need help with Crete itinerary
 

I have 8 nights to spend in Crete in early October. I will be flying into Chania and leaving by ferry to Santorini. I plan to spend the first 4 nights in Chania. Should I spend the other 4 nights in Heraklion or split it up with 2 nights in Heraklion and 2 someplace else? If so, where would be a good place to stay the other 2 nights? Thanks for the help.


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Heraklion is a large city without much in the way of charm or character. As far as I know the Archaeological Museum isn't open, only some of the exhibits are avaiable to view. I wouldn't spend more than one full day and night there, assuming you're heading north afterwards back to Athens or on to another island.

Thanks for the advice about Heraklion. If I spend only one night in Heraklion and 4 nights in Chania, where do you suggest I spend the other 3 nights in Crete? I really appreciate the help.

If you have a car at your disposal stay in Chania, then drive to the south coast to Agia Galini or Matala, then drive up to Heraklion and drop the car off there.

To my mind, 8 days is not enough to do the far west AND the far east.

If it were me, I would do three days in Paleochoar in the far south west, then 4 nights in Chania, driving to Knossos early on the last day, seeing KNossos and such of teh Iraklion museum artefacts as are accessible, spending the night and getting the ferry next day.

An alternative MIGHT be 4 days based Chania, picking up Knossos on a longish day's drive to the far east- Palekastro or Makriyialos or somewhere; then get teh ferry from Sitia. But the timings need to be right for that.

What is Rethymnon like? Would that be a good choice for a couple of days?

Do you have any suggestions for a car rental place where I can pick up a car in Chania and drop it off in Heraklion?

Thanks so much for all the help.

Rethymnon has a few interesting features and is worth a visit however two nights is probably too long. I read somewhere that Rethymnon has its charm but you have to really look for it. That was an accurate statement.
It has a small Venetian harbour with a lighthouse but not nearly as grand as Chania. There is a very good Fortezza that will take a couple of hours to explore and there is a fountain dating from the 15th century in the old part of town.
There is an excellent beach but it is lined with hotels and the main road. We simply did not enjoy the beach because of the road.

We rented a car in Heraklion airport and just dropped it off there on our return. The company was Athens Rent a Car. It was quite inexpensive for two weeks. I do not know if they have a branch at Chania airport.

If you can arrange a drop off in Heraklion then you could spend a night in Rethymnon. I would suggest you stay away from the hotels lining the waterfront as they are noisy. Go into the old town and you will find lots of pension type rooms.

Shiela mentioned Palechora as a destination for a few nights. It is on the south coast on the Lybian Sea but when we were there it was so windy that one could not use the beach,
We much preferred Plakius south of Rethymnon. It is a town with no charm at all, however the town is only there to service the tourists who come for the excellent beach. There are lots of good tavernas. If you go look for Gio Ma it is a bogenvilla covered pension with ocean view. www.gioma.gr We went here for 1 night and stayed for 4. From there you can visit Prevelli Monastry and the palm lined beach at Prevelli.
Here are our pictures of the areas you are interested in.
http://travel.webshots.com/album/559511069PIlVxI

I just googled Athens cars crete and got the web site. They have 22 locations in Crete and their reservations form asks what city you want to pick up and what city you want to drop off so you certainly can rent in Chania and drop off in Heraklion.
Just a word about how they operate. They do not have a location at the airport so they will meet you at arrivals and you pay for the car right there and away yo go.
On drop off they do not meet you but they do have an area a hundred meters from the airport for car drop off. Instructions are minimal so I found their sign in the drop off area. Left the keys in the ignition locked the car and walked away. No problem.

When we did a similar trip, we spent four nights in Chania and four nights in the small town of Sitia in the far northeast. Lovely beaches with palm trees at the east end of Crete. That gave us time to drive back and forth into the interior and across the mountains from Chania, and then to explore the eastern end of the island in the final days. Of course a stop in Iraklion for the museum and Knossos, too.