Search flights to Heraklion Intl. | Nikos Kazantzakis Airport

Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport, opened in 1939 to meet the airline needs of Crete, the largest island in Greece.  The airport is named after Nikos Kazantzakis, one of the most important writers and philosophers of the country. The airport was built on merely a piece of flat agricultural land and flight operations ceased when the Second World War started. In 1946, air traffic resumed at the airport and in 1947, the first terminal building of Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport was built. From 1968 until 1971, work was carried out to completely renovate the airport's runway, terminal and its surroundings.  The airport remained closed during this period. Today, Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport is used for both civil and military purposes and is the second busiest airport in the country with an average of seven million passengers annually.

Although Heraklion is the largest residential area in Crete, especially the old city district is proper for walking. You can explore the whole city with a comfortable shoe, but you should always consider the weather. On the other hand, it is possible to explore the city by participating in the tours of many tourism agencies. Public transportation in the city is provided by buses. You can get to the whole city by buses, which will take you from the main bus stops A, B, and C.

Of course, there are many ferry and boat services in Heraklion, the biggest port city of Crete island. From there you can travel to many ports such as Santorini, Ios, Mykonos or Rhodes. Daily ferry service to Piraeus Port is also organized. It is possible to reach Athens from this port. You can rent a car in the city. Motorcycles and scooters, as well as cars, are quite common. It provides not only an ideal way of transportation to visit the city in warm weather but also an easy access to the other settlements of Crete Island such as Ayios Nikolaos and Chania. You can reach these cities by following the E75 highway. Traffic in the city can be really busy from time to time. Usually, there is an irregular traffic flow and road works are done. You can see the taxi almost everywhere in the city. However, it is not allowed to stop a taxi on the road, you need to use the taxi stops. You can see the taxi stops in front of the port, the bus station, and the airport. It is possible to use it not only for short trips but also as a private tour vehicle as well.

Taxis do not have a standard price policy, so if you can agree on the fare you can travel the whole city by having breaks at the important places of the city. All signs in Crete Island are written in English, using Latin alphabet as well as Greek alphabet, so you will not have trouble during transportation. The most used transportation vehicle from Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport to the city center is taxi. Buses are available for those who prefer to use public transportation. If you rent a car at the airport, you can easily reach the surrounding cities, not just the city center.

Bus

You can use the buses to the city center from bus stops at the airport terminal exit. The services are quite frequent, buses depart every 5 minutes. The services are rare only on Sundays. Buses start to pick up passengers early in the morning and continue its services until late in the evening.

Taxi

You can easily see the taxi stop when you leave the airport arrival terminal. Getting to the city center by taxi is easy and fast. If you wish, you can reserve a taxi for you by contacting the airport taxi station in advance.

Rent a car

Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport has 9 different vehicle rental companies that you can rent cars or motorbikes. You can make your vehicle rental operations online before your flight. You must remember that you must have international competence in order to be able to drive in Crete. The airport is located right on the E75 highway.

It is possible to reach Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport from the city center in a short time. You can go by taxi, by bus or by car, if you have rented a car for your trip, and deliver it at the airport.

Bus

You can reach the Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport in 15 - 20 minutes with the airport bus from the city center. The bus service runs from early morning until late at night and a bus leaves every 5 - 10 minutes. You should also know that on Sundays the frequency of the bus services is reduced.

Taxi

You can always find a taxi easily in the city center, but do not forget that you must always look for a taxi stop. If you can not find a taxi stop close to the place you are staying at, you can ask the hotel to call a taxi for you. Because the distance is close, you can reach the airport in just 10 minutes under normal traffic conditions.

Rent a car

Renting a vehicle in Heraklion is very common. For this reason, you can come across many car rental companies in the city, you can rent a motorbike or car according to your preference. You can deliver your rental vehicle at the airport after having spent your entire trip with a comfortable transportation vehicle. To go to Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport, you must go from Ikarou main road, then connect to the E75 highway. The total distance is about 10 minutes.

Airport Information

Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport is in 5 km east of the city center and is more commonly referred to as Heraklion Airport by local people. The airport is the second busiest airport in Greece after Athens International Airport.

Especially during the summer season, the airport is quite crowded and there are long queues because there are many tourists. A new airport project, which is planned to be built in the Kastelli region, is being developed to eliminate this intensity.

At the airport, you can find a bank, a currency exchange, cash machines, duty-free shops, cosmetics and souvenir shops. You can also eat and drink at the airport restaurants, ice cream shops, cafes, and bars.

There is also 1 VIP and 1 CIP lounge at the airport. For passengers traveling with a kid, there is a baby room where they can get meet almost any needs.