All-inclusive car rental in Heraklion Airport

Heraklion (HER) is the busiest airport on Crete and the obvious starting point for exploring the island - the Minoan palace of Knossos, the beaches of the north coast and the dramatic gorges of the south.

Crete’s roads range from smooth national highway to narrow village lanes and gravel tracks, so the zero-excess cover in an all-inclusive rental is genuinely worthwhile here.

Picking up your car at Heraklion Airport

The Heraklion Airport (HER) car-rental area is easy to reach from arrivals. With an all-inclusive Cardamar booking your insurance and excess are settled before you land, so you can collect the keys and go.

Driving from Heraklion Airport

Heraklion is the best base for exploring Crete. The northern highway (E75) runs west to Rethymno and Chania and east toward Agios Nikolaos, while the Minoan palace of Knossos is barely 15 minutes from the airport.

Roads range from smooth highway to narrow mountain lanes down to the southern beaches, so a calm pace and a smaller car pay off.

Island roads and what to bring

Gravel, dust and tight parking make minor scrapes common on Crete, which is exactly where the zero-excess cover in an all-inclusive booking proves its worth. Fuel up before remote drives - stations thin out in the mountains.

Bring your driving licence, passport or ID and the lead driver’s card; an International Driving Permit is required alongside a non-EU/EEA licence in Greece. There is no deposit to block at most desks.

All-inclusive vs. a cheap basic rate plus counter insurance

Two cars on the same lot in Heraklion can advertise very different prices. The gap is almost always insurance: an all-inclusive rate settles it up front, while a "basic" rate leaves you to buy excess cover at the desk. Here is what each really means.

	All-inclusive (Cardamar)	Basic rate + counter insurance
Damage & theft excess	✓€0 – fully covered	✕High excess (often €800–2,000) blocked on your card
When you insure	✓Before you travel, at a fixed price	✕At the desk, under time pressure, price varies
Tyres, glass & undercarriage	✓Included	✕Usually excluded or charged extra
Deposit / card hold	✓None or low at most stations	✕Large hold blocked for the whole trip
Cancellation	✓Free cancellation	✕Often non-refundable
What you pay in total	✓Known the moment you book	✕Can climb sharply at the counter

A basic rate can look cheaper online, but once you add proper excess cover at the desk it usually costs more than an all-inclusive booking - with none of the certainty.