Getting from Chios to Rethymno

If you are heading to Rethymno from Chios you are making your way from one of the most overlooked islands in the northeastern Aegean to the most intimate of Crete's three main cities, with a Venetian old town of narrow lanes, a fortress above the sea and a long sandy beach running east from the town centre.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Chios to Rethymno. Rethymno's port receives very limited ferry connections. Getting there by sea means taking the overnight Chios to Piraeus ferry, which runs around 3 times a week and takes around 9 hours, and then boarding the overnight Piraeus to Chania ferry, followed by the bus to Rethymno taking around 1 hour. The total journey takes the better part of two days.

Getting there by air

Rethymno has no airport. The nearest airports are Heraklion, around 80 kilometres to the east, and Chania, around 60 kilometres to the west. Chios has its own airport with daily connections from Athens. Flying from Chios to Athens and then Athens to Heraklion or Chania, followed by the bus to Rethymno, gives a total journey time of around 5 to 6 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Fly from Chios to Athens and then fly to Heraklion or Chania and take the bus to Rethymno. Chania Airport is slightly closer to Rethymno and the road between them is a good one. If you are traveling with a car, take the overnight ferry from Chios to Piraeus and board the overnight Piraeus to Chania ferry, which takes your vehicle directly to western Crete with Rethymno well placed as your first stop.