The 29th Annual EARSeL Symposium will be hosted by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania. MAICh is located 3 km south-east of Chania city centre, 13 km from the airport and 1 km from the port of Souda.
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The city centre of Chania can be reached by bus. Buses leave every 20min and the bus stop is located outside the MAICh premises on the main street (Souda Avenue). Tickets cost 1€ one way and will be available for purchase at the Registration Desk. Taxis to the city centre cost about 5€. A detailed map of Chania city centre can be found here. (942 KB, 1633x1142 pixels)
The port of Souda can also be reached by bus. Taxis to Souda cost approximately 3€. There is no direct bus service connecting the airport with the city centre or MAICh. Taxi is the only means of transportation at an approximate cost of 17-20€.
Travelling to Chania
Chania is the closest airport. Heraklion can be an alternative but a bus journey would take 3 hours.
There are direct charter and scheduled flights connecting Chania with many European cities. Please contact your travel agent for details about charter flight schedules. Provisional information about flights to Crete can be found here. Domestic flights from the Athens International Airport are also frequent and are carried out by Olympics and Aegean Airlines.
Ferries to Chania (Souda port) leave from Athens (Piraeus port) on a daily basis. The overnight/daytime trip with ANEK lines takes about 9 hours. Please check the web sites above for ferry schedules. Also note that there is a direct bus service connecting Athens International Airport with Piraeus port. More information about public transport in Athens can be found here.
Chania can be reached by coach from the city of Herakleon situated 145 km (90 miles) from Chania. The bus fare is about 9 euros and takes about
2.5 hours. The taxi costs approximately 80 euros. Herakleon, being the biggest city of Crete, is directly connected with charter/scheduled flights with many European cities. Flights to/from Athens are also frequent. Ferries from Piraeus travel to Herakleon every day. The overnight/daytime trip with MINOAN lines takes between 7-8 hours.
Weather / Climate
The climate is relatively mild, Mediterranean. During the fall and winter months north and northwest winds dominate, while in the summer the ill winds make it enjoyable. But the divine gift of the eternal sunshine allows one to start their vacation from March and end it at the end of October.
Chania has the largest amount of water in Crete (65%), and for this there is rich vegetation of plants and fruitful trees (citrus trees, olives, vines etc.) as well as semitropicals. The very clean beaches of Chania win always the "blue flags" of Europe and are accessible for all ages throughout the year.
If you come in summer, be prepared for hot temperatures: Bring sun-block, dark glasses, and a hat.
Visas for Foreigners travelling to Greece
The following text is copied from the site of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Greece follows the Schengen Agreement provisions and the subsequent acquis concerning short term visa issues. Countries applying the Schengen acquis in full (EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, plus associated countries: Iceland and Norway) follow a common visa policy for short-term stays of up to three (3) months in the Schengen area. The citizens of these countries are not subjected to border controls within the common area (airlines or other carriers require identification - I.D. Card or passport or any other piece of identification issued by a public authority).
- Citizens of the following EU and other European countries do not need a visa to enter Greece (and the Schengen area). They have only to produce a passport or an I.D. card at the border. Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, United Kingdom
- For holders of regular passports of the following countries who wish to visit Greece (and the Schengen area) and stay up to 3 months (90 days) within a six (6) month period, NO visa is required: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, The Holy See (Vatican), Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, USA, Uruguay, Venezuela, Nicaragua
- Holders of regular passports from the rest of the world need a visa in order to enter Greece (and the Schengen area)
NOTE: When travelling to Greece on a tourist visa, visitors are required to have travel insurance that covers cases of medical or other emergencies for the duration of the stay.
