As mentioned in my previous post, you can get around Crete by bus or public transportation. It is cheap, clean and very well organized.
Like other Mediterranean islands, including countries (Malta and Cyprus, for example), the only mean of public transport in Crete is by bus, divided in local and inter-city.
Local buses are the ones that serve the big cities, mainly Heraklion and Chania and their surrounding neighborhoods or towns.
Here you can view all the bus lines that connect several areas in Heraklion, including Karteros (which is a small town east of Heraklion, where locals usually go to the beach – Paralia Karteros). Timetables are updated constantly and I can confirm that it is also available on Google Maps. The delays were minor, last time I waited 5mins over the schedule listed on Maps.
Heraklion urban buses are divided in 2 main zones: The Yellow Zone (or A) and the Blue Zone (or B). Zone A is mainly the city area, including the airport and the ticket colour is orange, one ticket costs 1.10E. Zone B includes the city as well, but also neighboring cities or villages, such as Knossos or Karteros. The ticket colour is blue and one ticket costs 1.5E. These prices are available ONLY if you buy the tickets in advance from: vending machines in the bus stations, small shops located near the stations that have ΕΙΣΙΤΗΡΙΑ sign (or you can just ask) or from ticket offices (airport and central bus station). You can also pay at the driver, but it will be 1E extra and they mainly accept cash payment. Public transport is not free, therefore you must show your ticket to the driver or purchase it from them. You also have the option of a monthly pass, that includes all zones. The price is 60E
Similar to Heraklion Urban Bus, it offers bus services in Chania and adjacent areas. On their website you can find the areas allocated to Zone A and Zone B as well as ticket prices, which are similar to the ones in the Heraklion area.
The other main cities, Rethymno and Agios Nikolaos, do not have urban bus services, as they are smaller than Heraklion or Chania.
Both mentioned above look like a typical city bus, getting on is possible only through front door (to make sure you pay or validate your ticket) and getting off is possible through the middle door. Also, keep in mind that the buses DO NOT STOP in stations if there is no-one waiting and if you do not press the STOP button located on the safety bars inside the bus. If you wait in the station and there are multiple lines that stop there, make sure you wave to the driver.
Inter-city or cross-island
Connection between main cities and important tourist points is made via KTEL buses. They are a little different than the urban ones, meaning that they are the standard 60 seat buses, like those that are used by travel agencies and are branded with the Minoan Lines logo.
Major cities (Heraklion, Chania, Rethymno, Sitia, Agios Nikolaos, Ierapetra) have a Central Bus Station, centrally located (walking distance from city center) , air conditioned, with toilets and eating and drinking facilities. Small cities or towns only have bus station on the main road, especially the National Road that connects Kissamos to Sitia
Now, this is divided in two major regions:
On their websites you can find the schedule, departures and you can also buy online tickets. Now, there are some things you should take into consideration:
· If you go from Heraklion to Rethymno or Chania, check the schedule and buy tickets from ktelherlas.gr
· If you go from Chania or Rethymno to Heraklion, check the schedule and buy tickets from e-ktel.com
· If you plan to go from Agios Nikolaos to Rethymno, first take the bus to Heraklion and change there
· Same as above applies if you plan to go from Chania-Rethymno to any city in Heraklion or Lasithi prefecture
· You can purchase your tickets online, from the websites mentioned, from the central bus stations and from the bus assistant. When you take the bus from a station that does not have a ticket office, you can pay your ticket at the assistant. In this case, CASH ONLY, they don’t have POS.
· Keep your ticket for the entire trip! I don’t have driver’s license, so I used the public transport quite a lot and I have had the chance to meet “extra ticket inspectors”. They wear a black shirt branded with the KTEL logo
· If the bus is full, the driver will not take any new passengers for safety reasons.
· In the summer, there are a lot of buses that connect the main cities with the surrounding tourist attractions. Check the schedule on the websites.
· They leave ON TIME. If you booked your ticket online, make sure you get at the station 10 minutes earlier.
· Check the bays and their departures, pay attention to the announcements, as you would do in the airport.
· Eating and drinking is not allowed in the bus
· They do not stop between stations, there is no bio or cigarette break
· Ask the assistant if you have any doubt or where you should drop off
· The bus ride is longer than a car ride, so expect longer arrival times and plan accordingly
Happy Holidays!
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