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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

who wants to find us a holiday?

20 replies

MsIngaFewmarbles · 19/09/2012 14:59

Your mission should you choose to accept it:

2 adults, 4 dc aged 11,9,9 & 3

August next year, we were thinking Greek islands? Nice beaches, tavernas for supper, maybe a few day trips. Um, not Blackpool with sun IYSWIM Blush

Budget of £4.5k

Anyone fancy making a few suggestions?

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dreamingofsun · 19/09/2012 17:52

most greek islands have a blackpool type resort and the rest are fine, eg rhodes. where's your local airport and where do they fly to? I would then look on owners direct or holiday lettings i think it is and see what villas i liked. or do you want hotel? or algarve or some areas of spain might suit.

SooticaTheWitchesCat · 20/09/2012 11:02

Kos is nice, we have been to Mastihari, that is a traditional Greek village with a beautiful beach. Or Kalives on Crete is similar too.

Original poster
MsIngaFewmarbles · 20/09/2012 21:56

Ooh thanks. I am iff to check where local airports offer and go from there. Does it work out cheaper to do it separately?

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dreamingofsun · 21/09/2012 08:58

i'm no longer an expert on package deals as for many years there have been 5 of us and they can't cope with that. recently when i've costed a few things online i've had to sit down, after intially thinking its a good deal and then finding out its each and not for all of us.

i've used owners direct and holiday lettings. we like self catering accommodation and lots of space and things like a lounge and TV. and a kitchen.

book flights early and you tend to get biggest discounts. so for 4 people i'd say these are about 1k and we've paid from £600 for 2 bed apartment to 1.5k for 3 bed villa per week. car hire - you could look into getting cab type minibus from airport and then having car hire for central bit of hols - this makes it cheaper as you don't need to accommodate all suitcase.

kefalonia, rhodes, thassos, stoupa all nice - though a while since we've been to some of them. balearics might be worth considering. portugal - eastern algarve very uncommercialised

Original poster
MsIngaFewmarbles · 21/09/2012 09:02

From our local airport we can fly to Crete, Kos, Kefalonia, Corfu, Rhodes, Skiathos and Zante so recommendations for resorts in any of those would be great.

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dreamingofsun · 21/09/2012 10:19

are you planning on getting a hire car? If not I'd be a bit wary of rhodes as the area we went to was made up of villages which i think would be a bit boring for 2 weeks. we did kefalonia about 20 years ago and liked that. zante i think may be a bit blackpoolish - but thats prob just my uneducated bias.

crete always looks good - you are lucky you can fly there

have you looked on trip advisor, or why not get a book from the library?

you must get airconditioning in all rooms. it will be boiling. it as high 30's when we went and it had been hotter the week before. i never wore any of my skirts or sundresses even in the evenings.

scaramanga · 21/09/2012 11:54

Dreaming of Sun - intrigued now - what did you wear Grin. I always wear sundresses when really hot as they are quite cool and loose

I have just stumbled across this thread as starting to think about 2013 and considering greek islands. Probably crete or maybe kefalonia. I have looked at package prices and like you nearly fainted at the price - even for really basic aparts. Think we will be sorting flights out and then looking for apartment on owners direct or similar. Will keep checking here for advice.

Where have you been in Crete? I went to Malia back in the hedonistic 80s - won't be taking my kids back there - how awful if any bar staff remembered me Blush - particularly one (blush]Blush

scaramanga · 21/09/2012 11:54

that was supposed to be a double blush Blush Blush

Original poster
MsIngaFewmarbles · 21/09/2012 15:48

We went to Zante a couple of years ago and stayed in Kalamaki, it was family friendly but very slightly Blackpool-y, Laganas just down the road is 18-30 hell, we went through there for a boat trip.

Off to look for villas on Crete. Will check out Kalives. Scaramanga, what did you do to the bar staff???????

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dreamingofsun · 21/09/2012 15:57

scara - vest tops and shorts. i haven't been to crete as can't fly to it from local airport, but everything i read and see on TV looks good - except the few resorts as you say like malia. yes please tell us what you did

dreamingofsun · 21/09/2012 15:59

oh forgot to say - many years ago we went to stoupa on the mainline which was really nice. think its a bit more built up now...but maybe worth a look...though i'd check the local airport and see if there's been any issues in the city ref riots etc

Original poster
MsIngaFewmarbles · 21/09/2012 16:25

Any ideas about Chania on Crete?

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dreamingofsun · 21/09/2012 17:39

it always looks nice on the travel programmes and in books, but alas i've never been there yet as can't fly locally. i'll watch with interest though in case our local operators get their acts together

Original poster
MsIngaFewmarbles · 21/09/2012 23:34

Flights are looking about £2300 and I have asked about a couple of villas and been quoted £1700 for the 2 weeks so within budget :) Just need to think about car hire.

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scaramanga · 21/09/2012 23:36

I think I will look at Crete (but not Malia Wink). Maybe Elounda or Chania area. I think I looked at Stoupa a couple of years ago and thought it looked ok. The other place was near the mainland - Nidri??? - cant remember which Island it was on though?

The issue with the barmen isn't major - just makes me Smile and Blush at the same time.

As it is past the watershed and I have had my 2 glasses of wine I will tell all.

Firstly - i went on holiday with 2 friends in the late 1980s - we were in our very early 20s. They turned out to be a pain and latched onto a group of guys from Manchester (nothing wrong with Manchester - but these guys were a pain). One friend just abandoned us for this new romance and the other friend I suspect had a few liaisons with members of this group. They were not my scene so firstly I got drunk - essential in Malia - and spent an evening snogging a Greek barman - that was it with him - next day realised it was a mistake and practically had to crawl past his bar every night to avoid him.

However - we frequented a particular bar for some lunches and evenings and I got talking to a gorgeous Greek barman, who consoled me when my friends left me to spend time with the Mancunians. We chatted a lot and played Jenga some afternoons at the bar, he was lovely. Of course the inevitable happened and the last few nights I would hang around at the bar and go back to his apartment BlushBlushSmile. It was fantastic.

The holiday ended and we had the occasional phone call and letter and he hinted at visiting me but I didn't want to. By the following Easter I had met somebody and it was quite serious and the Greek barman wrote and sugggested I went to visit him. I did - but I told the boyfriend I was going with a friend ( I did have a friend who was repping - but she was in Rhodes - boyfriend didnt need to know that). I stayed a week with the gorgeous Greek barman and it was lovely - really lovely - but I knew that we had nothing in common so when I got back I just ignored all his calls and letters and that was the end of it. I stayed with the boyfriend and we moved in together - big mistake - and he never knew - but maybe I should have known that if I was prepared to treat him like that he wasnt the one for me. that didnt last long so maybe it was my punishment for ignoring gorgeous Greek barman. End of confession. That is why I can't go near Malia.

Original poster
MsIngaFewmarbles · 22/09/2012 10:24

Scaramanga that is pretty tame compared to what I was imagining :)

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scaramanga · 22/09/2012 11:11

sorry to disappoint Smile. I have led a dull life Grin. I am now wondering what you were thinking Blush

Original poster
MsIngaFewmarbles · 22/09/2012 18:58

Gang bangs in the bar whilst people walk by etc, but then I am filthy minded.

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scaramanga · 23/09/2012 00:17

Oh that made me laugh. Definitely not - I thought I was wild for snogging one guy one night and moving onto the other guy the next - bit more than snogging thoughSmile.

definitely didn't put on a show for the passers by - although I have to say my Jenga skills did attract a bit of attention Grin. I like to think I saved the best for the private moments with the gorgeous barman - oh he was gorgeous - maybe I should return to Malia Hmm.

One thing made me smile as I recalled this time in my life. We were back in his apartment one night and - how do I say it - trying different positions -when suddenly he laughed and said "let me turn that light off". He had realised that we had lighting on and he had really sheer curtains on his apartment - so we could have been playing to a crowd - or to his relatives - who all seemed to live close by . Now that is an embarrasing thought Blush

i am so sorry I have turned the travel section into a confesssional - such filth Blush - sorry

Original poster
MsIngaFewmarbles · 23/09/2012 16:29

Lol filth is good :)

Trying to convince DH that we won't go mad with no other kids for the dc to play with. He thinks they will be bored and annoying.

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