2009 season

[travellingran]

We arrive on 21st July at 15;00 with Olympic. How long to get to Plakias? Prizes for the nesrest answer !

                                Barny.

I want to win the prize so I will say 3 hours 25 minutes from Heraklion to Dora's.

NB ( what is the prize ?)

Heather.

Hello Heather,

I believe we had the shortest transfer with "Taxi 4 you". ...... 90 minutes from Heraklion to Plakias and within the same time back to the airport.
Yes, we paid 85,00 Euros for each transfer, but we had no stress and it was very nice to talk to Zack. We would do it again and again.

Kerstin

Hi Kerstin,

90 MINUTES ??. How lucky you are to have done that.

I think I have had dreams about that happening but always end up in the nightmare reality of 3 hours or more.

We have been transferred by taxi in the past but that was when there were no more than 4 people to go to Plakias. No such luck now as more and more people go there.

Love,

Heather.

[Kerstin]

We arrive on 21st July at 15;00 with Olympic. How long to get to Plakias? Prizes for the nesrest answer !

                                Barny.

I want to win the prize so I will say 3 hours 25 minutes from Heraklion to Dora's.

NB ( what is the prize ?)

Heather.

Hello Heather,

I believe we had the shortest transfer with "Taxi 4 you". ...... 90 minutes from Heraklion to Plakias and within the same time back to the airport.
Yes, we paid 85,00 Euros for each transfer, but we had no stress and it was very nice to talk to Zack. We would do it again and again.

Kerstin

Hi Kerstin,

90 MINUTES ??. How lucky you are to have done that.

I think I have had dreams about that happening but always end up in the nightmare reality of 3 hours or more.

We have been transferred by taxi in the past but that was when there were no more than 4 people to go to Plakias. No such luck now as more and more people go there.

Love,

Heather.

Hi Heather,

yes, have a look on the web-site from Taxi 4 you and really he keeps the promise concerning the transfer.
We were alone and I arranged the transfer via email from Germany. We were very satisfied about the reliability.

I agree with you, such a long transfer as you had ... it was a nightmare and I am sure, you was very tired during the next day.

With love to you,
Kerstin

[Davos]

Thanks Heather and Kerstin for your replys.
The last 7 times we have been to Plakias we have made our own way and Kerstin is right 90 mins is a good time in a Taxi.
The fastest we have done the trip is 1 hour 20.

Davos

[BoCina]

Hello,

I agree that Taxi 4 You and especially Zak is a very good choise. At a reasonable price he just not only pick you up on time, he also give you a good and safe drive.
My wife  has tried a unknown taxi from Rethymon to Plakias once. It was cheap and the fastest drive so far, and new record on the distance - but it certainly did not feel good and safe!

Regards
BoCina

[Gemma1]

We were lucky to be have taxi transfers both ways when we went to Plakias last year as we were the only 2 guests staying there on the Leeds Bradford flight.  Going back on my own at the end of September and staying at the Dora so hoping I don't get room 7 Heather!  Will keep my fingers crossed that the transfer doesn't take too long as the flight doesn't arrive into Heraklion until about 9pm.

[travellingran]

We were lucky to be have taxi transfers both ways when we went to Plakias last year as we were the only 2 guests staying there on the Leeds Bradford flight.  Going back on my own at the end of September and staying at the Dora so hoping I don't get room 7 Heather!  Will keep my fingers crossed that the transfer doesn't take too long as the flight doesn't arrive into Heraklion until about 9pm.

My trip to Plakias this year is the first time in 15 years that I have had to fly from Gatwick and there were many more people and many more stops and drop offs than I have ever experienced . My usual journey is from Bristol.
This reminds me of the days of  SunMed  when we flew from Chania  and
stopped and picked up those in Rethymnon but those flying from Heraklion went via Spilli , Aghia Marina and occasionally Matala, plus all stops to Heraklion.

These were always night journeys so more comfortable and easier to sleep. Our journey times were always around four hours or more but we expected this and it just became part of the holiday. We were also frequently taken directly to Plakias by taxi as very few went there. The roads were pretty bad then as well.

The main problem that Monza is creating for itself is trying to manoeuvre very big coaches through tiny streets and narrow hotel approaches. Reversing back out of these tight corners is I agree very skillfull but take ages and ages which only adds to the total time. The back streets of Old Rethymnon were not built for this kind of traffic.

As you are going to Dora's in September .Gemma 1, you may be lucky and be allocated an upper room as I have been , several times. If you do get the dreaded room 7 or any on the ground floor then take ear plugs and some thick cardboard to level the fridge. During the night these clapped out old fridges spring into life with a very loud crack and when they eventually switch off , all their innards rattle. It's no use trying to adjust the temperature control of said fridges as they are either off or will freeze everything inside. I wrestled most mornings with frozen yoghurt , solid water and everything else except the wine.!

What super fun it all is and while Olympic have the monopoly of cheaper packages nothing will change.

Chin up and let's all be very British about it all.!!

Have fun,

Heather.

[Gemma1]

Thanks for the update Heather.  If the fridge is that noisy I might be tempted to unplug it at night!  Going 29 September so it shouldn't be too hot and I can switch it back on in a morning to chill the wine down :-)
Did consider going back to the Kostas which is where we stayed last year but we had the room next to the bar which my partner loved but it did mean it was noisy on a morning and the view from the balcony wasn't good.  Had a look round the Dora when we were there and thought it would be better for me on my own.  I'm sure I'll enjoy myself whatever, looking forward to some Greek food, sunshine and nice walks around Plakias.

[harribobs]

I found Plakias to be very quiet in the first week, the umbrellas at the far end were around 50% full, it did get busier in the second week but nothing like what it was like last year, the same was reflected in the tavernas

The donut man is Lefteris's brother ( forgot his name sorry) he told me Lefteris is very ill now and is seeing a doctor at Rethynmion hospital on a daily basis, " too many cigarettes, too many food"

The weather while i was there was superb!

[Mike G]

The main problem that Monza is creating for itself is trying to manoeuvre very big coaches through tiny streets and narrow hotel approaches. Reversing back out of these tight corners is I agree very skillfull but take ages and ages which only adds to the total time. The back streets of Old Rethymnon were not built for this kind of traffic.

Heather.

Heather is quite right that this is a significant part of the long transfer times and it applies in Bali just as it does in Rethymnon.

Some of the postings in this thread have surprised me. There have been many discussions over the years about tour operator versus booking independently (for UK travellers). As most people are now familiar with researching and purchasing things online, the main advantage of using Olympic is one of price. It is still cheaper than booking independently, especially for singles, for those who aren't planning to car hire. If you book independently you have the choice of virtually the whole of the accommodation in the town and a better choice of flight times and airports. The bit I don't understand is booking with Olympic and then transferring by taxi, to save maybe 90 mins. Surely if you are prepared to pay for a taxi you might as well have all the benefits of the greater choice available from booking independently on the internet! Although €180 is insignificant for some, as a comparison it is more than I spent on 14 nights' meals on my recent holiday.

I have had a several taxi transfers over the years, although not to Plakias. Sometimes I have felt very unsafe in a taxi and always feel safer in a coach, frustrating as it often is.

Regarding Dora, I gave them a pretty good write up in the Article System. As this is little used others may not have seen that I was quite happy there (as a single). I am willing to accept that I may have been lucky though.

Mike

[travellingran]

The main problem that Monza is creating for itself is trying to manoeuvre very big coaches through tiny streets and narrow hotel approaches. Reversing back out of these tight corners is I agree very skillfull but take ages and ages which only adds to the total time. The back streets of Old Rethymnon were not built for this kind of traffic.

Heather.

Heather is quite right that this is a significant part of the long transfer times and it applies in Bali just as it does in Rethymnon.

Some of the postings in this thread have surprised me. There have been many discussions over the years about tour operator versus booking independently (for UK travellers). As most people are now familiar with researching and purchasing things online, the main advantage of using Olympic is one of price. It is still cheaper than booking independently, especially for singles, for those who aren't planning to car hire. If you book independently you have the choice of virtually the whole of the accommodation in the town and a better choice of flight times and airports. The bit I don't understand is booking with Olympic and then transferring by taxi, to save maybe 90 mins. Surely if you are prepared to pay for a taxi you might as well have all the benefits of the greater choice available from booking independently on the internet! Although €180 is insignificant for some, as a comparison it is more than I spent on 14 nights' meals on my recent holiday.

I have had a several taxi transfers over the years, although not to Plakias. Sometimes I have felt very unsafe in a taxi and always feel safer in a coach, frustrating as it often is.

Regarding Dora, I gave them a pretty good write up in the Article System. As this is little used others may not have seen that I was quite happy there (as a single). I am willing to accept that I may have been lucky though.

Mike

You were very lucky  . Particularly if you were allocated an upper room.

Heather.

[Greecemad]

I found Plakias to be very quiet in the first week, the umbrellas at the far end were around 50% full, it did get busier in the second week but nothing like what it was like last year, the same was reflected in the tavernas

The donut man is Lefteris's brother ( forgot his name sorry) he told me Lefteris is very ill now and is seeing a doctor at Rethynmion hospital on a daily basis, " too many cigarettes, too many food"

The weather while i was there was superb!

I was in Plakias from Thursday last week to this Tuesday. At the far end there were two sets of blue umbrellas separated by a big empty space. These were almost full and maybe full at times, with some people nude on the next set of white umbrellas. There were nowhere near as many umbrellas there as there were 2 years ago, and certianly nowhere near as many British people about. Kyriakos was virtually empty. I had a room overlooking Medousa and their rooms seemed to be mostly occupied. The bars in the evening were quiet. The only one that was busy at any time was a new one (or new to me) next to Ostraco and only on Saturday night.  

[Peter&Dawn]

I have just spotted this announcement on the BBC website.

Greece has introduced a ban on smoking in hospitals, schools, vehicles and all public places.
Those who break the new law face fines of up to 500 euros (£428), and businesses risk losing licences after several offences.
Greece is the EU's heaviest-smoking nation - 40% of the population smokes.
But defying the authorities is a national sport and there is no guarantee the ban will succeed, a BBC correspondent in Athens says.

Small cafes and restaurants with premises measuring less than 70 square metres can choose either to be tobacco-free or to admit only patrons who smoke, our correspondent Malcolm Brabant says.
Bigger establishments can have clearly identified and ventilated smoking areas.

In order to give teeth to the new regulations, which came into force on 1 July, smokers who break the law can be fined up to 500 euros.

On the first offence, businesses will be fined 1,000 euros. Repeat offenders will face even bigger fines, and ultimately, on the fourth violation, could risk losing their licence.

Each year, 20,000 Greeks die from tobacco-related illnesses and the cost in terms of health care amounts to some 1.5bn euros.
Many workers are exposed to passive smoking.

Greek Health Minister Dimitris Avromopoulos has said the moment of truth has arrived, with the ban aiming to revolutionise people's outlook.
But many Greeks regard the new law as an infringement of civil liberties, our correspondent says.
He says that in the face of widespread civil disobedience, successive governments have always had a problem enforcing new legislation.

And so despite the tough talk, there is no guarantee that the new measures will succeed.



Does this include Crete, I guess so, at least it will be interesting to see if anybody complies.
Lito in the Lysseous may have to stop niping in the back for a quick puff.


Peter&Dawn

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8127854.stm

[Mike G]

I have just spotted this announcement on the BBC website.

Greece has introduced a ban on smoking in hospitals, schools, vehicles and all public places.
Those who break the new law face fines of up to 500 euros (£428), and businesses risk losing licences after several offences.
Greece is the EU's heaviest-smoking nation - 40% of the population smokes.
But defying the authorities is a national sport and there is no guarantee the ban will succeed, a BBC correspondent in Athens says.

Small cafes and restaurants with premises measuring less than 70 square metres can choose either to be tobacco-free or to admit only patrons who smoke, our correspondent Malcolm Brabant says.
Bigger establishments can have clearly identified and ventilated smoking areas.

In order to give teeth to the new regulations, which came into force on 1 July, smokers who break the law can be fined up to 500 euros.

On the first offence, businesses will be fined 1,000 euros. Repeat offenders will face even bigger fines, and ultimately, on the fourth violation, could risk losing their licence.

Each year, 20,000 Greeks die from tobacco-related illnesses and the cost in terms of health care amounts to some 1.5bn euros.
Many workers are exposed to passive smoking.

Greek Health Minister Dimitris Avromopoulos has said the moment of truth has arrived, with the ban aiming to revolutionise people's outlook.
But many Greeks regard the new law as an infringement of civil liberties, our correspondent says.
He says that in the face of widespread civil disobedience, successive governments have always had a problem enforcing new legislation.

And so despite the tough talk, there is no guarantee that the new measures will succeed.



Does this include Crete, I guess so, at least it will be interesting to see if anybody complies.
Lito in the Lysseous may have to stop niping in the back for a quick puff.


Peter&Dawn

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8127854.stm

It's nice that Greece has joined the civilised world in this respect but as you say, will they comply? I have always understood they have the same law re. crash helmets on motor bikes as we have but when did you last see a Greek wearing one (as common as Rocking Horse droppings!).

The comment "to admit only patrons who smoke" seems odd!!!

I wonder how the rules would apply to the many tavernas with an inside and an outdoor part.

Mike

[Noopsy]

I didn't know about this...and judging by the number of people smoking in restaurants, they don't appear to either.  I think some of these people are British who appear to be enjoying the "freedom" to smoke in eating places which they lost back home.  Anyway, there are no signs anywhere saying that smoking indoors is no longer allowed.

Noopsy

[compage]

kyriakos ??

That's right. They are run by the lady who is nearest the camera in your photo.

Her name is Aglaia.