Crete and Greece

General information

Time zone difference

There is a 1 hour time difference between Greece and France (Belgium, Switzerland). When it's 12pm in Paris, it's 1pm in Heraklion.

Travel documents

No visa is required. A valid passport or identity card is sufficient. Check them well before departure. It takes 3 weeks for a new document to be issued...

Health-related documents

No vaccinations are required. Before leaving, ask your health insurance fund for a European health card, valid for EU countries, which means you do not have to pay in advance. Finally, think about repatriation insurance.

The language

The official language of Greece and Crete is modern Greek. But most Cretans (except the old ones!) speak basic English. French is more rare.

The money

Currency unit: Euro since 2022, replacing the drachma.
Payment : Your credit card is accepted in most tourist areas. Outside of these places, keep a few notes in your wallet.

The phone

– To call Greece, you dial: 00 + 30 + number of the correspondent, starting with 2 (for a fixed line) and 6 (for a mobile). You dial a 14-digit number.

– To make a call from Greece, you dial : 00 + 33 + number of the correspondent without the initial 0 for France. Other country codes : 32 (Belgium), 352 (Luxembourg), 41 (Switzerland).
 Finally, free wi-fi is available almost everywhere in hotels, and often in restaurants and cafés.

The climate

The climate is generally mild in winter and warm in summer. In April and May, the weather is fine during the day but you should bring a jumper for the evenings. In July and August, the maximum temperature varies between 30 and 35° but it is not unbearable. (see our weather page)

Transport in Greece

Crete is 260km long and 60km wide. An expressway on the north side of the island connects the east with the west. Buses are quite frequent on this route. However, if you want to travel to the centre or the south, a rental car is essential. (see our rent a car)

Not to be forgotten

  1. Your mobile phone for calls and the great photos you take!
  2. Your credit card, and if you have a "Gold", "Premium" etc. card, use it to buy plane or boat tickets, but also for local rentals.
  3. A photocopy of your identity papers, useful in case of loss (or a pdf on the cloud)
  4. Your European Health Insurance Card, so you don't have to pay medical expenses in advance
  5. Your flip-flops but also good walking shoes for your hikes

Rent a car in Greece: Crete (Heraklion, Chania, Rethymnon, Agios Nikolaos) – Athens – Rhodes – Corfu – Mykonos – Santorini – Thessaloniki – Preveza/Aktion/Lefkada  – Patras/Araxos – Kalamata – Paros – Syros – Kos – Naxos – Lesbos – Thassos – Zakynthos/Zante