Kosmar

[Daniel]

Kosmar have just cancelled my holiday to Plakias next September.

They say that they are no longer doing the Arethousa Studios.

When we phoned to ask why they said that they may not be doing Plakias at all next year.

Has anyone else any more information on this?


We have just re-booked to go independently, flying with XL out of Manchester at 7.40am on 23rd September.
(This is the same flight we were going to go on with Kosmar!!)

I now need to find the best firms for car hire to get us from the airport to Plakias and back again
What should I expect to pay for,say a Corsa sized car, for 2 weeks, picking up and dropping of at Chania airport?

It's as well we had a good look round at good appartments whilst we were there this year so at least we know where to stay!!.

[Graham_and_Karen]

Kosmar have just cancelled my holiday to Plakias next September.

They say that they are no longer doing the Arethousa Studios.

When we phoned to ask why they said that they may not be doing Plakias at all next year.

Has anyone else any more information on this?


We have just re-booked to go independently, flying with XL out of Manchester at 7.40am on 23rd September.
(This is the same flight we were going to go on with Kosmar!!)

I now need to find the best firms for car hire to get us from the airport to Plakias and back again
What should I expect to pay for,say a Corsa sized car, for 2 weeks, picking up and dropping of at Chania airport?

It's as well we had a good look round at good appartments whilst we were there this year so at least we know where to stay!!.

Daniel - we got an Aygo (smaller than a Corsa) for 2 wks, from/to Heraklion Airport for 319 Euro from Just Rentals - see my entry in the Article System

[John R]

Kosmar have just cancelled my holiday to Plakias next September.

They say that they are no longer doing the Arethousa Studios.

When we phoned to ask why they said that they may not be doing Plakias at all next year.

Has anyone else any more information on this?

Just contacted some of our Skeelos Club friends who come  to Plakias with Kosmar when we are there. One couple have had the letter with confirmation that Kosmar has pulled out of Plakias and the other couple are now expecting the same letter soon.

Not now possible to book Plakias via the Kosmar Website (error message encountered)

Perhaps Ali might have some interesting comments !!

We Booked an Autoway rent car - a Toyota Yaris (VERY good)  - airport to airport for 18 days for 410 Euros. Their service was perhaps the best we have ever had.

John R

[Mike G]

Just contacted some of our Skeelos Club friends who come  to Plakias with Kosmar when we are there. One couple have had the letter with confirmation that Kosmar has pulled out of Plakias and the other couple are now expecting the same letter soon.  

John R

This is bad news for the package tour devotees but also for Plakias and its traders as well. At least Kosmar told those affected reasonably early, unlike First Choice 3 years ago, who clearly intended to wait until the last minute in the hope that their clients would be forced to change to another FC holiday.

I don't believe Plakias can flourish with just the independent travellers owing to its distance from the airports. On the positive side, recent EU state accessions have resulted in more visitors from eastern Europe.

Mike

[Peter&Dawn]

I don't believe Plakias can flourish with just the independent travellers owing to its distance from the airports.

Mike
[/quote]

Unless Olympic pick up the properties vacated by Kosmar?

Have just been onto the Kosmar website and Agia Galini has the same error message as Plakias, I know Ali covered both resorts in 2007, so it would appear they have pulled out of southern Crete.

Peter&Dawn

[Chas]

I don't think it will be a "total disaster" for Plakias, although it is for us Brits.

There are several other nationalities with package companies going to Plakias (and more in prospect).

However, I am concerned for Ali & Dave (and any other ex-pat British businesses).

[Mike G]

Unless Olympic pick up the properties vacated by Kosmar?

Have just been onto the Kosmar website and Agia Galini has the same error message as Plakias, I know Ali covered both resorts in 2007, so it would appear they have pulled out of southern Crete.

Peter&Dawn

Yes they might pick up the properties but would they have flights to match the accommodation? I think Kosmar always used XL, their parent company, and flew to Hania whereas Olympic use Heraklion.

Mike

[chris]

I have also been told that Kosmar have pulled out of Plakias, I have just booked with Olynmpic for next year. Does anyone know if there are any other tour operators out there who go to Plakias, whether they be in Britain or in Europe? I would be interested to know what the names of the tour operators are who go to Plakias from say Germany, Italy etc. and whether they have connections with tour operators in Britain.
Chris :

[Kerstin]

I have also been told that Kosmar have pulled out of Plakias, I have just booked with Olynmpic for next year. Does anyone know if there are any other tour operators out there who go to Plakias, whether they be in Britain or in Europe? I would be interested to know what the names of the tour operators are who go to Plakias from say Germany, Italy etc. and whether they have connections with tour operators in Britain.
Chris :

Hello Chris,

from Germany you can go with Neckermann-Germany (www.neckermann-reisen.de) and you can find the same operator in Austria.
But I do not know from connections with tour operators in Britain. I think you must book it in Germany and than you have to start from
Germany. We have friends in Switzerland and they book there holiday in Germany and than they have to start from Germany...

Sorry, but I have no better idea.

Greetings from Germany,
Kerstin.

[George]

I now need to find the best firms for car hire to get us from the airport to Plakias and back again
What should I expect to pay for,say a Corsa sized car, for 2 weeks, picking up and dropping of at Chania airport?

It's as well we had a good look round at good appartments whilst we were there this year so at least we know where to stay!!.

Hi Daniel

I used 'JUST' last year and they gave me the best deal 725 Euros for 22 days (Jimny), pick up and drop at Chania. I told Freddie and he sent me to see Antonios at Monza. He quoted me 800 Euros for exactly the same deal for next year. That's still 200 Euros cheaper than the next best quote, so as I would prefer to use Plakias based companies I will go to Monza next year.
As far as I know they haven't got a website, but I will bring in their email address tomorrow for you.

Check out the 'Article System' Daniel, for apartments and contact numbers.

Good luck and welcome to the 'Independants' club. You won't regret it!!!

george g...

[Mike from Sussex]

Kosmar have just cancelled my holiday to Plakias next September.

They say that they are no longer doing the Arethousa Studios.

When we phoned to ask why they said that they may not be doing Plakias at all next year.

Has anyone else any more information on this?

We have had the same happen. The alternatives given did not include a different Plakias property and the website gave all properties as unavailable, so it looks like Kosmar have pulled the plug on Plakias.

Next problem, the best independently booked flights for me are BA (GB Airways) out of Gatwick, but will Easyjet keep the routes or use the slots for other ones? Decisions, decisions!

[George]

On the positive side, recent EU state accessions have resulted in more visitors from eastern Europe.

Mike

Totally agree Mike, I don't think Plakias will suffer in any way without the UK tour companies. There are plenty more throughout Europe who are taking the plunge as we have all noticed with the influx of the Poles and the Czechs. The French and the Italians were very prominant this year as well.

Perhaps this will educate the package tourists to the choice of apartments and convienient travelling arrangements that are available, it did me!!  

george g...

[Chas]

... convienient travelling arrangements that are available, it did me!!  

george g...

Yes, they are excellent ...... when you are within spitting distance of Gatwick ...... "Oop north" we think ourselves lucky to have the one (non-package) flight a week! (Jet2 from Leeds/Bradford).

We're hoping that Ryanair (yes, really) expand their Manchester operations.

****

On the other thread in this topic - are there any Dutch packages to Plakias?  Getting to Schipol is easy from Manchester.

[Mike G]

I have also been told that Kosmar have pulled out of Plakias, I have just booked with Olynmpic for next year. Does anyone know if there are any other tour operators out there who go to Plakias, whether they be in Britain or in Europe? I would be interested to know what the names of the tour operators are who go to Plakias from say Germany, Italy etc. and whether they have connections with tour operators in Britain.
Chris :

After First Choice pulled out 3 years ago that left Olympic and Kosmar as the only middle of the road UK tour operators going to Plakias, plus a couple or so small specialist companies at much higher prices. I believe that Kosmar had a lot less rooms in Plakias than Olympic although they were comparably priced and some liked the fact that they used Hania rather than Heraklion.

An earlier post suggested that Kosmar has pulled out of the whole of southern Crete. This will be very hard on Paleohora as Kosmar were arguably the largest of the UK tour operators featuring it.

Looking forward to hearing what Ali has to say.

Mike

[George]

Looks like Olympic are going to be busy, let's hope that they don't start overbooking places.

I just had a look on the Kosmar site and can't find anything on the south coast, but the north all looks OK, and they blanked me out with Chania from Gatwick. Heraklion seems to be prefered... by them anyway!

Cost reduction at the cost of choice for the customer???

george g...