Please: Suggestions for Crete

Your Chania plan sounds fine to me but Heraklion is not everyone's favorite city and Knossos is somewhat controversial in archeologic circles, due to the amount of restoration. I would think that the second day you might rather get to other arch sites like Phaestos.

With only a week on Crete, most people would stay a maximum of 2 nights in Heraklio, long enough to see Knossos & the newly renovated excellent archeological museum. If you are very interested in Minoan history then I would suggest you may like to add a trip to Faistos & Gortys, the latter is my favourite & apart from the main site, the whole area, for several km around is strewn with stones, fallen pillars etc, just lying in the olive groves.

Agios Nikolaos is quite a busy working town, not very near Knossos but a good base for exploring that part of the island. nearby is Elounda, a nice little resort from where you can easily get to Spinalonga for a visit.

You cannot get from Agios Nikolaos to Iraklio by ferry, as far as I know.

For atmosphere, scenic, authentic experience then yes Chania is a fabulous place to visit & stay. The old town is compact, based around the Venetian harbour, where there are many bars, cafes & restaurants. There is a big selection of renovated, boutique style hotels in the old town & many in or near Theotokopoulou St. You may want to visit Aptera, 15km to the East of Chania, or there are several day trips available to famous beaches such as Elafonisi, Balos or Falasarna. Lots of beautiful, traditional tiny villages in the hills above Chania & in Apokoronas region.

I suspect that you can do the whole Knossos site in a day. We always stay in Heraklion but that is to take the ferry on to Santorini.
Don't forget the archeological museum in Herklion. Thats where the stuff from Knossis is stashed.

Heraklion is a large working city with lots of traffic and noise but the central area and harbour are actually pretty interesting. No need to rent a car in Heraklion there is regular bus and taxi to Knossos everything else in the center is an easy walk.
Heraklion https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/sets/72157655935354556

I suspect two or three days might be all the time you will want to spend in Herak.

If you would like an interesting day trip from Herak head south to Gortyz. The site at Gortyz (which was the Roman capital of Crete) is a compact and interesting one however once you leave the site go for a walk along the main road. It is surrounded by olive trees but hidden in the trees you will find columns just lying on the ground. Further investigation will bring you to baths a buried amphitheater more fallen columns and a headless statue in the Roman Governers Pratorium. Its as if you have discovered a lost city. Bring water.
Crete Archeological sites https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/sets/72157645085297380/

You can rent the car to go to Chania but there is also very good local bus service on modern buses and very inexpensive. Parking in both Herak and Chania is hard to find. If you decide you want to day day trip from Chania thats when you might consider renting a car for the day. Chania is just lovely particularly the old town and Venetian harbour area. You will love it.
Chania http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/sets/72157632117917828/
Chania May 2016 https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157671465596275

Hi Jwugg nice to see you here. It seems we cross posted.

Hi Stanbr, & we gave the same advice while typing at the same time, several thousand km apart!

Chania: great apartment for two with balcony overlooking the harbor - Pandora Suites, five nights cost E545 in July 2013. Just behind/above the little waterfront mosque (now a theater). Gorgeous views of harbor & the Cretan Sea, street life & night lights, but quiet enough to sleep (I'm 67 & a light sleeper) (Stewart's wife Vicki speaking; Stewart can sleep thru anything, how does he do that). Excellent breakfast on knock-out roof terrace, very good staff. Parking's problematic - the municipal free lots are other side of the (very small) harbor; we rented a car for three days to do Knossos & Chora Sfakion (mountain-hairpins drive to the Libyan Sea, very good seafood at waterfront restaurant Ob-something in tiny Chora Sfakion). Flew in & out of Chania from Athens, took the E2.50 express bus into town & walked maybe six blocks to the Pandora.

Chania's a great walking-around town: busy upper/newer commercial area, but down close to the harbor there's picturesque cobbled lanes, artisans' shops, atmospheric churches, plus the inevitable see-&-be-seen bars & restaurants ringing the harbor & marina. You can walk out the curving breakwater to the Venetian lighthouse on every postcard. Very good museum on ancient Minoan maritime culture, & separate Naval Museum with much on Crete's role in World War II.

Food in Chania: restaurant Dol- something, on quiet side street, recommended by Pandora staff, & little souvlaki stands everywhere.
Inka Supermarket & covered produce etc. market with tiny cafes. We ate take-out several nights on our ringside-seats balcony, ahh!

One of my favorite trips. Enjoy!

As always, highly detailed & very helpful suggestions: thanks, everyone!

As always, highly detailed & very helpful suggestions: thanks, everyone!

Chania can either be peaceful and quiet or noisy if it is a cruise ship day, but it is so charming that even if it's cruise ship day it is still worth it. I prefer to stay on the Akrotiri peninsula which is nearby and drive in to Chania. Between Chania and Stavros there is a magical, wonderful restaurant called Bahar with lots of open air seating. It's most cosmopolitan than traditional Greek but I have eaten there a ridiculous number of times and everything I have ordered has been amazing. Their salads are excellent, especially if you like bacon (no, that's not a typo!). Also in Chania proper across from the old synagogue (which you should also check out and learn about the history of the Jewish community on Crete) there is a restaurant called To Chani which has some traditionally Cretan dishes. I once ate there with someone who didn't speak Greek and they wouldn't let him order what he wanted because they said it was "too Cretan" and Americans wouldn't like it--then I spoke a few words of Greek and they assumed my heritage was Greek let me order it and it was amazing. Normally no one interferes with your choices but the incident showed us that they take great pride in wanting you to enjoy your food! If you don't stay on the Akrotiri peninsula, definitely at least get out there to visit Agia Triadha, a fabulous monastery that has a little museum and produces its own olive oil, etc. The glass bottomed boats out of Chania are kind of silly, but if you do one, we always book (traveling independently or taking middle school groups) through Cpt. Nick on the Aphrodite--he's a great guide and be sure to ask him how he lost his thumb and see what story you get!!