Parking at Heraklion Airport (HER)

Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” (HER) has a single car park directly in front of the passenger terminal, so parking here is simple: you drive in, take a ticket, and pay before you leave. Short stops for dropping someone off are free, while longer stays are charged by the hour or day. This guide explains what to expect, roughly what it costs, and how to avoid the busy summer crush.

How much does parking cost at Heraklion Airport?

Parking at HER is pay-on-exit and priced by time. As a rough guide at the time of writing, the first 15–20 minutes are free, a short stay of an hour is a couple of euros, and a full day sits at around €10–€12. A full week usually works out cheaper per day than paying day-by-day.

Rates change with the season and are set by the airport operator, so treat these figures as a planning estimate and check the tariff board at the barrier for the exact price on the day.

• Drop-off / pick-up: free for the first 15–20 minutes
• 1 hour: a few euros
• 24 hours: roughly €10–€12
• 1 week: cheaper per day than the daily rate

Opening hours and access

The car park is open 24 hours a day, every day, and is barrier-controlled. You collect a ticket on the way in and the barrier lifts on payment as you leave, so you can arrive for an early flight or collect someone from a late arrival at any hour. Because HER runs from before dawn until late at night in summer, this matters — there is no gate that closes overnight.

Short stays and drop-off

If you are only meeting or waving off a passenger, the free grace period is enough to pull in, help with bags, and leave. Because Heraklion is one of the busiest airports in Greece over the summer, the forecourt fills quickly in July and August — if the car park is full, it is often faster to loop around than to wait for a space at the entrance.

Do not leave a car unattended at the kerb outside the terminal. It is a live drop-off lane, and vehicles are moved on for security and traffic flow.

Long-term parking for holidays

For a week or two on Crete, the airport car park is the most convenient option because it is a two-to-three minute walk from the terminal doors — there is no shuttle bus involved. The daily rate is capped, so a longer stay does not scale up as sharply as the hourly rate suggests.

Independent off-airport car parks also operate nearby and can be cheaper for long stays, usually with a short transfer to the terminal. If you use one, confirm whether the transfer is included in the price and how early you need to arrive to catch it before your flight.

How to pay

Pay at the automated machines in the terminal or at the exit before you drive out. Card payment is normally accepted alongside cash, but carry a little cash as a backup. Keep your entry ticket safe: you feed it into the machine to calculate the fee, and again at the barrier to exit. If you lose the ticket, expect to pay a maximum daily charge, so treat it like your boarding pass.

Where is the car park and how far is the walk?

The car park sits immediately outside the single terminal building, a short and flat walk from departures and arrivals. Because everything is close together, HER is easy to manage with luggage, trolleys, or reduced mobility.

The airport is about 5 km east of Heraklion city centre, just off the coast road, so it is quick to reach by car from the city and from the northern resorts such as Hersonissos and Malia.

Accessible and other parking

Designated spaces for Blue Badge holders and travellers with reduced mobility are marked close to the terminal entrance. If you need help getting from the car to check-in, arrange assistance with your airline in advance so staff can meet you. Motorcycles and electric or hybrid cars use the same open-air lot; dedicated EV charging is limited, so do not rely on topping up here before a trip.

Should you pre-book?

The on-site car park does not always need booking for a short stay, but in peak summer, spaces go fast. If you are travelling in high season or leaving the car for a week or more, pre-booking an on- or off-airport space removes the risk of arriving to a full lot and often locks in a lower price than paying on the day.

Renting a car instead

Many visitors to Crete skip the car park entirely and pick up a hire car at the airport, since a car is the practical way to reach the island’s beaches and mountain villages. Rental desks are in the terminal, and collecting and returning a car at HER is straightforward. If you are deciding between driving and public transport, see our complete transport guide.

The new Heraklion airport at Kastelli

A brand-new airport for Heraklion is being built at Kastelli, inland to the south-east, and is intended to replace the current site in the coming years. Until it opens, everything in this guide refers to the existing Nikos Kazantzakis airport on the coast; we will update parking details when the new airport begins operations.

Practical tips

• Keep your entry ticket safe — you pay at a machine or the barrier before collecting the car.
• Note your row; the lot is open-air and rows look similar.
• In summer, use a windscreen shade — Crete gets very hot and the car park is uncovered.
• Allow a few extra minutes at peak times to find a space and reach the terminal.
• If collecting an arrival, wait in the car park rather than circling the drop-off lane.

Frequently asked questions

Is there free parking at Heraklion Airport?
Only for the short free grace period used for drop-off and pick-up. Longer stays are charged.

How much is parking for a week?
Expect the on-airport daily rate to be capped, so a week is cheaper per day than a single day; confirm the current weekly price at the barrier or before booking.

Can I pay by card?
Yes, card is normally accepted at the machines, but keep a little cash as a backup.

Is the car park covered?
No. It is an open-air lot, so shade your windscreen in summer.

Is the car park open 24 hours?
Yes, it is barrier-controlled and open around the clock.

How far is the car park from the terminal?
A two-to-three minute walk — there is no shuttle because HER has a single, compact terminal.

For getting into Heraklion without a car, see our guides to the airport bus to the city centre and airport taxis.