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Car hire at Chania Airport - Discovering Crete

Chania's 'Ioannis Daskalogiannis' Airport is a busy international air transportation facility located near Souda Bay on the Akrotiri Peninsula, just 15 km (9 miles) north-east of the city centre. Gateway to the western part of the island, it is named after Crete's most famous rebel who famously opposed Ottoman rule in the 18th century.

Sometimes known as Souda Airport due to its location, it is the second-largest airport on the island after Heraklion and currently caters for around 3 million passenger movements throughout the year, the majority of which are drawn to Crete's sunny weather and fabulous beaches during the holiday season. It has been operating since 1937 and serves many domestic and international routes, most notably to and from Scandinavia and the United Kingdom.

Chania (also spelt Hania) is the most beautiful city on the island of Crete. Its charming Venetian quarter has to be seen to be believed; a centuries-old labyrinth of narrow, cobbled streets which leads visitors down to a magnificent harbour area. Remnants of Venetian and Turkish architecture are everywhere, with many original townhouses having been transformed into atmospheric bars, cafés and restaurants in the interest of tourism.

With a car hire from Chania Airport the island of Crete is your oyster with the whole island easily accessible in an hour or two's drive. Embroidered by over 1,000 kilometres of golden sandy coastline, road-trippers can mix time on some of Crete's famously idyllic beaches with an exhilarating drive up into the mountains, which rise to a height of more than 2,400 metres in some parts. A visit to the picturesque seaside town of Rethymnon is another treat for travellers exploring the island on four wheels.

Founded in 1954, Auto Europe is one of the world’s longest-established car rental brokers. We work with all the world's most prestigious car hire companies at Chania Airport and elswhere on the enchanting Greek island of Crete. You can book your car quickly and seamlessly online with us in just a few clicks of the mouse through our modern, state-of-the-art booking engine.

If you'd prefer to speak to someone on the telephone, please feel free to give our award-winning rental specialists a call on +441233225114 and they will be very happy to find you the best deal. You can also check out the user ratings and comments posted by previous Auto Europe customers on our Chania car hire reviews page to find out what some of them thought of their car rental experience with us on the island.

Airport Information

Located close to the city of the same name, Chania Airport is a modern international airport with a good range of on-site facilities and amenities that cater efficiently for what is generally a tourism-focused clientele, especially in the hot summer months. Passengers can reach Chania Airport from anywhere in the world via Athens, the Greek capital, with a journey time of around one hour. Domestic flights to Athens and Thessaloniki run throughout the year and the majority of the islands charter flights to and from major European cities run from late April or early May to the end of October.

Chania Airport (CHQ)
Address: National Road, EO Aerodromiou Soudas, Chania 73100, Crete, Greece
Telephone: +30 2821 083 800
Airlines operating at Chania Airport: Aegean Airlines, Air Serbia, AirSeven, Atlantic Airways, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airline, Buzz, Condor, Corendon Airlines, DAT-Danish Air Transport, easyJet, Edelweiss Air, Enter Air, Eurowings, Finnair, Icelandair, Jet2.com, Jettime A/S, Lot Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Neos, Norwegian Air Shuttle (NAX), Novair, Olympic Air, Ryanair, S7 Airlines, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Sky Express, Smartwings, Transavia, TUI Airways, Wideroe and Wizz Air.

Where to pick up my car hire at Chania Airport

It's easy to pick up your car rental at Chania Airport because most of the car hire desks (including Avis, Budget, Alamo, Enterprise, National and local supplier Abby Car) are located in the Arrivals Hall just after the baggage-reclaim section. Travellers picking up their cheap car hire from Chania Airport are requested to provide ID/passport, a valid driving licence, rental voucher and the main driver's credit card for the security deposit block.

Car hire opening hours

	Avis at Chania Airport Arrivals Hall, Chania, Greece 73100 +30 2821440118	Opening Hours: Daily 7.30am-11.30pm
	Budget at Chania Airport 15 Transportation Way, Chania, Greece73100 +30 2821440118	Opening Hours: Daily 7am-midnight
	Enterprise at Chania Airport Arrivals Hall Chania, Greece73100 +30 2821 038185	Opening Hours: Daily 8am-9pm

Terminals

There is one terminal at Chania Airport, with the arrivals section located on the right and the departures section on the left. Due to the recent increase in air traffic to and from the airport, plans are currently in the pipeline to expand and improve the terminal's capacity and increase its range of on-site facilities with more shops, bars, cafés and restaurants.

Airport Facilities

Chania Airport has everything a passenger (particularly a holidaymaker) might ever need. Its new shopping service allows travellers to shop online from their hotel and collect their purchases at the airport. Several restaurants and cafeterias are on hand for people with time on their hands to eat and drink prior to boarding their flight, along with a number of well-stocked Duty Free stores offering a good range of local products for sale. The airport also provides services and facilities for the transportation and safety of luggage no matter how large it is. An efficient trolley system in the terminal ensures that trolleys are always available, while bulky items can be checked in at desk number 22. A specially designed baby-nursing room is available on the 1st floor and in case of a medical emergency, the airport’s first-aid centre is permanently open when flights are in operation. The airport provides free Internet access for all travellers by selecting the Fraport-Free network on your device. Disabled travellers and other passengers of reduced mobility can request assistance at the airport at least 48 hours before the scheduled departure time of their flight. Upon arrival at the airport, they should present themselves either at the respective airline’s check-in counter or at the airport’s designated PRM (Persons of Reduced Mobility) point and announce their arrival. The Chania Airport Information Desk is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Other passenger facilities at Chania Airport include a Travelex currency exchange office, travel agency, post office and a modern VIP lounge available for anyone who requires a workspace and/or basic business services before or after their flight.

How to get to and from Chania Airport

Travellers who rent a car at Chania Airport rarely have any problems finding their way around, either before or after their flight. The airport is conveniently situated a short drive north-east of the city and is easily accessible by road 94 (look out for the EO Aerodromiou Soudas signposts). The journey to and from the city centre takes about 25-30 minutes, depending on the time of day and season. The city of Rethymnon is 70 km away from the airport with a journey time of around 1 hour and 15 minutes. A transfer bus service is provided between the airport and the cities of Chania, Rethymno and other destinations (tickets can be purchased directly from the bus driver). A 24/7 metered taxi service is also available from right outside Chania Airport's terminal building, with a journey time of around 25-30 minutes (expect to pay between 25-35 euros, with an additional charge for extra luggage).

Parking Tips

Chania has two large car parks for those looking for a suitable place to park their car hire from Chania Airport, which are free of charge and located between Chania's large fortress and the sea. Street parking in side streets is also an option, but finding a spot for your car hire may be difficult, especially during the morning and evening weekday rush-hours. For more free short-stay parking possibilities, try the supermarket car parks or Chania's football stadium car park. Several hundred short- and long-term parking spaces are located immediately outside the terminal building at Chania Airport. Operating 24/7 (note that the first 20 minutes are free), the main car park is situated just 30 metres across the road from the terminal, less than a minute's walk.

Useful links

Chania Airport