Please email Rebecca and Roger your flight itinerary when you have booked your flights. Based on people's itineraries, we'll see if it makes sense to help arrange group transfers to Rethymno.
Passport/Visa
A passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned date of departure. There are no visa requirements for entry into Greece with a valid U.S. passport.
Currency
Greece's currency is the Euro. The exchange rates change daily, but you may check them through Visa. Some vendors take major credit cards, but cash-only establishments are not uncommon. Check your credit and debit cards for international fees. We like using Charles Schwab as there are zero credit card transaction fees and zero ATM fees internationally.
Getting to Crete
Below is a map of Crete with the ports, airports, and Rethymno Old Town marked. By clicking on the airports, you'll see comments for distances and estimated taxi fares to Rethymno Old Town.
By Air
- For more options of better fares and scheduling, we recommend searching for flights to Athens (ATH) or Thessaloniki (SKG), and then separately booking your flight from ATH or SKG to Crete. ATH to Crete is ~50 min nonstop flight and SKG to Crete is ~70 min nonstop flight. Other European cities also fly direct to Crete.
- Searching for flights to Crete is often unreasonably more expensive than if you were to book your trip from the USA to ATH or SKG separately from your leg to Crete. This is why I suggest the option above.
- There are 3 international airports in Crete: Heraklion (HER), Chania (CHQ), and Sitia (JSH). HER and CHQ are likely your better options to fly into/out of, but I included JSH because there can be good deals or maybe you feel like exploring East Crete.
- A few recommended sites:
- hopper.com
- yapta.com - tracks airfare
- hipmunk.com
- itasoftware.com
By Ferry
- Almost all ferries from Athens to Crete are overnight. While this may sound dreary, we heard that most ferry boats are quite luxurious and this can be a scenic way to travel. That being said, we plan on flying into Crete, but may take ferries from Crete to nearby islands.
- The major port in Athens is called Piraeus (also spelled 'Pireas'), which is a 36 minute drive or over an hour via public transport from Athens airport.
- The major ports in Crete with service to/from Pireas are in Chania and Heraklion.
- A couple ferries with service between Pireas and ports in Crete:
- Minoan Lines - Route: Pireas-Heraklion
- Anek Lines - Routes: Pireas-Harklion, Pireas-Chania
Getting to Rethymno & Getting Around Crete
Renting a car is not absolutely necessary for getting around and exploring Crete. You can take a taxi, bus, or other transfer service from airport or port to Rethymno Old Town. If you take a ferry into Heraklion, some ferry companies offer a direct bus to Rethymno Old Town.
It is easy to get around via taxi or public bus. Here are the bus lines and schedules in Crete (keep in mind these schedules may change in September):
http://bus-service-crete.com/timetable.php?lg=2
You can easily rent a car either from the airport or just on days that you plan on doing day trips on the island. There are multiple rental locations once you're in town. You will need to request an automatic car if you are not accustomed to driving manual. Greek law technically requires that you have the official International Driving Permit along with your home country's driver's license in order to drive. Here is information on applying for an International Driving Permit:
http://www.dmv.org/international-driver-permits.php
