Car rental Crete
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Car rental Crete

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Cancellation free of charge

Up to 24h before the start of the rental period.
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Book in time without risk

You can cancel any booking through us free of charge up to 24 hours before rental.

To cancel, simply let our service team know within our opening hours.

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Personal advice from our experts. Personal advice from our experts.

In Crete we recommend the following car hire offers

from 2 £ per day
Basic package

Good offers for a small budget

Mini
e.g. Fiat 500
7 Days from 27.12 - 03.01.2025
Example vehicle
from 2 £ per day
Economy

Small, agile and economical - that's all it takes!

e.g. Suzuki Alto
7 Days from 27.12 - 03.01.2025
Example vehicle
from 4 £ per day
All-round carefree package

This way nothing can go wrong - carefree and all inclusive!

Mini
e.g. Fiat 500
7 Days from 27.12 - 03.01.2025
Example vehicle

Hire a Car in Crete

If you travel to Crete in spring, you will not only benefit from pleasantly mild temperatures. In the off season, you can look forward to a little more peace and quiet and comfortably explore the numerous sights with a cheap hired car. A special highlight are the Caribbean beaches of Balos and Elafonisi in the west of the island. A visit to Crete's most beautiful harbour town of Chania is definitely a "must-see".

Look forward to pleasantly mild temperatures when you travel to Crete in autumn. Most of the time it's still bathing weather here. Explore the bay of Seitan Limani Beach, which has spectacular turquoise waters, with a cheap hired car. In addition to numerous beaches, a trip to the Knossos Palace near Heraklion is also recommended.

Crete by hired car: Discover the island

Kreta mit dem Mietwagen

Crete by hired car

Because Zeus was born here, Crete is often referred to as a divine island. The contrasting landscape with its important cultural treasures is perfect to discover with a hired car. The Mediterranean flair of Greece and last but not least the hospitality of the people make Crete an incomparable holiday destination. The extensively endemic flora contains an abundance of unknown and well-known flowers and herbs. Crete exerts an unbroken fascination not only on historically experienced visitors. Benefit from the price comparison on Driveboo and find the cheapest car hire offers.

Winter in Crete: pleasant temperatures await you

If you don't feel like cold temperatures in winter, book a flight and spend winter vacations in Crete. In Crete, you can enjoy some sun rays even in the winter months. In addition, the Greek island is relatively quiet at this time of year, as not so many tourists arrive. Take a hired car and explore the beautiful island on your own. Go on hikes, explore charming mountain villages and immerse yourself in the customs and traditions of the locals. A winter in Crete is definitely worth a trip.

Tips for car hire in Crete

The island of Crete with its 8,261 square kilometers is the largest island of Greece. In the ranking of the Mediterranean islands, Crete ranks 5th in terms of area.  With seventy-nine inhabitants per square kilometre, Crete is comparatively sparsely populated. About 174,000 people live in the capital Heraklion. Due to the low population density as well as the wild and lonely landscapes, a hired car is indispensable for the comprehensive discovery of Crete. In terms of landscape, Crete offers a great contrast between the Mediterranean sandy beaches and the rugged, snow-capped peaks of the three mountain ranges. In the Ida - mountains in the middle of the island lies Psiloritis, with 2456 meters the highest mountain of Crete. In the white mountains in the west, called Lefka Ori, lies the Pachnes with a height of 2445 meters. The third highest peak is the Dikti with a height of 2148 meters on the Lasithi plateau in the east of Crete.

By hired car through Crete

Gemeinsam Kreta erkunden

Explore Crete with your partner

To explore the 1020 km long coast of Crete by hired car theoretically requires about 15 hours of driving. The distance from east to west is about 250 km as the crow flies. The distance from north to south on the wasp waist near Ierapetra, the narrowest part of Crete, is 14 km. Crete's best transport infrastructure can be found on the north side of the island, where a well-developed motorway connects Kissamos in the west via Heraklion with Agios Nikolaos in the east. Along the route there are the most beautiful towns and the most important sights of Crete. Starting from Agios Nikolaos in the east, the enchanting city of Rethymno in the middle and the oriental-looking Hania in the west, Crete can be explored with a hired car.

Crete from above - an island from the picture book

The tourists arriving in Crete by plane land at one of the two island airports in Chania or Heraklion. It does not matter in which city you arrive or where you hire a car, as the distances between the two destinations are manageable. During the approach to Heraklion Airport you get a first impression of the landscape and of course of Heraklion itself. The view through the plane window falls on hilly stretches of land with breathtaking mountain ranges, meadows and fields as well as white sandy beaches where the waves of the Mediterranean break.

The international airports in Chania or Heraklion have retained the individual charm of a small airport, which allows you to quickly locate the rented car. If you leave the metropolises of Heraklion or Chania, the traffic calms down and you get used to driving on Crete in a short time. Already after the first few kilometers on the motorway, the Cretan tranquillity is noticeable, allowing enthusiastic views of the magnificent landscape on the way. With the hired car, the first day of your holiday in Greece is already a wonderful combination of pure relaxation and a great experience.

Highlights to visit in Crete with the hired car

  • Elafonissi Beach
  • Palace of Knossos
  • Heraklion Archaeological Museum
  • Venetian Harbour
  • Botanical Park & Gardens of Crete

Car hire in East Crete - Palm beaches and crystal clear water

Only fifty kilometres from Heraklion lies the 12,000 inhabitants - the city of Agios Nikolaos in Mirabello Bay. The former fishing village has developed over the years into the lively capital of the Lassithi prefecture and has a long tradition in the hotel industry. In ancient times, Agios Nikolaos was the harbour for the city of Lato, whose remains can be explored about five kilometres inland with a hired car. Numerous sandy beaches in the surrounding area allow relaxed sunbathing and relaxation.

View on Agios Nikolaos

View on Agios Nikolaos

Cathedral Agios Nikolaos

Cathedral Agios Nikolaos

Worth seeing is the island of Spinalónga in front of Eloúnda, whose various jetties are easily accessible by hired car. Venetians and Turkish occupiers left behind impressive buildings during the course of history, before a leprosy ward was operated on the island until 1957. A diversion to Gournia, the only completely uncovered Minoan city, is particularly worthwhile. Farther to the east is the easternmost city of Crete, the town of Sitía, with its 8,000 inhabitants and particularly beautifully situated. In the surrounding green oasis, the fruits for the high quality olive oil from Sitía grow as well as the famous Cretan wine.

Excursions by hired car to the inland of the island

In order to experience Crete comprehensively, one cannot avoid an excursion on the plateau of Lassithi. Starting from the motorway, the road with numerous hairpin bends spirals up until it reaches the Ambrélos pass. At an altitude of about nine hundred meters, the trail leads past dilapidated windmills and affords a magnificent view of the coastline between Heraklion and eastern Crete. The pass height of Ambrélos is also the entrance gate to the Lassithi plateau. At an average altitude of eight hundred meters, two thousand metres high snow-covered mountains frame green fields and orchards. When circumnavigating the six by nine kilometers plain, special attention should be paid to the village of Psichró, which seems inconspicuous at first glance. If you follow the narrow connecting road with your hired car, you will reach a cave of epochal importance: the birth cave of Zeus!

Ruins of Knossos in Crete

Ruins palace of Knossos

Romantic with oriental flair of bygone times, the nightlife in the city of Rethymno enchants with the Fortezza, the mighty fortress. But also during the day you can enjoy the magic of the small shops while strolling through the narrow lanes. In the west of Georgioupolis, pelicans can occasionally be observed at close range while bathing in the freshwater river. From Rethymno many roads lead to the hinterland, whose fascination can be easily and conveniently developed, especially for rental cars.

Crete's West - Discover impressive gorges by hired car

To the west of Chania the motorway ends, the settlement becomes thinner and the landscape is more pleasant. Even here you can find traces of long gone cities. Excavations in the ancient port city of Phalasarna await visitors on a trip to the lonely west of Crete. While the people in front of Knossos are often queuing up in line, in Phalasarna you are usually alone in the remains of the ancient port, which is situated a little inland. The formerly closed artificial war harbour was carved out of the coastal rock. In the 4th century AD, after tectonic activities, the ground rose. Later, the port city, which no longer had an economic basis after the earthquake, was simply abandoned.

Elafonissi Beach

Elafonissi Beach

If you travel directly south from Chania by hired car, you will not only be rewarded with the spectacular landscape. On the south coast, Europe's longest gorge, the Samaria gorge, with its 18 kilometers, attracts hikers from all over the world. The smaller but no less impressive Imbros gorge in the neighbourhood is easier to walk. A Caribbean dream of unique beauty with a meditative atmosphere is located in the solitary southwest of Crete. At the end of the road is the overwhelming beach of Elafonissi. Through the knee-deep water of the lagoon you wade to the island of Elafonissi. The island with its pink sand and the dream beach have been protected since 2000.

Explore the highlights in Crete by hired car

Without hiring a car, the highlights of Crete are difficult or impossible to reach. You can book your car hire in Crete and Heraklion at a low price by using the price comparison on Driveboo. This is the best way to get the best deal on your car hire in Crete and Heraklion. We wish you a good hired car ride and a nice holiday.

Frequently asked questions about car hire booking Crete

What does a hired car cost in Crete?

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View over Chania

You can find cheap rental cars in Crete from 11 £ per week. Finding the best offer for a hired car for your holiday in Crete is easy with Driveboo. We help you to find the best deal among the different hired car categories. Small cars are available from as little as 11 £ per week. With a small car you won't have any trouble finding a parking spot and can enjoy your holiday without any stress. If you plan on doing a family holiday, a family car will be the best option for you. A family car is ideal for a trip with the whole family and it's big enough to transport all the baggage. You can hire a family car from as little as 57 £ per week. During summer time, a convertible may also be an option, to enjoy the sun and the heat in Crete. With Driveboo, you can hire convertibles from 66 £ per week.

Do I need a credit card to hire a car in Crete?

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Credit card

You do not necessarily need a credit card to book a hired car in Crete, you can also make use of other payment methods. Most car hire companies already work with payment via PayPal or direct debit. Just select the filter "No credit card needed" on our booking page and get all suitable offers.

Is it possible to hire a car in Crete without excess?

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To book a hired car without excess, you can select the relevant offers with the filter "Without excess/Refund of the excess". That way, only the offers without excess for rental cars in Crete will be displayed.

At which locations can I pick up my hired car in Crete?

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View over Heraklion

In Crete there are numerous stations where you can pick up your hired car. You will find our partners at the following locations, among others:

  • Heraklion
  • Chania
  • Sitia
  • Achlada
  • Malia

Is it possible to cancel my car hire reservation free of charge?

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At Crete you can cancel your reservation free of charge up to 24 hours before the start of the rental.

Satisfaction with MietwagenCheck
50843 Reviews

4.8/5

1409 Experiences of our customers in Crete

Rating of Jan D.

“Nice contact and quick turnaround. There was no attempt to sell us anything we neither wanted nor needed....”

Rating of Valentina R.

“Very uncomplicated, super nice staff and good vehicles.”

Rating of Manfred L.

“Everything is great. Every time again.”

Rating of Christoph N.

“We got a better car than booked. Everything went great. Transfer was also stress-free and easy!”

Rating of Sabine D.

“Everything went very quickly. The car was in good condition and there were no problems when returning it.”

Rating of Simone A.

“Highly recommended. Price-performance ratio is top. The communication and pickup from the airport were flawless...”

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