Greece crete buses schedule hersonissos rethymno. Ferry service on the island. Public transport in Crete

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 serve two bus companies KTEL, one of which serves the east of the island of Ktelherlas, the other - the west of the island of Crete Ktel. On the websites 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

There are 2 bus stations in Heraklion: 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 of Crete: Balos Beach, Plaka, Plakias.

If you want to actively move around Crete, keep in mind that this island is more than it might seem at first glance. And if you want to travel around Crete on your own by public transport and actively explore the sights in different parts of the island, plan in advance in your itinerary the time that you will spend on buses.

Automobile

Most convenient way to move around Crete - by car. You can rent a car in any major city, at the airports of Heraklion and Chania, or in advance online.

Driving in Crete is not the easiest process, it all depends on where you are. In major cities along north coast There are signs in Greek and English. However, in more remote areas, you will come across unsigned dirt roads. According to the stories and reviews of tourists, you need to drive very carefully along mountain roads and, whenever possible, consult with the locals in advance.

To rent a car you will need international law and over 21 years of age.

Buses in Crete

Public transport on the island is provided only by buses. All major cities - Heraklion, Rethymnon, Chania and Agios Nikolaos - are well connected by bus routes. IN southern cities buses also run, but their schedule is subject to seasonal tourist influx. Bus prices range from 2 to 11 euros depending on the length of the trip.

You can also take buses to the main attractions on your own, including the Palace of Knossos, the Samaria Gorge, Hora Sfakion, etc.

In major cities, there are bus stations with a waiting room, a toilet and a snack bar. In smaller cities, buses stop at cafes and taverns, which in parallel serve as ticket offices.

I advise you to use the local bus carrier KTEL. On their website you can buy tickets online, see routes and bus schedules. This service will remove your question "how to get somewhere in Crete".

© currybet / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0

Rules for using buses:

1. Be sure to check and recheck the bus schedule, it can change quite unexpectedly. It is especially important to know this rule during the holidays (January 1, March 25, May 1, August 15, October 28, December 25 and Easter Sunday)
2. In the summer, buy tickets the day before your intended trip and arrive early at the bus station to take convenient places. Tickets to local buses sold in kiosks and at bus stops.

Taxi in Crete

© jonas06 / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0

Inside the Cretan cities you can easily move around on foot. However, if you get tired or need to quickly get to your destination, choose a taxi. Negotiate the price in advance so that it doesn’t turn out that the taxi driver “forgot” to turn on the meter and charged you at a double rate. The price of a taxi in Kita can be approximately calculated based on the formulas of 1 euro per kilometer.

Be sure to write down the address of your destination to avoid confusion as there are many places in Crete that have the same name. Do not get into a taxi if there is already a passenger lovely way pay twice as much for the trip.

Many northern Europeans, having seen enough of the dashing Cretan road traffic, write in their blogs that it is best to travel around the island by regular 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.
The indicator light on the windshield is always on. final destination to which the bus is going. 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.

.
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.

Chania on the map of Crete.

Chania is a city that many tourists recognize as the most beautiful in Crete. People come here to walk along the Venetian streets, visit museums with rich collections, and at the same time go to the Samaria Gorge, Balos Lagoon and Elafonisi Beach. Near the city there are many resorts, among which every tourist will find a suitable place to relax. How to get to Chania? Here are some basic ways.

By plane to Chania

In Chania, there is an airport "Ioannis Daskalogiannis", located 10 km from the city - near the bay of Souda. This is the second largest and busiest airport in Crete with one double-decker terminal. Harbour Air accepts regular flights from Athens, Thessaloniki ( Aegean Airlines, Ryanair), Munich (Aegean Airlines), charters from Larnaca (Blueair), Tel Aviv, Oslo, Stockholm, Vilnius, Bucharest (Aegean Airlines), Belgrade (Air Serbia).

There are no direct regular flights from Russian cities, but sometimes summer season launch charter flights. It is much easier to fly to Heraklion first. One of the largest international airports in Greece is located here, which receives flights from Moscow and many other regions of Russia. From the airport you need to get to the bus station of Heraklion (bus number 78), and already there transfer to scheduled bus to Chania. Travel time is about 3 hours.

Nevertheless, if you are going to rest in the west of Crete, then it is, of course, better to fly to Chania.

Flights to Chania:

From the airport to Chania

As for the transport connection between the airport "Ioannis Daskalogiannis" and the city of Chania, it will not be difficult to get to your destination. From the terminal to the city, buses leave daily according to the following schedule: 7:15 the first bus, then at 9:15, 10:40, 14:15, 16:50 and 18:50. The last one leaves at 21:15. Travel time - 30 minutes.

For those who do not want to wait for the bus, there are taxi desks near the terminal to Chania. But it is better to reserve a convenient time and a suitable car before arrival.

Ferry to Chania

You can get to Chania by sea with mainland Greece. The large modern port of Souda is located in the nome. It accepts ferries and cruise ships. Most often, tourists arrive here from the Athenian port of Piraeus. The journey from the capital of Greece lasts approximately 10 hours. And luxury liners, which inevitably attract the attention of Cretans and tourists, make a stop during the Mediterranean cruises from Israel and the countries of Southern Europe.

The other port of Chania is located in Kissamos. It is 43 km away from the city and connects Chania with ferries to Corfu, Gythio and Kalamata. Ferries from Athens (Piraeus) run three times a week. On the way to Chania, they make stops on other islands of Greece.

Souda port is located 6.5 km from Chania (15 minutes drive). The easiest way to cover such a short distance is by taxi. Also, buses run between the two points from 6:00 to 23:00 every 20 minutes. They depart from the port terminal and stop at the central market of Chania. From the port of Kissamos, you can reach Chania in 60 minutes. The final stop is KTEL Chanion.

How to get to Chania from other regions of Crete

Crete has an excellent intercity transport connection. Therefore, you can get to Chania at least for a couple of days from large settlements islands.

From Rethymnon, intercity transport departs from the bus station. The distance to Chania is 55 km, approximately 50 minutes drive. KTEL buses run daily through Kavros, Georgioupolis and Vrisses. The first bus leaves at 6:00 (on weekends - at 7:00) and then - every hour until 23:00. The trip will cost 6.7 euros.

From the bus station of Heraklion, the distance to Chania is 103 km (3 hours on the way). Buses run daily, every hour from 5:30 to 21:30, and also at 12:00 - on old road(except weekends). The route Heraklion - Chania is laid through the village of Bali, then - through Rethymnon and Georgioupolis. The trip will cost about 15 euros. There are no buses from Agios Nikolaos to Chania. First you need to get to Heraklion.

All buses in Crete are comfortable, air-conditioned and much safer and cheaper to travel than rented cars. But in some cases, tourists prefer to call a taxi. A trip from the center of Rethymno to Chania can cost between 75 and 90 euros. From the center of Heraklion to Chania by taxi can be reached for 170-190 euros. From Agios Nikolaos, Elounda - for 240-280 euros, and from Ierapetra - for 310 euros.

To Chania - by rented car

Numerous rental offices offer their services to tourists arriving in Crete. You can rent a car at the representative office of Avis, Sixt, Hertz, Suropcar, Firefly. During the peak season (from the beginning of July), the price per day will be approximately 45 euros, per week - 192 euros. IN low season(in spring or with the arrival of autumn) - from 33 euros per day and from 110 euros per week. It is worth remembering that rental offices have the right to increase the price if the client is under 25 years old.

It is best to rent a car at the airport, for example at Heraklion airport, and get to Chania with this car.

Note that it is better to book a car in advance - in the middle of summer there are not enough cars.

Getting to Chania by car from other regions of Crete is very easy. All along north coast The island has a national highway connecting all the main cities of Crete. It also passes by Chania. You just need to not miss the right turn. But with road signs in Crete, everything is in order, and there are several turns in the city area.

To Chania by taxi

If you do not want to burden yourself with renting a car and feel more free, then the best option- get to Chania by taxi. You can order a car from anywhere in Crete, the main thing is to do it in advance. Use the order form at the beginning of the article.

All articles about Chania and Western Crete. Complete encyclopedia: beaches, hotels, resorts, attractions, tourist routes, museums, transport and much more.

Intercity bus service in Greece rather unusually organized. Transportation between Greek cities are subordinate to the KTEL syndicate (KTEL), which is an association of joint-stock companies founded in each region of the country by private owners of buses, but under public administration in a single network. The activities of KTEL are regulated by Greek Laws Nos. 2119/1952, 102/1973 and 2163/2001. Thus, regional KTELs play by the same rules under state supervision, but are independent legal entities, and independently regulate bus transportation to their regions. Those. KTEL of a certain area performs bus routes: a) within their region; b) to Athens and/or Thessaloniki; c) occasionally to the centers of neighboring regions.

Therefore, at the bus stations of Athens and Thessaloniki, where buses from all over the country gather, there is no single ticket office, but you need to look for the KTEL box office of that particular area Greece where you need to go. Accordingly, to board the bus, you must again look for the platform of the KTEL you need. It is not surprising that in big cities there may be several bus stations where KTELs of different regions are based.

For example, there are 3 bus stations in Athens:

• basic KTEL at Kifisou Avenue 100 (serves all routes except the regions of Attica, Thessaly and Stereo Hellas)
• KTEL on Liosion Street (serves the island of Euboea (Chalcis), the region of Phokis (Delphi), the region of Phthiotis (Lamia, Kamena Vourla), the region of Boeotia (Thebes, Arachova), the region of Magnesia (Volos), the region of Karditsa, the region of Larisa, the region of Trikala)
• CTEL of Attica, which serves routes in the region of Attica, and also, together with KTEL Thessaloniki, provides a connection between the two Greek capitals

Please note that the X93 express bus from Athenian international airport passes through KTEL Liosion and KTEL Kifisu ( Ending station), but does not pass through the KTEL of Attica.

There are 2 bus stations in Patras: KTEL Achaia and KTEL of the Etoloakarnania region, however, they are located next to each other and to the port.

A few years ago there were 6 or 7 different KTELs in Thessaloniki until they opened a common bus station KTEL "Macedonia" which is located in the north of the city. The bus station has a website in English with a convenient interactive map. Today, in Greece, this is actually the only modern bus station with the appropriate infrastructure and a high-quality informative website.

The bus station "Macedonia" connects with the Thessaloniki airport by bus routes No. 78 (express) and 78N (night, goes with all stops). Please note that the new bus station has united all bus companies under its roof, except KTEL Chalkidiki, which is located closer to the airport near the IKEA hypermarket. Travel from the airport by bus number 79 with a transfer to number 36 at the IKEA stop. KTEL "Macedonia" and KTEL Chalkidiki are interconnected by city bus route No. 45, which runs every 20 minutes.

By virtue of mountainous terrain Greece railway communication in the country is underdeveloped, so the main load passenger traffic falls on the KTEL bus companies. The longest bus routes in Greece are operated by the KTEL of the Evros area: Alexandroupoli - Athens (850 km by land), as well as the KTEL of Heraklion in Crete: Heraklion - Thessaloniki and Ioannina (by ferry via Piraeus). Communication between major cities is quite frequent, bus depot Greek KTEL in last years noticeably younger, roads are also being updated. Therefore, traveling in a modern comfortable bus with air conditioning and tinted windows will not cause much trouble.

Old buses remained only on intra-regional routes. If you are planning a trip between sparsely populated areas, then be aware that there are no bus stations in the villages, buses stop there near caffeine (otherwise cafes), tickets can be purchased either from their owners right on the spot, or from conductors (in buses connecting big cities, no conductors). Buses run extremely infrequently on local routes, two or three times a day, so try to check in advance the bus departure time from the places you are going to include in your trip.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, bus ticket must be purchased in advance, at least 20 minutes, and be sure to keep in mind that Greek drivers often start off ahead of the time indicated in the schedule. It will also not be superfluous to clarify with the driver the final destination of the route, because the information on the waypoints of some flights may be incorrect. You can buy on departure return ticket With open date. Unfortunately, the online ticketing system has only recently begun to be implemented. Therefore, not all regional KTELs of Greece can please with electronic ticket systems. Of course, you can book a Greek bus ticket in advance at all bus stations, but for this you need to personally appear at the KTEL ticket office. For orientation in prices for bus tickets: for example, at the beginning of 2016. bus ticket between Athens and Thessaloniki(distance 550 km) cost 43 euros, round trip 63 euros.

On big Greek islands you can buy comfortable Bus tours (both in KTEL itself and in local travel agencies), which will take you to a variety of historical and archaeological sites, beautiful beaches and other places of entertainment or active rest. Typically, these tours include everything possible amenities plus the services of a guide, and save you a lot of trouble when traveling between cities on your own.

Sometime in Greece There was a single KTEL website, but now only a list of websites and telephone numbers of regional bus stations can be found there. This situation arose after the events of 2006, when various telephone companies specializing in paid information illegally used bus site data to sell their services over the phone. Therefore, all information about schedules and prices from the KTEL website was removed.

Therefore, we tried to collect information about those regional KTELs that have their sites on the Internet. Unfortunately, not all bus companies in Greece have their own portals on the network and not all sites provide information on English language. In the latter cases, use electronic translators, such as the Google Language Toolbar. In general, the picture is that the more developed the region of Greece in terms of tourism, the more likely the local KTEL has a website in English.

So, we present you information about timetable of Greek buses KTEL (KTEL)

KTEL Ioannina (Ioannina)

The site is in Greek and English, but not all of the site's content has been translated into English.

KTEL Arta (Arta)

Website in Greek only

KTEL Preveza (Preveza)

Website

KTEL Thesprotia (Igoumenitsa)

The website is in Greek, but there is an online ticket page in English.

KTEL Corfu (Kerkyra)

Website in Greek and English. The system works electronic ticket with payment by credit and debit cards.

KTEL Lefkada

Website in Greek and English. There is an electronic ticket system with payment by credit and debit cards.

KTEL Kefalonia

Website in Greek and English.

KTEL Zakynthos

Website in Greek and English. There is an electronic ticket system with payment by credit and debit cards.

KTEL Corinthia (Corinth)

Website

KTEL Argolis (Argos, Nafplio)

Website in Greek and English. There is an electronic ticket system with payment by credit and debit cards.

KTEL Arcadia (Tripoli)

Website in Greek.

KTEL Laconia (Sparta)

Website in Greek and English.

KTEL Messinia (Kalamata)

Website in Greek and English. There is an electronic ticket system with payment by credit and debit cards.

KTEL Elida (Pyrgos)

Website in Greek only.

KTEL Achaia (Patras)

Website in Greek only. There is an electronic ticket system with payment by credit and debit cards.

Traveling around Crete by bus is quite easy. Despite the fact that Crete is an island, the bus network on it is well developed and is tied to many ferry schedules from / to Crete.

KTEL Chania - Rethymno

Website in Greek, English and German.

KTEL Heraklion - Lasithi

Website in Greek and English, Russian is planned.

KTEL Attica (Athens)

Website in Greek only.

KTEL of Salamina Island (Salamina city)

The site is in Greek only and is temporarily down.

KTEL Etoloakarnania (Agrinio)

Website in Greek.

KTEL of the island of Euboea (Chalcis)

Website in Greek only.

KTEL Evrytania (Karpenisi)

Website in Greek only.

CTEL Fokida (Amphissa)

By bus to Delphi? That way!

Website in Greek and English. There is an electronic ticket system with payment by credit and debit cards.

CTEL Phthiotis (Lamia)

Website in Greek only.

KTEL Boeotia (Livadia and Thebes)

The website of Thebes is in Greek only.

The site of Livadia is only in Greek and without information.

KTEL Larisa (Larisa)

Website in Greek only.

KTEL Karditsa (Karditsa)

Website in Greek only.

KTEL Trikala (Trikala, Kalambaka)

By bus to Meteora? That way!

Website in Greek and English.

KTEL Magnesia (Volos)

Website in Greek and English. The electronic ticket system is in operation.

KTEL Kastoria (Kastoria)

Website in Greek only.

KTEL Florina (Florina)

Website in Greek only.

KTEL Kozani (city of Kozani)

Website in Greek and English. The e-ticket system is being tested.

KTEL Grevena (Grevena)

Website in Greek only.

KTEL Imatija (Veria)

Website in Greek only.

KTEL Pieria (Katerini)

Website in Greek only.

KTEL Pella (Edessa)

Website in Greek only.