Do I Need a Car in Crete?

We have traveled Crete both ways: with buses, boats, and patience… and with a tiny rental car that felt like freedom on four wheels. Both can work — but the difference is massive in terms of where you can go, what you can see, and how deep you can actually feel this place.

What if I don’t drive? Can I still get around?

Sure. Public buses in Crete are reliable, affordable, and air-conditioned, and they connect most major towns and tourist areas.

You’ll be fine if you’re sticking to places like Heraklion, Chania, Rethymno, Elafonisi, Knossos, and a few popular beaches.

But buses run on a schedule. And Crete — glorious, wild, slow-moving Crete — often doesn’t.

So yes, you can get around. But you’ll miss the stuff that makes this island really unforgettable.

What a car gives you: freedom.

With a car, you can:

• Reach hidden beaches like Glyka Nera, Agios Pavlos, Xerokambos, and Kedrodasos.

• Explore mountain villages where time stands still.

• Chase the sunset on a whim — no schedule, no route, just instinct.

• Stop anywhere for photos, figs, roadside honey, or because a herd of sheep blocks the road (it happens).

Crete rewards the curious — and the car gives you the key.

When a car might not be worth it:

• If you’re only staying in one place and doing guided tours.

• If you’re not comfortable driving on narrow, winding roads (especially in the mountains).

• Or if you just want to disconnect completely and let the island come to you.

Some spots (like Loutro, Balos, or Marmara) are actually only reachable by boat or on foot — so even with a car, sometimes you’ll leave it behind.

Our advice?

• Get the smallest car you can — Cretan roads are often tight.

• Use a GPS or offline map app (Google Maps is decent, but Maps.me and Gaia GPS are great for hiking and off-road).

• Avoid driving at night in rural areas — not because of crime, but because of goats, no streetlights, and Google occasionally thinking a cliff path is a road.

Final Word:

If your goal is to truly feel Crete — its rhythm, its raw beauty, its hidden gems — then yes, rent the car. Fill it with snacks, music, and someone you like (even if that someone is just you), and hit the road. Some of our favorite memories weren’t on any itinerary — they were waiting down a dusty path that the buses will never find.