Car hire prices at Crete Heraklion Airport

Crete Heraklion Airport car hire costs around £29 a day for a Compact car like a Kia Stonic in October 2026, booked about a month ahead, with an Economy at £21 and a Mini at £17. An Intermediate car, the Nissan Qashqai size, is about £48 a day. In the last 2 weeks before pickup, a Compact rises to £34 a day. Across the year, prices swing from £16 a day for a Mini in March 2027 up to £196 for a luxury car in August 2027. If your quote looks high, check your exact dates on the price checker.

Crete Heraklion Airport car hire averages £29 a day for a Compact car when booked about a month before an October 2026 trip, though booking late saves about 57% across the year. Waiting until the last 2 weeks in October 2026 costs £34 a day for a Compact. Across all months, prices drop from £44 a day 9 months before your trip to £28 a day 2 weeks before pickup. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of bookings on our sites happen within 2 weeks of travel.

Idea Mobility is the cheapest company at Crete Heraklion Airport for a Compact car, averaging £16 a day over the last 12 months, but requires a credit card and holds an £899 deposit. Right Cars averages £22 a day from 558 prices and scores 75/100, while Idea Mobility does not yet have enough reviews for a score. Budget costs £38 a day from 650 prices and scores 89/100 from 42 reviews. Across all 27 desks at the airport, 20 accept credit cards only.

The cheapest company can cost you a longer queue or a bigger deposit, so check the review score and desk wait beside each car in the results before you book.

Budget is the best-reviewed company at Crete Heraklion Airport, scoring 89/100 from 42 reviews, and its desk wait averages 19 minutes at pickup. Budget costs £38 a day for a Compact car, while the cheapest supplier, Idea Mobility, costs £16 a day but does not yet have enough reviews for a score. Europcar scores 84/100 from 31 reviews with a 20-minute wait and costs £38 a day. National averages the longest wait at 35 minutes, while Alamo averages 9 minutes.

Review scores are CarTrawler customers' own, from the last five months; the score and the desk wait sit beside each car in the results.

Deposits at Crete Heraklion Airport tie up between £200 with Europcar and £1,284 with Addcar, and only 5 of the 27 counters take a debit card. Another 2 desks accept debit cards for some cars only, while 20 take credit cards only. Filter for a debit card before comparing prices so you see only cars you can collect. Extras charged at the desk, like booster seats or an extra driver, are shown under each car.

If you bring your own child seat, check your airline's rules first: most carry one free, some charge.

Card rules and pickup queues catch people out at Crete Heraklion Airport, where 20 of the 27 desks refuse debit cards for security deposits. Desk queues vary sharply: National averages a 35-minute wait, whereas Alamo averages 9 minutes. Deposits can be steep, reaching £1,199 with Centauro and £1,284 with Addcar. With tight mountain roads and narrow village lanes across the island, hiring a car larger than you need only adds parking headaches to your trip.

Only 64% of prices at Crete Heraklion Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

A Compact car such as a Kia Stonic averages £29 a day at Crete Heraklion Airport for October 2026 and fits 5 people. It takes 3 bags, so filling every seat leaves luggage on laps. If there are 2 of you, drop to an Economy car like a Volkswagen Polo at £21 a day with room for 2 bags. Automatics are 39% of cars offered and cost £46 a day for a Compact over the last 12 months, £12 more a day than a manual at £34. Electric and hybrid cars are only 2% of cars offered, so you will need to book well ahead to secure one.