We recently spent a month traveling around Crete, and Chania was our favorite place on the entire island!
It’s such a beautiful, historic town with charming streets, great food, and fun nightlife. However, all the best things to do are actually quite a drive from the city.
Also, you’ll need to take a day trip to places like Balos Beach, Falassarna, Elafonisi Beach, Rethymnon, or Heraklion.
We were surprised at how spread out everything was, but it made us really, really glad that we rented our own car! It was so nice to be able to travel around Crete at our own pace without having to worry about the bus route.
Renting a car in Chania was also very affordable. The daily rate was less than a one-way taxi from the airport to Chania Old Town!
In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how we found an affordable car rental, what’s required (legally), how to choose the right vehicle, and a few tips for taking a road trip through Crete!
Our Car rental Experience in Chania
Do you Really Need a car in chania?
No, you don’t NEED a car to enjoy Chania, but it’s so convenient and can save you a lot of money.
But if you decide not to rent a car, Chania does have decent public transportation. There’s a bus station right in the center of the city that has routes all over Eastern Crete. Then, if you want to go further west, you can just take a bus from Chania to Heraklion/Rethymno and transfer to a separate route.
There’s no Uber in Crete, but there are also taxis for shorter trips. However, we would never recommend you take an intercity taxi because anything over 30 kilometers is absurdly expensive.
Was it worth renting a car?
We are so glad we rented a car in Crete. We flew into Chania airport and picked up our car there.
I was nervous because it was my first time driving in Europe, and it had been years since I had driven a manual (stick shift). Sarah may tell a different story, but I like to think that I got the hang of it pretty quickly.
It made our time so much more enjoyable. We saw significantly more of Crete than we would have otherwise, took day trips to less touristy places (like Katholiko Monastery), and created our own itineraries around the island.
Essential Information
Before we get into all the details, here are the most important things to know before booking a rental car in Chania.
Typical Cost of Renting a Car in Chania
The cost of a rental car in Crete varies dramatically, depending on the type of car needed and when you travel to the island.
For example, a one-week rental in June is $100-125. But if you look at the same rental in August (peak travel season), the same car with the same agency jumps to $250. Similarly, if you travel during shoulder season, you can get a vehicle for extremely cheap.
In October, we found a rental car for less than $85/week!
What Type of Car to Rent
We rented a small compact car in Chania, which was helpful for several reasons. First of all, it was a lot cheaper than a larger SUV, but it also made parking around Chania way easier.
Smaller cars also tend to get better gas mileage, which saved us even more money in the end!
Rental cars with manual transmissions are significantly cheaper than cars with automatic transmissions. You can save a ton of money if you know how to drive a manual car. A manual car costs €350 for two weeks in Crete, while an automatic car costs nearly €600!
Crete was my first time driving a manual transmission (outside a parking lot), and trying to learn on the go was not a great idea.
Luckily, we had a friend meeting us for the first few days, and he knew what he was doing and helped me practice. If you don’t know how to drive a stick shift, we’d encourage you to bite the bullet and get an automatic vehicle.
Can You pick up a rental car at chania airport?
Yes, you can pick up your car at the Chania Airport, but only certain agencies have their offices right upon arrival.
We used Rental Center Crete, whose office was about 500 meters down the road. You can take a taxi, but we only had one suitcase and a couple of backpacks, so we decided to walk.
On the way, we noticed that quite a few local agencies have offices on the street from the airport. If you’re nervous about carrying all of your stuff, you could ask if they offer pickup at the airport or just grab a quick taxi to the rental office!
Age Requirements
The legal age requirement for renting a car in Greece is 21, but expect to pay a little extra if you’re under 25. This ‘young driver’ fee is pretty standard no matter where you travel.
The law also requires the driver to hold their license for at least one year before renting a car.
Do I Need an International Driver’s License?
When you pick up a rental car anywhere in Greece, they will require that you show a valid Driver’s License from your home country, and if you aren’t from another country in the EU, you’ll also need an International Driver’s Permit.
In our experience, they’re pretty inexpensive and easy to get. You can visit your local Automobile Association or get one online in just a few minutes.
You should also be aware that this applies to all drivers. So, if you select to have additional drivers when making your reservation, they will also need an IDP.
How to Find a Reliable Rental Agency
If you want to take your chances (or maybe you are already IN Chania), you could simply walk around to different rental car agencies and see if they have any in-person specials.
But there’s really no ‘bargaining’ for a rental here.
We noticed over 20 rental car agencies within walking distance of the airport. Most of them also have offices in the city. Most are on Kidonias Street and side streets west of the Chania Bus Station.
Best Car Agencies in Chania
Driving is one of the most popular ways to see Crete, and the demand continues to grow, so there are many companies offering rentals.
You can find all the large, multinational companies, like AVIS, Hertz, and Enterprise.
However, we like to use local agencies whenever possible, so we used a smaller agency called Rental Center Crete.
Not only were they one of the most affordable places to rent a vehicle, but they also had great reviews, an office at the airport, and the staff was easy to work with!
All the cars at the rental center were super clean and relatively new. Our car had just 22000 kilometers (13,670 miles) on the odometer!
We also were really happy with how efficient they were. The registration process took less than 10 minutes.
What’s the cheapest car rental company in Chania?
No company is consistently cheaper than the rest. It really depends on the time of year and each agency’s availability. That’s why we love using this website to scan all local & international companies to find the best deals.
But we can tell you that it’s always pretty affordable! During shoulder season (October), we saw plenty of cars for as little as €15/day.
However, a more realistic expectation for the summer months is between €25-30/day for a rental car.
That’s the same price as renting a scooter in Crete and way cheaper than taking taxis or a guided tour whenever you want to travel outside the city.
Can I rent a Car in Chania and Return it to Heraklion?
Yes, you can rent a car in Chania and then return it to Heraklion. Almost every car rental agency has an office at both airports.
For us, it would have cost €50 extra.
If you are short on time and want to see both sides of the island, this may be the best option. It will save you over three hours of extra driving between Chania and Heraklion.
Tips for Renting a Car in Chania
1. Parking in Chania
Believe it or not, parking in Chania is usually free! We have a complete guide to parking in Chania to help you know the law and find free parking throughout the city.
Expect to pay about €2/hour or €12/per day at the public parking lots around Chania.
Most hotels don’t have free parking, especially in Old Town Chania. That’s why we made sure to book an apartment slightly outside the city so that there would be some street parking available. Always double-check that your hotel has free parking or easy street parking nearby.
2. Getting Petrol in Chania
Finding petrol/gas around Chania is pretty easy, but you must drive a little outside of the city. There aren’t any gas stations in Old Town Chania or near the town beaches.
Gas costs €1.98/liter, which is comparable to most European cities. Plus, if you take our advice and get a compact car, you’ll rarely need to fill up.
We drove around the entire island, from Chania to Rethymno, Matala, Plakias, Elafonisi, the Knossos Ruins, and Agios Nikolaos. Yet, we only had to fill up our car twice!
3. Long-Term Rentals are Much Cheaper
The most expensive rentals are for just 1-2 days, no matter which car you choose. So, you can save a lot of money by renting a car for a week or longer.
For instance, in late July/early August (the most expensive time to rent a car in Crete), here are the average costs
- 3 Days – $140
- 1 Week – $250
- 2 Weeks – $505
As you can see, it’s not much cheaper once you get over a week, but we were able to find a 1-month rental for less than $350 by traveling off-peak season.
4. Get Insurance to Rent a Car in Chania
You are only required to have liability coverage on your vehicle in Crete, which almost all rental agencies provide.
But we really like getting additional insurance (full coverage) with our rental car, and we highly encourage you to do the same.
Not only have we been scammed by rental agencies with charges over $1000 for a cracked windshield, but Crete is quite a rugged island, so you don’t want to be on the hook if you get into an accident or accidentally damage the car.
When we get full coverage insurance through DiscoverCars, it’s only $5-7/day.
On our trip to Madeira, we hit a fallen rock on the road and blew out the tire. Luckily, we had full coverage on our rental car. Otherwise, we would have been on the hook for over $300.
5. Rent a car directly at the Chania Airport
The Chania Airport is small enough that it’s not hard to navigate and pick up a rental car shortly after you arrive.
This will save you money on a taxi from Chania Airport to Old Town and a lot of time. Otherwise, you’ll have to spend the evening (or the following morning) finding your way to the rental agency and picking up the vehicle.
It’s just way easier to get it at the airport and be on your way!
6. Don’t Drive to Balos Beach
This is a controversial subject, but driving to one of Chania’s most popular day trips is not easy.
Balos Beach is certainly worth visiting, but you should take a ferry instead of driving.
It’s possible to drive, but the road is extremely difficult to navigate, and most rental car agencies require you to sign a contract stating that you won’t take the car to Balos Beach. This contract also states that once a car turns onto the road to Balos Beach, it is no longer insured.
We genuinely prefer to do day trips on our own whenever possible, but it wasn’t worth the risk.
You can find a ferry to Balos from Kissamos for €30.
7. Follow the Speed Limit
We noticed that seeing a speed limit sign in Chania was very rare. The highways have them occasionally, and it seems they are always between 80 and 90km/h.
However, all unmarked roads in small towns/villages across Crete have a maximum speed limit of 45km/h).
If you take your time and drive cautiously, then you’ll likely be under the speed limit.
Final Thoughts: Chania Car Rental
We absolutely loved our time in Chania. We spent 10 days exploring the city, and having our own transportation is one of the reasons that we found it so worthwhile.
Just make sure to get a reliable rental agency with good reviews, and if you really want to save money (on both your rental car and hotels), avoid June – August and travel off-peak season.
We always find the best prices on DiscoverCars and trust them the most. When we busted our tire, the customer service was excellent, and we received our money within 2 days.
So that’s who we personally use.
If you’re unsure where to go, two of our favorite beaches around Chania are each less than 30 minutes from Old Town: Seitan Limania and Stavros Beach!
