We arrive in Athens in the afternoon and plan to fly to Crete the same day. We will be staying in Rethymnon.
Should we fly to Chania or Heraklion?
We do plan to rent car, but I saw that you could take taxi from Chania to Rethymnon for 80 euro and the drive was an hour. That may be preferable to picking up car at airport? Thanks for any help!
Fly to Chania as it is closer. I would pick up the car depending on price and chlices available. If you want an automatic transmission, an airport is usually a safer bet.
Be sure to go to your local AAA office to pick up an International Driving Permit, no test or membership required.
You might want to think twice before renting a car immediately after a transatlantic flight. Driving in Crete is different than from home and you need to be alert to the passing on blind curves, driving with your right side wheels on the shoulder and high speeds which can be tricky even when fully rested. Then there is the problem of navigating Rethymnon traffic and finding a parking spot.
There is also the local KTEL bus which does a route from Chania airport to Rethymnon. As I recall it was less than 20 euros for the two of us.
If you are not bus people then the 80 euro taxi is a good choice.
