Driving from Chania Airport: Everything Travelers Need to Know

Local Guide • 6 min read

Landing at Chania Airport is usually straightforward. The slightly more confusing part can begin when you pick up your car and suddenly have to decide which road to take.

Are you heading towards Chania? Agia Marina? Kissamos? Rethymno? Or perhaps straight towards the south coast?

The good news is that getting out of the airport is fairly simple once you know which direction you’re going. A little preparation also makes those first kilometres much less stressful.

Here’s what we’d keep in mind before setting off.

First Things First: Where Are You Going?

Chania Airport is on the Akrotiri peninsula, around 14 km from Chania town.

That means your first drive depends almost entirely on where you’re staying.

If you’re staying in Chania, you’ll generally be heading towards the city.

If you’re staying along the western coast, such as Agia Marina, Platanias or further towards Kissamos, you’ll continue west after reaching the main road.

Heading towards Rethymno or Heraklion? You’ll be taking the national road east.

And if you’re planning to explore the south coast, your journey will eventually take you away from the main northern road and into smaller mountain routes.

It sounds obvious, but this is worth checking before you leave the airport. Knowing your first destination makes the drive much easier.

What Is the Drive Like?

The first part of the journey takes you through the Akrotiri area before connecting with the main road network.

Once you’re on the BOAK, the main north coast highway, driving becomes much more straightforward.

The road connects Chania with the major towns along the north coast and is the main route you’ll use for longer journeys between destinations.

It’s worth remembering that Crete isn’t flat.

Once you leave the main highway, roads can become narrower and more winding, particularly when you’re heading into villages or towards the mountains.

That’s not a reason to worry. It simply means the journey may take longer than the distance on the map suggests.

A Few Things That Can Surprise First-Time Visitors

The distances can be deceptive

A place that looks close on a map isn’t necessarily a quick drive.

Mountain roads, bends and slower village roads can add quite a bit of time to a journey.

Don’t plan your day based purely on kilometres.

You’ll share the road with very different drivers

You may encounter everything from local drivers who know every bend by heart to tourists driving cautiously and looking for their next turn.

Give yourself space and don’t feel pressured to match someone else’s speed.

Village roads are different from the highway

Once you leave the main road, expect narrower lanes and occasional tight turns.

Take it slowly, especially if you’re unfamiliar with driving in Crete.

Driving from Chania Airport to Chania

If Chania is your first stop, the drive is relatively short.

Chania town is roughly 14 km from the airport, although your actual journey time depends on traffic and exactly where you’re staying.

This is a good first drive because you don’t have to tackle a long journey immediately after landing.

Once you’ve checked into your accommodation, you can leave the car parked and explore the Old Town on foot.

That’s actually what we’d recommend.

There’s no advantage to trying to drive around Chania’s historic centre.

Driving Towards the West

Staying in Agia Marina, Platanias or Kissamos?

You’ll be heading west from Chania.

Agia Marina and Platanias are relatively easy to reach, while journeys further west towards Kissamos and the beaches beyond take longer.

If you’re planning to visit places such as Balos or Elafonissi, remember that these aren’t quick detours from Chania. They deserve a proper day rather than being squeezed between other plans.

The further west you travel, the more important it becomes to plan your fuel, water and timing.

Driving Towards Rethymno and Heraklion

If you’re continuing east, the national road is your friend.

Rethymno is roughly 60 km from Chania, while Heraklion is considerably further.

The main road makes these journeys much easier than they might look on a map.

This is also where having your own car becomes particularly useful. You aren’t tied to a particular bus departure and can stop along the way if you see somewhere worth exploring.

Just don’t turn every stop into an hour-long detour unless you have plenty of time.

Crete has a habit of making a quick coffee stop last longer than expected.

What About Driving at Night?

If you’re landing late, think about your accommodation before deciding how far to drive.

The main roads are one thing. Driving unfamiliar mountain roads in the dark is another.

If your hotel is in Chania or one of the nearby resorts, continuing to your accommodation after landing is usually much simpler than starting a long journey into the interior.

For a late arrival, we’d keep the first evening easy.

You have the rest of the holiday to explore.

Should You Rent a Car at Chania Airport?

If you’re planning to spend your entire holiday around Chania Old Town, you can get by without a car. The centre is compact, and buses and taxis can take you to some of the more popular places.

But Chania itself is only a small part of what the area has to offer.

Once you start looking beyond the city, you’ll find beautiful beaches, quiet villages, mountain roads and smaller coastal spots that aren’t always easy to reach by bus. Public transport can get you to the main destinations, but it doesn’t give you the same freedom to stop somewhere interesting, change your plans or stay until sunset.

This is where having a rental car really starts to make sense. You can leave Chania when you want, choose your own route and spend the day exploring rather than planning everything around bus timetables. If you’re arriving at Chania Airport and want to see more than the city, renting your car from the start can make the whole trip much easier. With Cretarent, you can arrange your rental before you arrive and start your Crete adventure as soon as you leave the airport.

A Few Things We’d Do Before Leaving the Airport

Before putting the car into drive, take five minutes.

Check the route.
Know your first destination and roughly which direction you’re heading.

Set up your navigation.
Do this while parked rather than trying to work it out at the first junction.

Check the fuel level.
You’ll want to know where you stand before starting a longer drive.

Adjust your mirrors and seat.
It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to forget after collecting a car following a flight.

Take a photo of the car.
A quick walk around the vehicle before leaving is always a sensible habit.

Then you’re ready.

The Best Part Comes After the Airport

The airport is simply the starting point.

Once you’re on the road, Chania opens up quickly. Within a relatively short drive you can go from the airport to the Old Town, a beach resort, a mountain village or a completely different part of the island.

That’s one of the reasons we like having a car in Crete.

You don’t have to decide exactly what every day will look like before you arrive.

Sometimes you see a sign for a village, decide to stop for coffee and end up staying for lunch.

Those are usually the days you remember.

Continue Exploring Crete

Planning your trip from Chania?