Heraklion International Airport Parking

Heraklion Airport is found on the island of Crete, which is the largest of the Greek islands. The airport is located just 5 km, or 3 miles from the city of Heraklion, which is the island's capital city, as well as financial hub. Although mostly industrial, Heraklion, or Iraklion, has many tourist attractions to offer, and therefore the airport receives a mixture of tourists and business professionals. The airport is also otherwise known as the Nikos Kazantzakis Airport, and has the official code of HER. Facilities provided by Heraklion Airport are relatively comprehensive, and include a variety of parking options. Parking areas are provided at the airport, as well as at private locations nearby Heraklion Airport.

The single terminal building at Heraklion Crete Airport currently handles approximately seven million passengers per year, which makes it the second largest airport in Greece. The only airport larger is Athens International Airport, situated nearby the city of Athens, the capital of the country. The airport of Heraklion is, at present, on the small side of handling this number of passengers, even though it was expanded a few years back.

Passengers driving to Heraklion Airport will find a few prominent roads and highways nearby, such as the National Highway, which runs along the north coast, and passes only a short distance from the airport. This highway provides a connection between all the main coastal towns of the island, before it turns inland to cross over to cities on the other side of Crete. The E75 is also the major road used for driving to the airport from Heraklion, and the road Makariou is the entrance/exit road of the airport. When arriving at the airport, motorists will be able to choose between short and long term parking areas, areas which are free of charge and those which will charge parking rates for the period of use.

It appears to be common that the airports on Crete island offer some sort of free parking for their customers, and Heraklion offers 500 spaces which can be used free of charge for short-term stays, as well as for dropping off and picking up of passengers departing or arriving. Many airports, especially larger ones, have now banned the dropping-off of passengers at the curb side of the terminal building, and provide free or low-cost areas for this purpose. This is mainly due to safety and security reasons. Since that Heraklion Airport offers a large free area, motorists have ample space for these operations. Should curb side parking be allowed, motorists will not be able to leave their vehicle unattended, and will also not be permitted to park in the area for any lengthy time period. Motorists are prohibited from waiting for arriving passengers alongside the curb. Vehicles left unattended will be swiftly removed for security reasons.

The short-term Heraklion Airport parking area is found directly outside the terminal building. It is also within easy walking distance of the departure and arrival areas, therefore there is no need for additional shuttle bus transportation. Luggage trolleys are available to assist with the carrying of heavy items. This parking area is open during the same hours as the airport’s terminal building.

Motorists in need of a longer-term parking arrangement should use one of the private car parks nearby the airport. There are a few options, and therefore their rates are very competitive. Passengers who have used these parking areas have reported them to be adequately safe and secure, as well as very reasonably priced when compared to the usual parking rates charged at the majority of airports in Europe. Weekly rates are available, as well as monthly parking rates, and spaces can possibly be reserved in advance. Payments can also be made by credit card.

Parking facilities at Heraklion Airport are perhaps somewhat limited as the majority of passengers arrive at the airport on public transport. There is a regular bus service to the airport from the main bus terminals in Heraklion, and the company of KTEL operates them. KTEL buses are a local and regional service on the island of Crete, offering transport to just about every popular town and holiday resort. Buses for destinations outside Heraklion leave from one of the two bus terminals in the city, either Bus Station A or Bus Station B. By taxi is another common way in which to reach Heraklion Airport. Taxis can be hailed from the streets or called to come and collect you from your location, and are also plentiful at the airport for arriving passengers. Although many people are familiar with using railway services in Europe, there are no trains on the island of Crete.