Crete, tours?

[georgiacat]

I read several threads about Crete; now I would like some advice from people who have gone there.  Our cruise ship is stopping for one day (noon - 10 pm).  I read that the town of Chania is interesting and would be good to explore.  Or the ship has a 9 hour bus tour to Knossos; I would like to see this, but the ride is long.  I could not find a local tour.

Should we stay in town and leisurely explore on our own, or take the long bus tour?  If we take the bus tour, we would not have time for the town.  Is Knossos worth the time?

[dronnygirl]

Knossos is very interesting if you enjoy history. There are lovely mosaics there and the remains of some buildings,  you can check out out full details on line. It is around 2 hours by bus from Souda(Chania). You will need sturdy shoes as the site can be quite uneven.

If you decide to stay in Chania you will take the shuttle bus into town (10 mins ) and it will drop you in the town across the road from the market. You can walk from here through the shopping  are to the harbour where there are some lovely taverns for lunch. You can easily pass a few hours here and pick up some souvenirs.

It all comes down to personal  choice

[bennybear]

Good advice above!  We love Chania, it is very pleasant and we also enjoyed Knossos but that is a very long day.  Depends on your interests and stamina.   I also wonder what time of year?  There are some lovely beaches near Chania.  

[georgiacat]

Thank you for your input.

We are going in early May, too early for beaches.  We get enough hot weather in Georgia, and go to Florida beaches.  We are looking for nice weather and fewer crowds, if possible.  We do like history, but that long trip may be too much.

I appreciate your responses.

[LoveThatCorgi]

We are looking at Chania Adventures, the White Mountains Jeep Tour.  They offer a few different options for shore excursions.  We had considered the Knossos trip offered by the cruise line, but the big group tours don't appeal to us. 

Edited December 5, 2019 by LoveThatCorgi

[georgiacat]

Thank you, LoveThatCorgi.  We will check out Chania Adventures.

[Cruisen Elf]

On 12/3/2019 at 9:38 AM, dronnygirl said:

Knossos is very interesting if you enjoy history. There are lovely mosaics there and the remains of some buildings,  you can check out out full details on line. It is around 2 hours by bus from Souda(Chania). You will need sturdy shoes as the site can be quite uneven.

If you decide to stay in Chania you will take the shuttle bus into town (10 mins ) and it will drop you in the town across the road from the market. You can walk from here through the shopping  are to the harbour where there are some lovely taverns for lunch. You can easily pass a few hours here and pick up some souvenirs.

It all comes down to personal  choice

 

Facing the same dilemma as Georgiacat.  Wondering if you recall whether the shuttle is a local bus, or a shuttle provided by the cruise line?  We are travelling on Princess Cruises.  Do you know how much the shuttle cost?  Thanks!

[jennyumaa]

On 12/3/2019 at 1:59 PM, bennybear said:

Good advice above!  We love Chania, it is very pleasant and we also enjoyed Knossos but that is a very long day.  Depends on your interests and stamina.   I also wonder what time of year?  There are some lovely beaches near Chania.  

 

Would you recommend renting a car and drive to different beaches. I heard about the pink beaches on the other side...

[dronnygirl]

10 hours ago, Cruisen Elf said:

 

Facing the same dilemma as Georgiacat.  Wondering if you recall whether the shuttle is a local bus, or a shuttle provided by the cruise line?  We are travelling on Princess Cruises.  Do you know how much the shuttle cost?  Thanks!

Hi Cruisen elf,  when you leave the ship you walk about 200 mtrs to a customs shed which you walk through. The shuttle buses are parked just outside and I recall they charged around 1.7 euros per person each way, you can purchase a return ticket. They are not public buses and go direct to Chania. It takes around 20 minutes. Enjoy, Chania is a lovely place.

[Cruisen Elf]

8 hours ago, dronnygirl said:

Hi Cruisen elf,  when you leave the ship you walk about 200 mtrs to a customs shed which you walk through. The shuttle buses are parked just outside and I recall they charged around 1.7 euros per person each way, you can purchase a return ticket. They are not public buses and go direct to Chania. It takes around 20 minutes. Enjoy, Chania is a lovely place.

 

This is exactly what I needed to know!  Thank you so much!

[bennybear]

11 hours ago, jennyumaa said:

 

Would you recommend renting a car and drive to different beaches. I heard about the pink beaches on the other side...

Yes Elafonisi beach is stunning if you are comfortable driving,  depending on time of year and how long in port?  It is quite a distance.  

[jennyumaa]

4 minutes ago, bennybear said:

Yes Elafonisi beach is stunning if you are comfortable driving,  depending on time of year and how long in port?  It is quite a distance.  

 

Early June. 7am-7pm docking time. 

[bennybear]

The weather should be fine, it is just over an hour and  a half each way.  falasarna is just over an hour, but the water could be cool.     Chania is worth exploring as well and you could visit Stavros beach about a half hour distance where Zorba the Greek was filmed.

Edited January 7, 2020 by bennybear