Many visitors fly first to Athens on the mainland, which is well served by international flights, and then travel to Crete by air or boat. It’s also possible to fly directly to Crete from Europe, although most direct flights are offered by charter companies during the busy summer months. Most overlanders currently arrive in Greece by ferry from Brindisi (free for Eurail pass holders), Ancona, Bari or Venice in Italy. Most ferries to Crete depart from Piraeus harbour, just to the south of Athens, but there are also departures from Thessaloniki, Rhodes, Kalamata and Glythio, plus some of the Cyclades islands and Kythira. The ferries from Piraeus depart from docks convenient to Larisis train station. Some ferries take much longer than others to reach Crete – check before buying a ticket. Be aware that services in the off season (November to April) are considerably curtailed.
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May and early June, as well as September are the best times to visit Crete. The summer months are also a good time, but you will be competing with another 2 million tourists. The Meltemi (Northen winds) pick up between mid-june and the end of August and can become very uncomfortable, but they do provide some relief from the summer heat. At this time the waves make swimming a little more challenging. By Boat The trip form Piraeus to Heraklion takes about eight hours and most ferries leave around 9:00 PM, and arrive in Crete around 6:00 AM. Booking a cabin for the overnight trip is a good idea, although many passengers rough it out on deck or on any comfortable spot they can find inside the bars and hallways. In fact many groups of travelers who do not have a cabin embark early and set camp in the most comfortable corner of the boat they can find. After 11:00 PM the halls are lined with sleeping passengers.
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Flight schedules to and from Crete. Information, tips and all scheduled flights to/from Heraklion, Chania and Sitia airport.Also you can find flight news, quick guide about what you can find in this Flying to Crete section and airports in Crete.
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