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Heraklion is where Crete begins for most international visitors. The vast majority of flights land here — charter flights from the UK, Germany, and across Northern Europe; scheduled flights from Athens; increasing numbers of long-haul connections via hub airports. It's a working city, Crete's capital, busy and direct and not particularly scenic.
But it sits in the geographical centre of the island, and the car rental desks in arrivals are among the best-stocked in Greece.
Pick up a car here and within fifteen minutes you're on the E75 motorway, heading toward whichever part of Crete you've planned. West to Rethymno and Chania. East to Agios Nikolaos and the Lasithi Plateau.
South through the mountains to the Messara plain, Festos, and the south coast. Heraklion is not the most beautiful place to linger — though its old Venetian harbour and the Archaeological Museum are both genuinely excellent — but as a launchpad for Crete by car, it's close to perfect.
For the complete Crete driving and car rental overview, see Car Rental in Crete. For general Heraklion travel planning, see Heraklion Travel Guide.
Where to Pick Up Your Rental Car in Heraklion
Heraklion Airport (HER) — Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport
The best option for almost every visitor flying into Crete. Heraklion Airport is 5 km east of the city centre, directly on the coast road. The rental car area is in arrivals — all major companies have desks here, and the car park is adjacent, so you walk out of arrivals, complete paperwork, and drive away. No shuttle, no off-site lot, no waiting outside.
Companies at Heraklion Airport: Hertz, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Sixt, Enterprise, and a strong selection of reputable local operators including Motor Plan, Rental Center Crete, and Autounion.
In peak season (July–August), desk queues build during the morning charter arrival waves — typically 8–11am. Book ahead and allow 15–20 minutes for paperwork even with a confirmed reservation. Economy cars sell out well before departure date in peak summer; book 6–8 weeks ahead.
Heraklion City Centre
Several rental offices operate in the city centre — particularly around the port area and along the main commercial streets. Useful if you're spending your first night in Heraklion before starting a road trip, or returning a car after a multi-day circuit without going back to the airport.
City centre pickup is often slightly more expensive than the airport for equivalent cars, and availability is more limited in peak season. Book your car online and check discount offers.
Heraklion Port
Heraklion's main port handles the overnight ferry from Piraeus — one of the great Greek travel experiences, sleeping aboard a large ANEK or Minoan Lines ferry as it crosses the Aegean, arriving in Heraklion at dawn. For visitors arriving this way, picking up a car at the port is a natural next step. Several agencies operate near the port, and a handful offer coordinated pickup for ferry arrivals.
Book ahead — port-area inventory is smaller than the airport.
How Much Does Car Rental in Heraklion Cost?
Heraklion Airport is typically the cheapest pickup point for car rental in Crete — more competition, larger fleet, and better-developed comparison pricing than island or port locations.
Tips for the best price:
- Book early. Economy cars at Heraklion Airport are consistently among the first to sell out in July and August. Four to eight weeks ahead is the right window for summer bookings.
- Use a comparison platform. DiscoverCars.com searches local and international suppliers simultaneously — the spread between cheapest and most expensive for the same car category at HER can reach €20–30/day.
- Airport over city. Airport pickup is almost always cheaper than collecting from a city centre office for the same car category.
- Full-to-full fuel. Always the correct policy to insist on.
Best Car Rental Companies in Heraklion
International Chains
Hertz, Avis, Budget, Europcar, and Sixt all maintain 24-hour desks at Heraklion Airport — important for late-night arrivals on long-haul connections via Athens. Their pricing is at the higher end but comparison tools bring them closer to the local market.
Local Operators
Heraklion has some of the best local car rental operators in Greece. Motor Plan, Rental Center Crete, Autounion, and Top Cars Crete are consistently well-reviewed, offer competitive pricing, and provide the kind of personal service — including genuine local knowledge about road conditions, beaches, and where not to park — that international chains don't.
My approach: search on DiscoverCars.com, sort by price, identify local operators coming in notably cheaper, check their independent review scores. 4.0+ across Google and third-party platforms is my threshold.
What Type of Car Should You Rent in Heraklion?
For most visitors: a compact hatchback or small family car
An economy or compact car handles the E75 motorway, the main tourist circuits, and even most south coast roads without issue. For a 7–10 day Crete circuit, a VW Golf or Toyota Corolla class car is comfortable for two people with luggage and capable on everything the island's main road network throws at it.
Upgrade to a small SUV if you:
- Plan to drive dirt roads to remote beaches (Balos, Kedrodasos, Agiofarago)
- Are travelling with four people and luggage for a full week
- Intend to cross the White Mountains or visit the Lasithi Plateau via mountain roads
Automatic transmission: Greece defaults to manual. Specify automatic at booking if required — availability is limited and prices run €10–15/day higher. Confirm before finalising.
Insurance: What You Need to Know
Every car rental in Heraklion includes CDW (collision damage waiver), theft protection, and third-party liability as standard. The critical detail is the excess — typically €500–€1,500 — the amount you personally pay if any damage occurs, regardless of fault.
Three ways to handle the excess:
- Counter excess waiver (€8–15/day from the desk) — eliminates the excess entirely but adds cost over a multi-day rental.
- Credit card cover — check your card's specific policy; many exclude Greece or require the full rental cost to be charged on that card.
- Standalone third-party excess insurance — iCarhireinsurance or Bonzah at £3–6/day. The most cost-effective option for full excess coverage.
For Crete specifically — given road conditions — I'd lean toward full coverage rather than leaving the excess gap open. You can add Full Coverage directly through DiscoverCars at checkout for much cheaper than the desk price.
Driving From Heraklion: What to Expect
Getting Out of the City
Heraklion's city centre has its share of traffic and confusing junctions, but the airport is on the eastern edge of the city, which means most road-trip directions don't require going through the centre at all. From the airport:
- Heading east (Agios Nikolaos, Elounda, Lasithi): take the E75 east — straightforward dual carriageway
- Heading west (Rethymno, Chania): take the E75 west — equally simple
- Heading south (Festos, Matala, Messara): follow signs for Knossos and then south toward Mires — this route passes 5 km from the city centre and is well-signed
Knossos is 5 km from the airport — making it the single most convenient first-morning stop before hitting the open road. If you're picking up the car on arrival day, the palace opens at 8am and is best visited before the tour buses arrive.
The E75 Motorway
Crete's main north coast road is a dual carriageway for most of its length, well-maintained, and entirely toll-free. It connects Kissamos in the west to Sitia in the far east, with Heraklion roughly in the centre. Most long-distance driving in Crete happens on this road.
Mountain Roads
South of Heraklion, the roads climb into the Cretan hinterland quickly. The route to the Lasithi Plateau via Neapoli, and the pass roads south to the Messara plain and Matala, involve switchbacks and single-lane sections. Manageable at a sensible pace; take the morning for mountain drives when visibility is best.
Petrol
Plentiful in and around Heraklion. Fill up before heading south or into the interior — stations become less frequent once you leave the north coast.
Parking in Heraklion
The city centre has metered bays (blue zones) and underground car parks near the port and Eleftherias Square. Parking near the Venetian harbour and old market (25th August Street) is tight in summer — use the port-area car parks and walk.
At Knossos: Free car park adjacent to the site entrance. Gets busy from mid-morning in peak season; arrive by 8–9am for guaranteed easy parking.
At the airport: Short-term paid parking directly outside arrivals for quick returns; longer-stay lots for multi-day trips.
The Best Day Trips from Heraklion by Car
Heraklion's central position makes it the most versatile base on the island.
🏛️ Knossos — 5 km south
The most visited Minoan palace in Crete, partially reconstructed by Sir Arthur Evans and controversially vivid in its colours. Genuinely fascinating if you have any interest in the Bronze Age civilisation that built the first European urban culture. Go early, before the heat and the tour buses.
🏺 The Messara Circuit: Festos, Agia Triada & Gortyna
Drive south through the Heraklion hinterland to the Messara Plain — Crete's agricultural heartland. Stop at the ancient ruins of Gortyna (once the capital of Roman Crete), continue to the Minoan palace of Festos with its extraordinary hilltop views, and loop back via Agia Triada. Add Matala — the south coast beach with its famous cave dwellings — if you have a full day.
Planning a drive to Festos and Matala? Check rental car availability from Heraklion.
Tip: Book now to lock in summer rates; most cars include free cancellation up to 48 hours before pickup
🏔️ The Lasithi Plateau
A high mountain plateau at 850m, reached by dramatic switchback roads from the north coast. Villages, windmills (the old cloth-sailed type), and the Dikteon Cave — mythological birthplace of Zeus. Outstanding in spring when the plateau is intensely green. Best combined with a stop at the atmospheric village of Kritsa on the way back.
🐟 Agios Nikolaos & Elounda — 65 km east
Drive east on the E75 to Agios Nikolaos, the elegant lakeside town of eastern Crete. Continue north to Elounda — the site of the island's most famous luxury resorts, and the gateway to the fortress island of Spinalonga. The drive takes just over an hour; the coast road between Ag. Nikolaos and Elounda is one of the most beautiful on the island.
Heading to Elounda? Compare SUV and mid-size rental rates for the drive.
🏖️ South to Matala & Preveli
For beach-focused day trips from Heraklion, drive south to the Messara plain and west to Preveli Beach — a palm-fringed lagoon beach backed by a river gorge that is one of the most unusual and beautiful in Greece. Or continue south directly to Matala for the famous red-sand bay and cave cliffs. Both require the full day from Heraklion.
Make the drive to Preveli on your own schedule. Search Discover Cars for the best daily rates.
Plan Your Heraklion & Crete Trip
- Car Rental in Crete — the full Crete car rental hub guide
- Heraklion Travel Guide — city guide
- Crete Travel Guide — complete island overview
- Agios Nikolaos Travel Guide — eastern Crete
- Elounda Travel Guide — luxury resorts, Spinalonga
- Rethymno Travel Guide — halfway to Chania
- Car Rental in Chania — western Crete pickup guide
- Elafonissi Beach — western Crete's showpiece
- Balos Beach — the lagoon at Crete's western tip
- Samaria Gorge — Crete's great hike
Tip: Book now to lock in summer rates; most cars include free cancellation up to 48 hours before pickup
🚗 Booking your Heraklion car rental? Compare all suppliers at Heraklion Airport → — every local and international company in one search.
Written by
Athens-born engineer · Coordinates a 5-expert Greek team · 50+ years combined field experience
I write every article on this site drawing on real, first-hand expertise — mine and that of four colleagues who live and work across Greece daily: a Peloponnese tour operator, a transfer specialist across Athens, Mykonos & Santorini, a Cretan hotel owner, and a Northern Greece hotel supplier. Nothing here comes from a single visit or desk research.
Informed by 5 Greek experts
Every destination we cover has been visited and vetted by at least one team member — not for a review, but as part of their daily work in Greek tourism.