By air: Crete has two international airports. Heraklion Nikos Kazantzakis (HER) is the main one, serving most international and domestic flights. Chania (Ioannis Daskalogiannis, CHQ) serves charter and some scheduled flights in summer. Domestic flights from Athens take about 50 minutes; Athens has daily connections to both airports year-round.
By ferry: Regular overnight ferries run from Piraeus (Athens) to Iraklion and Hania. The crossing takes 8–9 hours. ANEK Lines and Minoan Lines run the main services; book in advance in July and August. Day ferries are less common but do exist. There are also ferries from Rhodes and Santorini, and seasonal connections to Thessaloniki.
From Athens: Flying is faster, but the overnight ferry is a classic Greek experience — arrive in Piraeus in the evening, sleep on board, wake up in Crete. The standard cabin is comfortable enough.
Within Crete by ferry: Boats connect the south coast villages inaccessible by road (Loutro, Hora Sfakion, Agia Roumeli) and run to Spinalonga island from Elounda and Agios Nikolaos. Seasonal ferries link the south coast to islands further east.