Smoking areas at Heraklion Airport

Short answer: you can smoke at Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” (HER), but only outside the building — and there is no smoking area after security. Greek law bans smoking and vaping inside public buildings, the terminal included, and HER has no sealed airside smoking lounge. So the practical rule is simple: have your last cigarette outdoors before you go through the checkpoint, because you cannot step back out without clearing security again.

Is there a smoking area at Heraklion Airport?

Outside the terminal, yes. Smoking is permitted in the open air on the landside forecourt, by the entrances, where there are ashtrays and, at times, marked spots. Inside — check-in hall, gates, toilets, cafes — no, anywhere.

This is not an airport policy that might vary by terminal or season. It is national law, and it is enforced.

Can you smoke after security at HER?

No. Once you are airside, past the checkpoint, there is nowhere to smoke: the airport has no indoor smoking room in the departures area, and there is no outdoor airside terrace. This is the single most-asked question about HER, and the answer does not have an exception for long waits or delays.

What that means in practice:

Plan your last cigarette outside, before you join the security queue — especially in summer, when the queue itself can be long.
Check your boarding time first. If your gate closes in 40 minutes, going back out is not realistic.
Expect the flight to be smoke-free too, including vaping, from boarding to disembarkation.

What the Greek rules actually say

Greece has one of the stricter indoor regimes in Europe. Smoking is prohibited in enclosed public spaces — airports, public transport, bars, cafes, restaurants, hotel lobbies and shops — and the ban explicitly covers e-cigarettes as well as tobacco. Fines for individuals run into the hundreds of euros, up to €500, and enforcement is noticeably tighter in Athens, Thessaloniki and the busy island resorts in high season than in a mountain village.

One rule that catches drivers rather than flyers: smoking or vaping in a vehicle carrying a child under 12 carries a much heavier penalty, up to €1,500. Worth knowing if you are picking up a rental car at the airport.

Where exactly to smoke at HER

The terminal is compact and there is one main building, which makes this straightforward:

Departures forecourt. Step out of the entrance doors to the open-air area in front of the terminal. Stand clear of the doorways — the ban applies to enclosed space, and staff will ask you to move away from entrances.
Arrivals kerbside. On the way out with your bags, the pick-up area outside arrivals works the same way; this is where most people light up after a flight.
Car parks. Open-air and away from the doors, so unproblematic if you are heading to a car or the rental desks.

A long layover or a delay

If you are connecting through HER and the wait is genuinely long, leaving airside to smoke is technically possible: you exit through arrivals, smoke outside, then re-enter departures and clear security again. Whether it is worth it depends entirely on the clock. Re-clearing security at HER in peak season can take 20–40 minutes, so the round trip needs a comfortable buffer — and if your onward flight is within the Schengen area you will not have passport formalities, but a non-Schengen leg adds another queue on the way back.

For a two-hour connection, do not attempt it. For a six-hour one, it is reasonable, and while you are outside you may as well look at the wider options in our layover guide.

Vaping and e-cigarettes

Vaping is treated exactly like smoking indoors: not in the terminal, not in the toilets, not at the gate. Outside, in the same open-air areas, it is fine. A few practical points for travellers:

Carry devices in your hand luggage, never in checked baggage — that is an airline safety rule about lithium batteries, not an airport preference. The same goes for spare batteries and power banks.
Do not use or charge a vape on board. Cabin crews treat it as a safety matter, and the ban is absolute.
E-liquid follows the liquid rules at the checkpoint: containers of 100 ml or less in your single transparent bag. See the baggage and liquids guide.
Buying in Greece is straightforward: nicotine vaping is legal and regulated under the EU framework, sold to over-18s in kiosks and tobacconists, with e-liquid nicotine capped at 20 mg/ml and tanks at 2 ml.

Heated-tobacco devices are treated as tobacco indoors, so the same answer applies: outside only.

Smoking on Crete beyond the airport

Two things surprise visitors. First, the indoor ban is real in cafes and tavernas as well — many places have generous outdoor terraces, which is where smokers sit. Second, a growing number of popular beaches around Greece have banned smoking and vaping outright, with fines of up to around €200; the list has included beaches on Rhodes, Santorini and Mykonos as well as mainland stretches. Look for signage rather than assuming a beach is unrestricted.

Buying cigarettes, and what you can take home

Cigarettes are sold at the airport kiosk landside and in the duty-free shops airside, along with the usual spirits and confectionery. Two limits matter more than the price:

Flying within the EU, there is no duty-free allowance as such — tax is paid, and customs use guideline quantities to judge personal use.
Arriving in the EU from outside by air, the allowance is 200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250 g of tobacco. Under-17s get no tobacco allowance at all.

If your destination is outside the EU, check its own limit before buying: the shop will happily sell you more than some countries let you bring in.

Practical tips for smokers at HER

Smoke outside after you have checked a bag but before security — that way you are not carrying luggage around the forecourt.
In the summer morning peak, add the security queue to your plan: the last cigarette should happen with 15 minutes to spare, not 5.
Nicotine gum or pouches are an easier answer than the exit-and-return trip on a short connection.
Arriving passengers: the kerbside outside arrivals is the first place you can smoke, before the taxi rank and bus stops. See transport options for what comes next.

Frequently asked questions

Does Heraklion Airport have a smoking area?
Outside the terminal, yes — in the open air on the landside forecourt near the entrances. There is no smoking area inside the building.

Is there a smoking area after security at Heraklion Airport?
No. HER has no airside smoking lounge and no airside outdoor space, so smoke before you pass the checkpoint.

Can you smoke inside Heraklion Airport?
No. Greek law bans smoking in enclosed public buildings, and the terminal is covered throughout, including toilets and gate areas.

Can you smoke at Heraklion Airport at all?
Yes, outdoors: the departures forecourt, the arrivals kerbside and the open-air car parks.

Is there a smoking lounge at HER?
No sealed indoor smoking lounge exists at this airport, airside or landside.

What is the fine for smoking indoors in Greece?
Individual fines reach up to €500, and enforcement is tighter in cities and busy resorts during high season.

Can I vape at Heraklion Airport?
Only outside. The indoor ban explicitly covers e-cigarettes, and vaping is not allowed on board either.

Can I put my vape in checked baggage?
No. Vapes, spare lithium batteries and power banks travel in the cabin only, and may not be used or charged in flight.

I have a long layover — can I go outside to smoke?
Yes, by exiting through arrivals and clearing security again on the way back. Allow for a 20–40 minute re-screening queue in peak season; on a short connection it is not worth it.

Where can I smoke when I land at HER?
The kerbside outside the arrivals hall, once you are through the doors with your bags.

How many cigarettes can I take home from Crete?
Arriving in the EU by air: 200 cigarettes or the equivalent. Outside the EU, your destination's limit applies.

Are heated-tobacco devices allowed indoors?
No — they are treated like cigarettes, so outdoors only.