Tired of asking for information the taxi drivers or at the corner kiosks? Here is your Chania transportation guide.
As the time passes on, the distinction between being a traveller or being a tourist in a foreign country is becoming more & more clear in today's world.
Having been an international traveller myself since the times, smart phones & wi-fi were not an option, slowly & consistently I have created my own traveller status.
It is more about having daily experiences that you might carry back home.
Like when you're trying to communicate with people that have different culture, language, using the local means of transportation that they use, tasting the flavours they do, discovering cafés & restaurants or even watching the local football team while trying to understand the local newspaper.
With this in mind, connecting all the above with our beautiful city of Chania, we have created a handy guide of Chania Travellers’ Information; the ways to get around Chania & some local unwritten rules.
We hope that people who are looking for something beyond being around a swimming pool drinking all inclusive beers & ouzo, will find this information useful.
HOW TO GET AROUND IN CHANIA (if you don't like walking so much):
- Taxi Terminals:
You may find several taxi terminals in Chania with plenty of vehicles available, so no worries. There might be some delays during the high season night time. The most popular taxi rides are priced on a board, just where the taxi terminal is. So you'll know in advance what you supposed to pay.
- Radio Taxi Companies:
There are a couple Radio taxi companies in Chania, with good services. Have in mind that there is an extra service fee to cover, because of the phone call. During high season (July-September) make sure that you'll not make last minute calls as you might be on the line waiting for an answer, for a long time.
Always ask for the estimated time of arrival & your taxi number.
Now let's dive into the real thing. Local Chania busses!!
- Local Public Busses (Blue & White coloured):
Chania Urban Busses is a very popular mean of transportation for the local population. They are going around or through the different neighborhoods of Chania. Some of them are really old, noisy & create a lot of smoke pollution. There are also some drivers that does not speak much English and official reports that state, that some of them have been unpolite.
So, better be prepared!
Make sure you have your ticket ready when you get on board or some coins to buy it from the driver (alternatively, you can buy your bus tickets from the white kiosks or coin machines, if any, at the bigger bus terminals or from other random places like super markets, cigarette kiosks etc.).
Do not risk trying to get your ticket with a 20 EURO bill or bigger on the bus!
There are very high chances that you’ll end up waiting for the next bus just because the driver hasn't got any change left!
Big plus: there is wi-fi connection inside the busses.
A very popular line is the one connecting Chania City with Agioi Apostoloi beach & every place between. This is usually a long double-bus which is super crowded during the high season months.
*bus line to the Hospital is # 24.
- Intercity Public Busses Green coloured (or KTEL for the locals)
Better known as KTEL or Green Busses, these intercity busses connect Chania city centre with many destinations all around the island of Crete.
Routes to Heraklion, Rethymno, Georgioupoli, Apokoronas, Sfakia, Palaiochora or Kastelli are only some of the popular destinations.
These busses also connect Chania city with the villages in country side or even carry the kids to school every day. During the summer season there are also busses or minibuses to famous beaches such as: Elafonissi, Falassarna or to the entrance of Samaria gorge. They keep updating their fleet and services. It is a nice & affordable way to travel on Crete.
Their website is easy to navigate: KTEL CHANIA-RETHYMNO.
- Public Chania Bicycles
A bike sharing system from the municipality of Chania, spreading the culture of pedals all around the city! New bicycle roads have been made downtown, making more easy & safe, the transportation with a bicycle.
Easy to use, free for up to 3 hours of use. There will be 1 EURO charge per hour till the first 24 hours of use. For more, visit the webpage of Chania Municipality: Bike Sharing System.
There are four bike terminals around the city. Be aware that some of the bikes are in a not so good or even bad condition. Check them well before you start riding (tires, brakes etc.).
1.East Terminal (Defkalion sq.)
2.West Termnial (Talos sq.)
3.Central South (Markopoulos sq.)
4.Central North (Katechaki sq.)
_________________________________________________________________________________
By presenting the most popular means of transportation in Chania, we completed our first chapter of our handy Chania Travel Information. Note that pedestrian streets downtown Chania are spreading all the time, while making our city life more beautiful & accessible. As you already know, walking is the best way of moving around and discovering a city.
We, at Bonnie and Clyde Urban Tours, have the vision of paving new roads in the Travel sector by creating lifetime experiences, while considering that travellers & eco-responsibility, are the core of our actions.
We promote walking, bicycles & public means of transportation as the best solution of moving around Chania, during the high season.
Car rental in Chania, is getting more expensive every year, with limited availability & an extremely high cost of gasoline.
Through our Non Touristy Tours we are creating life experiences that will follow you back home, together with a network of local people & businesses that we share the same values.
__________________________________________________________________________________
To stay in the loop of Travel & Beer news, fresh Blogs or Events, sign up to our Newsletter here.
Yes, this article is meant to help travellers make their way with more ease and stress-free in Chania. We hope this can help save travellers from some headaches!
This will come in handy for travelling in Chania. Very very useful, good job, useful article.