Camper vans and motorhomes for a road trip around Crete
Compare the 2 campervan and motorhome rental companies in Heraklion to find the best price, and book at the price shown, mandatory fees included.
Airport branches: Luna Campers
Hiring a campervan in Heraklion means setting off from the middle of Crete's north coast, a few minutes from the Minoan palace of Knossos. From the island's capital, roads run to Chania and the Balos lagoon in the west, the Lasithi Plateau and Spinalonga in the east, and Matala and the south coast on the other side of the mountains. For your campervan hire in Crete, three partner companies are waiting for you in the city: Indie Campers, Luna Campers and Rolling Turtles, with campervans, camper vans and motorhomes.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
| Vehicle | Winter January | Spring April | Summer July | Autumn October |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campervan | from €112/day median €112/day | from €144/day median €144/day | from €169/day median €169/day | from €132/day median €132/day |
| Low-profile motorhome | from €112/day median €133/day | from €144/day median €170/day | from €169/day median €200/day | from €132/day median €156/day |
Daily prices observed on October 21, 2026 for a 14-day rental: CoolDrive selling price, mandatory fees included, 1 rental companies compared. 100% of offers with unlimited mileage. Median excess: €1,500.
The Minoan palace of Knossos, on the edge of Heraklion, opens this loop to the east. The road then climbs to the Lasithi Plateau, its windmills and the Psychro cave, before dropping down to Agios Nikolaos and Mirabello Bay. From Plaka, a boat takes you to the fortress of Spinalonga; the return runs via Ierapetra and the south coast. The hairpin bends of Lasithi are better suited to a campervan.
Along the northern road, Rethymno and its Venetian old town come before Chania, its harbour and its lanes. Further west, the Gramvousa peninsula shelters the Balos lagoon, and Elafonisi, in the south-west, its turquoise water and pinkish sand. The Samaria Gorge is walked one way on foot, returning by boat and then by bus: leave the vehicle at a campsite and join an excursion from Chania.
South of Heraklion, the road crosses the vineyards to the Messara Plain, home to the ancient sites of Gortyn and Phaistos. Matala and its caves carved into the cliff, Agia Galini and then Plakias, where the Kourtaliotiko Gorge meets the sea, offer the finest beaches on the Libyan Sea. The return runs via Rethymno and the northern road, along the coast.
The best time to leave from Heraklion: bearable heat for visiting Knossos and Phaistos, hiking possible in the gorges and beaches still quiet. In spring, the mountains are green and in bloom; in September and October, the grape harvest livens up the wine villages south of the city and the summer crowds have gone.
The heart of the Cretan summer: constant sunshine, almost no rain and the meltemi, a north wind that often blows hard on the north coast. The best-known sites and beaches, Balos and Elafonisi first among them, are packed: visit them early in the morning and book your campsites in advance.
Winter stays mild on the coast, but it is the rainy season and snow whitens the peaks of Psiloritis and the White Mountains. Mountain roads, such as the one to Lasithi, can be slippery. Many campsites and seaside tavernas close: a quieter trip, focused on the towns and the ancient sites.
Most pleasant months: March to December.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Sun | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 °C | 9 °C | 62 mm | 8 h/day | 17 °C |
| Feb | 16 °C | 9 °C | 63 mm | 9 h/day | 17 °C |
| Mar | 18 °C | 10 °C | 66 mm | 10 h/day | 17 °C |
| Apr | 22 °C | 13 °C | 26 mm | 11 h/day | 18 °C |
| May | 25 °C | 16 °C | 31 mm | 12 h/day | 20 °C |
| Jun | 29 °C | 21 °C | 11 mm | 14 h/day | 24 °C |
| Jul | 31 °C | 23 °C | 4 mm | 13 h/day | 27 °C |
| Aug | 31 °C | 23 °C | 6 mm | 13 h/day | 28 °C |
| Sep | 29 °C | 21 °C | 17 mm | 12 h/day | 26 °C |
| Oct | 25 °C | 17 °C | 26 mm | 10 h/day | 24 °C |
| Nov | 22 °C | 14 °C | 46 mm | 9 h/day | 22 °C |
| Dec | 17 °C | 11 °C | 71 mm | 8 h/day | 19 °C |
Averages 2016–2025 computed from Open-Meteo data (ERA5 reanalysis).
Nikos Kazantzakis airport lies on the eastern edge of Heraklion and the ferry port at the foot of the Venetian walls, a few minutes from the depots by taxi. Whether you arrive on a night flight or on the ferry from Piraeus, which docks early in the morning, give the rental company your arrival time to arrange the vehicle handover.
Greek law bans wild camping, including spending the night in a motorhome on a beach or in a car park not intended for it. Checks are frequent in summer around protected beaches such as Balos and Elafonisi. Sleep at campsites, found mainly along the north and south coasts of Crete.
The main northern road, linking Chania with Heraklion and Agios Nikolaos, is busy, and Cretan drivers often move onto the hard shoulder to let others overtake. Mountain roads heading south are narrow, winding and sometimes shared with goats: journey times are much longer than the distances suggest.
The Balos lagoon is reached by a long dirt track, as are several coves on the south coast. Many insurance contracts exclude damage on unpaved roads: check the offer conditions before setting off on them, or reach Balos by boat from the port of Kissamos.
Three partner companies have a depot in Heraklion: Rolling Turtles on Papanastasiou Avenue, Luna Campers in the Agios Ioannis district, and Indie Campers, whose address is given in the booking confirmation. Check the meeting time and allow time for the key handover and the explanations about the vehicle.
The price depends on the season, the length of hire and the vehicle chosen, from a compact campervan to a family motorhome, and July and August are the most sought-after months in Crete. Run a search with your dates to compare our partners' offers, mandatory fees included, and book straight away.
Yes: Chania, in the west of the island, is another departure city of our partners, so you can cross Crete without retracing your steps. One-way fees may apply: they are included in the price shown as soon as you enter Chania as the return city in your search.
Ferries link Heraklion with Piraeus, the port of Athens, every day, but rental companies generally do not allow the vehicle to leave the island: check the offer conditions before booking. To combine Crete with the mainland, it is often simpler to hire a second vehicle in Athens, another departure city of our partners.
Crete stretches for about 260 km from west to east, but its mountain roads slow journeys down. Allow at least ten days to take in the east, the south coast and the west as far as Balos and Elafonisi. With a week, choose one half of the island; with four or five days, the Knossos and Lasithi loop is enough.
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A European category B licence is enough for campervans, camper vans and motorhomes under 3.5 tonnes. With a licence issued outside the European Union, Greece generally requires an international driving permit as well. Each rental company also sets a minimum age and a minimum number of years of driving, shown in the offer conditions.
No, at present no road in Crete is tolled, unlike the motorways on the Greek mainland. Your road budget is therefore limited to fuel. Petrol stations are plentiful on the north coast but scarcer in the mountains and on the south coast: fill up before heading for Lasithi or the Libyan Sea.
Yes, the sea stays warm until late in the year: 24 °C in October and 22 °C in November near Heraklion, compared with 27 to 28 °C in July and August. It drops to 17 °C from January to March, then warms up slowly in spring: you have to wait until June for water at 24 °C again.
Several months ahead for July and August, and also for Orthodox Easter, a major holiday in Greece that fills the island for a week. With three rental companies departing from Heraklion, the choice of vehicles is limited: in spring and autumn, book a few weeks before departure to get the model you want.
A campervan or camper van goes everywhere: mountain villages, the lanes of Rethymno, the narrow beach car parks. The models offered from Heraklion sleep three to five, enough to travel as a couple or as a family. A more spacious low-profile motorhome is best suited to the main roads in the north and the long stages of the south coast.
Heraklion lies in the middle of Crete's north coast: the east and west of the island are equally far away, and the south coast is just a mountain crossing away. The palace of Knossos, the Lasithi Plateau, Rethymno or the beaches of the Libyan Sea are all within half a day's drive at most, making the city the most central starting point for a tour of the island.
Three partner companies, Indie Campers, Luna Campers and Rolling Turtles, offer campervans and motorhomes here. Chania, in the west, lets you end the trip one way, and Athens, Thessaloniki or Igoumenitsa offer other departure points to continue on the mainland. With a pleasant climate from March to December, Crete can be explored by motorhome almost all year round.
