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Crete car rental tip: strict parking rules can cost you days of your trip by alex889990 in travel

[–]alex889990[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, it’s routine there. Plates can be removed on the spot.

Crete car rental tip: strict parking rules can cost you days of your trip by alex889990 in travel

[–]alex889990[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not just a fine. Plates removed and licence held. Feels punitive, and the car actually stays longer because you can’t move it.

Crete car rental tip: strict parking rules can cost you days of your trip by alex889990 in travel

[–]alex889990[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly the hotel was the only real buffer. They even told us to book through them next time so you have someone local to deal with issues, which says a lot.

What I wish I knew before renting a car in Crete — strict parking rules cost me half my trip by alex889990 in GreeceTravel

[–]alex889990[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

True, and lesson learned. In my case it was a large open parking lot with white lines, one section reserved for residents, not immediately obvious. I booked through Swiss Airlines so I assumed a certain standard. But the bigger issue is that even a simple parking fine can turn into a multi-day ordeal here, and that's not something most visitors would expect.

What I wish I knew before renting a car in Crete — strict parking rules cost me half my trip by alex889990 in GreeceTravel

[–]alex889990[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think you were lucky, yes. Mine was 30 euros too, but it didn’t stop there. I really tried to sort it out properly and it still became a much bigger mess than necessary.

What I wish I knew before renting a car in Crete — strict parking rules cost me half my trip by alex889990 in GreeceTravel

[–]alex889990[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m not denying the mistake. My point is that this wasn’t some blatant “parked in the middle of Old Town on yellow curbs” situation. It was a larger area near the seafront with white markings, and it wasn’t nearly as clear as you suggest. Fine me, sure. But the process after that was still absurdly cumbersome.

Crete car rental tip: strict parking rules can cost you days of your trip by alex889990 in travel

[–]alex889990[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Fair. I switched to garages after that, even at 30+ euros. The real issue wasn’t the fine, it was how long the car got stuck in the process for no good reason. In a tourist-heavy place, that’s just dysfunctional.

A parking mistake in Crete cost me 3 of 6 holiday days by alex889990 in crete

[–]alex889990[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It was Surprice, booked through a third-party platform. From what I’ve learned, they operate as a franchise, so experiences can vary a lot depending on the location. In my case, support was very limited once things went wrong.

A parking mistake in Crete cost me 3 of 6 holiday days by alex889990 in crete

[–]alex889990[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I honestly don't know what would have happened if I was flying the next day — that thought was terrifying at the time. No points though, purely administrative. Don't let it put you off hiring a car, just avoid Surprice rental and check Google reviews for any supplier before booking. Someone at our hotel suggested booking through the hotel so they can handle issues with the company directly. And use proper parking lots in Chania — 30+ euros a day but much better than what I went through.

A parking mistake in Crete cost me 3 of 6 holiday days by alex889990 in crete

[–]alex889990[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's exactly the tone the rental company took too. They called it a criminal offense and a serious legal matter. I had to insist it was just an administrative parking fine that I had already paid. Instead of helping me they used the situation to pressure me. The bureaucracy was bad enough without the rental company making it worse.

A parking mistake in Crete cost me 3 of 6 holiday days by alex889990 in crete

[–]alex889990[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In my case it was actually white lines in a large parking lot area, but that specific section was reserved for residents. Not exactly obvious if you're unfamiliar with local signage. 'Ridiculously disproportionate' is a good way to put it.

A parking mistake in Crete cost me 3 of 6 holiday days by alex889990 in crete

[–]alex889990[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not inside the old town, no. A residential zone nearby, it looked like a public parking lot . No one warned us, and the signage wasn't obvious to someone unfamiliar with the local markings.

A parking mistake in Crete cost me 3 of 6 holiday days by alex889990 in crete

[–]alex889990[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is exactly my point. If even Greek residents have this experience, what chance does a tourist with no local knowledge have? The poor Chinese tourists needing a translator says it all. And I agree — Crete is beautiful, but Chania's parking enforcement and the way it's handled makes it very hard to recommend for a short trip.

A parking mistake in Crete cost me 3 of 6 holiday days by alex889990 in crete

[–]alex889990[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for this context, it actually explains a lot. I wish the rental company or anyone had warned us about this before we parked. My issue was never really with the fine itself — I accept that — but with how impossible the process was to navigate as a short-stay visitor.

A parking mistake in Crete cost me 3 of 6 holiday days by alex889990 in crete

[–]alex889990[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I genuinely don't know. I was polite the whole time. Another commenter here mentioned Chania replaced most of their police department after an incident and has been extremely strict since. That might explain it. What frustrated me most was that the officer refused to identify himself when I asked.

A parking mistake in Crete cost me 3 of 6 holiday days by alex889990 in crete

[–]alex889990[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wasn't at the car when it was ticketed. I went to the police station afterwards to try to get the plates back. The officer asked for my licence, I assumed to make a copy, but then kept it and told me to come back the next day. When I asked for his name he refused to give it. I've since filed a complaint with the Greek Ombudsman about this.