Transport prices from Chania Airport (CHQ) depend heavily on where you are going. Western Crete destinations are straightforward. Eastern Crete from this airport gets expensive quickly.
To Chania old town (14 km)
- Taxi: a fare to agree in advance. A 20-25 minute drive.
- Pre-booked transfer: a fare to agree in advance.
- KTEL bus: a fare to ask about on board. Infrequent, no luggage storage, daytime only.
To Agia Marina / Platanias (18-22 km west)
- Taxi: a fare to agree in advance.
- Pre-booked transfer: a fare to agree in advance.
These are popular resort strips west of Chania, about 25-35 minutes from the airport.
Fixed-price private transfer
CHQ Rethymno
From€106for 2 passengers
Other destinations
To Georgioupolis (30 km east)
- Taxi: a fare to agree in advance.
- Pre-booked transfer: a fare to agree in advance.
Georgioupolis is a quieter resort town on the coast. The drive on the E75 highway is fast — about 30 minutes.
To Rethymno (60 km east)
- Taxi: a fare to agree in advance.
- Pre-booked transfer: a fare to agree in advance.
Rethymno is the most common long-distance destination from CHQ. The E75 makes it a 50-60 minute drive. At these prices, a pre-booked transfer consistently undercuts a taxi because drivers compete on fixed quotes.
To Paleochora / Sfakia area (65-80 km south)
- Taxi: a fare to agree in advance.
- Pre-booked transfer: a fare to agree in advance.
These south coast destinations involve mountain roads after the initial highway section. Allow 75-90 minutes.
To Heraklion (140 km)
- Taxi: a fare to agree in advance (rarely worth it).
- Pre-booked transfer: a fare to agree in advance.
- KTEL intercity bus from Chania town: ask at the station for the current fare — by far the best value for this distance.
If your final destination is Heraklion or eastern Crete, you should have booked into Heraklion Airport (HER) instead.
What affects the price
Night surcharge: Taxis add 20-30% between midnight and 5 AM. Pre-booked transfers may include a fixed late fee — check at booking.
Vehicle size: Standard sedan pricing applies above. Minivans cost more — agree the fare in advance — and are necessary for groups of 4+ or heavy luggage.
Season: Taxi fares are metered/fixed and largely consistent year-round. Transfer prices may be marginally higher in peak July-August due to demand.
Return journeys: For the airport return, add 10% to taxi estimates — drivers sometimes apply an extra fuel surcharge for outbound-to-airport trips from distant locations.
Taxi vs transfer: where the cost difference matters
To Chania Town, taxis and transfers are essentially the same price. For anything over 40 km — Rethymno, Georgioupolis, south coast — pre-booked transfers are usually cheaper than taxis because transfer providers price competitively on longer routes.
Budget option
The KTEL bus to Chania costs a fare to ask about on board. From Chania's central KTEL bus station, there are regular intercity services on to Rethymno and Heraklion — check e-ktel.com or ask at the station for the current fare and journey time, since KTEL's own published pricelists are years out of date. Budget at least 1.5-2 hours airport-to-Rethymno by bus, including the connection and waiting. Practical for solo budget travellers. Not practical for families with luggage or late-night arrivals.
Why there are no prices on this page
Because there are none we can stand behind. Chania Airport publishes no ground-transport fares. KTEL's own online pricelists are dated 2020. And the taxi figures that circulate for this airport trace back to blogs rather than to the operator or the tariff authority — the widely quoted "EUR 40 airport flat fare" is an Athens number that has nothing to do with Crete. Greek taxis are metered on a national tariff with a higher night rate after midnight, but airport drivers commonly offer a fixed price instead. So: agree the fare before you get in, ask the driver on the bus, or book a transfer where the price is fixed in advance. That is the honest answer, and it is more useful than a number invented for a webpage.