they are similar to our modern Russian buses that connect cities. Ktel buses are easy to distinguish - they are painted green. Sometimes you may come across buses that have a yellow coloring and with the inscription "Minoan Lines" on board. But this is the same Ktel company.
At the bus stations of the cities of the island, you can take a brochure for free, where there is a bus schedule and the fare between settlements is indicated. I recommend getting this brochure. Now about the trips themselves on the Ktel buses.
I note that boarding the bus will vary depending on where you do it: at the bus station or at the bus stop. The stops themselves in Crete are often quite inconspicuous. You have to make an effort to find them. Usually the stop will be marked with a small blue sign that shows a bus. Sometimes the stop number will be written above such a sign.
The main difference from the usual Russian stops is that in Crete the signs are located parallel to the road border. Drivers of passing cars will be able to see them only by turning their heads. Often the tablets can be hidden among the branches of a tree. But you can find them. Especially if you know where the stop should be approximately located.
Once you have found a stop, study the timetable for it. Usually there you will see all the routes that pass through this stop, as well as the time of the buses. But this time, I note, is very conditional.
You need to look out for the bus carefully, because it will stop only when someone intends to get off at the stop where you are standing. If you notice an approaching bus, start in every possible way to signal to him about your desire to sit on it. But even in this case, there is no guarantee that the bus will respond to your request. There is no pattern here.
Entrance is always through the middle door. Near her, as a rule, sits the conductor (always a man). You do not need to pay immediately upon entry. Come in and take an empty seat first.
The conductor will soon come to you. Tell him the end point of your trip (the name of the city is enough). He will tell you how much the ticket will cost. All communication is in English. After paying, take the ticket from him.
If you get on the bus at the final stop, then there are some peculiarities. First, the ticket should be bought at the box office, and not from the conductor. The ticket office at the bus station is easy to find. Please also state the final destination of your trip and the expected number of passengers. After that, pay for your trip and get tickets. By the way, they should be kept throughout the trip. Virtually every bus comes controllers.
As for getting off the bus, it stops only on demand. Your desire must be loudly voiced in advance. Sometimes conductors ask passengers for the numbers/names of their final stops in advance and warn the driver about them themselves. If the conductor did not do this, then you yourself need to press the special red button with the inscription "Stop" as soon as you approach the stop you need. Please note that the buttons are not above all places. If you do not do this in advance, the driver will usually shrug and drive on. And, following already to the next stop. Well, if the next stop is not the next settlement along the route.
So the quality of service on Ktel intercity buses is very peculiar. But if you adapt to it, then you will go out and come in exactly where you need.
We will try to compensate for the brevity of today's post with its content. On Grekoblog, the schedule of buses in Crete from various cities of the largest Greek island has flashed more than once. However, most of these links are somewhat outdated. Therefore, in the 2018 season, the first thing I tried to find was a fresh bus schedule.
Understanding the schedule of buses in Greece for a tourist is not an easy task. The fact is that there is no single bus operator. Instead, there are a lot of transportation companies in the country. As a rule, their name consists of two words: KTEL and the name of the city/region.
The current schedule was collected bit by bit from all over the Internet in April 2018. At the same time, the Greeks share the concepts of timetables and ticket prices. Therefore, in this sample, the schedule is not always accompanied by prices.
Buses from Heraklion
There are two large bus stations in Heraklion that serve different directions on the island. More details about them and how to get to bus stations from Heraklion Airport Grekoblog. You can find the latest schedule for the 2018 season on this page.
Location of Heraklion bus stations on the map.
From Agios Nikolaos
With the help of regular bus routes from Heraklion, Ierapetra, Sitia, Elounda and other main settlements in the eastern part of the island. The cost of tickets for the trip depends on the length of the route and ranges from 1.6 to 7.1 euros.
From Sitia
The main city in the eastern part of the island - Sitia - is connected by regular bus service not only to Heraklion, but also to other key points in the east: Agios Nikolaos, Ierapetra, Palekastro, etc.
The most expensive tickets from Sitia are for buses to Heraklion. A one-way trip will cost about 15 Euros. For shorter routes, tickets are cheaper.
Download the bus schedule from Sitia.
From Ierapetra
The center of Lasithi nome - Ierapetra - is connected by regular routes to the capital of the island, Sitia, Agios Nikolaos and other key cities and villages of the southeast. Pick up bus schedule from Ierapetra.
The most expensive tickets from Ierapetra are for buses to Heraklion. Ticket price is from 11 Euro one way.
Bus timetable from Chania
Being the second most important city in Crete, Chania is connected by regular routes both to Heraklion and to other major cities in the region.
