In Crete you land at Heraklion (east) or Chania (west), and most resorts lie 25 to 80 kilometres from the airport. A pre-booked transfer showed on Kiwitaxi’s pages on 6 October 2026 from $46 to Hersonissos and from $101 to Rethymno, per vehicle, to be booked at least 16 hours ahead; from Chania a KTEL bus runs straight into town (€2.70), while from Heraklion the timetables we read show no direct bus to the coastal resorts. Trap no. 1 is the waiting time: the airport page counts from landing, the route pages give 90 minutes after the scheduled arrival; the voucher is what counts.
The essentials in numbers
Crete has two large airports, about 138 km (two hours) apart by road: Heraklion (HER), about 5 km east of the city centre, and Chania (CHQ), in the west on the Akrotiri peninsula, 14 km from town. Every figure below was read on 6 October 2026 on the pages named; they change with date and season.
- Pre-booked transfer (per vehicle, not per person): from Heraklion, from $46 to Hersonissos, $55 to Malia, $91 to Agios Nikolaos, $101 to Rethymno; from Chania, from $52 into town and $118 to Rethymno.
- Bus: direct from Chania into town (€2.70); from Heraklion, the city bus to the centre (€1.30 in advance, €2.30 on board), then a KTEL bus, with no direct bus to the coastal resorts.
- Taxi from Heraklion: €35 to €45 at a fixed fare to Hersonissos (a guide from August 2026), or €44 according to a local taxi firm’s list.
- Lead time: book at least 16 hours before pick-up (24 hours for Premium vehicles and minibuses of 10 seats or more).
- Trap no. 1: the waiting time, 90 minutes from the scheduled arrival time on the route page, not from landing.
For two people with light luggage in daytime, the bus costs least; for three or four, with suitcases or children, on a late landing or a long run, the pre-booked transfer is calmer: price and vehicle are known before you fly.
The comparison in one table
Distances and journey times come from the provider’s route pages and can stretch in high season. Which airport suits you depends on where you are going: East or West Crete helps you choose.
| Route | Bus | Taxi | Pre-booked transfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heraklion → Hersonissos (25 km, ~25 min) | No direct bus: city bus (€1.30 in advance, €2.30 on board), then KTEL at €3.90 (guide) | €44 (local firm’s list) · €35–45 fixed fare (guide) | from $46 |
| Heraklion → Malia (33 km, ~35 min) | same, KTEL at €4.30 (guide) | €52 (list) | from $55 |
| Heraklion → Agios Nikolaos (61 km, ~1 h) | same, KTEL at €8.00 (guide) | €78 (list) · €80–100 fixed fare (guide) | from $91 |
| Heraklion → Rethymno (82 km, ~1 h 15) | same, KTEL at €8.00 (guide), 2 to 2.5 h in all | €94 (list) · €120–140 fixed fare (guide) | from $101 |
| Chania → Chania town (16 km, ~25 min) | KTEL direct, €2.70, a bus every 30–60 min, last at midnight (later on some nights) | €23–35 (two guides) | from $52 |
| Chania → Rethymno (71 km, ~1 h 15) | KTEL direct, €8.80, five departures a day | no price found | from $118 |
Bus: direct from Chania, with a change from Heraklion
From Heraklion airport a city bus run by Astiko KTEL Irakleiou goes to the centre: a zone A ticket has cost €1.30 in advance and €2.30 from the driver since 23 March 2026. To reach the coastal resorts you then need an intercity KTEL Heraklion–Lasithi bus: a 2026 bus guide gives €3.90 to Hersonissos, €4.30 to Malia and €8.00 to both Agios Nikolaos and Rethymno, but no direct bus from the airport. For Rethymno, the transfer provider’s own blog reckons two to two and a half hours in all.
Full guide: Crete Excursions: What to Book, Prices and Pitfalls
At Chania airport it is simpler, because the KTEL Chania–Rethymno runs direct. According to the timetable for 1 to 24 October 2026, the first bus leaves at 5:00, then one roughly every 30 to 60 minutes between 7:40 and 23:30, and the last at 0:00, later on some nights. The ride into town costs €2.70, to Rethymno €8.80, with five departures a day. A new timetable applies from 25 October. The bus ends at the KTEL station just outside the old town; outside high season the driver takes cash only, according to one guide.
Taxi: fixed fares, night surcharge and confirming the price
At the taxi rank at Heraklion airport, a guide dated 15 August 2026 quotes fixed fares: about €15 to €20 to the centre, with a 25 to 30% night surcharge (1 to 5 am according to this guide, midnight to 5 am according to other sources); the prices to the resorts are in the table. A local taxi firm publishes a 2026 list for booked rides (per taxi for 1 to 4 people, taxes and luggage included, paid to the driver): €25 to the centre, up to €94 to Rethymno.
In Chania, two guides from July and August 2026 give €23 to €35 into town: one writes of fixed fares at the rank, the other of no official fixed fare, with surcharges at night and on Sundays. Wherever you take a taxi, have the fare confirmed before you get in and give the destination with the street.
The pre-booked transfer: what the booking page shows
On Kiwitaxi’s route pages, several classes showed on 6 October 2026 for 7 October, the form’s default date. To Hersonissos: 4-seat minivan $46, Comfort $47, Business $54, 7-seat minibus $59. To Malia: Comfort $55, minibus $70. To Rethymno from Heraklion: Comfort $101, minibus $119. From Chania into town: Comfort $52, minibus $64, yet the 4-seat minivan $96. Between the list on the airport page and the route page the gap ran from $1 to $7: only the price shown before confirmation counts, and looking at every class is worth it.
According to the route pages, the price is per vehicle and normally does not depend on the day or the time, except on major holidays or at big events; an extra stop, a detour, longer waiting or a change of class can cost a supplement. Included is 1 hour 30 minutes of waiting at the airport after the scheduled arrival time and 15 minutes at a hotel. The airport page says instead 90 minutes from landing: we follow the more precise route page and advise reading the line in the voucher.
According to the route page, the driver waits at the exit of the arrivals area, with a sign bearing your name. If the delay is under 30 minutes he adjusts; beyond that, call the number in the booking. The airport page promises flight tracking, the route page does not: enter your flight number and report a major delay yourself. Cancellation is free up to 16 hours (classes up to the 7-seat minibus) or 24 hours (higher classes) before pick-up, and refunds usually take 5 to 7 banking days.
Who is it for? Families, groups and anyone with suitcases on the long runs. For four people, city-bus and KTEL tickets to Hersonissos come to about €21 to €25 together (4 × €5.20 or 4 × €6.20); the transfer shows from $46, which is €38 according to the page: some €13 to €17 more for door-to-door with no change. Alone or as a pair, the bus stays cheaper. If you would rather book ahead, you can book your transfer from Heraklion airport and see the vehicle classes with their prices before you pay.
Hersonissos, Malia, Rethymno, Chania: which route costs what
Hersonissos and Malia on the north coast are the nearest resorts. Agios Nikolaos and Elounda are the long runs in the east: 61 and 69 kilometres, from $91 and $102; this is where the bus saves least time, because it takes two legs. To choose where to sleep, see our article where to stay in Crete.
Rethymno lies between the two airports: 82 kilometres from Heraklion, from $101, and 71 from Chania, from $118. The shorter run is therefore the dearer one; compare both pages if you can still choose your flight.
Chania and the west: the town (16 km, about 25 minutes) from $52, Agia Marina from $60, Platanias from $69, Georgioupoli from $83, Kolymbari from $87. For ideas in the west, see the one-week western Crete itinerary. Kiwitaxi also offers routes from Chania; comparing the prices for your route takes a few minutes.
If you are visiting several corners, you may not need a transfer at all: with a hire car you collect the vehicle at the airport, and according to Localrent pick-up in Chania with drop-off in Heraklion is possible. The details are in Car Rental in Crete: Prices, Deposit and Insurance.
Can you rely on a booking made in advance? The reviews
On Trustpilot, Kiwitaxi stood on 6 October 2026 at 4.3 out of 5 from 1,089 reviews, of which 78% five stars and 16% one star; the most recent date from 5 October 2026. Praise goes to simple booking, friendly, punctual drivers and clean cars. Several complaints from September 2026 concern a driver who did not show or came very late, who left before a delayed flight landed, or a paid-for child seat that was missing. If the driver does not appear, the help page promises a refund.
The traps and how to avoid them
- The wrong airport. Heraklion and Chania are about 138 km and two hours apart: check the code on your ticket (HER or CHQ).
- The waiting time. Route pages: 1 h 30 after the scheduled arrival; airport page: from landing. Beyond that, a supplement may be asked.
- The street taxi. Do not get into another taxi without telling them: the refund may suffer.
- The child seat. It costs extra, each child counts as a passenger, and without a booked seat the driver may refuse the ride.
Before you pay: the checks
- Class: Comfort for 4 people and 3 suitcases, minivan for 4 and 4, minibus for 7 and 7.
- Flight number in full, and the scheduled arrival as the pick-up time.
- Drop-off address: hotel name and street, not just “Malia” or “Platanias”.
- Cancellation and payment: 16 or 24 hours before, depending on the class (the deadline is in the confirmation e-mail); pay in full online, or a small deposit with the rest in cash to the driver, the card being charged in euros or dollars at your bank’s rate.
- Special requests (child seat, golf bag, pet, extra stop) in the comment field; phone switched on after landing.
The route, class and price for your trip appear before payment on Kiwitaxi’s page for Heraklion airport.
