Rethimno is on the northern coast highway between Heraklion and Chania. The nearest airports are Heraklion's Nikos Kazantzakis Airport (about 75 km east, 1 hour by road) and Chania Airport (about 55 km west, 45 minutes). Both have good international connections in summer, with Chania generally cheaper for flights from northern Europe.
Buses (KTEL) connect Rethimno to both Heraklion and Chania hourly throughout the day, with the journey taking about 1 hour 15 minutes in each direction. The bus station is south of the old town, about 10 minutes' walk from the harbour. By car, Rethimno is straightforward to reach via the new national highway; parking in the old town is difficult and most visitors use the car parks near the beach or the Fortezza.