In Crete a car opens up the best parts of the island, and it costs €46 a day on average in July against €27 in January. As of 6 October 2026, 83% of the fleet is rented on average in August, through Localrent you pay only 15 to 20% at booking, and standard insurance does not cover wheels, underbody, glass or interior. Trap number one is the Balos track: the contract forbids driving it, and any damage is yours. Here is what to check before you pay.
The essentials before you book (as of 6 October 2026)
Crete stretches more than 250 kilometres. According to Localrent, public transport links only the main towns, and some beaches and gorges are not served by any bus. These are the numbers to know before you book:
- €27 to €46 a day on average across all classes: January lowest, July highest.
- 83% of the fleet is rented in August, only 22% in November.
- 15 to 20% down payment online through Localrent; the balance is paid when you collect the keys.
- Free cancellation up to 7 days before; 6% of the amount paid is kept as the payment service fee.
- Paved roads only. Wheels, underbody, glass and interior are not in standard insurance.
- €2.205 a litre of Super 95 (week of 28 September); Heraklion to Chania is 138 km, about 2 hours.
Figures from pages read on 6 October 2026. Prices move every day: this is not an offer.
What a car costs in Crete: prices month by month
Localrent publishes the average price per day across all classes (bookings of the last three years) and the fleet occupancy for each month:
| Month | Average price per day, Crete | Fleet rented |
|---|---|---|
| January | €27 | 29% |
| February | €29.50 | 33% |
| March | €30.21 | 44% |
| April | €32.80 | 54% |
| May | €34 | 61% |
| June | €43 | 76% |
| July | €46 | 79% |
| August | €41.65 | 83% |
| September | €33 | 68% |
| October | €30.71 | 47% |
| November | €33.79 | 22% |
| December | €28.29 | 26% |
July is on average 70% dearer than January. Over a week: 7 × €46 = €322 in July, 7 × €30.71 = about €215 in October, a gap of roughly €107. Averages across all classes, not an offer: the cheapest car costs less but goes first.
On the Heraklion page Localrent quotes €30 to €45 a day for its cheapest cars in high season, €15 to €25 off-season and €10 to €15 in winter. For the coast and towns travellers often pick a small car such as a Fiat Panda; for mountain roads it recommends a mid-size car or a crossover.
For comparison, the ADAC portal showed on 6 October 2026 (04:48) headline prices from the big brands Europcar, Sixt, Enterprise, Avis and Hertz: from €22.65 a day for a small car, from €30.81 for a compact, from €38.96 for an SUV. The page gives no rental dates, so it is not an offer.
Fuel comes on top. Super 95 averaged €2.205 a litre in Greece (European Commission, week of 28 September 2026). For Heraklion to Chania (138 km), with an assumed 6 litres per 100 km: 138 × 0.06 = 8.3 litres × €2.205 = about €18. How the car and fuel fit into the whole budget is worked out in the budget for a 10-day Crete road trip.
Local firms or big brands: what really differs
Localrent is not a rental firm but a booking platform for small local firms (operating since 2011, more than 30,000 customers a year by its own account). Questions about the condition of the cars go to the rental firm concerned, whose contact details you receive after booking.
| Option | What we read | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Local firms through Localrent | 15 to 20% down payment, balance at handover; filters for deposit and “no credit card”; many offers with extended insurance in the price (Heraklion page) | The insurance and deposit line on the car’s page |
| Local firm direct (MCar Kafetzakis, Heraklion) | By its own account: full insurance with no excess, tyres, glass and underbody included; no credit card; payment on arrival | A single firm, information from its own site |
| Big brands (Europcar, Sixt, Avis, Hertz…) | ADAC: from €22.65 a day, dates not stated. According to AthensCars (27 April 2026), large companies block €500 to €2,000 on a credit card | AthensCars is a competitor: read the amount as a pointer |
Can you trust the platform? On Trustpilot, Localrent stands on 6 October 2026 at 4.6 out of 5 from 5,319 reviews, 86% of them five-star and 5% one-star. Recent criticism concerns insurance disputes after damage and the condition of some vehicles: the two points covered below.
To see the local firms side by side for your dates, use the comparison of local car rental firms in Crete, sorted by price with delivery costs included.
Deposit, excess and full insurance: the one line that counts
The deposit is blocked or left at pick-up; the excess is what you pay yourself if there is damage. According to AthensCars, insurance with no excess does not automatically remove the deposit. What counts is the line in your offer, not the name of the insurance.
This is what Localrent’s terms and pages for Greece lay down:
- Standard insurance does not cover damage to wheels, underbody, windscreen and interior. The price usually includes third-party liability (TPL), and on some cars also CDW or SCDW.
- After an accident, notify the rental firm immediately and obtain a police report, otherwise the insurance is cancelled.
- A physical credit card in the main driver’s name may be required; some firms accept a debit card, also physical. What applies is shown at booking and on the voucher.
For Chania and Heraklion, Localrent recommends cars with extended protection, because narrow old-town lanes and mountain roads raise the risk of scratches.
The sum before you click: put two offers in the same car class side by side, one with standard insurance and one with extended cover. The price gap per day times your rental days is what the better cover costs. Set that against the excess written on the car’s page; we deliberately give no “typical” surcharge or excess because we cannot prove one.
At the counter, the European Consumer Centre in Germany (EVZ, updated 3 July 2025) warns of pressure to buy extra insurance and of extras added to the bill. The voucher fixes the final price, insurance included: show it.
Mountain roads, old town and the Balos track
In Crete you drive on three very different kinds of road, and your contract treats them differently.
North coast and towns. Heraklion to Chania 138 km (about 2 hours), Heraklion to Agios Nikolaos 65 km, Heraklion to Sitia 147 km (2.5 hours; explorecrete.com). The limit is 50 km/h in built-up areas and 90 km/h outside, according to Localrent. In Chania the old-town lanes are narrow and often one-way, and free parking is almost impossible to find from May to October. To choose between east and west, see East or West Crete; the pick-up airport depends on it.
Mountain roads. Towards the Omalos plateau and into Sfakia the road climbs in hairpins. Localrent advises an engine of at least 1.4 litres, preferably with a manual gearbox.
Tracks, and Balos in particular. Localrent’s terms for Greece allow rental cars only on paved public roads. The Chania page names the road from Kaliviani to Balos expressly: unpaved, rental cars prohibited. The local firm MCar Kafetzakis writes the same and adds that breakdown assistance will not come out to Balos. According to crete-car-rental.com (8 August 2026) it is 7 to 8 km of track, 25 to 45 minutes, with about €3 for parking and €1 per person. Anyone who drives it anyway usually loses insurance cover.
The alternative is the boat from Kissamos (42 km from Chania): boat trips to Gramvousa and Balos are listed there from €40 per adult and €24 per child, plus a €1 municipal fee from age 13 (CheckYeti, 6 October 2026); the car stays in the harbour.
The same goes for Sfakia, Gavdos or Kedrodasos beach: driving on gravel breaches the contract. The guide Kreta pur mentions a Heraklion firm that sells its own gravel-road insurance for certain vehicles; it would have to be in the contract in writing. The beaches are presented in the best beaches in Crete, how to organise the days in the one-week western Crete itinerary.
Booking and collecting: the steps, the airport, the return time
According to Localrent’s guide, you choose the places and dates; the list shows only available cars, sorted by price. The “?” icon next to the price shows the deposit amount and, for insurances and extras, their description. With the down payment made by bank card the car is reserved; the voucher fixes the final price and is shown at pick-up.
A worked example. A week in July at €322: down payment of 15 to 20%, which is €48.30 to €64.40. The balance, €273.70 to €257.60, is paid at key handover.
Pick-up place. In Heraklion Localrent lists the airport (HER), the port, the firm’s office or delivery to an address; in Chania the airport (CHQ), an office in town or delivery. Give your flight number so the firm can see a delay. Pick-up in Chania and drop-off in Heraklion is possible; delivery to another city may cost extra.
The 24-hour rule. If the return time is later than the pick-up time, one day is added: pick up on Monday at 15:00 and return seven days later at 19:00, and you pay for eight days. Return at the same time or earlier.
Papers and age. Required are a passport, a driving licence and a bank card. On the Heraklion page Localrent states 21 years with one year of driving for a limited choice, and from 25 with three years the widest choice. An EU licence is valid throughout the EU, though Localrent still recommends an international permit on top. According to GOV.UK, a UK photocard licence can be used in Greece; with an old paper licence you also need an international driving permit, and hire firms may ask for one anyway. Copies and electronic licences are not accepted.
Where the car spends the night is decided by your accommodation: where to stay in Crete. The cars free on your dates with airport handover show up in the search with pick-up in Heraklion or Chania.
The traps and how to avoid them
- Track means no cover. For Balos, take the boat.
- Fuel level. The car must come back at the same level; if it is fuller you get nothing back. Photograph the gauge and the odometer.
- Photos. Photograph every side, the wheels, the glass and the interior, have each damage noted in the handover report, and ask for a written return protocol.
- Ferry. Taking the hire car on a ferry to another island requires agreement with support before you book.
- Tolls and fines. Fuel, parking, fines and tolls are yours to pay. According to Crete Tip (7 February 2026), no toll is charged in Crete for now; €0.053 per kilometre is planned on the future BOAK motorway. We found no more recent source.
Before you pay: the checks
Each point can be read on the car’s page or on the voucher:
- Does the insurance line name wheels, underbody, glass and interior explicitly?
- How much is the deposit, how is it held and when is it returned?
- Do the pick-up and return times fit, without an extra day?
- Is the fuel rule clear: same level on return?
- Does the offer apply to your age, and do you have your original licence?
- Does the cancellation deadline (7 days, 30 days for luxury cars and convertibles, or 24 hours with the “Free cancellation” option) suit you? If you cancel, 6% of the amount paid is kept: €2.90 on €48.30.
If these lines check out, you can open the offer for your dates; the balance is paid only at key handover. In August 83% of the fleet is rented: the fuller it is, the earlier you should book, writes Localrent.
