Crete is by a distance the largest Greek island, roughly 260 kilometres from end to end. Goods arrive at either Heraklion in the centre or Souda Bay in the west, and the gap between them is a serious drive rather than a detail.
An address near Sitia served through Souda, or one near Kissamos served through Heraklion, carries an inland leg somebody is paying for. It is rarely itemised and it is worth asking about.
Central, and the busiest. Suits Heraklion itself, Agios Nikolaos, Rethymno and anything in the middle or east of the island.
The western port, serving Chania and the far west. Reaching Sitia from here means crossing almost the whole island. Chania in detail
The north coast road runs the length of the island and takes a full-size vehicle without difficulty. The south and the mountain villages are a different matter: single-track approaches, steep gradients and turning circles that a long lorry cannot manage.
If your address is inland or on the south coast, expect a transfer to a smaller vehicle and say so at enquiry rather than on the day.
Solid timber that has spent its life in a British house will move in a Cretan summer. Joints open, veneers lift, and a piece that survived the sea crossing perfectly can split in August in a room with the shutters closed. It is worth knowing before you decide what is worth shipping. How export packing handles it.
Crete takes commercial traffic directly, so there is no transhipment stage of the sort the Cyclades carry. That removes a handling risk and a scheduling one. How the transhipped islands differ. Customs relief is settled before the island leg, not on arrival.
Answers sit open on the page rather than behind dropdowns.
Heraklion or Souda Bay, and it matters. Crete is roughly 260km end to end, so an address in the east served through the western port carries a long inland leg. Ask which the quote assumes.
No. Crete takes commercial traffic directly, unlike Naxos, Paros or Santorini. That removes a handling stage and makes the schedule more predictable than on the smaller islands.
Often not. The north coast road is fine for a full-size vehicle. Inland and along the south coast, single-track approaches and tight turns usually mean a transfer to something smaller.
Less than most islands, because the sailings are direct. The variable is the inland leg once your goods land, which is why the arrival port question is worth pressing.
Solid timber moves in a Cretan summer, particularly in a closed-up room. Joints open and veneers lift. It is worth deciding what is genuinely worth shipping before you pay to move it.
Before the island leg, not on arrival in Crete. A document chased while a load waits at the mainland port is expensive, so get the paperwork settled early.
Yes, across the island. Say which town and whether the address is coastal, inland or on the south side, since all three change the vehicle and the crew.
Send the town, whether the address is coastal or inland, your dates and a rough inventory. A vetted moving company checks the arrival port, the inland leg and the paperwork before quoting.
Get your free quoteWe are a free enquiry service and a Working Member of AGM Group. We connect people moving to and from Crete with vetted international moving companies from that network. We do not own vans or employ crews, so the company that quotes you is the company that does the work.
Use this page to settle the arrival port, then speak directly with the mover before you book.
Written by Darren Benjamin, Founder, International Removals Companies.