Heraklion Airport

I've passed through between 20 & 30 times now (always in summer) so I feel able to comment. Be prepared - arrivals are hot and sweaty you'll have a very short bus journey to the terminal and you should get through passport control fairly quickly. The luggage reclaim is something else! Information can be hard to come by but things do seem to be improving (unless several holiday flights arrive at the same time!). Departure involves long queues often starting outside the teminal efficient security checks and a packed hot and usually uncomfortable departure "lounge". Our flight was once a couple of hours late and we were offered complimentary soft drinks - either Coke or Fanta. I requested water - but that wasn't allowed! Toilets can be very clean or disgusting - blame the tourists. If the gents toilets are out of action - just use the ladies! But Crete is worth this minor inconvenience!

A really terrible airport. Visited in August 2006 perhaps the Schengen terminal was better but I doubt it. On arrival the baggage hall was chaos with poor signage and clearly no capacity for the number of flights arriving. It took over an hour from arrival in the baggage hall for us to leave with our bags and it was packed with nowhere to sit down and elbow room only at the carousels to see your bags. Even though most people seemed to be at the wrong carousel because of the poor information. The return flight was no better. If you were travelling independently there is almost no way you could work out which desk to check in at with huge snaking queues managed by the travel operators. There were no worthwhile facilities before the 'security check'. The friend I went with has metal pins in his body and triggers the metal scanner you walk through. The red light flashed and a bell rang but he was waved through without a search. This was just after the liquid bomb threat in the UK. When you got to the waiting area by the gates it was no better. The seating area was full with people even sitting on stairs. We waited upstairs near the duty free. The departure boards were not visible so when unbelievably our flight was called 45 minutes early you didn't know and were treated like a drunkard who had stayed too long in the bar (if there is one). Overall Crete is a great holiday destination but Iraklion Airport should be avoided if possible.

It may not be the most modern airport in the world but the staff are friendly and it allows us to get from A to B. Every time I visit I am glad they do not weigh the bags to charge ludicrous amounts for excess baggage which does happen at most other airports. I am extremely suprised to hear about personal belongings being stolen as the Cretan people are very honest however Mr Olden (above) did say his wife was silly to put an expensive item in the case. Personal items can be stolen from any airport including those in the UK! You may be please to hear that they are currently building another airport further to the South East coast although the road links will not be as good as we have now become accustomed to in Crete although I have no idea when it will be completed. It seems such a shame to moan about an airport which in reality we spend very little time in when we could be looking forward to/reminiscing about our holiday in beautify Crete.

I love Crete but hate Heraklion Airport. Departure lounge very small and very crowded. The steps from the duty free shop provide people sitting at the side with endless amounts of fun as each year I have been I never remember that the last step is deeper than the others. When we go back in September I am waiting until the last minute to go through to the gates and will stop on the otherside after check in and keep an eye on the departure board.

Flew in and out in the last week of July and the first week in August. My first impression was how small and confusing. You get on a bus from the plane to go 20m to some steps into the luggage hall. Waited no more than usual. Plenty of trolleys. Although after midnight has passport examined quite detailed. Outside was very confusing as you exit into the car park full of coaches. Going back to the UK was OK. Arrive early as all luggage is x-ray'd before checking in. We made a mistake and went in the intra-schengan lounge (gates 1-6) rather than the extra (gates 7+). This proved quite a find as it was very quite and the duty free shop was very empty. Only found out the mistake when they asked us to go to gate 10. The other lounge was very busy and noisy. Most staff we met at the airport spoke English. Not the best airport but better than Heathrow on a strike day!!

Been to Heraklion twice. Going to Crete again this year as I love it. Heraklion airport may not have the nice things we are used to in UK airports but even though it can be crowded etc I got on with it. Queuing outside in the sun beat waiting in a cold Newcastle departure lounge.

Crowded beyond belief no departure lounge apart from the terminal itself and the rudest people I have ever met. Our luggage was damaged to the point where it is not secure enough to use again and the food pricing was expensive as well as the fact that they advertise different products to that they sell - I'm a vegetarian and bought what was advertised as a vegetarian pizza only to find a thick slice of ham in it. Awful place.