Crete questions
 

We will be on Crete for 5 days.

I have a number of questions about time needed for things.

We will not have a car and will be taking KTEL buses between cities.

We are currently planning the following schedule:

Day 1: Iraklion Archeology Museum (stay Iraklion)
Day 2: Knosos, late afernoon bus to Rethymno(stay Rethymno)
Day 3: Rethymno, late afternoon bus to Chania (stay Chania)
Day 4: Samarian Gorge (Stay Chania)
Day 5: Chania, late afternoon flight to Athens

1. Is it possible to do the Iraklion Archeology Museum and Knossos in one day? How long should we plan for each if we go at a relaxed pace?

2. If we collapse Day 1 & 2 into one day, should we stay the night in Iraklion or go on to Rethymno?

3. If we go to Rethymno in the morning, should we stay the night or move on to Chania? How long should we spend on Rethymno.

Thanks

You can easily do Knossos and the Museum in one day. You need 3 hours + for Knossos (understand there are people who've spent a lifetime there).

I wouldn't stay in Iraklion if you don't have cause to. Rethymnon is much nicer.

However it's not as nice as Chania so move on if you can. 2 or 3 hours tehre would be pleasant and, to my mind, enough

Okay so if we free up a day by condensing Knossos and the Archeology Museum - what do we do with the extra day.

Has anyone tried scuba diving on the North Coast? Where would be the best spot if we were to spend our extra day doing this?

Be aware that if you aren't on Crete June-Aug. that the museum will close at 2 (I think - maybe 3) so you'll need to go in the morning. You can get the #2 bus from near the museum and get to Knossos in about 20 min. or so. Iraklio isn't as bad as people say, I don't think (along with a few others who comment from time to time) and certainly better to stay there than make a long trek back from somewhere else for the museum and Knossos. If you stay downtown, be sure to have a meal at (H) Ippocampus (can't remember if they use the H at the restaurant, not in the guide books, or vice versa). Anyway it's the first outdoor cafe to the left where 29 August St. dead ends at the road around the harbor. The cheapest and among the best ouzeria meals we got in Greece.

I have been to all the places you mention, apart from the museum in Heraklion. I agree with Sheila that you need at least 3-4 hours at Knossos. We arrived early in the morning as it opened and it was great, as it got quite packed by lunchtime as we on the way out. I too, wouldn't recommend staying in Heraklion. There are lots of lovely bays on the way to Rethymnon, we stopped at Agia Gallini for lunch and I think it's worth an overnight stay. You could then make your way to Rethymnon and resume your schedule.

However, if you didn't want to do this I would recommend you stay in Chania for 3 nights as it is a lovely town with so much to see. Don't get me wrong, Rethymnon is nice (That's where we stayed) but Chania is nicer!

So sorry! Meant to say Agia Pelagia not Gallini, which is on the south coast. We went all over Crete and I'm getting my beaches mixed up!

Another lovely place is Georgiopoulis, which is on the way from Rethymnon to Chania, well worth a visit!

Hi. Can anyone tell us how big Chania is? Thanks and have a wonderful time, Matrex. J.

JM - According to my guidebook the population of Chania is about 53 000.

Could someone please verify the closing time for the Archeological Museum? According to my guidebooks - Lonely Plane (usually pretty good) and Frommers (old though) - it closes at about 7 pm until mid October.

Thanks

The Museum's opening hours are on this page:-

http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21123m/e211wm01.html

Until October it's open to 7pm. I think that it's open most days in winter to 7pm as well, but I don't have my museum guide at work with me.

Chania has a population of just over 50,000. Is that what you wanted to know?