Tips on Chania Warnings and Dangers – Stay Safe!

Chania Warnings and Dangers

Chania is the second largest city in Crete and is the site of an ancient Minoan settlement that dates from the Bronze Age several thousand years ago. If you are going to be visiting Chania, here are some warnings and dangers you should be aware of to help make your trip a pleasant one.

Traffic

Traffic is a bit crazy! Cars travel on the right side of the road, and the driver’s use their horns very liberally for any reason at all. There are motorbikes everywhere cutting through the traffic and the road rules largely are not obeyed. Obviously, the traffic is worse in the town. There are too many cars, very narrow streets, and very few traffic lights.

Walking Around Town

The sidewalks around town are very small and they edge right up against the streets. You have to be very careful where you walk, and if you are walking with children, you have to make sure you are always holding their hands so they don’t step off the sidewalk and into the street.

Parking

If you rent a car while in Chania, parking is going to be a problem at times. The Old Town area is very convenient to park in during the day, but the parking lot becomes a zoo at night as it seems everybody comes to Chania after sunset. People will park everywhere until it seems like every piece of sidewalk and grass gets covered by cars.

There is not much parking space in the center of the town, either (especially as you get closer to the Venetian harbor and the market areas). The easiest thing to do is go a couple of miles out of town to park and take a bus or taxi into the city at night.

The Beach is Loud at Night

If you are going to stay in a hotel by the beach, you should know that the area has a lot of activity and noise during the night. Chania is not your typical beach resort on Crete as there are a number of bars that remain open until the early hours of the morning. Then, there is the rubbish collection and deliveries by two-stroke engine vehicles in the early morning. All this can make Chania a pretty noisy place and hard to sleep in at night.

Editor’s note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about the warnings and dangers in Chania