Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Plane -- Olympic Airways offers at least three flights daily to and from Athens in high season. (Flight time is about 50 min.) Flights to Chania from other points in Greece go through Athens. Aegean Airlines also offers several flights daily to and from Athens. The airport is located 15km (10 miles) out of town on the Akrotiri. Public buses meet all flights except the last one at night, but almost everyone takes a taxi (about 20€).

By Boat -- One ship makes the 10-hour trip daily between Piraeus and Chania, usually leaving early in the evening (www.ferries.gr). But as of 2007, during the tourist season Hellenic Seaways runs a once-daily high-speed catamaran between Piraeus and Chania that cuts the trip down to about 5 hours (www.greekislands.gr). All ships arrive at and depart from Soudha, a 20-minute bus ride from the stop outside the municipal market. Many travel agents around town sell tickets. In high season, if you're traveling with a car, make reservations in advance, or check with the Paleologos Agency (www.ferries.gr).

By Bus -- Buses run almost hourly from early in the morning until about 10:30pm, depending on the season, connecting Chania to Rethymnon and Iraklion. There are less frequent, and often inconveniently timed, buses between destinations in western Crete. The main bus station to points all over Crete is at 25 Kidonias (tel. 28210/93-306). Get there plenty early -- it can be a madhouse in high season!

By Car -- All the usual agencies can be found in the center of town, but I've always had reliable service with Europrent at 87 Halidon (tel. 28210/27-810; www.europrent.gr).

By Taxi -- It should be noted that in July 2009 the taxi drivers of Chania agreed to observe the posting of standard fares to some of the most frequented destinations in and around the city's center (such as the airport or points on the Akrotiri or from one edge of the city to the other). These postings are supposed to be visible at major taxi pickup points, and although the actual charge cannot always be held to the exact penny (due, say, to traffic conditions that cause long waits), these posted costs should be useful in an appeal to the Tourist Police if you feel you have been grossly overcharged. That said, don't forget that taxi drivers are allowed a number of surcharges -- late at night, extra luggage, etc.

Visitor Information

The official Tourist Information office is at 40 Kriari, off 1866 Square (tel. 28210/92-943), but it keeps unreliable hours. You're better off turning to private travel agencies. On the scene, I recommend Lissos Travel, Plateia 1866 (tel. 28210/93-917; fax 28210/95-930), or Diktynna Travel, 6 Archontaki (tel. 28210/43-930; www.diktynna-travel.gr); from your home abroad, try Crete Travel in the nearby village of Monoho (tel. 28250/32-690; www.cretetravel.com). A useful source of insider's information is the Bazaar, 46 Daskaloyiannis, on the main street down to the new harbor (to the right of the Municipal Market). This shop sells used foreign-language books and assorted "stuff." Owned and staffed by non-Greeks, it maintains a listing of all kinds of helpful services.

Getting Around

You can walk to most tourist destinations in Chania. Public buses go to nearby points and to all the major destinations in western Crete. But if you want to explore the countryside or more remote parts of western Crete, I recommend that you rent a car to make the best use of your time.

A Taxi Tip -- To get a taxi driver who is accustomed to dealing with English-speakers, call Nikos at his mobile phone (tel. 69774/45-585). With Nikos you get an informative guide as well as a driver.

Fast Facts

Banks in the new city have ATMs. For the tourist police, dial tel. 171. The hospital (tel. 28210/27-231) is on Venizelou in the Halepa quarter. There are now several Internet cafes: I like the Vranas Studios Cafe, behind the cathedral and at the corner of Aghion Deka, or Cafe Santé (on the second floor at the far west corner of the old harbor). There are also several laundromats in the old town, including the ones at 38 Karoli and Dimitriou or 38 Kanevero. In the new town, Speedy Laundry at 17 Kordiki, is on the corner of Koroneou, a block west of Plateia 1866. If you prefer to leave your laundry off, you can't beat Oscar at 1 Kanevro at the corner of the harbor square. For luggage storage, try the KTEL bus station on Kidonias, although your hotel may also offer this service. The post office is at 6 Peridou (an extension of Plastira that leads directly away for the municipal market); hours are Monday through Friday from 8am to 8pm, Saturday from 8am to noon. The telephone office (OTE) is on Tzanakaki (leading diagonally away from the municipal market); it is open daily from 7:30am to 11:30pm. Foreign-language publications are available at 8 Skalidi (main street heading west at top of Halidon).

Two Eco-Getaways

I am pleased to be able to call attention to two new possibilities on Crete that should appeal to those who are into eco-tourism and are also willing to rough it a bit. One is Milia (www.milia.gr), a long-abandoned village in the mountains of western Crete that has been converted into a retreat for those willing to stay in old stone houses, do without modern hotel facilities (although there is electricity), and eat a limited but delicious natural diet. It is operated by native Cretans and you are left pretty much on your own to enjoy the wild natural setting. I want to avoid guidebook superlatives, but I feel confident in predicting that if you are looking for a truly natural stay in Greece, no place beats this. The other, called Footscapes (www.footscapesofcrete.com), is in the hills just south of Rethymnon and comprises three small modern villas built by an English couple, the Marsdens; they will take you on various hikes and help you with other interests (bird-watching and so forth) Both places require a vehicle to reach. Milia is a solid 2-hour drive from Chania and requires a rental car and a willingness to travel the last miles up a rather hairy dirt road; once there, you would probably want to take all your meals at the simple dining room. Footscapes is only a 20-minute drive from Rethymnon, and although the Mardens advise you how to get to their place by combinations of public transport and taxi, you would probably want to rent a car to be able to get to the nearby villages to either buy food to cook or eat out. For those wavering between the two, note that at Milia you have no view but you step out of your cabin into a wooded area bursting with wildlife; at Footscapes you have to hike to get into the woods, but you sit on a ridge with a 360-degree view.