Getting the bus from Chania to Chania airport

Taxis in Greece are not particularly cheap. Uber’s and Bolt’s can soon add up, and on the island of Crete, your options are even more limited.

These two famous taxi apps are both not available in Crete, where there is a strong local taxi presence. I recently flew into Chania from Athens, and couldn't take the bus I'm about to write about as sadly the times didn't work out.

Instead, I had to book a private taxi (I think through AirBnb), where I had to pay 30 euros for a 15-ish minute journey to Chania. I had no cash, and wasn’t sure if local cabs accepted card, so I played it safe and booked one ahead of time.

Flying back from Athens from Chania airport, I had more time so I decided to book a bus ticket that would take me from the centre of Chania to the airport. 

Here’s how to do it, and everything you need to know.

Where is the bus station in Chania?

You’ll be happy to know that it is in the old town area, super central, albeit a 5 minutes or so walk from the main road that splits the older and newer parts of town.

Here is what I searched for to get directions to the bus station.

I was coming from the Koum Kapi area of Chania, so I had a 20 minute walk. Not ideal when you’re carrying all of your stuff and have to wear some of your heavier clothes due to space concerns, but I made it there, albeit in a bit of a sweaty state.

I actually found I shaved a bit of time from Google’s directions. Google wants to take you around to I presume the front of the station, but I walked through one of the main Chania squares, and then you’re able to walk in what I guess is the back way, and you’ll be at your platform.

The good news is the bus station in Chania isn’t huge, with only a few platforms, so finding the right bus was very easy, even without speaking Greek. There are plenty of staff members around, so you should be covered if you have a question or need to find your specific bus.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

I found the bus for the airport, waited 5/10 minutes or so, and then we were on maybe 5 minutes before departure before heading off bang on time. This bus service from Chania to Chania Airport runs often throughout the day, so I was pleased that it wasn’t too busy and I was able to have two seats just for me and my stuff. 

With it not being too busy, there was plenty of space to store luggage underneath, and it was a very comfortable trip. And just a note here, I travelled during the off-season, so it might get a lot busier during the summer months, but as you can see, there are a lot of daily journeys.

Did you book online or pay at the station?

I paid online! It was all relatively straightforward (the first time I tried the payment timed out and I had to start again), and you can get the ticket delivered to the email you provide.

Considering I paid 30 euros to get to my apartment from the airport, it was a nice feeling to pay less than 10% of this cost for the return trip. As of April 2026, the price for a bus ticket from Chania Centre to Chania Airport is just €2.70.

I was thrilled with this, especially as the whole process was nice and easy.

Here is the website I used to book my bus ticket to Chania Airport, and the good news is they have a few language options, so hopefully you’ll be covered.

The website wasn’t too complicated which was good, even if it did feel a tiny little bit dated. I was able to book my ticket easily enough, and it was also a bonus to see that the website has an up-to-date timetable so you can plan your journey and which bus you want to take in advance.

There is even a tourist guide available on the website above, which I found was a nice touch. 

Do you need to print a paper ticket?

After booking my ticket, there was a note at the bottom of the subsequent email that read:

‘Your ticket(s) is attached as file in current email and MUST be printed and presented for your travel. For your convenience please read notes at the bottom of your ticket.’

It’s never ideal to read this when you don’t have easy access to a printer, but I thought I would live on the absolute edge and risk not printing a copy. The ticket you receive to your email does say E-Ticket and also has a QR code, so I was hoping it would all be fine. Thankfully, it was!

I simply showed the ticket on my phone to the person checking (she didn't scan the code), and all was good. I’m hoping this is always the case, and please don’t treat this as gospel, but for me, I did not have to print my ticket and was able to show the E-Ticket on my phone. 

How long did the journey take?

Not long at all! I think maybe 30 minutes or so, so more or less double the private taxi duration but at a MUCH cheaper rate.

Crete is beautiful, so it was nice to look out at the world as we made our way to the airport. I think there are four stops on the way to the aforementioned airport, and I think they were used twice, but it seemed more by local people who were getting off, rather than anyone new getting on.

Is it easy to get the bus from Chania Airport to Chania?

I did not take this journey coming into Chania, because as mentioned I was just due to miss the departure due to my flight time, and the next bus was a few hours later so I felt getting a taxi was easier. 

Chania Airport is small, and the bus stop to get into Chania is literally just outside the terminal. Just cross to the other side of the road in front of the airport, head slightly right, and you’ll see a sign with where to wait. 

As we rolled in, people waiting to get into Chania started making their way to the bus, so it seems like the buses just navigate between the two stops. 

Conclusion:

This was a SUPER easy process and journey, and being able to use the ticket on my phone was a big plus. 

For just €2.70, if you have the time and you can get to the bus station in Chania easily, I’d highly recommend this service. Chania is relatively small, so wherever you are, hopefully you can get to the bus station without much hassle, and even if you get a taxi there, you should still save money on the cost of getting a taxi directly to the airport. 

The staff at the bus station were helpful, and with it only taking 15 minutes or so longer than a taxi, it makes it even more worthwhile. 

As always, any questions, feel free to message or leave a comment and I will do my best to help you out :)