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Heraklion Airport › Car hire

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Car hire at Heraklion Airport without a credit card

Car hire at Heraklion Airport without a credit card works with local Cretan companies, many of which ask for no deposit and accept a debit card or cash.

Find your hire carView offers

Our partner's comparison shows these offers next to the international brands, with handover at the terminal of Heraklion Airport. Prices move with the season, so the live comparison is the only reliable price list.

No credit card & no deposit

Booking car hire without a credit card at Heraklion Airport

A deposit of several hundred euros, blocked on a credit card in the main driver's name, is standard with the international brands at Heraklion Airport. Local Cretan companies work differently: many include full insurance in the price, block no deposit and accept a debit card or cash on collection. Our partner's comparison marks these conditions on every offer, so the terms are visible before you book rather than at the desk.

Handover takes place at Heraklion Airport itself. Enterprise states a desk in the arrivals terminal and Avis a desk in the terminal with a short transfer to the car park; Centauro meets customers with a courtesy shuttle to its branch on Ikarou Avenue. Local companies usually wait with a name sign at the arrivals exit and walk you to the car. Give your flight number when booking, so that the company can follow a delayed arrival.

Read three points before you confirm: what the insurance excess is, whether tyres, glass and underbody are covered, and what the fuel policy says. Offers with full cover and no excess cost a little more per day and spare you any discussion on return. Cancellation terms differ by provider and are shown on each offer.

Documents you need

  • Driving licence: a UK photocard licence or an EU licence is accepted without an International Driving Permit
  • Passport or national identity card
  • Payment card of the main driver (a debit card is enough on no-deposit rates; the international brands ask for a credit card)
  • Booking voucher, printed or on your phone
  • Minimum age set by each company, for example 23 at Enterprise (21 with a young-driver fee)
  • Flight number, so the handover follows your actual landing time

Start your search

Car hire desks in the arrivals hall of Heraklion Airport
Car hire desks in the arrivals hall of Heraklion Airport
Season

When car hire at Heraklion Airport is cheapest

Demand at Heraklion Airport is extremely seasonal: August 2025 brought about 1.79 million passengers, February about 126,000. Car hire prices follow the same curve, with the highest daily rates in July and August and the lowest between November and March. Automatic cars and seven-seaters are the first to sell out in high summer.

Booking several weeks ahead is worthwhile for travel between June and September, because the local fleets on Crete are limited. May, early June and October combine moderate prices with warm weather and quiet roads. In winter Heraklion Airport is served mainly by domestic flights, and hire cars are plentiful.

Providers

Car hire companies at Heraklion Airport

International brands and local companies with a desk in the terminal, a meeting point outside arrivals or a shuttle to their depot.

Enterprise

Desk in the arrivals terminal according to the company; minimum age 23, or 21 with a fee

Avis

In the terminal according to the company, with a bus to the car park

Centauro

Courtesy shuttle from the arrivals exit to the branch on Ikarou Avenue, according to the company

Sixt

Listed with a desk in the arrivals hall; check your voucher

Hertz

Airport branch listed by the company; check your voucher for the meeting point

Europcar

Listed by brokers with a desk in the arrivals area

Budget

Listed by brokers with a desk in the arrivals area

Thrifty

Listed by brokers with a desk in the arrivals area

Autounion

Listed by brokers with a desk just outside arrivals, across the road

Goldcar

Listed as an off-airport branch reached by shuttle
On the road

Driving a hire car from Heraklion Airport

The default speed limit in built-up areas in Greece is 30 km/h under the traffic code of 2025, with 50 km/h on wider urban roads where signs say so. Outside towns the general limit is 90 km/h, on expressways 110 km/h and on motorways 130 km/h. The north-coast road from Heraklion Airport is signposted section by section, so follow the posted limits rather than a rule of thumb. The drink-drive limit is 0.5 g/l of blood, and 0.2 g/l for novice drivers.

East of Heraklion Airport the north-coast road reaches Hersonissos in about 25 minutes and Agios Nikolaos in about an hour; the first stretch of the rebuilt highway near Agios Nikolaos opened in October 2026, and roadworks continue between Hersonissos and Neapoli. Westwards, Rethymno is about 80 km and Chania about 145 km from Heraklion Airport. Roads into the mountains, for example to the Lasithi plateau, are paved but narrow and winding.

Petrol cost about €2.10 a litre in Greece in early November 2026 according to the European Commission's weekly figures. Parking in the old town of Heraklion is scarce, so many visitors leave the car near the port and walk. Unpaved tracks to remote beaches are usually excluded from the insurance of a standard hire car.

How to book in a few minutes

  1. Enter Heraklion Airport (HER) as the pick-up point, with dates and times that match your flights.
  2. Set the filters for no deposit and for full cover without excess, then sort by total price.
  3. Choose the car class: a small car is enough for two people, a compact or small SUV is more comfortable on mountain roads.
  4. Add your flight number so the company follows the actual landing time.
  5. Save the voucher on your phone and keep your licence and passport to hand.
  6. At Heraklion Airport go to the desk in the arrivals hall or to the name sign at the exit, check the car and photograph any existing damage.
Apron of Heraklion Airport with parked aircraft
Apron of Heraklion Airport with parked aircraft
FAQ

Questions about car hire at Heraklion Airport

Do I need a credit card to hire a car at Heraklion Airport?
No, not with every company: local Cretan firms at Heraklion Airport accept a debit card or cash on rates with no deposit. The international brands normally require a credit card in the main driver's name for the deposit.
Can I drive in Crete with a UK driving licence?
Yes, a UK photocard licence is accepted in Greece and no International Driving Permit is needed, according to the UK government. A hire company may still set its own conditions, such as a minimum age or a minimum period of holding the licence.
Where do I collect my hire car at Heraklion Airport?
In or just outside the arrivals hall of Heraklion Airport. Some brands have a desk in the terminal, others meet customers with a name sign or run a short shuttle to their branch; your voucher names the exact meeting point.
Is full insurance included at Heraklion Airport?
That depends on the offer: many local companies include full cover without excess in the price, while the basic rates of the international brands carry an excess. The comparison shows the cover and the excess for each offer before you book.
Can I return the car at Chania Airport?
Yes, one-way hire between Heraklion Airport and Chania Airport is offered by companies with a base at both; a one-way fee usually applies and is shown in the price.
What happens if my flight to Heraklion Airport is delayed?
The company waits for the actual landing if you gave your flight number when booking. For a long delay, phone the number on your voucher so the car is kept for you.

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