Travel information
We are villa specialists and therefore do not arrange flight or ferry tickets for our guests. Our guests are usually independent travellers who prefer the flexibility to make their own arrangements to suit their needs. We can, however, arrange reliable car hire and/or airport or ferry transfers for you if required.
When booking your flight and/or ferry tickets you may want to consider the following points:
1. The changeover days at most of the villas is flexible during Low Season. During Mid Season many of the villas book with a Tuesday and/or Saturday changeover day but there may be some flexibility dependent upon the existing bookings each villa. During High Season many of the villa owners prefer to have a Saturday changeover day but this is also dependent upon the other bookings at the villa. We It is always best to put your villa on hold whilst looking for flights, rather than booking your flights and then finding out that they do not fit in with the changeover day/s at your preferred villa. We will have to decline any booking request that will leave a number of empty nights between bookings that results in an unacceptable loss of income for the owners.
2. The standard check in time on the day of arrival is 15.00 hours.
3. The standard check out time on the day of departure is 10.00 – 10.30 hours.
4. If you have a late flight on your departure day, dependent upon the arrival time of the next guests, and for a fee paid locally to the house manager in resort, it may be possible for you to stay on later at the villa. There is also the hotel option (see Number 6).
5. If you have an early arrival on the island you it may be possible for you to leave the luggage at the villa (after the departing guests have left) and then leave the villa and go to the beach, shops, or tavernas so that the maid and house manager can clean and fully prepare the villa without interruption. If you leave your luggage at the villa the house manager will be able to let you know at what time you can return to the villa (it will most likely be earlier than 15.00). There is also the hotel option (see Number 6).
6. Our house managers (or villa owners) will do their best to be flexible with the check in and check out times at the villa. If it is not possible for you to stay on late at the villa and/or or to arrive early at the villa, we have an arrangement at a lovely local hotel whereby you can leave your luggage with them and you may use their facilities such as swimming pools, roof garden café and bar, and shower and changing room, or you can go the beach and local tavernas. You can also pay a day rate for a private room at the hotel if there is one available.
7. The only way to guarantee a late check out, or an early check in, is to book an extra day at either the beginning or end of your holiday (whichever is needed) if that day is available.
8. Many of the ferries from the Greek mainland (usually Athens/Piraeus) arrive into port very early in the morning.
The majority of travelers who visit Crete arrive by plane into either Chania or Heraklion Airports. Between April and October, there are many direct charter flights flying direct to Crete from most European countries, therefore saving time and avoiding having to change planes in Athens.
You can take a ferry from the port of Piraeus (Athens) to either Souda (Chania) or Heraklion. There is a regular overnight ferry service and the ships depart each evening around 8:30 PM and they take approximately 10.5 hours to complete the journey, arriving at their destination at about 6.00am. During the summer there is also a high speed catamaran that runs between Piraeus (Athens) and Rethymnon, that takes about 4.5 hours.