💰 This page covers the street-level details of spending money in Chania: the Venetian harbour and the backstreets, reaching Balos and Gramvousa, the Samaria Gorge and the bus and boat back, and which machines to use in western Crete. For Greece-wide ATM tips, DCC warnings, tipping norms, and exchange rate advice:
Read the Greece Money Guide →🎧 Order Euros Before You Fly
Land with euros for the KTEL buses, gorge tickets and beach fees. Insured delivery, 2–5 days.
Order EUR → CEI Currency ExchangeDo You Need Cash in Chania?
More than in Heraklion, because Chania is a base for the wilder parts of Crete. The town itself is card-friendly: harbour restaurants, boutique hotels in Venetian mansions, and the shops of Halidon and Skridlof Streets take cards. Once you head for the gorges, the south coast or the far-west beaches, cash covers the buses, gate fees, sunbeds and the ferry home from Samaria. Carry €50 to €100, and the Greece money guide explains which machines to use.
Where You Will Need Cash
KTEL buses to the gorges and the south coast. The Balos road charge and some beach parking. Samaria Gorge entry, and the small village tavernas along the way. Sunbeds at Falasarna and Elafonisi. Mountain village tavernas. Tips.
Where Cards Work Fine
Restaurants and bars on and behind the harbour. Hotels. Car hire. The Balos boats from Kissamos. The archaeological and maritime museums. Taxis, which must carry a terminal. Supermarkets.
The Harbour and the Backstreets
The Venetian harbour is Chania's showpiece: a crescent of pastel houses, the Firka fortress, the domed Küçük Hasan mosque and the lighthouse at the end of the breakwater. The restaurants on its waterfront have the view, the staff outside with menus, and the highest prices in town. Some are good; all charge for the setting.
One street back, the bill drops. Behind the harbour, the lanes of Splantzia, the old Jewish quarter around the Etz Hayyim synagogue, and the leather workers' Skridlof Street have tavernas and rakadika, small raki bars that bring plates of meze with each carafe, often at prices that feel like a mistake. Cretan hospitality also means a free raki and a small dessert at the end of most meals; it is not added to the bill.
Fish by the kilo. As everywhere in Greece, grilled fish is priced by weight. Ask to see it weighed and to be told the total before it goes on the grill.
Balos and Gramvousa: Boat or Dirt Road
Balos lagoon, the shallow turquoise lagoon at the tip of the Gramvousa peninsula, is western Crete's most photographed beach. There are two ways to reach it, and each costs something different.
By boat. Day cruises leave Kissamos port each morning in season, stop at Gramvousa island and its Venetian fortress, then anchor off Balos for a few hours. Tickets are sold online and at the port and take cards. Buses from Chania connect with the boats in summer. It is the easy option, and the one most people take.
By car. A rough dirt road runs along the peninsula to a car park above the lagoon, with a charge per car collected at a booth on the way in, and the area's environmental fees are collected on site; pay in cash. From the car park it is a steep walk of twenty minutes or more down to the water, and harder coming back in the heat. Many hire-car contracts exclude damage on unpaved roads, so read yours before you go. Sunbeds at the lagoon, where available, are cash.
The Samaria Gorge: Ticket, Bus and Boat
A one-way walk with a transport bill. The Samaria Gorge, around 16 kilometres down through the White Mountains to the Libyan Sea, is open roughly from May to October, weather permitting. It is a national park with an entry ticket of around €10, checked at the top at Xyloskalo.
Getting there. Early KTEL buses leave Chania's bus station on Kydonias Street for Omalos and Xyloskalo; buy the ticket at the station, where cards are sometimes accepted, but carry cash. Organised tours bundle the bus, the ticket and the ferry for a single card payment.
Getting back. The gorge ends at Agia Roumeli, a village with no road. A ferry takes walkers to Sfakia (Chora Sfakion) or Sougia, where buses wait to return to Chania. The ferry ticket is bought at the harbour office in Agia Roumeli. There is no cash machine to rely on at the bottom, so bring enough euros from Chania for the ferry, a meal and the bus.
Paying by Card in Chania
Chania town is as card-friendly as Heraklion. The difference is how much of a Chania trip happens outside it.
The harbour and Old Town
Restaurants, bars, boutique hotels and leather shops take cards. Small raki bars and kiosks may prefer cash for a single drink.
The municipal market and New Town
The cross-shaped market hall, the bus station on Kydonias Street, banks and shops. The best place to withdraw.
Platanias and Agia Marina
The beach resort strip west of town. Resorts and restaurants take cards; beach bars and sunbeds are mixed.
Kissamos and Falasarna
The ferry port for Balos, and a long west-facing beach. Boat tickets by card; sunbeds and beach tavernas often cash.
Sfakia and the south coast
Chora Sfakion, Loutro, Sougia and Paleochora. Small ferries and remote tavernas; Loutro has no road at all. Take cash with you.
The White Mountain villages
Omalos, Theriso and the Apokoronas hill villages. Village tavernas and kafeneia where cash is expected.
ATMs in Chania
Look for these logos. West Crete's bank branches all belong to these four, and none charges at its own machine.
National Bank of Greece
Piraeus Bank
Eurobank
Alpha BankATM Locations
Around the municipal market and along the streets leading down to the harbour, all four big banks have branches. Platanias, Kissamos and Paleochora each have bank machines. The south-coast villages, the gorge and Loutro have few or none. Greece has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner, so BoA cards pay their normal non-network fees.
⚠ The Harbour-Front Machines
The independent Euronet units along the harbour and in the resort strip charge their own fee and offer to convert into your home currency. A bank machine is a few minutes' walk away at the market. Choose euros; our DCC explainer shows why.
Paying for Buses, Taxis and Hire Cars
KTEL buses. Western Crete's buses leave from the station on Kydonias Street for Heraklion, Kissamos, Omalos, Sfakia, Paleochora and Elafonisi in season. Tickets are sold at the station counter or on board, and cash is the reliable option.
Taxis. Chania's airport is on the Akrotiri peninsula, about half an hour from town, and taxis run on posted fixed fares for the main destinations. Every Greek taxi must accept cards. Our Heraklion guide covers Crete's hire-car deposits, which work the same way here.
Driving. Most visitors to western Crete hire a car. The national road between Chania and Heraklion is free; the roads south over the mountains are slow. Fuel stations are attended and take cards, but in the mountains they close early.
Tipping in Chania
Tip as elsewhere in Greece (the Greece guide has the detail): coins for a coffee, a tenth of the bill in cash after a good meal. The free raki and dessert at the end of a Cretan meal are hospitality, not a hint. Gorge guides and boat crews on the Balos cruises appreciate a few euros.
Prices in Chania
Chania is one of the better-value bases in the Greek islands once you step off the harbour front.
| Item | Price (EUR) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Freddo espresso | €2.50–4 | $2.90–4.60 |
| Carafe of raki with meze | €6–12 | $7–14 |
| Taverna dinner for two, backstreets | €30–55 | $35–63 |
| Dinner for two on the harbour | €55–95 | $63–109 |
| Samaria Gorge entry | around €10 | around $11.50 |
| Ferry, Agia Roumeli to Sfakia | €15–20 | $17–23 |
| KTEL bus, Chania to Omalos | €7–9 | $8–10 |
| Balos and Gramvousa boat from Kissamos | €30–40 | $35–46 |
| Two sunbeds at Falasarna | €10–20 | $11.50–23 |
| Taxi, airport to Chania town | €30–35 | $35–40 |
| Hire car per day in summer | €35–70 | $40–80 |
| Mid-range hotel night in summer | €90–170 | $104–196 |
USD estimates use approximately €1 = $1.15. Rates fluctuate. Gorge and boat prices change each season.
Day Trips from Chania
Balos and Gramvousa (about 1 hour to Kissamos)
Boat by card, or the dirt road with a cash charge. Bring water; the lagoon has little shade.
The Samaria Gorge (full day)
Ticket, bus and boat, as above. Carry cash for Agia Roumeli, and start early.
Elafonisi (about 1.5 hours)
Pink-tinged sand at the island's south-west tip. Paid parking in season and cash sunbeds; there is little else, so bring food.
Rethymno (about 1 hour)
Crete's third town, with its own Venetian harbour and fortress. Card-friendly, and on the way to Heraklion.
Chania Quick Reference
| Destination | Cards? | Cash Needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harbour restaurants | ✅ Yes | Highest prices in town | Eat one street back |
| KTEL buses | ❌ Cash is safest | Kydonias Street station | Early buses to the gorge |
| Samaria Gorge | ❌ Mostly cash | Ticket around €10 | No reliable ATM below |
| Balos by boat | ✅ Yes | From Kissamos | Stops at Gramvousa |
| Balos by road | ❌ Cash | Charge at the booth | Check your hire contract |
| Taxis | ✅ By law | Fixed fares | Airport on Akrotiri |
| ATMs | NBG, Piraeus, Eurobank, Alpha | Around the market | Avoid harbour Euronet |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need cash in Chania?
Some. Chania town's restaurants, hotels and shops take cards. Carry 50 to 100 euros for KTEL buses, the Samaria Gorge and other gate fees, the Balos road charge, beach sunbeds, village tavernas and tips, and withdraw in town before heading to the south coast or the far west.
How do I get to Balos lagoon and how much does it cost?
Either by boat from Kissamos port, a day cruise that also stops at Gramvousa and takes cards at the kiosks, or by car along a rough dirt road with a small charge collected at a booth, plus a walk down to the lagoon. The boat is easier; the road is cheaper for a car full of people.
How much does it cost to walk the Samaria Gorge?
There is an entry ticket for the national park, around 10 euros, plus transport: an early KTEL bus from Chania to the top at Xyloskalo, then at the bottom a ferry from Agia Roumeli to Sfakia or Sougia and a bus back. Budget 50 to 60 euros for the full day with tickets.
Are the restaurants on Chania harbour expensive?
They are the most expensive in town, and several have staff outside to steer you in. The food varies. The streets behind the harbour, around Splantzia and the old Jewish quarter, have tavernas with similar dishes at lower prices. Ask for the price of fish by the kilo before it is cooked.
Is there a cash machine at the Samaria Gorge?
No. Agia Roumeli, the village at the bottom, has tavernas and the ferry ticket office but should not be relied on for cash. Take enough euros from Chania for the entry ticket, the ferry and food, even if you plan to pay by card.
Which ATMs should I use in Chania?
Machines at National Bank of Greece, Piraeus Bank, Eurobank and Alpha Bank branches around the municipal market and in the New Town, and in the larger coastal towns such as Kissamos and Platanias. Avoid the independent Euronet units along the harbour front.
Pay Smart in Chania
The Wise card converts at the real mid-market rate, covers the car-hire deposit and the Balos boat in euros, and withdraws at Greek bank machines without a markup.
Get the Wise Card →Hero photo: the Venetian harbour at Chania, by Lapplaender, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.