The Greek Islands are so beautiful and idyllic, they almost seem unreal. It's not like in mainland Greece where the hustle and bustle of everyday life are still so apparent. On any of these islands, you truly get to sit back, relax, and enjoy a peaceful time. But just like any other part of life, in order to reach this sort of paradise, it's up to you on how to get it. In other words, to get to a place like Crete, for instance, which is among the finest Greek Islands, you need to know your options and choose one that will help you get here quicker and safer!
Flying to Crete
As usual, flying to Crete by plane is the most common way to get here. In most cases, it's better to start in Athens, the capital city of Greece. Most flights going to Crete, no matter where you're coming from, have a stop in Athens. If you're already in Greece, it's easier for you to get to the Greek Island through Athens. Now, from here, you'll take a flight to any of three airports in Crete:
Heraklion International Airport (HER),
Chania International Airport Ioannis Daskalogiannis (CHQ), and
Sitia Public Airport (JSH). These are the only ports of entry if you're traveling to Crete by plane.
Taking A Ferry
Of course, you can also go to Crete by ferry. This time around, the island has six ports of entry, located throughout
its many districts. There's Heraklion, Chania, Rethymno, Sitia, Agios Nikolaos, and Kissamos. Among them, the ports from Heraklion and Chania are the main ones. As compared to flying off to Crete, getting here by ferry is a lot easier if you're coming from the nearby Greek Islands. If you're coming from Athens, you either have to depart from Piraeus, the Greek capital's main port, or Rafina, a smaller port located near the city's airport.
Coming from The Other Greek Islands
As already mentioned, if you're coming from the other Greek Islands, such as
Mykonos,
Santorini,
Corfu,
Paros, and more, a great way is to travel by ferry. More often than not, it'll only take around a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 9.5 hours to get there, depending on where you're coming from. However, in some of these islands, specifically Mykonos, Santorini, and Lesvos, you can actually get to Crete by plane. These islands have their own airports that service flights to and from Crete. In fact, the travel times from these locations range from 3.5 hours to 5 hours.
Coming From Other European Countries
What you might be surprised to know is that you can also take direct flights to Crete when you're coming from nearby European countries. If you're coming from major cities like Paris, London, and Berline, you can actually fly directly to Crete's Heraklion International Airport. This is the only port of entry on the island that services direct flights from overseas. However, note that the travel time will be much longer compared to flying from Athens, which only takes around an hour or so. In any case, just make sure you have your
Schengen Visa ready to gain entry to Crete.
Public Transport in Crete
Now that you've gotten to Crete, you still have to think about getting around the island. Fortunately, public transport in Crete is alive and well! The island has a ton of buses and taxis you can take, with bus central stations located in the main towns of Heraklion, Chania, Rethymno, and Lassithi. And in these stations, it'll be easier to hail a cab as well since they're oftentimes stationed on these very locations. But when all else fails, you can always rely on a
transportation app to help you out!
Although getting to Crete seems like such a hassle, you'd be surprised to find out how simple it actually is. Whether you fly off to this island or go sailing on a ferry, you have a ton of options to choose from to travel to Crete!
Always remember that all the effort you exert to get to Crete takes you one step closer to experiencing this paradise of the island. As well as to your new
luxury home here!
