Private Transfer or Car Hire for Your Crete Villa Stay?
There are three practical ways to reach the villa: a private transfer arranged in advance, a hire car collected at the airport, or a combination of the two.
There is no single right answer. The choice depends on when you land, how much luggage you are carrying, who is travelling with you and how you intend to spend your days once you have settled in.
This guide is about that arrival decision. If you are still weighing up whether your stay needs a car at all, read Do You Need a Car in Crete? first. It covers buses, taxis, walking distances and the wider picture for each villa.
By Argyris Skordilis, owner and host · Updated
Choose a Private Transfer When
A transfer tends to suit guests who:
- would rather not drive straight after a flight, particularly a long or early one;
- are arriving in the evening or late at night;
- are travelling with young children, several suitcases or a larger group;
- expect to spend most of the stay at the villa and its surroundings;
- intend to hire a car later in the week rather than at the airport;
- are visiting Crete for the first time and would prefer the first journey to be someone else’s responsibility.
The practical appeal is simple: after the flight, you can travel directly to the villa without beginning the stay behind the wheel.
Choose a Hire Car When
A car from the moment you arrive tends to suit guests who:
- want to see several beaches, villages and different parts of the region;
- prefer to change plans on the day rather than arrange each journey in advance;
- have day trips in mind, including the south coast or inland villages;
- are travelling as a group whose members may want different daily plans;
- want to do a proper supermarket shop on the way to the villa and again during the week.
For a stay built around exploring, having your own vehicle usually removes more friction than it adds.
Consider a Mixed Plan
The two options are not exclusive, and a combination often works better than either on its own.
Some guests arrange a transfer for the arrival day and take a hire car a day or two later, once they have slept and found their bearings. In some cases, guests ask whether a hire car can be delivered to the villa or collected nearby rather than at the airport. This is subject to confirmation by the provider for the specific dates and booking.
A mixed plan is also worth considering when a group needs more than one vehicle, or wants a car for part of the stay rather than all of it.
Families and Larger Groups
Larger parties usually have more to weigh than a couple does.
Luggage is the first factor. Suitcases, pushchairs, travel cots and beach equipment take up more room than people expect, and a vehicle that fits the passengers does not always fit everything they brought. Tell the provider roughly how many bags you are travelling with so that the vehicle requested reflects reality.
Child seats are the second. If you need child seats, say so when you first ask, including the children’s ages and any additional details requested by the provider.
The third is whether the group genuinely intends to move as one. Two households sharing a single vehicle works well when everyone wants the same beach at the same time, and much less well when one family wants an early return and the other wants dinner in town.
If You Are Staying with MAZI
MAZI brings together Villa Asteri, Villa Kitron and Villa Myrrini, and transport usually needs a little more coordination than a single-villa stay.
Households may arrive on different flights and at different hours, so arrival transport may require more than one arrangement. Each villa is booked separately, and transport is best planned the same way, per household rather than for the group as a whole. Where it helps, nominate one person to coordinate with Argyris to keep communication and the separate arrangements clear.
It is also worth thinking early about how the group will move during the stay. Several separate households with different plans generally need more than one vehicle between them.
Arriving at the Villa
Whichever option you choose, three things make the arrival day easier.
Send Argyris your flight details in advance, so the timing is understood before you travel. Send a short message when you leave the airport, which helps him estimate when you will reach the villa and coordinate your welcome. And remember that check-in is from 15:30. See Arrival, Check-in and Luggage for what to do if you land earlier in the day.
If you are arriving by transfer and expect to reach the villa late, it is worth asking in advance about an essential supermarket stop on the way. A shop you pass anyway is easier than one you have to go back out for.
What Argyris Can Help Arrange
Transfers and car hire are provided by independent local companies. They are independent businesses rather than services we operate ourselves.
Ask Argyris and he can suggest a transfer company or a car hire company. Final availability, vehicle, price and terms are confirmed with the provider, so they cannot be guaranteed in advance. It is worth asking early, especially for larger groups or late arrivals.
What Argyris can do is understand your situation and suggest the right provider, so that nothing important is left out of your request.
Facts checked against our four villa pages · Last reviewed by Argyris Skordilis, owner of Amazing Villas in Crete.
Frequently asked questions
Can Argyris arrange a transfer or hire car for us?
Transfers and car hire are provided by independent local companies, not services Amazing Villas in Crete operates. Ask Argyris and he can suggest a transfer company or a car hire company.
How much does a private transfer cost?
Prices are set by the independent provider, not by Amazing Villas in Crete. For distance, from Asteri Village Heraklion Airport is approx. 73 km and Chania Airport approx. 79 km. Final availability, vehicle, price and terms are confirmed with the provider for your request, so they cannot be guaranteed in advance.
Can a hire car be delivered to the villa?
Some guests ask whether a hire car can be delivered to the villa or collected nearby rather than at the airport. This is subject to confirmation by the provider for the specific dates and booking.
What should I tell the provider about luggage and child seats?
Tell the provider roughly how many bags you are travelling with, so that the vehicle requested reflects reality. If you need child seats, say so when you first ask, including the children’s ages and any details the provider requests.
How should a MAZI group plan transport?
Households may arrive on different flights, so transport is best planned per household, just as each villa is booked separately. Nominate one person to coordinate with Argyris, and expect several households with different plans to need more than one vehicle.
Can the transfer stop at a supermarket on the way?
If you are arriving by transfer and expect to reach the villa late, ask in advance about an essential supermarket stop on the way.
Which Option Fits Your Stay?
A private transfer makes the arrival easier. A hire car gives you more freedom during the stay. A mixed plan offers a balance of the two. If you are unsure which fits, describe your group, your arrival time and what you hope to do during the week, and Argyris will tell you what he would suggest.
More Plan Your Stay guides
- From Chania Airport to Your Villa near Rethymno
- From Heraklion Airport to Your Villa near Rethymno
- Long-Haul Arrival Planning for Your Crete Villa Stay
- All Plan Your Stay guides
- Villa AsteriThe Carpenter’s House · 8 guests · children’s pool · Asteri Village
- Villa Kitron6 guests · every bedroom en-suite · Asteri Village
- Villa Myrrini6 guests · children’s pool · Asteri Village
- Villa Argiris8 guests · one level, sea views · Stavromenos
- Compare the villasAll the facts side by side
