cheap flights

[Daisy]

We have gone back to Olympic this year, with decent flight times and we are able to fly from our region, B.A.
just did not come up with good flight times and a long drag to Gatwick!

[Stuart & Hilary]

We have gone back to Olympic this year, with decent flight times and we are able to fly from our region, B.A.
just did not come up with good flight times and a long drag to Gatwick!

For anyone who hasn't come across them we have found some good deals with
http://www.travelrepublic.co.uk/ over the last few years.

Stuart.

[Doggie]

We have gone back to Olympic this year, with decent flight times and we are able to fly from our region, B.A.
just did not come up with good flight times and a long drag to Gatwick!

If you have the good fortune to live in Scotia, flights to Iraklio and Chania are MUCH more expensive than flying from Mchr/Gtw/Luton etc but we did get a reasonable flight from Glasgow for 3 weeks from 12th June to Iraklio until I start adding in the privilege of a seat next to my Partner, a meal, and for a bloke 6'4" with a Partner blonde bright and 5' Perfect" still recovering from a head on RTA we had  in 2004, extra leg room, I guess we will be paying c.£ 600 with XL.com from Glasgow. Small price though for the pleasures of Crete.

BUT, the developments in Plakias in front of the villa we have taken for the last few years have prompted us to look for pastures new. We both LOVE Plakias but there are areas we haven't formed connections with which may? fill the void of a departure from Plakias at least for 2007 while we test the waters! We always spend part of the holiday exploring anyway but now, gorge walking gives way to chilling out by the pool on beaches like Shinaria, Ag Pavlos, Likres etc. although Ag. Pavlos is a challenge too far for now! and just watching the world go by over an ouzo or a "a sex on the beach" watching the sun set ovr Plakias Bay.

So wonderful Plakiots (?), and Plakiotophiles, while recovering from a bout of flu which poleaxed me for the first time since a serious illness in 1991, I spent the miserable days planning our 2007 break and now, we are in a villa near Kalives on the North coast for a week and a villa near Ag. Galini for a couple of weeks for the rest of our 2007 visit . But, I'll miss Plakias big time! My heart's still there.

Incredibly though, three weeks accommodation in private villas with pools in 2007 rented direct from owners will cost less than we paid for one week's villa rental in Plakis/Lefkogia via an agency in 2006!

So while the developments will not affect the spirit of Plakias for newcomers, it has steered us away to look at other areas of Crete where one day we may put down some roots.

Best wishes for a happy and prosperous future and a fantastic 2007 from Maree and me

Doggie

[John R]

i wish i could get these cheap BA flights, the best i could do for may was around £550 for the pair of us and the flight times were awful

as usual i've gone for a package deal ( with Olympic) , with good flights and a base for 14 nights. I have also booked my car through them as well, as it was cheaper than holiday autos

I've just had a look at the BA flights from Manchester on your dates and they now come to £397. The Tuesday you return seems to be expensive (well booked ??)  as it is nearly double their other Tuesday return fight costs (previous and next Tuesdays) so you just seem to be unlucky on that one Tuesday you return. Any other pairs of Tuesdays would have cost you only £263 or to stay say for one week longer would have been £263. That is £263 for both of you - not each. A cost of £550 for BA flights from Manchester seemed very steep out of season

John R

[harribobs]

as you say John, it was the return flight that was the trouble, on our systems we can see it was close to being closed and i had to make a choice, we also looked at travelling at the weekend but again it just didn't make sense  also we need the bank holiday to stretch out our weeks

two other things came into my thinking, first was the cost of accomodation, if we booked flight only, we would have to pay as and where we stayed, ( not the cheapest way of doing it) and working within our budget it would be tight. the other was the times of the flight, arriving so late in heraklion would have meant a night drive to Plakias ( or where ever) with the chance of delays etc, that would have started the holiday with stress that i don't need! then a night flight back..  

as it stands now, i've used 2/3rds of our budget for flights, accomodation and car hire... so i'm happy with that, but mandy will be working some overtime before May  

Doggie!

sorry to hear of your misfortunes and i hope you and Maree will both will enjoy Kalives, i still remember your story about your steaks and midnight swim!!!   tell us about it when you return

cheers

chris

[John R]

as you say John, it was the return flight that was the trouble, on our systems we can see it was close to being closed and i had to make a choice, we also looked at travelling at the weekend but again it just didn't make sense  also we need the bank holiday to stretch out our weeks

two other things came into my thinking, first was the cost of accomodation, if we booked flight only, we would have to pay as and where we stayed,

I had forgotten about the bank holiday - which will be the reason for that high return price. I do agree that even with BA at it's cheapest it is more expensive to take a standard break going independent that with a well managed / negotiated package deal - at least at the times we go. Many of our mutual friends who come at the same time as us had spent less with Olympic or Kosmar. When I used to go with packages many people told me it was more expensive to do it that way. My third time this year going independent tells me otherwise.

Re driving from Heraklion at night. Last year we set off from there at about 10:00pm and found it quite advantagious in that there was zero traffic over the whole route and had a wonderful journey. That bit was in fact a major plus.

This year we will be driving at night (late evening) from Chania - anybody any good directions from Chania airport to the main east / west highway for strangers in the dark ??

Joihn R

[harribobs]

roughly...

out of the airport gates to a small junction and it's left there ( sign-posted Xania, but don't follow anymore)

you pretty much follow the road but IIRC there's a left turn that leads you down towards Souda, what you don't want to do is follow any Xania signs after that, look for Rethymo. you get to the Souda Junction, and you're on the national road

someone else may want to look at this as it's been a few years since i've flown in to Chq


btw it's not the driving at night that bothered me, it was arriving at the accommodation in the middle of the night

[John R]

btw it's not the driving at night that bothered me, it was arriving at the accommodation in the middle of the night

Thanks for the directions - will note and further investigate.

If booked at Stella then arriving in the middle of the night poses no problems. We were greeted even after midnight and they reliably leave the keys in the door if very late. See your point though if you haven't been to the accommodation before and don't know your way around. We know Stella very well and can grope around in the dark with remarkable success  

John

[Mike G]

we are in a villa near Kalives on the North coast for a week

Doggie

I think you will like Kalives although it doesn't have a decent "far-enders" beach. It has decent tavernas. If that English couple are still doing their free guided walks around the area they are really worth it.

Mike

[harribobs]

We know Stella very well and can grope around in the dark with remarkable success  

John

please don't rise to him........ it just not worth it    

just had a look at the map and i'm reasonably happy with my description

 

We have gone back to Olympic this year, with decent flight times and we are able to fly from our region, B.A.
just did not come up with good flight times and a long drag to Gatwick!

where and when are you staying Daisy?

[John R]

the left turn, probably better described as a fork is around number 3 marker, if you don't take that, you'll end up in Xania  

Thanks very much for all that effort  - will study carefully. Pity that in car Satnav maps are not available for Crete !!

John

[harribobs]

no problem, as i remember the roads are all have lights and are reasonably good ( for Crete)

[George]

Well done Chris, got the big 1000 at last!!

george g...

[harribobs]

Well done Chris, got the big 1000 at last!!

george g...

and about 50 made sense!  

here's me celebrating