Intercity bus service in Greece organized quite unusually. Transportation between Greek cities is subordinated to the KTEL syndicate, which is an association of joint-stock companies founded in each region of the country by private bus owners, but under the control of public administration in a single network. The activities of KTEL are regulated by Greek laws No. 2119/1952, 102/1973 and 2163/2001. Thus, regional KTELs play by the same rules under government supervision, but are independent legal entities and independently regulate bus transportation to their regions. Those. KTEL of a certain region operates bus routes: a) within its region; b) to Athens and/or Thessaloniki; c) occasionally to the centers of neighboring regions.

Therefore, at the bus stations of Athens and Thessaloniki, where buses from all over the country arrive, there is no single ticket sales office, but you need to look for the KTEL ticket office of that particular region Greece where you need to go. Accordingly, to board the bus you must again look for the platform of the KTEL you need. It is not surprising that in large cities there may be several bus stations where KTEL of different regions are based.

For example, there are 3 bus stations in Athens:

• basic KTEL at Kifisou Avenue 100 (serves all routes except the regions of Attica, Thessaly and Sterea Hellas)
• KTEL on Lyosion street (serves the island of Euboea (Chalkis), the region of Phocis (Delphi), the region of Phthiotis (Lamia, Kamena Vourla), the region of Boeotia (Thebes, Arachova), the region of Magnesia (Volos), the region of Karditsa, the region of Larisa, the region of Trikala)
• KTEL Attica, which serves routes in the Attica region, and also, together with KTEL Thessaloniki, provides connections between the two Greek capitals

Please note that the X93 express bus from Athens International Airport passes through KTEL Lyosion and KTEL Kifisou (terminus), but does not pass through KTEL Attica.

There are 2 bus stations in Patras: KTEL Achaia and KTEL Etoloakarnania region, however, they are located next to each other and to the port.

A few years ago there were 6 or 7 different KTELs in Thessaloniki until they opened a common bus station KTEL "Macedonia", which is located in the north of the city. The bus station has a website in English with a convenient interactive map. Today in Greece this is actually the only modern bus station with the appropriate infrastructure and a high-quality informative website.

The Macedonia bus station is connected to Thessaloniki airport by bus routes No. 78 (express) and 78N (night, with all stops). Please note that the new bus station united under its roof all bus companies except KTEL Halkidiki, which is located closer to the airport near the IKEA hypermarket. Travel from the airport by bus No. 79 with a transfer to No. 36 at the IKEA stop. KTEL Macedonia and KTEL Halkidiki are connected by city bus route No. 45, which runs every 20 minutes.

Due to the mountainous terrain Greece Railway communication in the country is underdeveloped, so the main burden of passenger transportation falls on the KTEL bus companies. The longest bus routes in Greece are operated by KTEL of the Evros region: Alexandroupoli - Athens (850 km by land), as well as KTEL of Heraklion in Crete: Heraklion - Thessaloniki and Ioannina (by ferry via Piraeus). Communication between major cities is quite frequent, the bus fleet of Greek KTEL in last years noticeably younger, the roads are also being updated. Therefore, traveling in a modern, comfortable bus with air conditioning and tinted windows will not cause much trouble.

The old buses remain only on intraregional routes. If you are planning a trip between sparsely populated areas, then know that there are no bus stations in villages; there buses stop near coffee houses (aka cafes), tickets can be purchased either from their owners directly on the spot, or from conductors (on buses connecting large cities, there are no conductors). On local routes, buses travel extremely rarely, two or three times a day, so try to check in advance the departure time of the bus from the places you are going to include in your trip.

To avoid unnecessary troubles, bus tickets must be purchased in advance, at least 20 minutes in advance, and be sure to keep in mind that Greek drivers often set off earlier than the time indicated on the schedule. It would also be a good idea to check with the driver final goal route, because the information on the waybills for some flights may be incorrect. Upon departure, you can buy a return ticket with an open date. Unfortunately, the online ticket sales system has only recently begun to be implemented. Therefore, not all regional KTELs in Greece can yet offer electronic ticket systems. Of course, you can book a ticket for a Greek bus in advance at all bus stations, but to do this you need to personally appear at the KTEL ticket office. For guidance on bus ticket prices: for example, at the beginning of 2016. bus ticket between Athens and Thessaloniki(distance 550 km) cost 43 euros, round trip 63 euros.

On large greek islands you can buy comfortable Bus tours(both from KTEL itself and from local travel agencies), which will take you to a variety of historical and archaeological sites, beautiful beaches and other places for entertainment or active recreation. Typically, such tours include all possible amenities plus the services of a guide, and save you from a lot of hassle when moving between cities on your own.

Once upon a time in Greece there was a single KTEL website, but now you can only find a list of websites and telephone numbers of regional bus stations there. This situation arose after the events of 2006, when various telephone companies specializing in paid information unauthorized used bus website data to sell their services over the phone. Therefore, all information about schedules and prices has been removed from the KTEL website.

Therefore, we tried to collect information about those regional KTELs that have their own websites on the Internet. Unfortunately, not all bus companies in Greece have their own portals on the Internet and not all sites provide information on English language. In the latter cases, use electronic translators, such as Google's language toolbar. In general, the picture is that the more developed the region of Greece in terms of tourism, the more likely it is that the local KTEL has a website in English.

So, we present to you information about Greek bus schedule KTEL

KTEL Ioannina (Ioannina)

The site is in Greek and English, but not all site content is translated into English.

KTEL Arta (Arta)

Website only in Greek

KTEL Preveza (Preveza)

Website

KTEL Thesprotia (Igoumenitsa)

The website is in Greek, but there is an online ticket page in English.

KTEL Corfu (Kerkyra)

Website in Greek and English. There is an electronic ticket system with payment by credit and debit cards.

KTEL Lefkada

Website in Greek and English. There is an electronic ticket system with payment by credit and debit cards.

KTEL Kefalonia

Website in Greek and English.

KTEL Zakynthos

Website in Greek and English. There is an electronic ticket system with payment by credit and debit cards.

KTEL Corinthia (Corinth)

Website

KTEL Argolis (Argos, Nafplio)

Website in Greek and English. There is an electronic ticket system with payment by credit and debit cards.

KTEL Arcadia (Tripoli)

Website in Greek.

KTEL Laconia (Sparta)

Website in Greek and English.

KTEL Messinia (Kalamata)

Website in Greek and English. There is an electronic ticket system with payment by credit and debit cards.

KTEL Elis (Pyrgos)

The site is only in Greek.

KTEL Achaia (Patras)

The site is only in Greek. There is an electronic ticket system with payment by credit and debit cards.

Getting around Crete by bus is quite easy. Despite the fact that Crete is an island, its bus network is well developed and is linked to many ferry schedules from/to Crete.

KTEL Chania - Rethymno

Website in Greek, English and German.

KTEL Heraklion - Lasithi

The site is in Greek and English, Russian is planned.

KTEL Attica (Athens)

The site is only in Greek.

KTEL Salamina Island (Salamin)

The site is only in Greek and is temporarily not working.

KTEL Etoloakarnaniya (Agrinio)

Website in Greek.

KTEL Euboea Island (Chalkida)

The site is only in Greek.

KTEL Evrytania (Karpenisi)

The site is only in Greek.

KTEL Phokis (Amphissa)

By bus to Delphi? That way!

Website in Greek and English. There is an electronic ticket system with payment by credit and debit cards.

KTEL Phthiotida (Lamia)

The site is only in Greek.

KTEL Boeotia (Livadia and Thebes)

The Thebes website is only in Greek.

The website of the city of Livadia is only in Greek and without information.

KTEL Larisa (Larissa)

The site is only in Greek.

KTEL Karditsa (Karditsa)

The site is only in Greek.

KTEL Trikala (Trikala, Kalambaka)

By bus to Meteora? That way!

Website in Greek and English.

KTEL Magnisia (Volos)

Website in Greek and English. The electronic ticket system is working.

KTEL Kastoria (Kastoria)

The site is only in Greek.

KTEL Florina (Florina)

The site is only in Greek.

KTEL Kozani (Kozani)

Website in Greek and English. The electronic ticket system is being tested.

KTEL Grevena (Grevena)

The site is only in Greek.

KTEL Imathia (Veria)

The site is only in Greek.

KTEL Pieria (Katerini)

The site is only in Greek.

KTEL Pella (Edessa)

The site is only in Greek.

Distance from Heraklion to Rethymnon is 77 km, from Nikos Kazantzakis Airport to Rethymno is 81.6 km. You can get there by car in just over an hour. Considering good roads and the absence of heavy traffic, the trip should be pleasant and comfortable. Buses also run between Heraklion and Rethymno.

Bus Heraklion - Rethymno

Intercity connections between the cities of Crete are provided by KTEL buses (the main bus system in Greece).

The bus station is located near the port in Heraklion (see KTEL website).

Buses depart daily, from early morning until evening. Travel time is 1 hour 30 minutes. The price of a one-way bus ticket from Heraklion to Rethymno in 2018 is 8.30 euros.

Bus schedule Heraklion - Rethymno 2019

The schedule below is current at the time of writing. Changes are especially likely between April and July and late September and early December.

05:30, 06:30, 07:30, 08:30, 09:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:00 (along the old road on weekdays), 12:30, 13:30, 14:30 , 15:30, 16:30, 17:30, 18:30, 19:30, 20:30, 21:30.

Check the current schedule on the website. You can buy a ticket before boarding, although it is not a fact that they will be available during the season. It's better to take it back and forth.

Taxi from Heraklion to Rethymno

A taxi ride is possible from anywhere in the capital city. The advantage of a pre-ordered transfer is that it will wait for the passenger at a designated place at a designated time, which means it will be possible to calculate the route in advance. Plus, you don’t have to adjust to schedules. Travel time is about 1 hour 20 minutes. The price depends on the capacity of the car and the level of comfort. If you divide it among several people, you will get an amount acceptable for everyone.

Search for transfers to Rethymno

Show transfers from Rethymno

How to get from Heraklion Airport to Rethymno

There is no direct bus, so the route will be multiple, except for the taxi option. First you need to take buses No. 1 or No. 78 to the center, then walk to the bus station, where you change to a regular bus to Rethymno (departures every half hour to an hour, see above).

Taxi from Heraklion Airport - Rethymnon

There will be much less headache if you order a car in advance. In any case, there is no need to fuss with luggage. It is especially beneficial to travel with a group or several families.

Search for transfers from Heraklion Airport "Nikos Kazantzakis"

Show transfers to Heraklion Airport "Nikos Kazantzakis"

How to get from Heraklion to Rethymno by car

The distance from Heraklion to Rethymno by car is 77 km. The entire route runs along one highway - 90. You won't get lost. Just follow the directions of the navigator. The road is spacious: one lane in each direction, plus a wide shoulder for those moving slowly. Please note that on the roads of Crete it is customary to give way to those in a hurry. The difficult section of the route will be from Amudara to Bali - a mountain road with sharp turns.

Travel time is 1 hour.

Description of the route Heraklion - Rethymnon

Route length between Heraklion and Rethymnon: 82km

Approximate travel time: 1h 13m show route description

Car rental in Crete

Many travelers rent cars and travel around the island on their own. And this is a wise decision. While driving a car you can see much more interesting things, and getting from one city to another is easier. Read more about car rental in Crete in a special material. Below is the search form from Rentalcars:

Search for a rental car

Search for travel companions

The route Heraklion - Rethymno can be covered with a travel companion. Probably one of the drivers is heading in this direction. Look for offers through the Blablacar.ru service.

Many northern Europeans, having seen enough of the dashing Cretan traffic, write in their blogs that the best way to get around the island is by regular buses. Like, it's safer this way. KTEL (national bus service) buses are quite modern, usually air-conditioned, with large soft seats. And it's inexpensive. A 1.5 hour Heraklion-Rethymno trip will cost you only 6.80 euros.

And they go exactly on schedule.

You can distinguish them from tourist and excursion buses by their color - green or white-green.
There is always a sign on the windshield with the final destination to which the bus is heading. If you see a bus on the road and there is no stop nearby, you can try to attract the driver’s attention, and most likely the bus will stop. Although globally this is against the rules: they must stop at specially designated places.

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In some villages, stops are used for other purposes.

On the official KTEL website you can check the schedule, choose your routes and even try something like an interactive map. You can click on any locality you like and see what flights (where and when) are connected to it

http://bus-service-crete-ktel.com/ - see Timetables section

Thanks to this site, we have determined that the best way to travel through the Samaria Gorge is to use KTEL buses. As you know, you can only get out of Samaria by sea, so if you go there by car, you will have to return 16 kilometers back, or negotiate with someone who will meet you in Chora Sfakion, when a boat arrives carrying travelers from the gorge. With buses everything becomes much easier. The main thing is to force yourself to get up early to get from Chania to the gorge.

The same site has interesting information about the history of the national bus service in Crete. Progress is obvious!

Tickets can be purchased at central KTEL stops or directly on the bus. A 10% discount is offered when purchasing a return ticket. As it turns out, in Crete the bus is an excellent option for efficient transportation if you adjust your life to the schedule

I would call intercity buses the most common type of public transport on the island of Crete. They belong to the Ktel company. Official website of this bus company: ktelherlas.gr

I'll tell you about the buses themselves and the rules for using them. The buses of this company are quite new and quite comfortable. Each room has air conditioning inside. In many ways they are similar to our modern Russian buses that connect cities. Ktel buses are easy to distinguish - they are painted in green color. Sometimes you may come across buses that are painted yellow and have the words “Minoan Lines” on the side. But this is the same company Ktel.

At the bus stations of the island's cities, you can pick up a brochure completely free of charge, which contains the bus schedule and the cost of travel between settlements. I advise you to get such a brochure. Now about the trips themselves on Ktel buses.

Please note that boarding the bus will vary depending on where you do it: at the bus station or at the bus stop. The stops themselves on Crete are often quite inconspicuous. You have to make an effort to find them. Typically the stop will be marked with a small blue sign with a picture of a bus on it. Sometimes the stop number will be written above such a sign.

The main difference from the usual Russian stops is that in Crete the signs are located parallel to the road border. Drivers of passing cars will only be able to see them by turning their heads. Often the signs can be hidden among the branches of a tree. But you can find them. Especially if you know where the stop should be approximately located.

Once you have found a stop, study the schedule there. Usually there you will see all the routes that pass through this stop, as well as the bus times. But this time, I note, is very conditional.

You need to look out for the bus carefully, because it will stop only when someone intends to get off at the stop where you are standing. If you notice an approaching bus, start signaling to it in every possible way that you want to board it. But even in this case, there is no guarantee that the bus will respond to your request. There is no pattern here.

Entrance is always through the middle door. As a rule, the conductor (always a man) sits close to her. There is no need to pay immediately upon entry. Come in and take the empty chair first.

The conductor himself will soon come to you. Tell him the end point of your trip (the name of the city is enough). He will tell you how much the ticket will cost. All communication is in English. After payment, take the ticket from him.

If you get on the bus at the final stop, then this has its own characteristics. First, the ticket should be purchased at the box office, and not from the conductor. The ticket office at the bus station is easy to find. Please also indicate the final destination of your trip and the expected number of passengers. After that, pay for your trip and receive your tickets. By the way, they should be preserved throughout the trip. Controllers enter almost every bus.

As for getting off the bus, it stops only upon request. Your desire must be voiced loudly in advance. Sometimes conductors ask passengers in advance for the numbers/names of their final stops and themselves warn the driver about them. If the conductor did not do this, then you need to independently press the special red button with the inscription “Stop” as soon as you approach the stop you need. Please note that there are not buttons above all places. If you do not do this in advance, the driver usually throws up his hands and drives on. Moreover, following until the next stop. It’s good if the next stop is not the next settlement along the route.

So the quality of service on Ktel intercity buses is very unique. But if you get used to it, then you will get out and in exactly where you need to.

Chania on the map of Crete.

Chania is a city that many tourists recognize as the most beautiful in Crete. People come here to stroll along the Venetian streets, visit museums with rich collections, and at the same time go to the Samaria Gorge, Balos Lagoon and Elafonisi Beach. There are many resorts near the city, among which every tourist will find a suitable place to relax. How to get to Chania? Here are some basic ways.

By plane to Chania

In Chania, there is the Ioannis Daskalogiannis Airport, located 10 km from the city - near Souda Bay. It is the second largest and busiest airport in Crete with one two-story terminal. The air harbor receives regular flights from Athens, Thessaloniki (Aegean Airlines, Ryanair), Munich (Aegean Airlines), charters from Larnaca (Blueair), Tel Aviv, Oslo, Stockholm, Vilnius, Bucharest (Aegean Airlines), Belgrade (Air Serbia) .

There are no direct regular flights from Russian cities, but sometimes charter flights are launched during the summer season. It is much easier to fly to Heraklion first. One of the largest international airports in Greece is located here, which receives flights from Moscow and many other regions of Russia. From the airport you need to get to the Heraklion bus station (bus number 78), and from there change to a regular bus to Chania. Travel time is about 3 hours.

However, if you are going to vacation in the west of Crete, then, of course, it is better to fly to Chania.

Flights to Chania:

From the airport to Chania

As for transport links between Ioannis Daskalogiannis Airport and the city of Chania, getting to your destination will not be difficult. Buses depart from the terminal to the city daily according to the following schedule: first bus at 7:15, then at 9:15, 10:40, 14:15, 16:50 and 18:50. The last one departs at 21:15. Travel time is 30 minutes.

For those who do not want to wait for the bus, there are taxi counters to Chania near the terminal. But it’s better to reserve a convenient time and a suitable car before your arrival.

Ferry to Chania

You can get to Chania by sea from mainland Greece. The room is home to the large modern port of Souda. It receives ferries and cruise ships. Most often, tourists arrive here from the Athens port of Piraeus. The journey from the capital of Greece lasts approximately 10 hours. And luxury liners, which inevitably attract the attention of Cretans and tourists, make a stop during Mediterranean cruises from Israel and Southern Europe.

Another port of Chania is located in Kissamos. It is 43 km away from the city and connects Chania by ferry with Corfu, Gythio and Kalamata. Ferries from Athens (Piraeus) operate three times a week. On the way to Chania, they make stops on other Greek islands.

Souda Port is located 6.5 km from Chania (15 minutes drive). The easiest way to cover such a short distance is by taxi. Also, buses run between the two points from 6:00 to 23:00 every 20 minutes. They depart from the port terminal and stop at the central market of Chania. From the port of Kissamos you can reach Chania in 60 minutes. The final stop is KTEL Chanion.

How to get to Chania from other regions of Crete

Crete has excellent intercity transport links. Therefore, you can get to Chania for at least a couple of days from the major settlements of the island.

From Rethymno, intercity transport departs from the bus station. The distance to Chania is 55 km, approximately 50 minutes on the road. KTEL buses operate daily and go through Kavros, Georgioupolis and Vrisses. The first bus leaves at 6:00 (on weekends - at 7:00) and then every hour until 23:00. The trip will cost 6.7 euros.

From Heraklion bus station, the distance to Chania is 103 km (3 hours travel time). Buses run daily, every hour from 5:30 to 21:30, and also at 12:00 along the old road (except weekends). The route Heraklion - Chania runs through the village of Bali, then through Rethymno and Georgioupolis. The trip will cost approximately 15 euros. There are no buses from Agios Nikolaos to Chania. First you need to get to Heraklion.

All buses in Crete are comfortable, air-conditioned and much safer and cheaper to travel than rented cars. But in some cases, tourists prefer to call a taxi. A trip from the center of Rethymno to Chania can cost between 75 and 90 euros. You can get from the center of Heraklion to Chania by taxi for 170-190 euros. From Agios Nikolaos, Elounda - for 240-280 euros, and from Ierapetra - for 310 euros.

To Chania - by rented car

Numerous rental offices offer their services to tourists arriving in Crete. You can rent a car at the representative offices of Avis, Sixt, Hertz, Suropcar, Firefly. During peak season (from the beginning of July) the price per day will be approximately 45 euros, per week - 192 euros. In the low season (spring or with the arrival of autumn) - from 33 euros per day and from 110 euros per week. It is worth remembering that rental companies have the right to increase the price if the client is under 25 years old.

It is best to rent a car at the airport, for example at Heraklion airport, and use this car to get to Chania.

Please note that it is better to book a car in advance - in the middle of summer there are not enough cars.

Getting to Chania by car from other regions of Crete is very easy. A national highway runs along the entire northern coast of the island, connecting all the main cities of Crete. She also passes by Chania. You just need to not miss the right turn. But the road signs in Crete are fine, and there are several turns in the city area.

To Chania by taxi

If you don’t want to burden yourself with renting a car and feel more free, then the best option- get to Chania by taxi. You can order a car from anywhere in Crete, the main thing is to do it in advance. Use the order form at the beginning of the article.

All articles about Chania and Western Crete. Complete encyclopedia: beaches, hotels, resorts, attractions, tourist routes, museums, transport and much more.