Chania International Airport

About Chania International Airport

Chania International Airport “Ioannis Daskalogiannis” (CHQ), named after the 18th-century Cretan revolutionary leader, sits on the Akrotiri peninsula at Souda, about 15 km northeast of Chania’s old Venetian harbour. It is western Crete’s main gateway, with heavy seasonal charter and scheduled traffic from across Europe in summer and a lighter year-round domestic and regional schedule.

The airport operates from a single passenger terminal, expanded and renovated over the past decade to handle rising summer passenger numbers.

Getting from Chania Airport to Chania

A pre-booked transfer to the old town takes around 20 to 25 minutes along the coast road via Souda Bay. Onward to the western resort strip around Platanias and Agia Marina adds another 5 to 10 minutes. Bus services run this route but thin out in the evening, so a private transfer waiting at arrivals is the more predictable choice for a late flight or a group heading straight to a resort.

Terminals and pickup points

Chania Airport operates from a single terminal building serving all flights. Pre-booked transfer drivers wait in the arrivals hall with a name sign confirmed in your booking, just past baggage claim.

Common transfer routes from Chania Airport

Typical routes from CHQ include:

• CHQ to the old town and harbour, around 20 to 25 minutes.
• CHQ to Platanias, around 25 to 30 minutes.
• CHQ to Agia Marina, around 25 to 30 minutes.
• CHQ to Kolymbari, around 40 minutes.
• CHQ to Rethymno, around 60 minutes.

Elafonissi is the best-known day trip from this side of Crete, but the roughly 75 km distance means it is normally booked as a separate full-day excursion from a resort rather than routed through the airport transfer.

Booking your Chania Airport transfer

Compare licensed Cretan operators on this site for any CHQ route. You get one fixed price up front, meet-and-greet at the terminal, flight tracking and free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup. Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Alipay, iDEAL, Wero and PayPal are all accepted.

Booking a vehicle 24 to 48 hours ahead is worthwhile in peak season, when Chania’s single terminal runs close to capacity on charter-heavy days.