Search live prices in Crete with VPS Rental Cars - from £10/day low season, £28-£45/day in August peak. We compare 800+ suppliers at Heraklion Airport (HER) and Chania Airport (CHQ), on-airport desks, 10-minute pickup, English-speaking support. Low deposit from £50 vs £800 direct, CDW & theft protection included, free cancellation up to 48 hours. Book early for July/August - Crete sells out fast in summer.
Looking for cheap car hire in Crete?
VPS Rental Cars compares car hire deals at Heraklion Airport HER and Chania Airport CHQ, the two main airports for Heraklion town, Knossos Palace, Elounda, Agios Nikolaos, Chania Old Town, Rethymno, Balos Lagoon and Elafonissi Pink Beach.
We search over 800 trusted suppliers to find you the best available rate with no hidden fees, free cancellation on most bookings and your instant voucher in 60 seconds.
On-airport suppliers are located in the Arrivals hall at both Heraklion HER and Chania CHQ with desks for Hertz, Avis, Sixt, Europcar, Budget, Rental Center Crete, Anna Cars and AutoClub.
Cars at Heraklion HER are parked in the car park directly opposite the terminal, a 2-minute walk with no shuttle bus needed.
Cars at Chania CHQ are located in the main car park with free shuttle buses, usually 3-5 minutes from the terminal building.
Off-airport companies operate from New National Road near Heraklion and from Souda near Chania with free shuttle buses, usually 5-8 minutes from the terminal.
Whether you need a small car for cheap parking in Heraklion and Chania old towns, an SUV for Balos Lagoon dirt track and mountain villages or a people carrier for 7-9 people, you can compare all car types in one search with VPS Rental Cars.
For Crete, a small car is the best seller and best value.
Towns like Heraklion, Chania, Rethymno and Agios Nikolaos have tight parking and narrow streets in the old towns. A small car like a Fiat 500, Toyota Aygo, Hyundai i10, Kia Picanto or VW Polo is easy to park, cheap on fuel and ideal for beach trips and Knossos Palace. It is also the cheapest category at HER and CHQ, from £10 per day low season.
For the VOAK north coast highway, trips to Elafonissi Pink Beach, Falassarna and trips to the south coast to Matala and Loutro, a medium car or SUV offers more comfort.
An SUV like a Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai Tucson, Dacia Duster or Kia Sportage gives you higher ground clearance for the mountain roads and for the 8km dirt track down to Balos Lagoon.
For families and groups of 6 to 9 people arriving at Heraklion and Chania, people carriers and vans such as the Opel Zafira, Citroen C4 Picasso, Ford Galaxy or Mercedes Vito are essential. These sell out first in July, August and during school holidays.
Automatic cars are available but are more expensive than manual in Crete and stock is limited at HER and CHQ. If you need automatic, book early with VPS Rental Cars as automatics sell out 2-3 months ahead in summer.
Driving in Crete is on the right-hand side and is straightforward on the north coast but challenging in the mountains.
Main road is VOAK New National Road from Sitia east to Kissamos west. Heraklion HER to Knossos 5 mins, to Agios Nikolaos 60 mins, to Rethymno 60 mins, to Chania 140 mins. Chania CHQ to Chania Old Town 20 mins, to Balos 60 mins, to Elafonissi 75 mins.
Speed limits 50 km/h towns, 90 km/h main roads, 130 km/h VOAK motorway. Parking 2-3 EUR/hour blue zones. Avoid mountain driving in hot weather, check brakes. Car gives freedom to visit Balos, Elafonissi, Knossos, Samaria Gorge, Spinalonga, Matala.
VPS Rental Cars compares Crete car hire across 800+ suppliers at Heraklion HER, Chania CHQ and resorts. Instead of checking each supplier separately, you see small cars, medium, SUVs, estates and 7-9 seater people carriers side by side with total pricing including CDW, theft protection and airport surcharges upfront.
Most bookings include free cancellation, instant voucher in 60 seconds, small cars from £10 per day.
