Search Flights from Ankara to Heraklion

The capital’s only airport Esenboğa Airport is accessible by Belko Air municipal buses, EGO buses, taxi, and personal vehicle from central locations in Ankara like Kızılay, AŞTİ, Gar, Sıhhiye and Ulus.

You can also rent a car at Esenboğa Airport, which is located 28 km from the city center. 

Belko Air

Belko Air provides comfortable transportation between the airport and central locations in the city, like Kızılay, Sıhhiye, Ulus, AŞTİ, Gar and Pursaklar. You can use the 45 passenger buses 442/A and 442/K by getting on at the stops opposite the exits on the domestic arrivals floor and international arrivals floor.

Buses are equipped with internet, feature hostess services and take off every 30 minutes from 5 am till 12am and every hour from 12 am to 5 am. Taking a Belko Air bus to get to the city is an affordable option.  

EGO Buses

The Esenboğa Airport is accessible by bus line 442-3, which passes through AKM, Ankara Arena and Güvenpark. The 491 bus line provides transportation between the airport and Ulus and Sihhiye but it only operates 3 times a day during the week.

Taxi

Taking a taxi within the city is generally affordable since the distances are usually close to each other. But taking a taxi to the airport is a more expensive alternative because it is located 28 km away. You can try to negotiate with the taxi driver for a lower fee.

Personal Car

The Esenboğa Airport has two parking lots. There is a multi-story parking lot, which allows for short-term and long-term parking, and an outdoor parking lot, which only allows for short-term parking.

Airport Information

Esenboğa Airport is frequently used by government staff and therefore features many amenities. Those awaiting their flight in the domestic terminal can get a quick bite to eat or some coffee at Caffe Nero, Ankar Café, Bus Gate, or Bufe Ic Hat. If you prefer local Anatolian flavors head to Tadinda Anadolu. Bomonti Brasserie is ideal for those interested in international cuisine. This terminal also has fast food restaurants like Burger King.

If you’re traveling internationally, the departure and arrival terminals have many cafes, kiosks, and bars. You can also enjoy some tax-free shopping at Duty Free after you go through passport control. Both terminals have souvenir shops and kiosks that sell general items. 

Although Heraklion is the largest residential area in Crete, especially the old city district is proper for walking. You can explore the whole city with a comfortable shoe, but you should always consider the weather. On the other hand, it is possible to explore the city by participating in the tours of many tourism agencies. Public transportation in the city is provided by buses. You can get to the whole city by buses, which will take you from the main bus stops A, B, and C.

Of course, there are many ferry and boat services in Heraklion, the biggest port city of Crete island. From there you can travel to many ports such as Santorini, Ios, Mykonos or Rhodes. Daily ferry service to Piraeus Port is also organized. It is possible to reach Athens from this port. You can rent a car in the city. Motorcycles and scooters, as well as cars, are quite common. It provides not only an ideal way of transportation to visit the city in warm weather but also an easy access to the other settlements of Crete Island such as Ayios Nikolaos and Chania. You can reach these cities by following the E75 highway. Traffic in the city can be really busy from time to time. Usually, there is an irregular traffic flow and road works are done. You can see the taxi almost everywhere in the city. However, it is not allowed to stop a taxi on the road, you need to use the taxi stops. You can see the taxi stops in front of the port, the bus station, and the airport. It is possible to use it not only for short trips but also as a private tour vehicle as well.

Taxis do not have a standard price policy, so if you can agree on the fare you can travel the whole city by having breaks at the important places of the city. All signs in Crete Island are written in English, using Latin alphabet as well as Greek alphabet, so you will not have trouble during transportation. The most used transportation vehicle from Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport to the city center is taxi. Buses are available for those who prefer to use public transportation. If you rent a car at the airport, you can easily reach the surrounding cities, not just the city center.

Bus

You can use the buses to the city center from bus stops at the airport terminal exit. The services are quite frequent, buses depart every 5 minutes. The services are rare only on Sundays. Buses start to pick up passengers early in the morning and continue its services until late in the evening.

Taxi

You can easily see the taxi stop when you leave the airport arrival terminal. Getting to the city center by taxi is easy and fast. If you wish, you can reserve a taxi for you by contacting the airport taxi station in advance.

Rent a car

Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport has 9 different vehicle rental companies that you can rent cars or motorbikes. You can make your vehicle rental operations online before your flight. You must remember that you must have international competence in order to be able to drive in Crete. The airport is located right on the E75 highway.