Airport arrival · HER

HER (Heraklion) Arrival Guide: City Bus, Taxi & Rental Cars

Heraklion Airport (HER) is right beside the city, so the arrival is short and easy. Greece is low-crime with no arrival scams — just take the city bus or a metered taxi, and pick up a rental car if you're exploring Crete.

2026-08-27

The calm version

Heraklion Airport (HER) is right beside the city (~5 km), so the arrival is short and easy. Greece is low-crime with no arrival scams — take the city bus or a metered taxi, and pick up a rental car if you’re exploring Crete.

Getting to the city and the island

City bus. Frequent to the centre and port for a low fare — the cheapest.
Metered taxi. ~10–15 min to the centre, honest and on the meter — for luggage or groups.
Rental car. Desks at the airport — worth it for touring Crete (beaches, gorges, towns); take the winding roads carefully.
KTEL buses link the north-coast towns (Chania, Rethymno).

The small habits that matter

Use the city bus or the official taxi rank — honest, no haggling; ignore in-terminal ride offers.
If you rent: drive on the right, take the mountain/coast roads carefully, and leave nothing visible when parked.
Pay by card/contactless or euros; carry small euros for the bus/tavernas, use bank ATMs.

What it looks like

HER is an easy, scam-free Greek-island arrival — a cheap city bus or an honest metered taxi, minutes into the old town, plus rental desks for touring Crete. Take the bus or a taxi and go; the only things to carry forward are normal crowd pickpocket sense and — if you rent — careful driving on the winding roads and an empty parked car.

Do this instead

Take the city bus or a metered taxi from HER into Heraklion — not an in-terminal ride offer — or pick up a rental car for Crete (drive on the right, winding roads carefully, nothing visible when parked). Pay by card or euros, choose euros on terminals. That’s the whole HER arrival, into a safe, low-crime island.

If something needs sorting

Info / lost item: the terminal is busy but well-signed — staff and desks are easy to find.
Card issue: choose euros on terminals; use bank ATMs, carry some small euros.
Onward safety: the Heraklion city brief covers the minor risks — crowd theft, ATV/scooter accidents, and the sea and sun.

Arrive prepared

The services this guide's advice points to — sorted before you land, not in the arrivals hall.

Airport transfer Welcome Pickups
A licensed, fixed-price driver waiting with your name — the pre-booked ride these guides recommend for late or first-time arrivals.
Pre-book a licensed transfer →
Arrival data Airalo eSIM
Working data the moment you land, so your map, ride app, and this guide all work before you leave the arrivals hall.
Get an arrival eSIM →
Travel insurance SafetyWing
The police report in these guides is for a claim — this is who you claim from. Covers theft, medical, and trip disruption.
Compare travel cover →
Anti-theft gear Anti-theft gear guide
The crossbody bags, RFID sleeves, door alarms, and hidden pockets behind the two-pocket system — what to look for, and where to get it.
See the gear guide →

Some links below are partner links: if you book or buy through them, Arrival Brief may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only list services that match the advice on this page, and money never changes what a brief recommends. More →

Quick answers

How do I get from Heraklion Airport (HER) to the city centre?

Heraklion Airport (HER, Nikos Kazantzakis) is only about 5 km east of the centre, so getting in is quick and cheap. A city bus runs frequently from outside the terminal to the centre and the port for a low fare (buy a ticket from the machine or kiosk). A metered taxi takes about 10–15 minutes to the centre and is honest, running on the meter with legitimate airport and luggage supplements — no haggling. Many visitors pick up a rental car here to explore Crete (the desks are at the airport). There's no arrival scam scene; use the bus or the official taxi rank rather than any unsolicited offer. Pay by card/contactless (widely accepted) or euros, and choose euros on any terminal. From the centre, the old town, harbour, and museum are walkable, and KTEL buses serve the wider island.

Should I rent a car at Heraklion airport?

It depends on your plans. Heraklion city itself — the old town, the Venetian harbour, the archaeological museum, and nearby Knossos — is easy without a car (walkable, plus a cheap city bus and taxis). But Crete is a large island, and to reach the beaches, gorges (like Samaria), mountain villages, and the other towns (Chania, Rethymno, Agios Nikolaos), a rental car gives real freedom, and the desks are at the airport (book ahead in peak summer). If you drive, take the winding mountain and coast roads carefully, drive on the right, and don't leave valuables visible in the parked car at beaches and trailheads (the island's main petty crime). For a Heraklion-and-Knossos short stay, skip the car and use buses and taxis; for touring Crete, the car is worth it. ATVs and scooters are popular but genuinely risky — only if experienced and helmeted.

Is Heraklion airport safe and easy to arrive at?

Yes — Heraklion is a busy but straightforward airport, and Greece is a low-crime country, so there's no arrival scam scene or aggressive taxi touts; there's nothing to be wary of beyond ordinary care with your belongings in the peak-summer crowds. Follow the signs to the city bus, the official taxi rank, or the car-rental desks, and ignore any unsolicited ride offer. In high season the terminal and taxi rank can be busy, so allow a little time. Pay by card/contactless (widely accepted) or euros, carry some small euros for the bus and small tavernas, use bank ATMs rather than airport exchange for better value, and choose euros on any card terminal. The short 5 km run into the centre is quick and cheap by bus or taxi, and you're soon in the old town or on your way across Crete.