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Want to travel to Heraklion, but you are unsure where to park your car? Or maybe you are looking for free parking in the city right now as you drive! Either way, this post is just for you. Keep reading to discover all you need to know about Heraklion parking.

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Heraklion Parking: All You Need to Know and More!

Where to Park in Heraklion: General Directions

Did you know Heraklion is the third biggest city in the county, after Athens and Thessaloniki?

Although some statistics place it fourth, right after Patras, Heraklion is still huge!

Because of its sheer size, parking may be abundant, but there are also things you need to know.

First of all, don’t park the car wherever you wish. You may risk a fine, especially during the summer season.

If you stay in a hotel or other accommodation, ask the host to tell you where you can park your car. If you are lucky, they may even have their own parking facilities.

But, what about if you only visit Heraklion for the day? For one, you can find free parking options throughout the city.

On top of that, there are plenty of paid parking spaces to give you a sense of security and peace of mind while you explore Heraklion. 

After all, if you pay someone, they are responsible for caring for your car. And that would be the best course of action, especially if you are looking for city center parking.

After all, like every big town, Heraklion can be tricky when it comes to parking in its busy center.

The Color Markings in Heraklion

First of all, you need to pay attention to the color markings in public parking spaces. If the markings are yellow, only special vehicles can park there.

As a rule, don’t park in such areas unless instructed by a local otherwise.

However, you can always leave your car in any parking lot designated with white markings. So remember that White in Greece stands for Free. Long live White!

If the markings are blue, it is time to open your wallet.

Look for the parking meter nearby and insert the coins. After that, you can park your car in the area for a limited time, depending on the location.

Don’t worry; everything will be clear once you read the signs on the meter. 

The only caveat with most parking meters in Heraklion is that they don’t accept cards. So, make sure you have some coins or banknotes in your wallet. 

Free Places to Park in Heraklion

Don’t feel like paying for car parking? No worries at all as you always have the option of free parking. Heraklion is full of such free alternatives.

But what if you don’t want to waste time looking for them? That’s where this article comes in.

The most reliable and safe free parking lots are those close to big grocery stores.

These companies offer free parking for their customers, but anyone is welcome to put their car in their parking lot for a few hours. 

Take Vasilopoulos or Sklavenitis, for example. Located near the port, these two supermarkets offer free parking for their clients.

So, all you have to do is get to their location and use their free parking. And you can always buy something from there if you want. 

As a tip, if you are near the center, prefer parking in Vasilopoulos, or near the Cultural Conference Center of the city.

You can find the latter on Giannikou Street, which is within walking distance from the center. 

Alternatively, if you are looking for free parking on the city’s east side, you will have more than enough options. Praktiker and Chalkiadakis MAX are two stores that offer free parking in Heraklion. 

Note that you can’t leave your car for the night in such places. Most free parking lots close at 9 pm, so make sure you move your car by then.

And because the stores don’t operate on Sundays, parking is limited on weekends.

24/7 Places to Park in Heraklion

Let’s start with the municipality’s parking spaces scattered throughout the city.

Whether you are in the center of Heraklion or the outskirts, you won’t be far from such a parking lot.

Monitored by local officials, you can park here for a fee to the municipality.

Next to parking lots from the municipality, you can also pay for premium parking from private enterprises. Take Megaro Handax, for example.

Located on the city’s west side near Lidl Supermarket, Megaro Handax is an underground parking facility with four floors. 

There is no way you won’t find available parking here, as the maximum capacity reaches one thousand vehicles. Although the fee varies depending on how much you want to stay, expect to pay about €3 per hour. 

Another underground parking service is at Georgiadou Street, southwest of the center. If you want to move closer to the port, choose Iraklio Center Parking at Giamalaki Avenue. 

The first hour will set you off €4, while every extra hour will come at just 50 cents. In other words, it is a great and affordable option if you plan to walk around the city center for three or four hours.

And they even have cleaning facilities if you are interested. 
For more independent parking facilities, you can also look at the following recommendations.

• The Parking lot Kallergis at Monis Kardiotissis is an excellent option for leaving your car for an entire day at just €4. And it will only take you 10 minutes to reach the center from here.

• Robotic Parking at Nikola Plastira Avenue. Parking here will cost you €3 per two hours.

• Marasis Parking at Monis Odigitrias

• Thiseos Parking at Thiseo

• City Center Parking with four flours at Arkoleontos St. right in the center 

• Kastro Parking at €4.80 per two hours at Pediados Ave. 

• Alfa Parking in Ikarou 18. Here, the cost is again €3 per two hours.

Parking Meter

Many of the places discussed above feature a parking meter, and most of them look and work more or less like this one in Chania:

Heraklion Port Parking

If you need to leave your car at the port, you can choose between three different options. First, you have a parking slot near the Cafe Marina, the main port entrance area.

The charging fee is €2.50 per day. Quite a deal if your priority is easy access to the port for a few hours.

Next, you have a more premium parking slot near the port gate. Here, you would need to pay €3 per night, but you would be closer to the departure hall.

Finally, you can also leave your car directly opposite the passenger terminal.

Although a more expensive option with a daily fee of €4, it is the best option if you plan to travel by boat or want to pick up a friend that just reached Heraklion by boat.

Note that all parking areas in the port close at 10 pm. However, you can leave your car overnight if you wish and pick it up again after 6 am.

And the best news? There is free parking on Sundays!

Parking at Heraklion Airport

If you want to pick up a friend from the airport or park your car near it, you can easily find parking close to it.

The best option would be the official airport car park, just 50 meters from the arrivals terminal. 

Although the cost may vary per region, it will set you off about €8 per hour.

If you want to save some bucks and are willing to walk a bit further, you can always choose one of the third-company parking providers around the airport. 

For example, Alianthos Parking is an excellent alternative that will only cost you €7 for an entire day! Note that the cost increases per day, as on the second day you would need to pay €11, then €14.

However, if you want to park at the airport for just an hour or two, you would be happy to pay a small premium for the official parking slot at the airport.

The closer access to the arrival hall will be more than worth it. Here you can check Eparking, where parking here will cost you €5 per two hours, and you can even book online if you want to have everything set up before you get there.

The preferred payment method is cash.

All the Parking Spots in Heraklion

Free Heraklion Parking

• Praktiker Heraklion: 22 Karterou St. Mon-Fri 8.30 am – 9.00 pm, Sat 8.00 am – 8.00 pm
• Chalkiadaxis Max Supermarket Heraklion: Mausolou St. & Irodotou St. Mon-Fri 8.00 am – 9.00 pm, Sat 8.00 am – 8.30 pm
• AB Vasilopoulos Supermarket Parking: 26 Ikarou St. Mon-Fri 8.00 am – 9.00 pm, Sat 8.00 am – 8.00 pm
• Sklavenitis Supermarket Parking: Mixail Eleutheriadi St. Mon-Fri 8.00 am – 9.00 pm, Sat 8.00 am – 8.00 pm
• Cultural Conference Center of Heraklion (Politistiko and Sunedriako Kentro): Giannikou St. Mon-Fri 7.30 am -10.30 pm, Sat 7.30 am -3.30 pm

Parking at the Port of Heraklion

• Heraklion Central Port Authority: Entrance area, close to Marina Café. Mon-Sun 6.00 am – 10.00 pm (€2.50/day)
• Heraklion Central Port Authority: Entrance Gate Area. Mon-Sun 6.00 am – 10.00 pm (€3/day)
• Heraklion Central Port Authority: Area opposite the Passenger Station. Mon-Sun 6.00 am – 10.00 pm (€4/day)

>> Check the Port Parking website

Heraklion Airport Parking

• Heraklion Official Airport Parking: Heraklion Airport (50 meters from the arrivals terminal). Mon-Sun (€8/2h 29/week) – daily fees and long stay fees available
• EParking: 97 Ikarou Ave. Mon-Sun (€5/2h) – Paid shuttle to the city center available

Private Heraklion Parking with Daily Hours Only

• Talos Plaza: Sofokli Venizelou Ave. Mon-Fri, Sun 10 am – 2 am, Sat 10 am – 3 am (€2/2h)
• Talos: Sofokli Venizelou Ave and Minos St. Mon-Sun 8.00 am – Midnight (€2/2h)
• Mixelidakis Street Parking: Mixelidaki St. Mon-Sun  8 am – 10 pm (price info at the facilities)
• Fasoulakis Ioannis Parking: 26 Monis Kardiotissis St. Mon-Fri 8 am – 9.30 pm, Sat 9 am – 3 pm (price info at the facilities
• Martinengo Parking: Plastira Ave. Mon-Fri 7 am – 11 pm, Sat 7 am – 3 pm (price info at the facilities)
• Theotokopouli Street Parking: 14 Theotokopoulou St. Mon-Sun 8 am – 9 pm (€4/2h)
• Lasithiou Street Parking: Lasithiou St. Mon-Sat 8.30 am – 2.30 pm (price info at the facilities)

Heraklion Parking Open 24/7

• Central Parking: 26 Koronaiou St. Mon-Sun (€4.50/2h) – daily fees available – my parking of choice in town!
• Park King: 58 G. Georgiadou St. Mon-Sun (cash only)
• Iraklio Center Parking: 50 Giamalaki St. Mon-Sun (€4/2h – extra hour €0,50) – car wash service available
• Parking Kallergis: Monis Kardiotissis and Talo St. Mon-Sun (€4/day)
• Robotic Parking Plastira Center: 47 N. Plastira Ave. Mon-Sun (€3/2h – €4/3h – €5/3 to 24h)
• Thiseos Street Parking: 18 Thiseos St. Mon-Sun (€5.10/2h) – cash preferred
• Megaro Handax Parking: 17 Piniou St. (Chanioporta). Mon-Sun (€3/2h) – cash preferred
• Marakis Parking: 10 Monis Odigitrias St. Mon-Sun (price info at the facilities)
• Skordilidon Street Car Park: Skordilidon St. Mon-Sun (€3/2h)
• Alfa Parking: 18 Ikarou 18 St. Mon-Sun (€3/2h)
• City Center Parking: Arkoleontos St. and Almurou St. Mon-Sun (€4.80/2h) – daily and monthly fees available
• Kastro Parking: 1 Pediados St. Mon-Sun (€4.80/2h) – daily fees available
• Faistaki Street Parking: Faitaki St. Mon-Sun (price info at the facilities)
• Panasanou Street Parking: 11 Panasanou St. Mon-Sun (€3/2h)
• Evans Street Parking: 74 Evans St. Mon-Sun (price info at the facilities)
• Koronaiou Street Parking: 16 Koronaiou St. Mon-Sun (price info at the facilities)
• Stathmos Kladi: Anopoleos St. and Averof St. Mon-Sun (4.50€/2h) – cash preferred
• Theiakaki Ioanni Square Parking: Plateia Theiakaki Ioanni. Mon-Sun (price info at the facilities)
• Meramvellou Street Parking: Meramvellou St. Mon-Sun (price info at the facilities)
• Analipseos Square Parking: Plateia Analipseos. Mon-Sun (€3/2h
• Mitsotaki Street: 5 Mitsotaki St. Mon-Sun (€€4.00/2h)

Heraklion Parking Spots Map

Conclusion

So, here you are. That’s all you need to know about Heraklion parking. No matter where you go in the city, a parking lot should be around the corner. 

Most importantly, follow the local regulations and park at the marked spots.

Or better, choose one of the parking services in this post and get that peace of mind you deserve.

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