Ferry follow-up...Santorini to Crete
Jun 7th, 2005, 07:29 PM
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Ferry follow-up...Santorini to Crete
Looking at the schedules on the websites of Hellas and Blue Star, I do not see that one can take a ferry from Santorini to Chania. The port destination on Crete would be...? Thanks for any help.
Jun 7th, 2005, 10:45 PM
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Blue Star Ferries don't run to Crete. There are various other options which are summarised on this site:
http://www.cretetravel.com/To_and_fr..._Santorini.htm
With the exception of one weekly trip to Rethimnon, the port to use is Iraklion. The bus station there is near the quay and has buses every half to Hania.
http://www.cretetravel.com/To_and_fr..._Santorini.htm
With the exception of one weekly trip to Rethimnon, the port to use is Iraklion. The bus station there is near the quay and has buses every half to Hania.
Jun 8th, 2005, 06:07 AM
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Geoff, what about renting a car in Heraklion for a week, driving to Chania, then when my husband departs for Athens, driving myself to the Crete Maris conference center near Knossis (Or returning the car to Heraklion and catching public transit to the conference center?) Opinions ab d advice appreciated.
Jun 13th, 2005, 09:45 AM
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A car is definitely most desirable, if not a must, on Crete. Last month we took the Flying Dolphin from Santorini to Iraklio (Heraklion, various other spellings), did the museum on foot and Knossos by #2 bus the following day, then picked up a rental car the morning after. (Most exciting part of the trip was getting the rental car, a brand new one inspected by the Avis employee with a magnifying glass and pronounced without a blemish or mark, out of the parking lot and down several alleys with cars and cycles parked everywhere.)
We drove to Hania via Phaestos and then around that part of Crete. What I don't usually see here is reports of getting lost due to roads and "highways" not having names or numbers. At every cross road, you're at the mercy of signs with arrows, which are there 2 times out of 3 and usually, but not always, have some semi-English translations (though often faded). Expect an adventure or two finding your way (even the national highway detour at Rethymno had a sign indicating that you should turn right - a road which shortly led into the sea - to rejoin the highway). And realize that you'll see some spectacular scenery while you're lost (or confused?) but that Crete is small enough that eventually you'll manage to get where you're going, even if not the most direct way. Just don't cut it too close to a flight, ferry, or meeting. Although I had read that signage on Akrotiri penninsula was unusually poor, we found it better marked than many other places and were able to visit a couple of monasteries before returning the car at the Hania airport in plenty of time for our flight. Just be prepared for it taking longer than you expect to get somewhere. (My husband, who has never asked directions in his life when I was a witness, soon lost his pride and began stopping at gas stations to make sure we were where we thought - hoped? - we were. And good thing at least once since we had missed a turn 12 km before.)
Have fun.
We drove to Hania via Phaestos and then around that part of Crete. What I don't usually see here is reports of getting lost due to roads and "highways" not having names or numbers. At every cross road, you're at the mercy of signs with arrows, which are there 2 times out of 3 and usually, but not always, have some semi-English translations (though often faded). Expect an adventure or two finding your way (even the national highway detour at Rethymno had a sign indicating that you should turn right - a road which shortly led into the sea - to rejoin the highway). And realize that you'll see some spectacular scenery while you're lost (or confused?) but that Crete is small enough that eventually you'll manage to get where you're going, even if not the most direct way. Just don't cut it too close to a flight, ferry, or meeting. Although I had read that signage on Akrotiri penninsula was unusually poor, we found it better marked than many other places and were able to visit a couple of monasteries before returning the car at the Hania airport in plenty of time for our flight. Just be prepared for it taking longer than you expect to get somewhere. (My husband, who has never asked directions in his life when I was a witness, soon lost his pride and began stopping at gas stations to make sure we were where we thought - hoped? - we were. And good thing at least once since we had missed a turn 12 km before.)
Have fun.
