Hi All,
Looking to travel to Crete with 6 people, 4 of which are younger kids. We are an adventurous group and will want to hike, swim, and visit historic sites as well. We are planning for 7-10 nights.
I have read that to get to some of the sites there is not reliable public transportation and/or that public transportation does not go everywhere. Is this true? And if it is, how is the driving/parking situation if we rent a van? Will we even be able to get to the remote spots in a van?
September 2019, the two of us were in a small Renault, but each historic ruin had adequate parking for longer vehicles and access on good roads. Cities and tiny towns could be more challenging. We didn’t yet have a rental car in our first city (Iraklio), and the one way streets in Hania, later on, and limited parking on the streets were tough to manage. Smaller cities had decent parking, but tiny Tzermiado (good hiking opportunities) had one tight turn on the main street, with buildings on all sides, and we just managed to make it - a longer van would’ve been inconceivable.
Just be aware that in mountains the blind curves can be tight, although doable in a van. What was unexpected was drivers coming around the curve from the other direction - already drifted over the center line, and coming at us, partly in our lane. They always got back on their side - eventually - but it was disconcerting. After it happened again and again, maybe it should’ve become expected, but it was still stunning each time it happened. Anticipate this on twisty roads.
For historic Minoan ruins, wonderful beach with black sand, and a great hike (Gorge of the Dead), all in one place, I highly recommend Kato Zakros, on the southeastern edge of Crete.
You confirmed what I’ve read. It sounds like you had a car the whole time. That’s what I’d prefer to do but it doesn’t sound realistic for our family since the situation may vary from place to place (I.e there might be ample parking and maneuverability in one location and in that same day there could be another location where that’s not the case).
Does anyone have experience with public transportation?
We did take a city bus to and from downtown Iraklio to the Knossos Palace archaeological sight. Very cheap, very efficient, very easy. Two days later, when we departed Iraklio for the rest of the island, that’s when we picked up our car. When we reached Hania, our final destination, that’s when we turned in the rental. Making our way through that city to the historic port (even with Google Maps navigation and a less-effective navigation system provided by greg rental company) was far harder than expected, and we pulled to the curb near our hotel and had the rental company pick it up.
If possible, plan your cities at the beginning and end of your 7-10 nights, for when you won’t need a car. Then have the car in the middle, with less congested locations, where you’ll want to cover some ground in your rental, and where navigation and parking won’t be so tough.
We just spent a week on Crete with a rental car for our family of four. I cannot imagine doing Crete without a car - the beautiful places are very remote. I also cannot imagine doing Crete in a van - the roads are windy, twisty and scary and parking even with our normal size car was a challenge. Bottom line - get two smaller cars.
I would second the advice of not having the rental car in the cities if possible. Having a van in the other areas in some of the areas with their narrow, winding roads may be harrowing at times. If you do rent a vehicle, I would caution you against using Auto Club to do so. The car we picked up from them after arriving in Hania ended up having mechanical problems which required us to obtain a new vehicle the next day. Their customer service was horrid and we lost valuable time resolving the issue.
Thanks for all the advice and tips.
Crete looks spectacular and so I am trying to figure out how to make it work. Sounds like we will need a car and likely need to split into two cars to make it happen as a van will be too big.
Now we need to decide if we want to do that. Aside from being split up, two cars will make it so that there is not an adult in either car that is free to help with navigating. We have one kid that can fill that role in one car but wouldn’t have someone for the other car.
We spent September 2022 in Crete using only public transportation (buses, ferries, taxis). This requires a little more advance planning, and you may not be able to see all the small sites, but you can easily fill 7-10 days.
We have not yet been to Rethymno but from what I’ve read, it might make sense as the first base for your family. We are starting our 2023 vacation there, with a transfer from Chania airport to our hotel in Rethymno. There is a bus, which is cheaper, but we find it worthwhile to splurge for a pleasant arrival in a strange place after a long trip.
We’ll spend a couple of days exploring the town on foot, and do day trips by bus, including one to the ruins at Phaestos and Gortys.
Then we’ll take a one hour bus to Plakias, where there’s a great beach and plenty of walking/hiking options. Lots of boat tours are available there as well. We visited Plakias last year and I think you & your kids would love it.
After Plakias, we’ll go on by ferry to more of the little coastal towns. You may want to take a bus to Heraklion and see Knossos. Or just bus to Chania or Heraklion airport & home.
Hotels on Crete are booking up quickly this year so I’d recommend finalizing your itinerary as quickly as possible.
We spent two weeks in Chania and had a car. I can’t imagine not having access to a car.
