Neuralgias include numerous pain syndromes which are characterised by neuropathic pain. This term is also used to name certain specific pain syndromes. Neuralgias affect an increasing number of people. Therefore, it is important to know basic facts about their clinical presentation, diagnostics and therapy. Cranial neuralgias are pain syndromes which occur in the head and neck area. Twelve different entities referring to painful lesions of the cranial nerves and other facial pain are described in the third edition of The International Classification of Headache Disorders. The most common cranial neuralgias are trigeminal, glossopharyngeal and occipital neuralgia. The pathophysiological mechanisms behind these neuralgias are not entirely clear and the etiology often remains unknown as well. The clinical presentation is characterised by short, sharp and recurrent pain which interferes with the patient's daily functioning. The pain can also be accompanied by other symptoms, which sometimes point to its underlying cause. The diagnosis relies on the clinical presentation of the illness and additional diagnostic methods include radiological imaging techniques and electrophysiological tests. The overlapping of clinical presentation and pain localisation, as well as non-specific accompanying symptoms can cause dilemmas in differential diagnosis. Therapeutic options are diverse and it is often necessary to use a variety of different methods for adequate pain management. The goal of this review is to present the most common cranial neuralgias, i.e. their clinical presentation, relevant diagnostic methods and therapeutic approach.