How is the public transport in Crete? Public transport on crete island, greece

Regular buses from the airport to Heraklion, as well as ordinary city and intercity buses KTEL, are the only form of public transport available in Crete. A fairly extensive network of roads and the widespread development of bus transport makes it relatively easy to travel around the island, including all those arriving in Crete have the opportunity to get from Heraklion airport by bus to the capital of the island and the main bus station of Crete - bus station A.

Bus stop at Heraklion airport

The location of the bus station at Heraklion Airport is quite good - the bus stop is just a few minutes walk from the exit from the arrivals area of ​​the Heraklion Airport terminal. This is the most economical bus transport both from and to the airport.

Bus schedule from Heraklion airport in 2019

Heraklion International Airport Nikos Kazandakis is very busy from March to November, while in the winter months the number of departures and arrivals is significantly reduced. Similar seasonality affects the work of public transport: the schedule of buses from Heraklion Airport changes in accordance with seasonality.

However, there is general rules in the schedule: local bus 78 from Heraklion airport to station A leaves every 10-15 minutes from early morning until late evening from Monday to Saturday; on Sundays, the frequency of flights may be slightly reduced.

Bus route 78 from Heraklion airport

The Heraklion Airport - Heraklion bus has the number 78 and runs from the bus stop next to the airport terminal to the Heraklion bus station and station A. To get from Heraklion airport to any popular resort or the city of Crete, for example, in Agia Pelagia, Bali, Ierapetra, Kokkini Hani, Malia, Rethymnon, Chania or Hersonissos, you need to get exactly to station A, where you can transfer to the flight that suits you. For some time now, bus station A has combined almost all flights to the west and south-west of the island of Crete, as well as its north-eastern regions.

In the event that your vacation will take place in southern regions islands, for example, in the resorts of Agia Galini, Anoia, Zaros, Matala or Miros, you need to get to bus station B, which is located on the west side of football stadium right outside the walls of the old city of Heraklion.

Remember blue buses KTEL are urban routes, while green buses are intercity and regional.

From the airport in Heraklion by bus 78 you can only get to station A, where you need to transfer to a suitable bus. Estimated travel time from the airport to the central bus station A of the city of Heraklion is about 20 minutes. Tickets can be bought from the bus driver when boarding, the fare in 2019 is 2.00 euros per person.

Please note that in International airport Heraklion Nikos Kazantzakis has had a service available for many years – those arriving on the island are given the opportunity to pre-order and pay for a suitable transfer, whether it be a small car for one or two travelers, a comfortable sedan for a family with children or a minibus for a large company, and comfortably get to any necessary you places on the island ().

Many northern Europeans, having seen enough of the dashing Cretan traffic, write in their blogs that it is best to move around the island by scheduled buses. Like, it's safer. Buses KTEL (national bus service) are quite modern, usually air-conditioned, with large soft seats. And it's inexpensive. A 1.5 hour Heraklion-Rethymnon trip will cost you only 6.80 euros.

And they run right on schedule.

You can distinguish them from tourist and sightseeing buses by color - green or white-green.
There is always a sign on the windshield with the final destination to which the bus follows. If you see a bus on the road, and there is no stop nearby, you can try to attract the attention of the driver, and, most likely, the bus will stop. Although globally it is against the rules: they must stop at specially designated places.

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In some villages, stops are used for other purposes.

On the official KTEL website, you can check the schedule, choose routes for yourself and even try something like an interactive map. You can click on any settlement you like and see which flights (where and when) are associated with it

http://bus-service-crete-ktel.com/ - see Timetables section

Thanks to this site, we have determined that it is best to use KTEL buses to pass the Samaria Gorge. As you know, you can only get out of Samaria by sea, so if you go there by car, you will have to go back 16 kilometers, or negotiate with someone who will meet you in Chora Sfakion, a boat sails bringing travelers from the gorge. With buses, everything becomes much easier. The main thing is to force yourself to get up early to get from Chania to the gorge.

On the same site there is interesting information about the history of the national bus service in Crete. There is progress!

The ticket can be bought at the central KTEL stops or directly on the bus. A 10% discount is offered when purchasing a round-trip ticket. As it turns out, in Crete, a bus is a great option for efficient transportation if you adjust your life to your schedule.

In Crete, only bus service. In addition to buses, you can only travel here by taxi or rented car. In this article, I will talk about the main bus routes in Crete and the fare, as well as where to buy tickets for public transport in Crete.

Buses in Crete are divided into urban (blue) plying within the same city, and on intercity (green) plying between the cities of Heraklion and Agios Nikolaos, Ierapetra, Sitia and Rethymno. Buses run around the northern part of the island every day from 06:00 to 23:00.

Buses in Crete are served by two bus companies KTEL, one of which serves the east of the island Ktelherlas, the other - the west of the island of Crete Ktel. On the sites of these two bus companies you can see the bus schedule and fares for certain destinations. Bus routes on the northern part of the island leave every hour. Routes to towns in the depths of the island and in its southern part depart less frequently.

For example, I am attaching you a bus schedule from the port bus station of Heraklion to popular tourist resorts- Hersonissos, Malia, Agios Nikolaos, Ierapetra. The first column indicates the name of the destination, the second - the timetable in weekdays, in the third - on Saturdays, in the fourth - on Sundays. The table shows that on Sundays, transport runs much less frequently than on weekdays: only 1 time per hour or 1 time per 45 minutes. Do not forget to take into account the specifics of the Greeks, they are in no hurry and buses can easily be late for 10-20 minutes, and sometimes even more time, we somehow waited an extra 45 minutes for the bus!

How much is the bus fare in Crete?

Bus fares in Crete are regulated by the state and are moderate by European standards. For example, I will tell you about some fares. Travel from Heraklion to the Palace of Knossos - 2.6 Euro in two directions. Departure from bus station A.

table with approximate cost travel to popular routes and travel time

If you are traveling with a company of 4 people, then it will be much more profitable to take a taxi or rent a car than to pay all four for a ticket.

On buses you can get to the main tourist attractions of Crete: Knossos Palace, the cities of Festus, Gortyn, Arkadi Monastery, Preveli Monastery, Omalos Plateau and Hora Sfakion.

In major cities of Crete at the bus stations there are covered area with a waiting room, toilet and shops. There are no bus stations in small towns, but there are small ticket kiosks located on the road. If there is no kiosk, or it is closed, you can buy a ticket directly on the bus.

Rules for traveling on buses in Crete

When traveling by bus in Crete, follow simple rule: always check the timetables on the sites I listed above and be prepared for unexpected bus delays. IN summer time try to buy tickets the day before the trip and arrive early to take best places in the bus.

Tickets for city buses are sold at kiosks, for intercity buses - at the bus station. Intercity buses in Crete are comfortable and air-conditioned. However, keep in mind that on busy routes, for example, Heraklion - Chania or Heraklion - Sitia, you may simply not get a seat, and you will have to ride standing up. If you are planning to get to your destination in Crete with a transfer, then please note that due to the frequent delays of buses, you can easily miss the next bus, and you will have to wait a long and painful time. Buses run to Greek villages in Crete much less frequently than to large cities.

Stops in Crete are often not so easy to spot. They are identified by a blue sign with a picture of a bus. Each stop is assigned a specific number. At the stops, the route schedule is indicated. You have to wave your hand to stop the bus. You must enter through the middle door. Some buses have conductors from whom you can buy a ticket. To buy a ticket, just name the final stop. Keep your ticket until the end of the bus trip, as controllers often go here. In order not to miss your destination, tell its number to the conductor when boarding. If there is no conductor, then press the Stop button before you stop.

Addresses of major bus stations in Crete

Buses in Heraklion

Heraklion has 2 bus stations : bus station at the port (bus station A) and city bus station (bus station B). They are within walking distance of each other next to the port of Heraklion and about 3.5 km from the airport. A bus arrives at bus station A from. A trip from Heraklion to the Palace of Knossos costs 2.6 Euros in both directions, and bus number 2 runs in this direction.

• WITH bus station A buses leave to cities on the north coast of Crete, including the western direction: Rethymni and Chania, eastbound: Agios Nikolaos in the region of Lasithi, and northbound: Hersonissos, Sitia. Near this bus station there is a bus station from which city buses and buses to Knossos leave.
• WITH bus station B buses leave to cities in south Crete: Agia Galina, Matala, Tsaros, Timbaki.

Car rental in Crete

The option of renting a car in Crete is perfect independent tourists and families with children who want to see the most beautiful beaches and interesting corners Crete and not depend on anyone. It makes sense to take a car if you want to explore the island, but at the same time do not want to visit and understand the public transport of Crete and wait a long time for a bus. With a rented car, it is easy to travel on the uncongested roads of Crete: it is like driving your own car.

The service I recommend for finding a car is Myrentacar, which compares prices from the best local car rental companies. Advantages of the service: renting a car from 10 Euro per day, making a cash deposit and the possibility of renting a car without a deposit.

Taxi in Crete

Taxis in Crete are very popular, because, unlike buses, they can reach the most remote corners of the island and the most beautiful beaches Crete: Balos Beach, Plaka, Plakias.

How and what is the best way to move around this Greek island: prices, information and travel tips

You can travel around Crete by many means of transport: by bus, car, motorcycle, moped, taxi, bicycle, boat and even a pirate ship. But first things first.

Car rent

For those who have a driver's license, who do not like to depend on public transport schedules and want to see the maximum sights in a short time, renting a car is an ideal option on a relatively small island. The rental price starts from 35 euros per day, including insurance - for this money you can take, for example, a Hyundai i10 or Ford Fiesta. A convertible car (for example, a Hyundai Getz convertible) will cost from 45-50 euros, a jeep (Suzuki Vitara) - in the region of 55 - 60 euros. If you are traveling with a large group, you can rent a minibus (for example, Fiat Doblo), which will cost from 65 to 75 euros per day.

To rent a car in Crete, a passport is enough and driving license. At the same time, rental offices are absolutely not picky, and even if your driving experience is only a year or even less, they will still give you a car without any problems.

How to save money on car rental in Crete

The easiest way to get a rental discount is to ask for it directly. If you are traveling as a family or with friends and renting two cars at once in one place, you can count on at least 10-15% discount. If you have the time and opportunity to choose a little - do not rent a car at the first rental office that comes across, but go at least two or three. Another simple trick that often works great with Greeks is to tell them that a nearby rental center has given you a better deal.

For those who do not want to spend precious time on vacation and do not choose according to the leftover principle (when all good and inexpensive cars have already been dismantled), we recommend finding a car for rent in Crete in advance

(instant comparison of offers, prices and conditions of the world's leading car rental companies, online booking confirmation and flexible terms, discounts, super offers)

Beware the Greeks

Having chosen a car as a means of transportation around the island, be very careful on the roads! The Greeks drive quite famously: they often exceed the speed limit, calmly cross the double solid line and can easily overtake you at the sharpest turn. But even if you see that other drivers break the rules all the time traffic, you should not relax: you are a foreigner, and in the event of an accident, the tourist will have to answer to the fullest extent of the law, while the locals can get away with something. Therefore, on the island it is worth observing the speed limit and carefully monitoring road signs especially in dangerous places.

Buses

Crete is an island that is also quite convenient to travel by public transport, namely buses. For those who do not drive a car or want to take a break from driving during their holidays, this is the most inexpensive and acceptable option. So, between all the major cities of Crete, buses run at intervals of a maximum of an hour, in the summer from 6.30 to 00.30, the fare depends on the destination. For example, a ticket from resort town Rethymnon to the capital of the island - the city of Heraklion - will cost you 8.50 euros, to get from Heraklion to some nearby village - 3-4 euros. bus ticket in the city costs from 1.10 euros. It is safe to travel by bus, the stops are at a relatively short distance from each other, and you can buy a ticket both from the driver and at any street kiosk. On weekdays, buses run quite often - on average with an interval of 10-15 minutes, but on weekends, especially on Sunday - every 30-35 minutes.

In addition, in the major cities of Crete - Heraklion, Rethymnon and Chania - there are tourist sightseeing buses (bas tourist) that will take you through the most beautiful and interesting places. The ticket price is 12 euros for adults, 6 euros for children, the duration of the trip is about 2 hours (information for 2016).

Of course, you can move around Crete and by taxi. The fare is 3-5 euros around the city for a short distance, 20-25 euros - to a nearby village, from 75 euros from one city to another (for example, from Rethymno to Chania). You can and even need to bargain with taxi drivers, especially if you travel far. In order to avoid unpleasant surprises and conflicts, do not get into the car until you have definitely been given a price that suits you.

What is the best way to get around the city

You can move around the city or, for example, a resort village by bike: rent costs from 6-8 euros per day or from 1-1.5 euros per hour in the city rental service, on a moped or scooter - from 20 euros per day, a motorcycle - from 35 euros per day.

When choosing a scooter or motorcycle as your means of transport, be very careful and be sure to rent a helmet. Although personally, for your safety, we do not recommend using these modes of transport in Crete! But riding a bicycle, on the contrary, is safer, because in each more or less major city there are special bike paths, parking for cyclists, etc.

Additional features

By sea ​​waters Crete can be traveled by boat or small yacht (special license required). The cost of renting a more or less "serious" boat is from 90-100 euros per hour. Children will be interested in going to little trip on a pirate ship: the price of such a walk is from 15 euros per hour during the day and from 20 euros in the evening. Usually, the cost of a "pirate cruise" includes live music and light snacks, and they are organized only in major cities of Crete.

Here you can find and buy tickets to Crete at the lowest price (in the search form at the top of the article), as well as instantly compare hotel prices in different booking systems and choose the best offer.

Might be interesting:

Buses in Crete: features of public transport

Good afternoon, dear reader.

It is at these bus stations that everyone arrives intercity routes 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 also 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. On the already mentioned bus stop No. 13 posted a bus schedule to the city of Hersonissos. 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, call him end point 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 final destination trips and number of passengers English language. 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 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 the passengers for their numbers beforehand. final stops and promptly warned the driver about them.

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.

Ticket prices between different settlements can be found in a special brochure that 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 a 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 excursions, You can spend as much time as you want anywhere.

Well, in the next article I will talk about visiting Crete. Do not miss!