Air Travel
This is the way most tourists arrive. It's also been
revolutionised over recent years by the advent of so many low-cost airlines -
but in passing, don't forget that the holiday charter airlines sometimes also
have some very good offers if they happen to have some empty seats on a flight.
It's always worth checking, though that's more likely to be an option outside
of the peak holiday weeks. There are three airports on Crete: Heraklion and
Chania are by far the largest but there's a smaller international airport at
Sitia. They're all used by tourists travelling to Crete on international or
internal Greek air services.
By Sea
For thousands of years this was the only way to get to
the island and the sea has played a huge part in the islands history and
development. A really romantic way to arrive on the island is by ferry from
Piraeus - the port of Athens. Transfers from the airport to Piraeus are easy
and ferries depart for Chania or Heraklion regularly. It takes about 6-8 hours,
so a good way to do it is overnight. On the downside, the ferries arrive in at
around 6am - so not ideal if you love a lie-in!
There are also ferries from Agios Nikolaos and Sitia
to other Greek islands, such as Rhodes. Times and routes tend to vary, so
consult the latest details shortly before you plan to travel. Oddly, in spite
of the proximity, there are only infrequent ferry services between the island
and Egypt. They sometimes start up but don't seem to last long.
However, some Mediterranean cruise ships (usually
Cypriot) stop here then go on to Egypt, or vice-versa. If you make enquiries,
and if they have spare cabins, you'll probably be able to get aboard. Keep in
mind, though, that sea journeys from Egypt may be highly unpredictable in terms
of timetables and availability; in view of the current situation in Egypt, it
would be sensible to get travel advice from the Foreign Office beforehand.
It might also be worth considering some of the cruise
ships that operate from the south of France or Italy touring around, sometimes
stopping at the island. However, they are certainly not an option if you're in
a hurry or want to maximise the amount of time you spend on the island itself!
Overland
Obviously, you're going to need a pretty amazing car
to make this happen all the way but it's a slight variation on the theme of
ferries from Athens. You could drive overland to Piraeus through Romania and
Bulgaria, and then catch the ferry. It is a big drive though - but nonetheless
doable, and quite picturesque. Driving used to be a more viable option in the
days when Yugoslavia still existed, but today parts of the Balkans might still
not be entirely safe so check before using the shorter and more convenient
route.
All things told, you have quite a few options when it
comes to travelling to Crete. But however you get there, you will certainly not
be disappointed by what you find.
Lukas Johannes is a driver for Shuttle Direct. If
you're travelling to Crete, Shuttle Direct can provide pre-booked shuttles to this and all major
destinations all over Europe. Wherever you travel, Shuttle Direct can make sure
that you don't miss your car on your holiday abroad.
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