Bike and Moped Travel

Be cautious: motorbike accidents account for numerous injuries among tourists every year. Reliable rentals can be arranged through Blue Sea Rentals in Heraklion, and you'll find rentals in just about any town on the tourist trail. Expect to pay about EUR 20 a day for a 50cc moped, for which you will need to present only a valid driver's license; law requires a motorcycle license to rent larger bikes. Fees usually cover insurance, but only for repairs to the bike, and usually with a deductible of at least EUR 500. The law mandates that you wear a helmet. Cycling is also increasingly popular in Crete. Six group excursions of varying levels of difficulty, to Minoan sites, mountain monasteries, and remote beaches are offered by Bicycle Sivas, in the south-coast village of the same name; daylong excursions start at about EUR 50, with bike rental included.

Bicycle Sivas (Sivas, Crete, 70200. 28920/42161.)

Blue Sea Rentals (Kosmo Zoutou 5-7, Heraklion, Crete, 71202. 2810/241097. www.bluesearentals.com.)