Crete is a big island, there is a lot to explore and you will want to rent a car!
Driving in Crete is like driving in continental Europe, you drive on the “right side” of the road just like in the United States or Germany, and the rules and signage following the European norms (i.e. priority roads, yield to the right at an intersection without stop signs, etc.)
What is different about Crete is that the rough and mountainous terrain affects road design, introducing sharp S-turns as you drive up and down the hills and mountains. While the roads in general are very good in populated areas, as you venture out into mountain villages they are not well lit at night. It is for this reason that I encourage our guests to arrive well before nightfall when renting a car at the airport. If you cannot arrive during daylight hours, it is advised to take a taxi from the airport to our house in Douliana, and then rent a car in Kalyves the next morning. The cost for the private transfer is approximately 50 Euros for 1-4 persons. Please email info@gttravel.gr in advance to book your private transfer and provide them with your flight arrival information.
Additionally we have found that Waze is your best option for GPS navigation, as Google Maps will tend to guide you towards a dead-end in the middle of nowhere.
We had had great success when renting from Vacanza Car Rentals at Chania Airport, you may book a reservation at: https://vacanza-car-rentals.gr/en/. The major car rental companies are also an option, but they tend to me more expensive than local companies.
It is approximately a 50-minute drive from Chania Airport to Douliana Villas, please load the Waze app on your smart phone and scan the following QR code for directions once you are in your rental car:
It’s very common for small mountain villages in Greece to not have any street names or house numbers, and Douliana is no exception. Once you arrive at Douliana Village, please print and follow these directions to get to the house.
For those arriving in the evening, you may arrange for transportation (transfer) from Chania Airport to Douliana, and then rent a car in Kalyves the next morning at: https://gt-travelcrete.gr/
For the best rates and available car options it is advisable to book your rental car well in advance of your travel.
A few important tips when renting a car:
- Make sure that you specify an automatic transmission (unless you really want a manual transmission).
- Avoid the temptation of renting a large vehicle, it’s too challenging when driving thru small villages and city streets.
- Definitely purchase the full insurance so you don’t have to worry about them claiming “damage” at the end of the rental, which unfortunately is all too common in Greece.
- Designate someone as a secondary driver, it’s free.
- If you have an American or German drivers license you will not need an international driving permit.
- If you want to book a car for a longer period than the website allows, just add a note in the comments field.
- For the hotel info, provide this “Villa Nora, Douliana Villas, Douliana, Vamos, Apokoronis, Chania, Crete 730 08.
- You will be asked for your flight arrival information so they may greet you at the airport.
- An agent will respond back to you within 24 hours via email and request a deposit for the rental.
- An agent will greet you at Chania airport and take you to your car.
Other notes:
- If you are arriving on an overnight flight to Athens from the United States, a good option is that you can book an overnight stay at the Sofitel Athens Airport (at the airport directly across from arrivals, and the hotel has an excellent rooftop restaurant and bar where you can enjoy a meal before bed). A budget-conscious alternative is to book at a less expensive Holiday Inn near the airport that offers a free shuttle. The first flight to Chania on Aegean Airlines is usually at 9:00am, and it’s only a forty minute flight.
- Please allow at least 2.5 hours for a connecting flight to Chania from Athens if you will fly straight thru. You will need to clears customs and claim and re-check your baggage (if you have diconnected flights and your bags are not checked all the way thru to your destination in Chania.
- Our house has an attached garage where you can park- the garage door opener is located in the top drawer to the left of the kitchen sink. Please don’t block the entrance to the other garage or the management office (about fifty feet across from our garage).