The city of Heraklion is served by the transport company KTEL, as well as nearby villages within a radius of 12 km.
Buses are the main type of public transport, with 20 bus routes in total. KTEL passenger routes are divided into two zones: the first (A) includes the city of Heraklion within a 5 km radius from the central bus station, and the second (B) covers the outskirts of the city and several nearby villages. In zone A buses depart every 5 minutes, in zone B every 5–10 minutes. City buses are painted blue, while intercity buses are green.
Please note that buses stop on request: you need to signal the driver at the stop, and press the button near the door inside the bus. Tickets can be purchased at bus stops or at newspaper kiosks.
Fines for traveling without a ticket range from 40 to 80 EUR. Experienced travelers advise keeping your tickets until the end of the trip (inspections are carried out very frequently).
Public transport in Heraklion
There are two intercity bus stations in Heraklion:
in the western part of the city near the old fortress wall — Bus Station B;
in the eastern part not far from the port — Bus Station A.
From these stations you can reach any resort on the island (the maximum ticket price is 15 EUR). The final stop for city buses is located next to Bus Station A, and buses to the Knossos Palace also depart from here.
Another popular type of city transport in Heraklion is taxi. Taxi fares in Heraklion are fixed by Greek law: the starting fare is 1.20 EUR. A scheduled pickup costs about 5 EUR, and if your luggage weighs more than 10 kg you will need to pay about 1 EUR extra. To estimate the taxi fare in advance, calculate approximately 1.30–1.50 EUR per kilometer.
