Crete has three civil airports. Which to use depends on where you are staying: the island is long and crossing it by car takes several hours.
The airports
| Airport | Code | Where | For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heraklion Nikos Kazantzakis | HER | 5 km east of Heraklion | Central and eastern Crete; the best connected |
| Chania Ioannis Daskalogiannis | CHQ | Akrotiri peninsula, 15 km from Chania | Western Crete: Chania, Rethymno, Kissamos, Balos, Elafonissi |
| Sitia | JSH | Near Sitia | Eastern Crete, domestic flights |
Heraklion
One of Greece's busiest airports, with flights from Athens and Thessaloniki all year and very many direct summer flights from across Europe. It is close to the city, linked by city buses, KTEL buses to Malia, Hersonissos and Agios Nikolaos, and taxis. The airport is small for its traffic and can be very crowded in summer.
Chania
Handy for the west of the island, with flights from Athens and summer international flights. KTEL buses link the airport with Chania bus station, from which lines run to Rethymno, Kissamos and the south coast.
Sitia
A small airport at the eastern tip, with domestic flights from Athens and some islands. Useful for staying in Sitia, Vai, Zakros or Ierapetra.
The new Kastelli airport
About 40 km south-east of Heraklion the new Kastelli International Airport is under construction, linked by a new road, and is due to replace the current Heraklion airport in the coming years with much greater capacity.
See also airports in Greece and Heraklion.