Chania Airport to Chania Town: Bus, Taxi & Transfer Prices 2026

Chania Airport is about 15 km north-east of town on the Akrotiri peninsula, and the cheapest way from Chania Airport to Chania town is the KTEL bus, which cost around €2.70 in summer 2026 and takes around 25–30 minutes to the main bus station. A taxi takes around 20–30 minutes and costs roughly €25–30 to the town centre. For Platanias, Agia Marina, Kissamos or Rethymno, most visitors take a taxi or pre-booked car; compare operators on our Chania Airport transfers page.

Chania Airport to Chania town: quick comparison

Option	Price	Journey time	Runs	Best for
KTEL airport bus	Around €2.50–2.70 (summer 2026)	Around 25–30 min to Chania bus station	Summer: about every 30 min, around 05:00–23:50; fewer in winter	Chania town on a budget
KTEL bus to Rethymno	Around €7.30	Around 70 min	A few direct departures a day	Rethymno, Souda port
Bus via Chania bus station	Airport fare plus onward fare	Allow 1–2 hours including the change	Depends on the connection	Platanias, Agia Marina, Kissamos on a budget
Taxi	Around €25–30 to Chania town	Around 20–30 min	24/7 from the rank outside Arrivals	Families, luggage, late arrivals
Pre-booked private transfer	Fixed price agreed in advance	As taxi	24/7	Groups, child seats, west Crete resorts

Bus fares are per person; taxi and transfer prices are per vehicle. For three or four people with suitcases, a taxi to Chania town costs little more than the bus.

Chania Airport bus to Chania town

The airport bus is run by KTEL Chania–Rethymno. According to Chania Airport’s public bus page, the stop is across from the Departures area, on the east side of the terminal. The bus runs to the KTEL central bus station in Chania, on Kydonias Street at the edge of the old town, with a few stops on the way. From the bus station it is a 10–15 minute walk to the Venetian harbour.

Chania Airport bus timetable and ticket price

The timetable follows the season. The June 2026 timetable had around 32 departures a day from the airport, roughly every 30 minutes, with the first at 05:00 and the last at 23:50; the times are set around arriving flights. In winter the bus runs less often, so check the current timetable on KTEL Chania–Rethymno’s website if you arrive outside the summer season.

The fare was around €2.70 in summer 2026; older guides quote €2.50, so expect small changes. In summer you can buy a ticket at the kiosk by the stop to the right of the terminal; outside the season the kiosk may be closed and you pay on board, so carry some cash. Luggage goes in the hold underneath the bus. Buses get full in July and August when several flights land together, so be ready to wait for the next one.

Chania Airport bus to Rethymno and Souda

KTEL also runs a few direct buses a day from the airport to Rethymno, calling at Souda port. The trip takes around 70 minutes and the fare was around €7.30 in 2026. If the times do not suit, take the airport bus into Chania and change to one of the frequent Chania–Rethymno buses from the central bus station. Souda, the ferry port for Piraeus, is only around 10 km from the airport, so a taxi is a quick alternative if you are connecting to a ferry. Overnight ferries to Piraeus leave in the evening, so if you are flying in to catch one the same day, leave plenty of time and check the sailing time with the ferry company.

Chania Airport taxi price

Licensed taxis wait at the rank opposite Arrivals, including late at night. For the trip to Chania town, drivers usually charge a set price displayed at the rank rather than using the meter: recent reports give around €23–25, and some 2026 guides quote up to around €30 in high season. Expect around 20–30 minutes to the centre, longer in summer traffic. Because traffic is restricted in parts of the old town, the driver may drop you at the nearest point a car can reach.

For longer trips to Agia Marina and Platanias (around 25 km), Kissamos (around 50 km) or Rethymno (around 70 km), there is no published fare, so agree the price before you set off or get a fixed quote in advance.

Prices can be higher at night between midnight and 05:00. Some drivers take cash only, so check before you get in if you plan to pay by card, and ask for a receipt.

Uber and taxi apps in Chania

Uber does not operate on Crete, and taxi apps have patchy coverage in Chania. The simplest options are the rank outside Arrivals, a radio taxi booked by phone, or a transfer booked in advance.

From Chania bus station to your hotel

The central bus station is the end of the airport bus and the starting point for most KTEL routes in western Crete, so it is also where you change for the beach resorts. Much of the old town, including Splantzia, the market and the Venetian harbour, is within walking distance, but the streets are narrow, partly cobbled and closed to most traffic, so wheeled cases are hard work in the heat. If your hotel is in the old town, check before you travel where the nearest drop-off point for cars is and how far you will need to walk. Hotels in Nea Chora, Halepa or along the coast east of the harbour are easier to reach by taxi from the bus station, and there is usually a taxi rank nearby. Chania’s urban buses serve the suburbs and Souda, which is handy for later trips around town.

Arriving with children or lots of luggage

Standard taxis do not carry child seats, so if you need one, book a transfer and give your child’s age and weight. Groups of five or more, or anyone carrying golf bags, bikes or diving gear, should book a minivan. On the bus, larger cases go underneath, but at peak times in July and August the queue can mean waiting for the next departure, which is hard with tired children.

Pre-booked private transfers from Chania Airport

A pre-booked transfer is worth it when:

• you are staying west of town in Platanias, Agia Marina, Kolymbari or Kissamos, or east in Rethymno, where taxi fares add up and a fixed price agreed in advance avoids surprises;
• you are a family or group needing a minivan or child seats;
• your flight lands late and you want a driver waiting with your name;
• you have bulky luggage or a pushchair.

Our Chania Airport transfers page lists operators you book directly, including Taxi Chania Airport, Private Transfer Chania, Chania Taxi, CreteCarTransfers and Athens Taxi Hub, which operates on Crete as Crete Airport Shuttle. For trips around town, see Chania transfers. Confirm the price, vehicle size and meeting point in writing before you fly.

Chania Airport to Platanias, Agia Marina, Kissamos and Rethymno

Chania Airport to Platanias and Agia Marina

The main beach strip west of town, from Kato Daratso through Agia Marina to Platanias, is around 20–25 km from the airport, normally 35–55 minutes by car depending on traffic through Chania. There is no direct bus: take the airport bus to Chania bus station, then a KTEL bus west towards Kolymbari or Kissamos, which stops along the coast road through Agia Marina and Platanias. Westbound buses are frequent in the daytime.

Chania Airport to Kissamos and Balos

Kissamos (Kastelli) is around 50 km west, roughly 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes by car. KTEL buses run from Chania bus station to Kissamos several times a day. Kissamos is the base for boat trips to Balos lagoon and Gramvousa, which leave from Kissamos port in the summer season; the road to Balos itself is a rough track, so most visitors without a car go by boat.

Chania Airport to Rethymno

Rethymno is around 70 km east, around an hour by car on the national road. Use the direct KTEL airport bus when the times suit, or change at Chania bus station. A taxi or transfer is the easier choice with a family.

Chania or Heraklion Airport?

Chania Airport is the closer airport for western Crete. If you are flying into Heraklion instead, for example to stay in Hersonissos, Malia or Elounda, see our Heraklion Airport to city centre and resorts guide and the Heraklion Airport transfers page. Chania town is around 2 hours by road from Heraklion Airport.

Tips for arriving at Chania Airport

• Night arrivals: in summer the last bus leaves around midnight, but in winter services end earlier. After the last bus, take a taxi from the rank or a pre-booked car.
• Use the official rank: take a licensed taxi from the rank or the car you have booked rather than accepting offers inside the terminal.
• Agree the fare first: check the price board at the rank for Chania town and agree the price for longer trips before you load your cases.
• Payment: carry some euros in cash for the bus (out of season) and for taxis that do not take cards.
• Tipping: rounding up the taxi fare is appreciated but not expected.
• Summer traffic: traffic through Chania and along the west coast road is heavy on summer evenings and Saturday changeover days. Allow extra time for the return trip to the airport.