The city
The city of Rethymno is considered one of the most beautiful cities of Crete and Greece in general. Long beaches and a picturesque old town are its main characteristics. You can take a walk along the seaside or get carried away in the meanders of the old town, admiring the architecture which is a mixture of the Greek-Venetian and Turkish civilizations that are tangled up after centuries of co-existence. The Archaeological museum, the Venetian castle “Fortezza” and the minarets in the old town are some of the points of interest really worthwhile visiting among your breaks! Or just relax under the sun in one of the wonderful beaches around Rethymno. Here are some useful links to get an idea:
http://www.ancient.eu/crete/
http://www.visitgreece.gr/el/destinations/rethymno
http://www.cretetravel.com/guide/rethymno/
http://www.greeka.com/crete/rethymno/rethymno-tourism.htm
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/greece/crete/rethymno
General info: http://www.crete-kreta.com/rethymnon-prefecture
City info: http://www.rethymno.gr
Best things to do: https://www.incrediblecrete.
To Crete
By plane: Rethymno is situated between the two biggest cities of Crete and has no airport. It is 78 km from Heraklion (or Iraclio, the capital of the island), and 65 km away from Chania (or Hania).
In order to reach Crete (and then Rethymno) you can fly directly to the airports of Heraklion (http://www.heraklion-airport.info/) or Chania (http://www.chania-airport.com/). All major airlines as well as low cost companies and charters fly both to both airports.
Especially during the summer you can find direct flights from all over Europe. Ryanair flies to Chania and Easyjet, Volotea, Airberlin, Vueling to Heraklion, both of them with direct flights from many European cities. Aegean airlines is the Greek company that also serves the island with inland and international flights.
If you do not find a direct/charter flight, you can always choose to fly to Athens (https://www.aia.gr/traveler/) and then reach Crete either by air (Aegean Airlines & Ryanair fly daily to Heraklion and Chania) or
By sea: with the ferry from the port of Piraeus (ANEK and MINOAN lines travel daily to Crete, to the ports of Heraklion and Chania).
To Rethymno
From the airport: you can come to Rethymno by taxi (you can find one directly at the airport, or you can contact our affiliated taxi company and get a better rate, (just call Stelios +30 6932539036 1 h drive, 90€), bus (1h 15 min from the central bus station, buses depart every hour, ticket around 7€) or rented car (approx. 1 h drive, there are various car rental companies outside the airport). The central bus station in both cities is located in the city centre, so to arrive there from the airport you need to take a taxi (10 minutes drive, the fare around 10€) or a city bus (20 minutes drive, around 2€) and then take the bus to Rethymno.
Here are some useful links for you:
– Direct flights to Crete: www.skyscanner.com
– Ferries from Athens port to Crete: http://www.ferries.gr/
– Bus timetable from Chania airport: http://www.chania.gr/archive/souda/www.souda.gr/en/our-space/how-you-reach-to-city/by-car.html
– Bus timetable from Heraklion airport: http://www.cretetravel.com/travel_tips/crete-bus-schedules-heraklion-iraklion/
– Bus timetable from the central stations of Heraklion and Chania, duration 1h 15min: http://www.ktelherlas.gr/
– Car rental: //www.europcar.com/location/greece/heraklion/crete-heraklion-airport
– Taxi (1 h, 70-80€): http://taxiservicerethymno.gr/en/
