If you are planning to visit Crete in Greece, keep in mind that going there with your car can be challenging since this island is far away from the coast. However, if you are persistent in your idea to get there with your vehicle, you can catch a ferry in Athens or some other bigger city. The biggest issue is that this ride will take more than 6 hours, and it can get even longer if the weather is not great.
Therefore, it is not a surprise that most people will choose an airplane as the model of transportation to go there. On the other side, you don’t have to struggle with public transport or spend a lot of money on taxi services since there are many car rental services available on this island. The great thing is that you can Rent a car in Crete in advance.
Important Things To Know About Driving In Crete
This is the biggest island in Greece, and much bigger when compared to other islands. Therefore, the common misconception is that staying there without a vehicle won’t be a problem. However, if you want to explore different locations, you will need transport. On the other hand, there is a well-developed system of public buses that you can use to visit different cities and villages.
Still, using a car will make it much more convenient, especially if you are traveling with kids and have to carry a lot of things. There are so many attractions that you can see there. Considering that the most common duration for tourists is to stay there for two weeks, you will be able to see much more sites by car.
When it comes to the time needed to drive around Crete, it depends on how many locations you want to visit. Going straight from one to another side will take more than five hours. Also, you cannot expect to see much if you rush to get to another side.
In that matter, the best solution is to make it a few-day trip. You can start in one of the two biggest cities, Chania and Heraklion, and then start visiting historical monuments, monasteries, and many other amazing places like the mountains, beaches, and more.
Before you start your adventure with the car there, you should learn more about some details related to roads and rules. First of all, there are no highways there, which will prevent you from driving faster. The bigger roads are limited to 90 km per hour, while most roads have a speed limit of 50 km per hour.
Also, since this is a popular tourist area, you should not be surprised with many areas where the maximum speed is lowered to only 30 km per hour. The streets are not designed for a faster or more aggressive drive. Overtaking more often can be dangerous since roads are narrow.
Be sure to never drink and drive since the penalties are very high. Also, both driver and the passengers must have a seatbelt. Watch for the bike drivers since a lot of people are using motorcycles there. The roads are not the best as well, which is another reason to never rush. Keep in mind that a lot of tourists are exploring this place, and you will see a lot of them alongside the road. The same is for domestic and wild animals.
When it comes to renting, an SUV is the best option since there are many hills and challenging parts of the road that require more power. Other factors important when renting are insurance, price, additional fees, and the size of the trunk.
What Are the Best Alternatives?
While driving is the most convenient option, we understand that many people will be more interested in having a rest there and be more relaxed by avoiding driving. in that case, you can enjoy some drinking as well. You should try the most popular liquor in Greece called Ouzo. We already mentioned the bus lines, but there are many boats that are sailing around the island. The interesting fact is that the time needed to get from one side to another is similar to when you take a boat as it is for a vehicle.
There are many taxi services available as well, and it is not too expensive to use this option. It is perfect when you don’t want to struggle with driving, but you want to get to some location much faster. On the other side, exploring most of the island will be the best if you decide to go on a hiking tour.
You will have an amazing experience since when you get into the countryside away from the beaches, you can enjoy amazing nature and landscapes while going over the mountains and checking a lot of historical monuments and churches.
Still, the biggest issue with this option is that you will need a lot of time to see more places, which means that you will have to combine walking with some other options. This island is long around 260 km, while the width is between 15 and 60 km. That is a huge distance for those interested in hiking.
Summary
Simply going from one to another side will require around 6 hours of driving. However, if you want to check out different attractions on the way around, you cannot expect that you will manage to do that in one day. According to many people who visited Crete before, two weeks of staying there will be enough to check a lot of things, but you will have to stay there for more than a month for a full experience.
Going there in a car is not necessary since you can choose from various alternatives. People will kind should use car rentals since that will provide more convenience. On the other hand, public transport is good as well. Also, sailing around Crete will provide a unique experience, and it can be a great solution.