Collect your car in the Old Town, at CHQ Airport or at your hotel, then head for the pink-sand beaches, mountain villages, wineries and quiet coves without checking a bus timetable. Local partners, no hidden fees, and payment options that suit every traveller.
Collect your car in the Old Town, at CHQ Airport or at your hotel, then head for the pink-sand beaches, mountain villages, wineries and quiet coves without checking a bus timetable. Local partners, no hidden fees, and payment options that suit every traveller.
Local prices, no surprises
Rates come straight from trusted Cretan partners, with no airport markups and no extras added at pick-up.
Flexible delivery
The airport, the Old Venetian Harbour, Souda port, a villa in Akrotiri, or a quick handover at your hotel.
No credit card or deposit? No problem
Choose Premium Insurance and pay on arrival with cash, a debit card or a prepaid card. Nothing is blocked on your card.
Insurance that actually covers you
Premium Insurance keeps you covered on narrow mountain roads, on gravel tracks and for the odd parking scrape.
A fleet that suits the island
Economy cars for the city, SUVs for mountain drives and automatics for easy hill starts.
With a car you can move between beaches, villages and food stops without waiting for a tour bus.
Sunset walks along the quay, seafood tavernas and narrow Old Town alleys.
Pink sand and shallow water that suits families. Arrive early and the quieter coves are yours.
A wide sandy beach with clear water, 45 min west along the coast. No boat or 4x4 needed.
Set off before dawn to beat the crowds, then drive back along the coast or through Sfakia.
Easy day trips, with viewpoints, beaches and taverna stops along the way.
50–60 min one way
Swim off the wide sandy beach, stay for the sunset, then eat at a hilltop taverna above the bay.
25–40 min each stop
Vrisses, Vamos and Douliana: wineries, olive oil tastings and stone villages shaded by plane trees.
25 min one way
A short drive through the gorge to cooler air and traditional meat tavernas. An easy half day away from the coast.
Start early for the busy beaches
Elafonissi and Falassarna fill up fast. Leave before 8:00 and you will park close by and swim in calmer water.
Respect the shoulder lane
On the National Road, locals move onto the shoulder so faster cars can overtake safely. Do the same.
Old Town parking
Park outside the Venetian walls and walk in. The streets inside are narrow and often pedestrian-only.
Fuel and cards
Most stations take cards, but carry some cash for remote villages and late-night fill-ups.
Wind and gravel
Slow down on exposed coastal roads when it is windy, and take tight turns gently where loose gravel has washed onto the tarmac. Where a beach track leaves the asphalt, park at the end of the tarmac and walk the last stretch – the car stays on the paved road.
No toll roads
Crete has no tolls at all, so you can drive as far as you like without paying extra road fees.
Yes. Choose Premium Insurance at checkout and you can pay on arrival with cash, a debit card or a prepaid card. Nothing is blocked as a deposit and no credit card is needed. Use the 'No Deposit' filter on our search page to see every car that qualifies.
Yes. One-way drop-off works across almost all of Crete: collect at Chania Airport (CHQ) or in the Old Town and leave the car in Heraklion (HER), Rethymno, Agios Nikolaos or elsewhere. Pick different pick-up and drop-off points when you search, handy if you fly into Chania and out of Heraklion.
Get there before 08:30 and you will find a parking space, calmer water and none of the traffic that builds on the mountain and coastal roads after 10:00. Both beaches are 1–1.5 hours from Chania, and the drive is scenic but winding, so an automatic makes it far more relaxed.
There are free and paid car parks just outside the Venetian walls, a 5–10 minute walk from the old harbour. Do not drive into the pedestrian lanes. In peak summer the car parks are full by 10:00, so arrive early or head for the larger one near Plateia 1866.
A compact or economy car is plenty for the coast road and beach days. For Elafonissi, the Samaria Gorge trailhead or the mountain villages, a small SUV or crossover is more comfortable on the hairpin bends. Either way, keep to asphalt: the car can go anywhere that is paved, and that covers every route here.
Rethymno is about 50–60 minutes east on the E75, and Heraklion around 2–2.5 hours. Elafonissi beach is roughly 1.5 hours to the southwest, Falassarna about 45–60 minutes, and Kissamos (Kastelli) 35–40 minutes west. The north coast motorway is quick; inland and south coast routes take longer.
Yes. Add your CHQ flight number when you book and our local partners track arrivals in real time, so a delayed landing is not a problem. Late-night handovers are available, though some partners charge an out-of-hours fee. You will get full contact details before you travel, so there is no guesswork when you land.
A car is the most flexible option. Drive to Xyloskalo at the gorge entrance, 45–50 minutes from Chania, park there and hike down to Agia Roumeli. Most walkers ferry back to Sfakia, then take a bus or taxi to the car, so book that return ferry in advance, especially in July and August when it sells out.
Book in a few minutes, pick the insurance that suits you, and collect your car where you land or where you are staying.
