Flights to Crete and the airports of Heraklion and Chania

Crete airports: Heraklion and Chania

There are two international airports on Crete: Heraklion Airport (HER) and Chania Airport (CHQ), with heavy air traffic, especially during the summer months. Chania Airport is located in the north-west of Crete on the Akrotiri peninsula, about 14 km east of the city of Chania. Heraklion Airport is approx. 150 km further east, also on the north coast, about 5 km east of the centre of Heraklion.

Direct flights to Crete are offered from most major European airports from April to November. The flight from the UK takes about 4 hours. Outside the tourist season, Crete can usually be reached by a connecting flight via Athens.

Heraklion Airport (HER)

Heraklion Airport "Nikos Kazantzakis" handled about 10 million passengers in 2025, which makes it the second busiest airport in Greece after Athens. A large number of charter, scheduled and low-cost airlines fly there, especially in the summer season. It is due to be replaced in 2027 by the new Kastelli airport, about 39 km south-east of Heraklion, and the old airport will then close.

Chania Airport (CHQ)

Chania Airport "Ioannis Daskalogiannis" has been run by Fraport Greece since 2017. It has been modernised and expanded in recent years and handled almost 4 million passengers in 2024. Here too, many charter, scheduled and low-cost flights land, mostly in summer.

From the airport to Georgioupolis

For the Corissia Hotels in Georgioupolis, Chania Airport is the closer one: the drive takes about 40 minutes, while from Heraklion Airport it takes about 90 minutes.

Corissia Hotels transfer: if you book directly with us, our own hotel transfer takes you from the airport to the hotel without any stops on the way. As a rule, the driver is already waiting for you when you arrive.

Tour operator coaches: all major tour operators offer a coach transfer to your hotel if you have booked a package holiday with transfer. The journey can take a lot longer, though, as many villages and hotels are often served on the way.

Rental car: at both airports you can rent a car and drive to your resort yourself. Both airports are close to the main road along the north coast, and you can usually reach any village on Crete by rental car without any problem, even if you have never been to Crete before. If you plan to explore Crete during your holiday, a rental car is a very good idea anyway.

Taxi: you will almost always find a taxi in front of the terminal for a direct ride to any place on Crete. You can ask for the price in advance.

Public bus: the public bus is the cheapest option. As a rule, however, you have to go from the airport to the bus station in Heraklion or Chania and change there, and in summer the buses are sometimes overcrowded. With luggage on arrival, we would rather advise against it.