Flying is the quickest way to get from Athens to Crete. The flight duration is about 55 minutes, no matter which airport you fly into. Since the ferry ride from Athens to Crete is very long, flying by an airplane is the best solution to save time and avoid the hassle of travelling on a boat for so many hours. Crete has three airports (2 international and one smaller for domestic flights). Crete is well connected by plane all year round to Athens and Thessaloniki. Except that, during summer, Crete is connected with several Greek islands, like Kos, Rhodes, Paros, but also with some major cities of Europe. In addition, from the end of April to the end of October, there are many charter flights to Crete from all over the world with direct or connecting flights to Athens, Thessaloniki or any other European city that operates charter flights to Crete. The number of charter flights to Heraklion is greater than to Chania, but the Chania airport is usually preferred by low-cost airlines. The domestic flights to Crete are mainly served by Aegean Airlines, Sky Express (Cretan airlines company) and Ellinair. If you find yourself in need of flights to Crete, go at Expedia.com, compare prices, find the flight schedule that suits you better and book your flight tickets at the best price.

How to get to Athens International Airport from City Center?

Read all the necessary information about the access to the Athens International Airport in the relevant section on Athens Destination page.

Athens to Heraklion Flights Schedule

Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” is the main airport of Crete island. In addition, it is the busiest airport of the island, and the second busiest airport in Greece. There are more than 70 airlines that offer direct flights to Heraklion in the summer. All flights are served by one terminal, thus, prepare to face a large number of people arriving or waiting to board on a plane.

This is an indicative schedule of Aegean and Sky Express airlines getting to Heraklion from Athens during summer months.

ATH (Athens) – HER (Heraklion)
Aegean Airlines	Sky Express
06:50 – 07:40	07:30 – 08:30
09:55 – 10:45	16:00 – 17:00
13:15 – 14:05	21:00 – 22:00
16:20 – 17:10
19:20 – 20:10
20:55 – 21:45
23:05 – 23:55

This is an indicative schedule of Aegean and Sky Express airlines getting to Athens from Heraklion during summer months.

HER (Heraklion) – ATH (Athens)
Aegean Airlines	Sky Express
06:25 – 07:15	09:00 – 10:00
08:15 – 09:05	17:30 – 18:30
11:20 – 12:15	22:30 – 23:30
14:45 – 15:35
17:45 – 18:35
20:45 – 21:35
22:20 – 23:10

How to get to Heraklion Airport from your hotel?

The airport of Heraklion is located about 5 km east of the city centre of Heraklion. Due to the short distance, it is very easy to get there either by public buses, taxi or by car. If you rent a car, take the Ikarou Street from the city center or ride via E75 motorway in direction to Aghios Nikolaos. There are more than 20 car rental companies at Heraklion airport.

How to get to Heraklion Airport by bus?

Getting to/from airport by bus is the cheapest option. Buses run every few minutes on a daily base, starting from 06:00 in the morning until midnight. All the bus stops at the airport are outside the terminal to the right and terminate at the main A’ bus station in Heraklion, located near the port of the city. The bus ticket costs €2.00 one-way and the bus ride lasts about 20 minutes depending on the traffic conditions. Bus tickets are bought on the bus. If you are travelling to Heraklion from other Cretan cities, you have first go to the central bus station and then hop on the airport bus.

Keep in mind that buses routes are less frequent on Sundays. Also, there are no buses running at night.

How to get to Heraklion Airport on a taxi?

The taxi waiting area is located right outside the passenger terminal at Heraklion airport. Passengers that want to catch a taxi have to wait on the queue until the first free taxi is available. The taxi ride to Heraklion city center costs €20.00. There are extra charges if you have more than one suitcase or get a taxi after midnight.

If you want to get a taxi from airport to the destination of your desire, ask about the approximate taxi fare at the airport info kiosk before hopping into the taxi and then agree about the price with the taxi driver. In this case, the taxi driver isn’t able to charge you much more than the usual cost.

Athens to Chania Flights Schedule

Chania International Airport “Ioannis Daskalogiannis” is the only airport that serves the western part of Crete island. Chania airport serves domestic flights from/to Athens and Thessaloniki, while, in summer, it hosts charter flights from various European cities. The airport is usually, preferred by low-cost airlines.

This is an indicative schedule of Aegean and Sky Express airlines getting to Chania from Athens during summer months.

ATH (Athens) – CHQ (Chania)
Aegean Airlines	Sky Express
05:05 – 05:55	06:50 – 07:50
08:00 – 08:50	16:10 – 17:10
13:25 – 14:10	19:30 – 20:30
17:55 – 18:45
22:25 – 23:15

This is an indicative schedule of Aegean and Sky Express airlines getting to Athens from Chania during summer months.

CHQ (Chania) – ATH (Athens)
Aegean Airlines	Sky Express
06:25 – 07:15	08:20 – 09:20
09:20 – 10:10	17:40 – 18:40
14:45 – 15:35	21:00 – 22:00
19:20 – 20:10
23:45 – 00:35

How to get to Chania Airport from your hotel?

The Chania International Airport is located near Souda port on the Akrotiri peninsula, about 14 km from Chania town. You can reach the airport by bus, the only public transportation system of the island, taxi or by car.

How to get to Chania Airport by bus?

Getting to Chania airport by bus is the cheapest and simplest way. The buses depart from Chania central bus station every day at 05:00, 06:50, 07:50, 08:30, 09:00, 09:30, 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 12:00, 12:30, 13:00, 13:30, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00, 16:00, 16:30, 17:00, 17:30, 18:00, 19:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00, 21:30, and 22:30. The trip duration is about 30 minutes and the bus ticket full price is €2.50 one way. From airport, the buses return to Chania at 06:30,08:20, 09:00, 09:30, 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 13:00, 13:30, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00, 15:30, 16:00, 17:00, 17:30, 18:00, 18:30, 19:15, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00, 21:30, 22:00, 22:45, and 23:45. There are no buses running overnight. Direct transport from Chania airport to Rethymnon, Souda and other destinations is provided, too. For bus timetable, ticket prices and additional information visit the official Bus Public Services website.

How to get to Chania Airport on a taxi?

An alternative option of getting to the airport of Chania from Chania Old town is taking a taxi. Taxis are available 24/7 and are waiting for passengers outside the airport terminal. The taxi fare from Chania town to the airport is normally €25.00 and the route duration is about 25-30 minutes. You can get from Chania airport to Rethymnon or other destinations on a taxi. The taxi to Rethymnon city costs approximately €85.00. Any information about taxi fares from Chania airport to various destinations you can find here.

Athens to Sitia Flights Schedule

Sitia Airport is a small airport, located on the eastern part of Crete. The airport hosts flights only from the Alexandroupolis, Preveza and Athens cities of Greece. The flight route Athens – Sitia and vice versa is operated only once per day by the Olympic Air (Aegean airlines). The flight duration is 55 minutes.

ATH (Athens) – JSH (Sitia)	JSH (Sitia) – ATH (Athens)
Olympic Air (Aegean Airlines)
13:25 – 14:20	14:45 – 15:45

How to get to Sitia Airport from your hotel?

The airport is not connected by public transportation with the city of Sitia. The central bus station, which connects Sitia with the rest of Crete, is 5.5 km away from the airport, while the port of Sitia is 3 km away from the airport. There is a taxi waiting area outside the arrivals area of Sitia Airport, and taxis serve travellers during the airport’s operating hours.

Getting to Crete by Plane