Crete / Chania Travel Guide

Keep Chania town and the big excursions separate

Spend the first evening around the old harbour and nearby streets. You can enjoy that area without buying a tour or filling every hour. For a room inside the old town, ask where a taxi can stop and whether you must carry bags over steps or uneven paving.

If beach time matters, compare a Nea Chora address with one deeper in the historic centre. For repeated day trips, the walk to the KTEL station deserves equal attention. An attractive room loses some appeal when every early departure starts with a taxi.

Samaria needs a full day and a return plan

NECCA's official ticket page lists €10 for ordinary individual entry. It describes about 13 km inside the gorge plus roughly 2 km to Agia Roumeli, with an average walking time of six to seven hours. The descent, rough ground and exposure make this a serious walk.

Check both the park notice and the boat operation before leaving Chania. The gorge can close at short notice, and boats may be restricted even when the path is open. From the northern entrance at Xyloskalo, the full walk ends at Agia Roumeli, which has no road connection. Add the boat and onward bus to the entrance fee.

Use KTEL's current timetables to connect the outward bus with your chosen return via Sougia or Chora Sfakion, then check the sailing with ANENDYK. A shorter local outing is a good alternative if the conditions or the length of the walk do not suit you.

Arrive at the correct Chania terminal

The airport is CHQ. The KTEL airport–Chania single is €2.70 in the published September timetable, with departures that vary through the day. Check the late service for your weekday rather than assuming buses run at a fixed interval all night.

Ferries for Chania arrive at Souda, not the old Venetian harbour. Arrange the town connection separately and keep your accommodation's check-in time in mind after an early morning arrival.

Move across Crete once, rather than commuting across it

Heraklion and Chania have a regular coach link, but a return trip takes a large part of a day. If Knossos and the Heraklion museum are priorities, consider a separate stay there. Read Heraklion to Chania for the station and service choices.

Our Crete without a car article helps you choose outings around the right bus network. For a short Chania break, one long excursion and time near town usually leaves a more comfortable pace than a distant trip every morning.