Surroundings

The best way to go to Crete and explore the island is if you just book a flight on the internet.

govolo  is a good website to compare the different airlines

Check the flights regular.You will find flights starting from 210 Euro return per person.

This also during high season and also even a few moths before departure.

This use to be different not any more.

Flights from England are the cheapest and they have the most flights that go directly to Heraklion or Chania and Sitia. Easyjet - Condor

From Paris France the best way is to book with Aegean or Condor or Coredon.

From Holland you have KLM - Thomas cook - Jetair -Aegean.

From Germany the best is Neckermann or Lufthansa.

Flights from Belgium are mostly Thomas cook- Jetair- Neckermann those are charters .

Also SN-brussels but they only fly up to Athens so then you have to take a other flight from Athens to Heraklion or take the ferry

We find the best way to go from Brussels to Heraklion is with Aegean or Olympic

They fly the whole year round. Sn-Brussels and Aegean are working toghetter now sinds 2010

You want to know about even more airlines then go to  this link aia.gr

If you booked your flights the next best thing is to rent a car. Be honest a car is you freedom. This saves money on some times very expensive excursions . And driving on crete is not so bad. Only big towns like Chersonissos en Malia and Chania are very busy . If you drive from town to town not a problem. New roads and highways lead you from town to town.

And the small villages well ... you better drive slow because a lot of people in the mountain villages still have there donkey as there main transport .

The renting companies buy every 3 years new cars that keeps them ahead on the competition.

And this is always good for the tourist off course.

The prices are between 23 and  30 euro a day this is for a small car. This price is mostly for more then 3 days. So that means that if you go on holiday for a week you only pay between 165 and  210 euro. Not bad! And I am taking about July - August. That means freedom a whole week and you safe money on a taxi for driving you from and to the airport also.

If you like a taxi anyway from the airport there prices are fixed and you find them in the airport itself.

If we rent a car we rent one with Protos they are good but you have to mail him for the prices they are not on his website. But also Kafetzakis is very good there you see the prices on the website.

I know that a lot of people like all exclusive hotels. And if you like to relax do nothing then just bake in the sun drink a cocktail . Wail waiting for you food to be served I totally agree do so.

It is you wright to relax certainly after a whole year of stress.

BUT!

For those who like some family atmosphere nice home cooked mails indulge in the nature that you can find around you.

Look for a small family hotel or pension or rent an apartment or studio strait on he beach . Or a nice house up in one of the mountain villages.

Crete is full of those places. Every where on the island you find them. The rent is also very good.

The rent by night not by person. Prices varies from some times 30 euro for a studio (sleeps 2)  up to 100 euro for a luxury apartment (sleeps 5) on the beach.

It is a pity that this is not possible any more to find trough an tourist agency .

But if you drive true the beautiful country of crete you find them every where. We always booked flights only and looked for sleeping arrangements in Crete it self this is never a problem not even in july and august. Now off course with the internet lots of them you find on the internet , there you can contact them.

But do keep in mind if you visit crete that the more north you go like Chersonissos Malia Chania those places are busy very busy. Nice to visit for a day don’t get me wrong . But if you like the quit go to the south of the island. Do not believe if a travel agent tells you there is nothing there.

It is only the travel agent that do not know what’s is in the south.

Just go on the web put in keywords like “south crete “ “explore crete” you will find that a whole new world opens up to you. Take a look also on our website there you find a lots of pictures of the surrounding etc... Also on links you find a lot of information about the south of Crete

Other expenses are food & drinks

For food OK you can make it as expensive if you like .

But you have in the south were we live already a very good home made mail in a restaurant for only 6 euro.

Drinks beer 500 ml for 2 - 3 euro wine 500 ml 2,5 - 3,5 euro

Lets say the prices are very good as also the food and in a lot of places you get even dessert for free.

Also in cafeneons you get your meze for free if you order alcohol.

For those who like to stay long term . This is also possible lots of apartments studio’s and even houses you can rent . Example : a 2 bedroom apartment with big living area and very big balcony close to the beach costs about 400 euro a month. Contract renting the whole year.