Travel tips for Heraklion

Greece is in the European Union, the Schengen area and the eurozone — the currency here is the euro (€), and displayed prices already include VAT at the standard Greek rate of 24 %, so what's on the menu or the ticket window is what you pay; a round-up of roughly 5-10% covers a tip. Crete is the largest Greek island, not the mainland, though it shares Athens' Eastern European Time. Driving is on the right, and mountain roads such as those to the Lasithi plateau or the Samaria gorge can be narrow, with passes that are sometimes closed or fogbound.

Heraklion airport (HER) sits close to the city centre, and KTEL coaches run the regional network on school and work timetables rather than sightseeing ones. Crete is one hour ahead of Paris, Berlin and Rome, winter and summer alike, so flight times and opening hours should never be quoted in central European time. Crete's weather changes from coast to mountain: it can be clear in Heraklion while the Lasithi plateau is under cloud, which is worth knowing before booking rather than discovering on arrival.

None of this changes at Samaria or the Lasithi plateau specifically: both are subject to closure for weather or season, while exposed coastal sections and seasonal boat cancellations are safety and access facts, not currency or visa ones.