Accommodation Crete

Accommodation costs are generally much lower than in Britain and the US. It’s usually very easy to find a room – hotels, pensions and rent rooms are everywhere.

Nowadays most rooms have their own bathroom. Prices for these rooms depend on three main factors: the season, the quality of the room and your bargaining skills. Bargaining is possible almost everywhere. In the high season (July and August), rooms are two or three times more expensive than the low season. To prevent unscrupulous hoteliers ripping off their guests, the Greek government has divided all hotels into five categories, A to E, and enforces it with yearly checks.

A is the highest standard, with air-conditioning, TV, bathroom and so on, with E being the lowest, rooms without a bathroom. More importantly, the government sets a maximum rate for each category of room. This is then displayed in all rooms that are rented, detailing the maximum price of the room and what’s included (e.g. breakfast). If you’re unsure about the price, you can always ask the owner if you can look around the room: you can then check this paper.

No hotel on Crete yet? There are thousands hotels and other accommodations on Crete. In our opinion the best overview is at Booking.com. You can sort accommodations by price or display only accommodations in certain cities. The hotels can be booked quickly and easily on Booking.com, there are also many holiday apartments.

Single rooms are rare. If you’re a single traveller you’ll find yourself taking double rooms and bargaining for price reductions. The cost of double rooms starts at about €20 a night. In most towns and villages you should be able to find a room €20-25 during high season if you negotiate. In winter this can be slashed down to €10, if you plan to stay for a longer time.

Warning – in July and August, rooms in places like Malia, Iraklio or Chania can be sky high.

There are only three youth hostels on Crete, in Iraklio, Rethymno and Plakias. The hostels in Malia and Sitia have been closed for a couple of years. In Plakias a bed is €10, in Rethymno €11 and in Iraklio (there are two hostels) €12-15. You do not need a membership card to book in. The better hostels are those of Rethymno and Plakias.

You can book Rethymno Hostel here

You can book Plakias Hostel here

Pensions and Hotels: There are thousands of places to stay on Crete. 99% are Hotels, rent rooms and pension.

Here some places I vistited and I can recommend:

Iraklio (the capital of Crete): Simple, good, cheap: Hotel Rea , A bit more upmarket: Hotel Mirabello

East Crete: House Margot in Palecastro

West Crete: Summer Lodge in Maleme

Camping in the wild on Crete is prohibited but is usually – but not always – tolerated. You can find beach campers on Gavdos island, in Lendas or in Sougia. If you’re considering camping, you’ll have better luck away from towns and villages. There are around fifteen campsites on Crete. Whilst some are OK, some are decrepit and unlikely to pass any tests. They’re typically around €5 per person and €5 per tent. In the summer, it’s perfectly possible to sleep in the open without a tent.

List of Campgrounds on Crete: Kastelli-Kissamos (“Kissamos Camping”), Chania (“Nopigia Camping”), Rethymno (in the suburb Missiria “Elisabeth Camping”), Iraklio (“Creta Camping”), Hersonissos (“Caravan Camping”), Gournia (“Gournia Moon”), Malia, Matala, Plakias (“Apollonia Camping”), Agia Galini (“No Problem Camping”), Paleochora, Gourves, Sissi, Komo, Ierapetra (“Koutsournari Camping”).

Long Term Rent on Crete: Crete is the cheapest place in the entire Western world to rent an apartment long-term. For €250 a month you can get a room with a bath and simple kitchen. This usually includes everything except electricity. There are no contracts, which mean the landlord can kick you out any time he or she likes. The price depends on supply and demand. In a remote village up in the mountaints, you can blag a room for €100-150 a month, whilst in bigger cities and tourist areas it can be €300-350. In winter, prices can drop by 20-50%. Most apartments will come furnished, including plates, pots and even towels. However, there is usually no telephone connection, since Greeks use mobile phones. There is also usually no heating, but heating is only required twenty to thirty days a year. You can buy a small electric heater in every supermarket for €20-30. Electricity is approximately half the price that it is in Britain.

Map of Crete