Chania Airport to Elounda Transfers

A private transfer from Chania Airport to Elounda covers 215.0 km (133.6 mi) in about 3 hr 7 min and costs a fixed fare from €250 per vehicle, not per person.

One booking covers the journey in either direction: arrival from Chania Airport, or the departure run back from Elounda at the same fixed fare.

Your fixed price for this route from €250 per vehicle
Free Cancellation Door-to-Door Service 24/7 Customer Support
Fares

Chania Airport to Elounda transfer prices

Fares are per vehicle, not per person, and cover the whole car, so a family of four pays once. The price you see is the price confirmed on your voucher; it does not change with traffic, time of day, or a delayed flight.

Vehicle Typical models Passengers Bags Fare
Standard transfer vehicle, Skoda Octavia, VW ID.3 Standard Skoda Octavia, VW ID.3 up to 3 3 €250
SUV transfer vehicle, Skoda Karoq SUV Skoda Karoq up to 4 4 €260
Premium transfer vehicle, Mercedes E Class, Skoda Kodiaq, Jeep Compass Premium Mercedes E Class, Skoda Kodiaq, Jeep Compass up to 4 4 €370
Minivan transfer vehicle, Peugeot Traveller, Mercedes Vito Minivan Peugeot Traveller, Mercedes Vito up to 8 8 €430
Minibus transfer vehicle, Mercedes Sprinter Minibus Mercedes Sprinter up to 18 18 €700

The same fare applies in both directions: Elounda back to Chania Airport costs the same as the arrival leg. Child and booster seats are added at booking, at no extra charge.

Airport pickup

Your pickup at Chania Airport

Your driver meets you inside the arrivals hall at Chania Airport, holding a sign with your name and the company name on it. Your transfer starts there rather than at a taxi rank, so there is no queue and no fare to agree on the spot.

Chania International Airport (CHQ) sits on the Akrotiri peninsula, on high ground east of the city. Chania International Airport handled 1,574,043 international arrivals in 2025, which makes it the island's second gateway after Heraklion and the natural entry point for western Crete.

The airport's position matters for what happens next. The road down from Akrotiri joins the national road just east of Chania, so Rethymno, Georgioupolis and the whole north coast run east without entering the city, while Platanias, Kissamos and the west coast run through or around it.

Chania Airport is a single-terminal airport, so the walk from baggage reclaim to the meeting point is short even when several flights land together.

Where we meet you

Inside the arrivals hall, at the exit, where your driver waits with a name board.

Look for the board rather than heading for the taxi rank. If your flight arrives late at night, the driver is still there: the pickup is set against the flight, not the schedule.

Flight delays and waiting time

Give us your flight number at booking. Your pickup is scheduled against that flight, and we track it, so a delayed landing moves the pickup rather than costing you the transfer.

Tell us as early as you can when a flight is cancelled or rerouted, so the driver can be reassigned.

Lassithi

Arriving in Elounda

Elounda is a resort town on Mirabello Bay in the Lassithi region of eastern Crete, 11 kilometres north of Agios Nikolaos. It grew from a fishing village into the island's main luxury resort strip, and most of its large hotels sit along the water on the road between the town and Plaka.

The town itself is compact and walkable. The harbour, the tavernas and the central square sit within a few hundred metres of each other, and Elounda Beach is 450 metres from the centre. Guests staying in the bay-side resorts are usually a short drive from that centre rather than in it.

Elounda is the departure point for Spinalonga, the fortified island 4.8 kilometres away by boat. Elounda also sits beside Olous, a submerged ancient settlement 1.1 kilometres from the town.

Good to know about Elounda
  • Mirabello Bay setting, with most resorts strung along the coast road towards Plaka
  • Boats to Spinalonga island leave from the harbour, 4.8 km across the bay
  • Elounda Beach is 450 m from the town centre; Almyros Beach is 12 km south
  • Agios Nikolaos, with the Archaeological Museum, is 10.7 km away
  • The town is compact enough that most visitors walk once they arrive
Drop-off in Elounda

We drop you at the door of your hotel, villa or apartment, including the resorts spread along the Plaka road north of town.

Elounda's central streets are narrow and busy in season. Drivers use the hotel entrance rather than the town square where access allows, so you are not walking the last stretch with luggage.

Route

The drive from Chania Airport to Elounda

This is the longest transfer we price from Chania Airport, and close to the longest journey possible on Crete without leaving the road network. Elounda is in the far east of the island, on Mirabello Bay; Chania Airport is in the far west, on the Akrotiri peninsula.

The first two and a half hours are the cross-island run on the VOAK: down from Akrotiri, past Souda Bay, inland behind Kalyves, back to the sea at Georgioupolis, through Rethymno at about the one-third mark, then the empty headlands at Panormo, Bali and Fodele before the Heraklion bypass.

East of Heraklion the road passes the resort coast at Gouves, Chersonissos, Stalida and Malia, then climbs inland through the Selinari gorge and runs high across open country to Neapoli. The final section leaves the national road at Agios Nikolaos and takes the coastal road north, climbing and then dropping into Elounda with Mirabello Bay opening on the right.

About 3 hours 7 minutes is the normal figure. This is a journey rather than a transfer, and it is planned as one: a break somewhere around Rethymno or Heraklion is normal, and the driver will suggest it if you do not.

How else could you make this trip?

Public transport over this distance means at least two coach changes, in Heraklion and again in Agios Nikolaos, followed by a local bus or taxi for the last 11 kilometres. Realistically it is most of a day.

The more useful point is about the flight itself. Elounda is 67.4 kilometres from Heraklion Airport against 215 from Chania: roughly one hour against three. Guests occasionally book Chania because a flight was cheaper, and the saving is generally smaller than the cost and time of crossing the island twice.

At a glance
  • 215.0 km (133.6 mi) door to door
  • About 3 hr 7 min with normal traffic
  • Direct, no changes, no other passengers
  • Fixed from €250 per vehicle
Where you are going

Chania Airport to Elounda on the map

Door to door

Hotels and resorts we serve in Elounda and more

Your driver takes you to the door of your accommodation in Elounda. There is no central drop-off point and no walk with your luggage at the end. These are properties in the resort we transfer guests to regularly; if yours is not listed, it is still covered, so enter the name when you book.

  • Elounda Bay Palace
  • Elounda Beach
  • Elounda Mare
  • Elounda Infinity Exclusive Resort
  • Porto Elounda
  • Elounda Garden suites
  • Elounda Orama
  • Elounda Sunrise Apartments
  • Apartments Poros
  • Alikes Apts
  • Hiona Apartments
  • Elounda Olive Garden Studios
  • Elounda Island Villas
  • Domes Aulus Elounda Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton
  • Elounda Aquasol Resort
  • Selena
  • INNSiDE Crete Elounda
  • Aquilla Elounda Village
  • and every other hotel in Elounda

Villas, apartments and private addresses in Elounda are served the same way. Add the address at booking and the fare stays as quoted.

Going home

Elounda to Chania Airport: departure transfers

The return leg is the same journey in reverse: 215.0 km (133.6 mi), about 3 hr 7 min, and the same fixed fare from €250 per vehicle. Your driver collects you from your accommodation in Elounda at the agreed time and takes you straight to Chania Airport.

Elounda back to Chania Airport is the same 215 kilometres in reverse, at the same fixed fare.

At this distance a departure is effectively a half-day commitment, and the pickup time reflects that rather than the airline's check-in window alone.

Book both directions together and the return is held at the same fare. Switch the form at the top of this page to Departure, or select a return when you book.

When should the pickup be?

For a departure from Elounda we work back from your flight: about 3 hours 7 minutes of driving, plus the check-in and security time your airline asks for, plus a real buffer for the Heraklion bypass and the Akrotiri climb.

Early-morning flights from Chania frequently mean a pickup before dawn on this route. That is normal here and the driver will confirm it clearly on the voucher rather than leaving it to be discovered.

What you get

Why book this transfer with Best Crete Transfer

Fixed price per vehicle

The fare covers the whole vehicle rather than each seat, so 4 people pay the same as 1. The price on your voucher is the price you pay, with no booking fee and no card surcharge.

Meet and greet by name

Your driver waits in the arrivals hall holding a sign with your name on it. You walk out of baggage reclaim straight to the car, without joining a taxi rank or agreeing a fare on the spot.

Child and booster seats included

Child seats cost nothing extra. Reserve the seat in the booking form and state the child's age, so the correct seat is fitted before the driver sets off.

Free cancellation

Cancel at least 24 hours before your pickup time and you pay nothing. Plans change; the booking does not lock you in.

Direct door-to-door routing

The vehicle carries your party and nobody else. It runs from the pickup point to your exact address, with no intermediate stops and no waiting for other passengers.

Flight-timed pickups, 24 hours a day

Your pickup is set against your flight number, not a clock time. Transfers run at any hour, which covers night landings and pre-dawn departures.

Every booking is confirmed by a person and carries a voucher showing your route, vehicle, pickup time and fare.

FAQ

Chania Airport to Elounda transfers: common questions

These are the questions guests ask most often about the Chania Airport to Elounda transfer, answered with this route's own distance, duration and fares.

Anything not covered here is answered when we confirm the booking.

A private transfer from Chania Airport to Elounda costs a fixed €250 for a Standard car carrying up to 3 passengers. Larger vehicles run from €370 to €700, and the fare is per vehicle rather than per person.

About 3 hr 7 min for the 215.0 km (133.6 mi) route. It is the longest transfer we price from Chania Airport and crosses almost the full length of the island.

Yes, dramatically. Elounda is 67.4 kilometres from Heraklion Airport against 215 from Chania, roughly one hour against three. If your flights are not yet fixed, that difference is worth more than most fare savings.

Yes, if you want to. Rethymno and Heraklion are the natural breaks, and on a three-hour run the driver will suggest one rather than wait to be asked.

Per vehicle. The fare covers the car and everyone in it, up to that vehicle's passenger and luggage limit. Two people and four people pay the same €250 for a Standard car to Elounda.

Yes, at no extra charge. Reserve the seat in the booking form and state the child's age so the correct infant, child or booster seat is fitted before the driver sets off.

Give us your flight number when you book. We track the flight and move the pickup to match the actual landing time, so a delay does not cost you the transfer.

Inside the arrivals hall, at the exit, where the driver waits with a board showing your name. You do not need to find a taxi rank or a car park level.

Yes. Cancel at least 24 hours before your pickup time and there is no charge.

Pay by card online when you book, or in euros in cash to the driver. There is no card surcharge and no booking fee either way.

You receive a confirmation email with your route, vehicle, pickup time and fare on it. Check the details and tell us if anything is wrong. An automated receipt on its own is not the confirmation. The emailed voucher is.

Yes. Chania Airport to Elounda and Elounda to Chania Airport are the same journey at the same fixed €250, and both directions are booked from this page. Select a return when you book and the price is held for both legs.