Car Hire at Heraklion Airport (HER)

How to Find Your Car Hire Desk at Heraklion Airport

Heraklion Airport, officially Nikos Kazantzakis, has a single terminal building just east of the city, so every arrival funnels through the same Arrivals Hall regardless of airline. Exactly how you collect your car from there depends on your supplier: some operate a counter inside the terminal itself, while others meet you nearby, either with a short walk to a dedicated office or a brief drive to a car park just off the terminal road. As Greece's second-busiest airport after Athens, and the busiest for charter arrivals, Heraklion sees a steady flow of pick-ups through the summer, so a little patience during the peak arrivals window is worth building into your plans.

• Book through eCarBookers first: Your booking confirmation from eCarBookers locks in your price and your vehicle class before you arrive. You pay the balance at the desk on collection, and the terms confirmed at booking are the terms you receive. Always confirm your hire in advance to guarantee your price from the moment you collect the keys.
• Check your collection method on your voucher: Your booking confirmation states whether your supplier operates from a counter inside the terminal or meets you at a nearby point, along with the exact meeting instructions. Treat this as the definitive source rather than general airport signage, since pick-up arrangements genuinely differ by supplier at this airport.
• In-terminal desks: Where a supplier has a counter inside the terminal, it sits on the ground floor of the arrivals area. The vehicle itself is usually a short walk away in the adjacent car park once paperwork is complete.
• Off-site and meet-outside pick-up: A number of suppliers at Heraklion Airport, particularly smaller local operators, meet arriving customers just outside the terminal and drive them a short distance, typically five to ten minutes, to a nearby office rather than handling collection inside the building itself. Allow a little extra time for this on top of the paperwork, particularly in July and August when several charter flights can land close together.

Pick-Up, Drop-Off, and Refuelling at Heraklion Airport

Out-of-hours arrangements exist at Heraklion Airport for early or late flights, though exact procedures and any associated charge vary by supplier. Given the volume of charter flights landing at unusual hours through the summer, most operators here are well practised at handling early and late arrivals, but confirm the exact process, and whether a charge applies, at your pick-up desk rather than assuming a free, unattended drop applies to every operator.

For a full-to-full fuel policy, the closest option is a BP station roughly 750 metres from the airport on Terpsichoris Avenue, reached by turning left at the roundabout as you exit the car hire area. A 24-hour self-service pump is also available nearby, useful for very early or very late returns when a staffed station may not yet be open. Stations along the coast road toward Agios Nikolaos are frequent, though those further east near Malia and beyond tend to close earlier in the evening than the ones closest to the airport.

Top Car Hire Agencies at Heraklion Airport

Heraklion Airport is served by a wide range of trusted suppliers, from established international brands to well-regarded local operators, giving a genuine choice of vehicle class and price point for exploring Crete's largest city and the island beyond it. Vehicles, particularly automatics and larger categories, book out earliest from June through September, so confirming your class in advance matters more here than at quieter regional airports.

Every booking through eCarBookers shows the excess amount and full price before you confirm, and the balance is paid on arrival at the desk. Optional extras, such as additional drivers, supplemental tyre and glass cover, child seats, or out-of-hours fees, may be available at the desk if required.

Getting from Heraklion Airport to Key Destinations

Heraklion Town: The shortest of these routes, around 5 km and about 10 to 20 minutes into the city centre via Ikarou Road. This is also the standard route into the Old Harbour and Venetian Walls, or for dropping the car off there at the end of your trip.

Knossos Palace: Also around 5 km, but south of the airport rather than into town, reachable in as little as 8 minutes via Ikarou Road when traffic is light. Few Greek airports place a UNESCO World Heritage Site this close to the terminal, making a same-day visit realistic even on a short changeover or a late-afternoon arrival.

Hersonissos: East along the coast road, around 20 km and about 20 to 25 minutes, reaching one of Crete's busiest resort strips, with its own dedicated page covering local driving and parking in detail.

Agios Nikolaos: The longest of these routes, around 60 to 63 km and roughly 50 minutes to an hour, following the toll-free National Road 90 east through Hersonissos and Malia to this elegant lakeside town on the Gulf of Mirabello.