Cover the whole length of Crete in half a day with a rented car
Every large Cretan town, and some of the bigger villages, have car rental agencies. They’re also to be found at the airports of Chania, Heraklion and Sitia. The agencies are almost all branches of large multinational and Greek firms, so reliability can be taken for granted.
There is usually an adequate supply of vehicles of all sizes for rental, at reasonable rates, though naturally demand soars in the summer months, and it’s recommended that a car be booked weeks in advance. You can rent a car in one town and leave it at the branch of the same agency in another. Yet driving in Crete requires caution.
Stay in Heraklion town, the heart of Crete
Though the roads are generally well-paved and signposted, they get very twisty in hilly places, with plenty of unexpected hairpin bends. The rule of thumb as a foreigner at the wheel in Crete is: defensive driving. Cretans are notoriously cavalier on the roads and it’s all too tempting to get involved in an ego contest.
Resist the temptation. You’re there to enjoy your holiday and nothing else. That said, however, renting a car is the best and most efficient way to get around Crete, as you can drive the whole length in half a day.
