Good Tour Operators

[Paul Koblens]

Hello everybody!

Most of you have been traveling to Plakias for many years now.
I understand most of you choose to oragnise your holdiay yourselves.
But how about the Tour Operators?

Which tour operators can I recomment to my guests?

thanks, paul.

[fraoula]

Welkom Paul !    There have been many discussions on the 'tour operator' subject. The only British tour operators that go to plakias are: Olympic,  Argo , Kosmar and Cachet travel. However If your friends are travelling from other countries then the best thing for them to do would be to contact a travel agent or to look on the internet, or in newspapers. Sorry couldn't be more helpful, perhaps someone else from the forums will have some ideas!?
  Great website by the way! Can it be translated into English?              My partner is really likes diving! Perhaps we will see you next year? Do you live in Plakias All year round?

[fraoula]

sorry double clicked on submit!!

[Mike G]

Paul,

In addition to the companies Fraoula has told you about, First Choice is there for the remainder of the 2004 season (but has pulled out for 2005). It was said in the forum that Cosmos is there for 2005, in the second edition of their brochure.

For the more independently minded traveller Susan K and others have recommended Anso travel (use the search button at the top of the page).

Mike

[Paul Koblens]

sorry double clicked on submit!!
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=2389\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Guys thanks a lot for your reactions. Djeessh this Forum is really active!  
I'll list these comments and for sure they'll get me on my way.
Fraoula:
Thanks for the comment on our site. This site is still only used for our Dutch location which my brother runs. Since we have only, finally, received our license in the beginning of July   , there still is a lot of work to do...including adding a parallel site for our new location on Crete. And the first language of course will be English. Nice to hear you friend likes diving... m sure we'll have a great time adding some activity to your next holiday.
My normal season in Plakias will be from end April till end November. The other months I will not stay in Plakias ...I hope... I m sure this will not do me good  , as much as I love Plakias.

[Mike G]

Djeessh this Forum is really active!  (Paul)

Paul,

If you think the forum is active now, just wait a week of so. Many of the regular contributors are in Plakias now and when they return I confidently predict the number of posts will markedly increase.

Mike

[ianjh]

Well - until I happened upon this group - there was me thinking, and looking forward to 14 days in May and another 14 in September in Plakias with FirstChoice - both booked and deposits paid in July!!!

You'd have thought that someone at FC would have informed their pre-booked clients that they had withdrawn from the resort -

I telephoned FC reservations could not confirm the situation -suggested I contact Customer Services - "they may still be working (1800hrs) because of the Hurricane - they're not!!!

I feel a touch of the 'Victor Meldrews" coming on tomorrow morning!!!

'If they had brains they'd be dangerous!

regards

ianjh

Paul,

In addition to the companies Fraoula has told you about, First Choice is there for the remainder of the 2004 season (but has pulled out for 2005). It was said in the forum that Cosmos is there for 2005, in the second edition of their brochure.

For the more independently minded traveller Susan K and others have recommended Anso travel (use the search button at the top of the page).

Mike
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=2393\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

[John R]

You'd have thought that someone at FC would have informed their pre-booked clients that they had withdrawn from the resort -

[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=2405\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

No Way. They would hang on to this information till about 56 days before you are due to leave and only then inform you of a major change, assuming that at that late stage you will feel you have no alternative but to accept some other similar cost holiday of their choice. Beyond about 56 days, compensation comes into the question so they will act before that but not much before. Up to that deadline they only have to offer alternatives or return deposits. I think that sort of paraphrases their small print as I now vaguely remember it.

It took me a long time on the phone to persuade them to recognise the truth that they had indeed pulled out and that a return of deposit would be a rather nice gesture. They fobbed me off with all sorts of possible reasons why the holidays may eventually be reinstated or that existing bookings "might" be honoured until they realised I knew more than they cared to admit and eventually came clean and returned my deposit. I have now booked my September 2005 holiday independantly but the flights alone have cost nearly as much as their total two weeks B & B holiday so I'm not best pleased with them.

John R

[Mike G]

Ian,

What John R says may sound cynical but I'm sure there is a lot of truth in it.

SeeFirst Choice pulls out of Plakias for 2005.

My experience was similar to John's; see above link with its multiple posts. On about the third call from me they contacted their accommodation team who knew that FC have pulled out of Plakias totally for 2005. Trouble is the word has still not filtered down to the telephone Help Desk. The annoying thing is that the decision was clearly taken at least 2 months ago.

My advice is to do what John and I did, insist on getting your deposit back now, so you can rebook. Someone has already reported that Olympic has already taken quite a lot of bookings for Kostas Chysoulla for May.

Wouldn't it be nice if someone from First Choice, reading all the negative posts, would respond. Is that a pig I see flying by?

Mike

[ianjh]

After a 50 minute telephone call involving 5 different people and giving each of my reference numbers 7 times - Fc have agreed to refund deposits on both bookings!!!

They stated that I would 'probably' been contacted early in the new year and offered an alternative holiday 'at the next resort along' - I didn't bother to find out where 'along' was!!!

regards

ianjh

[John R]

After a 50 minute telephone call involving 5 different people and giving each of my reference numbers 7 times - Fc have agreed to refund deposits on both bookings!!!

They stated that I would 'probably' been contacted early in the new year and offered an alternative holiday 'at the next resort along' - I didn't bother to find out where 'along' was!!!

regards

ianjh
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=2420\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Well - I think that just about sums things up nicely  :'(

John R

[John R]

I have just checked out the Kosmar 2005 website. It has been off line for a day or so and now it is back, Plakias is now there.

They have two properties featured - Lamon apartmemnts and Appolon Apartments. They fly to Chania Airport and from Newcastle it is a daytime flight (compared with 1st choice Night flight from Newcastle).

I have compared prices for a 27th September 2005, 2 week, 2 people  self catering holiday with the ex 1st Choice, Stella pension B & B holiday and it is £528 (from Newcastle) which is about £100 more expensive than that cancelled 1st Choice option. Our independently arranged  holiday is going to cost us about £680 plus transfers.

John R

[John R]

I have kept rechecking the Kosmar site and have noticed that for the two weeks mentioned above the availability of a 2 person room in the Lamon Hotel seems to have disappeared already. Only a 4 person room with very high underoccupancy surcharge available now. The 2 bed room(s) is(are) available later in October. It WAS available only last week when I wrote the above report. So it looks as if someone is keenly booking up rooms already even for so late in the 2005 season.

John R

[John & Zell]

I can not say I'm surprised at what you say John about the Lamon being full,
I did mention this in the Forum back in July when we came back But it seems no one took any notice.
It may be worthwhile contacting Maggy direct (Email:  info@lamon-hotel.gr) at the Lamon to see if there are any vacances though.
John & Zell

[John R]

I did mention this in the Forum back in July when we came back But it seems no one took any notice.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=2456\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Perhaps the opposite applies - hence filling up fast

John R