Heraklion Airport
Heraklion Airport (HER)
The Heraklion Airport, located on Crete, is officially called “Nikos Kazantzakis” after the writer and philosopher that is known because of the story “Zorba the Greek”. The airport lies at the edge of Heraklion (Iraklio). Five million passengers use the airport every year. The terminal building is fairly small and therefore is extremely busy on the peak days in the busy season. It is quite common that departing passengers must wait outside. There are often delays on flights to and from Heraklion Airport. A new airport is being built not far from the current airport, but it will still take years before the first flights depart and arrive.
The airport is also used by the Greek Air Force. Therefore photography is officially prohibited.
Local transport
Train
There are no trains operating on Crete.
Car and bus
The airport is less than five kilometers east of Heraklion. The exit for the airport is on the Makariou Dikeossinisweg. To the west it leads you to Heraklion and to the east the road connects to the motorway which runs along the north coast of Crete and connects to the most important tourist places.
City bus 78 goes to the bus station in Heraklion. The ride takes 20 minutes and costs € 0.75. This bus also stops at the Archeological Museum.
Car rental Heraklion Airport
There are counters in the Arrivals Hall for the car rental companies Avis, Autohellas, Eurodollar, Hertz, Sixt and Travel Star. You can also reserve a rental car in advance using the service EasyTerra provides. They compare the rates of several car rental providers in a single quote.
Taxi
Taxis can be found in front of the Arrivals Hall and you can go to the centre of Heraklion for € 12.00. Be sure to make a clear agreement about the price!
Airport Parking
There are places for short and long term parking close to the terminal building. Contrary to the other airport on Crete (Chania Airport) there is only paid parking available.
Services
Hotels
There are no hotels at the airport. For more hotels and reserving online you can go to Booking.com. They have a large offering of hotels with great internet rates.
Shops and restaurants
Heraklion Airport has a limited offering of shops and restaurants. There is one restaurant (actually more of a snack bar) and there are five cafes. The prices are high in both the stores and the restaurants.
Baggage
You can store baggage by the entrance of the parking place. This service is officially open 24 hours per day, but it is not always staffed. It is not a cheap service: to store an average size suitcase costs easily € 12.00 per day.
If your baggage is missing report it immediately to the information counter. If you do not do that and leave the suitcases behind you cannot claim the suitcase at another time!
Information
There is an information counter near the baggage area in the Arrivals Hall (tel: +30(0)2810 397129).
Business
There are no offices or meeting rooms available for rent at the Heraklion Airport.
Handicapped persons
The airport has very limited facilities for handicapped persons. There are often many stairs and by the baggage pickup there is only one toilet for handicapped persons. On request handicapped persons can get help during arrival and departure, but that could be arranged easier with your airline company.
Other services
Heraklion Airport is a small airport with few facilities. There is a bank and there is one cash machine.
Contact
Address
Heraklion Airport "N. Kazantzakis"
71408 Iraklio
Greece
Telephone, fax, email
Telephone: +30(0)2810 397129/397136
Fax: +30(0)2810 245598
E-mail: kahktl@otenet.gr
Airport codes
IATA airport code: HER
ICAO airport code: LGIR
Websites
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