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Travel Information

HOW TO REACH Heraklion - Crete:

By air:
There is a considerable number of flights daily (10-20 depending on the season) connecting Heraklion International Airport ("Nikos Kazantzakis", airport Code: HER) with the Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos" (ATH). There are also direct connections from Heraklion to various Greek islands as well as to major European cities.

Aegean Air and Olympic Air are the major carriers to Athens.

  • Olympic Air, 27-29, 25th August st, Tel. +30-2810-244846, -244824, -244868
  • Aegean Airlines, 11 Dimokratias st, Tel. +30-2810-344321, -344321, -344761

The distance from the airport to Heraklion center is approx. 5 km.

By sea:
There are now two ferries going daily between Athens (Departure from Piraeus Port) and Heraklion:

  • Minoan Lines (Departure at about 22:00, Arrival at 6:00)
  • ANEK Lines (Departure at about 21:00, Arrival at 6:00)

 

 

We, the people in local arrangements, like the restaurants listed in this "Dining Suggestions" Google Map, among others, when we go out to dine, in the area near the hotels.

How to move around in HERAKLION

Distances - approximately, from the center of Heraklion:

- 5 km to Heraklion International Airport
- approx. 20 minutes walking distance to the Port
- 6 km to the Minoan Palace of Knossos
- Approx. 10 km to FORTH

By Taxi:

The use of a taxi is a convenient and relatively not expensive means of transportation in Heraklion. Taxis in Heraklion are colored silver. You can find a lot around in the city streets. You can find them also waiting at the airport, the port, the bus stations, in the Lion's Square, the "Eleftherias Square", and in "Kornarou Square".

From the Airport to the center of town, the cost of a taxi is approximately 10 to 15 Euros.

By Public Transportation:

There is a frequent public bus service from Heraklion-airport to the center of town as well as from the center of town to FORTH. It is necessary to buy your tickets prior to getting onto a public bus. You can buy bus tickets from ticket machines at "Eleftherias Square" and at some of the kiosques. The current price of the bus-tickets is 1.50 Euros (one way) from Airport to the center of town or from the center of town to FORTH. More details on how to reach FORTH by public transportation and taxis are given below.

How to reach FORTH

The building of FORTH is located 8 to 10 kilometers South-West of Heraklion center. You can reach FORTH by using:

  • a taxi: It will cost you approximately 15 to 20 Euros, and the driving time is approximately 20 minutes.
  • a public bus: The (one-way) ticket to FORTH costs 1.5 Euro, and the bus takes about 30 minutes to reach the University campus area, near which FORTH is located.
    The "The Heraklion City Center" Google map, shows the location of the bus stop in the center of the city, in front of Astoria hotel, in the direction towards FORTH; the note on that map also lists the bus line number, name, frequency, and approximate times. You should buy your ticket, as well as your return ticket, before entering the bus (for your return from FORTH, it is very hard to find a selling point at or near FORTH); in the center of the city, at the Astoria bus stop, there is a kiosk of the bus company, right at the bus stop, selling tickets; also, news-stand kiosks usually sell bus tickets.
  • a car: In case you decide to drive to FORTH, please refer to this Google Maps to get to know the directions to FORTH.

When the bus reaches the area of the "Voutes" campus of the University, near which FORTH is located, use this "FORTH Location and Bus Stops" Google Map for orienting yourself.

 

More Information on Taxis

Heraklion taxis are silver-grey. In the city, you can find an empty one sometimes in central streets, and usually at special waiting places ("piatsa taxi"); one such waiting place is at Elefterias Square, near the Archeological Museum and Astoria hotel. To tell taxi drivers to bring you to FORTH, tell them to take you to "ITE (Idryma Technologias ke Erevnas -the Greek name of FORTH, pronounced: EE-teh), near PaGNH -the University Hospital (pronounced: pag-NEE)". Be careful that you and the driver do not confuse it with "TEI (Technological Education Institution, pronounced: teh-EE)", which is 4 km away from ITE (FORTH). Taxi charges for trips of interest are:

  • Between Heraklion Airport and Heraklion City, one-way: 10 to 13 Euro, including airport surcharge and all taxes.

    Between Heraklion City and FORTH Building, one-way: 12 to 15 Euro, all-inclusive except radio-dispatching when called by telephone.
  • Between Heraklion airport and FORTH Building, one-way: 18 to 22 Euro, including airport surcharge and all taxes. Taxi charges are calculated as follows, and must be shown on the taxi-meter, which must be visible to the passenger:
  • Initial "start-up" charge for any trip: 1.20 Euro, including taxes (Jan. 2011 rate).
  • Tariff 1 is approximately 0.70 Euro/km, including all taxes (Jan. 2011 rate), and is the daytime rate, to be used from 05:00 to 24:00 hour and within the limits of the town or city where the taxi is registered; in Heraklion, this city zone is about within 2 km from the city center.
  • Tariff 2 is approximately 1.20 Euro/km, including all taxes (Jan. 2011 rate), and is the night rate, applicable from 00:00 to 05:00, as well as at any time outside the city zone.
  • Waiting charge: approximately 11 Euro/hour.
  • From and to Heraklion airport: additional charge of 2.60 Euro. Luggage charge:
  • 0.40 Euro per piece that weighs more than 10 kg.
  • Radio-taxi: dial +30-2810.210102 to call a taxi by radio, at an additional cost of 2 Euro (or 3 to 6 Euro when booking it in advance).
  • Minimum total charge per journey is 3.40 Euro.

 

More Information on Public Buses

If you are in bus line #8, the bus terminal is just in front of the FORTH building. If you are in bus line #11, the first and very large building of the campus that you will see in front of you and to the right hand side of the road is the University Hospital ("PaGNH"); the bus stop where you should get off is approximately 800 m after that stop, and immediately after a downhill road and a very sharp 135-degree right turn. Upon getting off the bus, walk to the left (North), for 200 meters, towards the FORTH campus, as shown on the "FORTH Location and Bus Stops" Google Map. This same map contains information on public buses for returning to Heraklion, from these same bus stops: For the return journey, you should also use the same bus stop that you got off (i.e. bus stops exist only on one side of the road, since all buses travel in a single direction).

From the airport and the port as well as from the city center, you can reach both FORTH and the University of Crete by bus, No.11 (ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟ / ΠΑΓΝΗ), ("ΠΑΓΝΗ" is the university hospital located 800 meters south of the Physics Department "ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟ") and No.8 (ITE) ("ITE" stands for the Greek abbreviation of FORTH - the Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas, 1000m west of the Physics Department). Both buses stop near (200m) from FORTH and in front of the University of Crete - Physics department. There are bus stops in the city center. The main stop is in "Eleftherias Square".

MAP of Heraklion Center on Google Maps

© 2013 Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas