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Hi all
Apr 2, 2014 23:12:54 GMT
Post by seanie on Apr 2, 2014 23:12:54 GMT
Hiya :DWe love the Greek Islands and particularly Kefalonia, but last year we met a couple there who recommended we try Skiathos,which we have never been to, so I'm looking on here for any good info for Skiathos virgins!! We usually travel independently but have no idea where to stay! I don't drive and my wife doesn't drive abroad, but we both like walking and trying out lots of tavernas. Would like to be near a harbour/bay but close enough to Skiathos town so we can have a wander around shops etc. Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks guys, Sean
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Hi all
Apr 3, 2014 7:16:53 GMT
Post by Woody (Admin) on Apr 3, 2014 7:16:53 GMT
Hi Sean and welcome to the forum. I don't think you will be disappointed with Skiathos. It is not a big island and really has one main road linking the resort areas between Skiathos Town and Koukounaries (about 12km). Skiathos Town is a bustling town with a harbour and marina and plenty of shopping/eating/drinking places, but it isnt rowdy or full of night clubs, so staying in town maybe for you. The other resort areas (I tend not to call them villages) all have plenty of tavernas and some great beaches, some examples are Kolios, Aghia Paraskevi, Troulos and Koukounaries. There is a good bus service between town and Kouk, running every 15 minutes or so in the high season, but they can get quite busy, especially running towards town in the evening. In a couple of places (Kanapitsa & Esperides Hotel) you can get a water taxi service to Skiathos Town and back until about 2200. Away from the main road to the north coast, are some great beaches/walking and lovely pine forests, but to get to some of them you would need transport. A good walk is from Koukounaries towards Mandraki through the pine forest. A boat trip around the island or to the other islands of Skopelos or Alonissos maybe of interest and easily booked from the harbour in the evenings. Any more questions, please ask. Try visiting the Skiathos Boomerang website as well as looking at my google mapWoody
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Hi all
Apr 3, 2014 9:29:50 GMT
Post by dennisn on Apr 3, 2014 9:29:50 GMT
You can believe Woody and anybody else who recommends it, a lovely Greek island. It was my first visit last June and we loved it so much I hauled out the iPad and booked us again for this year (twice, June and September). We have been travelling independently to Corfu for the last zillion years, but for Skiathos have booked with Thomson in Villa Maria in Troulos. You'll read (on the forum here) nothing but praise for all the accommodations, so my saying Villa Maria is tops (friendly, spotless, etc) will be only one of many.
We didn't do adventurous last June, but we intend to be more so this year. The bus service starts long before I'm shaved and ends long after my bedtime (about 1am I think). We never had a problem with full buses, but we didn't go out at night, so didn't see them. Do read everything in this forum and you'll quickly see why people love the place. I'm not sure Woody's link to the other forum works.
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Hi all
Apr 3, 2014 19:03:56 GMT
Post by seanie on Apr 3, 2014 19:03:56 GMT
Thanks for that both, it sounds and looks lovely from the photos I've seen. We both like quiet places and definitely not a wild nightlife!! That walk through the pine forest sounds great too, I'll look that up. I've not been disappointed by any of the Greek islands we have been to so far and I'm sure I wont be with Skiathos. There is just something about them that is so special. As soon as I get in that taxi outside the airport I feel as if a great weight is lifted from my shoulders, which I have never felt in any other country (And I've visited quite a few!!!) Thanks again guys, I intend to peruse the site fully and look forward to chatting to you in the future
Sean
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Hi all
Apr 4, 2014 13:15:08 GMT
Post by Woody (Admin) on Apr 4, 2014 13:15:08 GMT
The link now works Dennis :-)
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Hi all
Apr 4, 2014 14:15:04 GMT
Tre likes this
Post by Woody (Admin) on Apr 4, 2014 14:15:04 GMT
Sean, here is a video of a little drive through the Mandraki Forest from Mandraki Beach to Koukounaries. There are a few other video's worth watching in the Video section of the forum.
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Hi all
Apr 4, 2014 20:24:48 GMT
Post by Tre on Apr 4, 2014 20:24:48 GMT
Thanks for that Woody! Please can we go now? 8 weeks & counting. seanie, in Skiathos you will not be disappointed. Something for everyone ( that is unless you're after a "wild" club scene!! Ha ha) Agree that Kolios / Agia Pareskevi is a fab sort of central area. Angeliki in Megali Amos gets rave ratings. We intend to give it "recki" while we're there. A couple drinks at their Swell Bar maybe?! No pool but virtually on the beach. Within walking distance of Skiathos Town. Appreciate you like like to book & travel independently but Skiathos flights can be expensive. Not sure where you're based, but have a look at Monarch/Cosmos holidays for a package. They've been advertising an "allocation on arrival" package costing less than flight only! Enjoy x
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Hi all
Apr 4, 2014 21:34:45 GMT
Post by dennisn on Apr 4, 2014 21:34:45 GMT
That's interesting Tre. 40 years ago, when I first started going to Greece, we used to go with Thomson, on Flight Only. At that time, there was a regulation that they couldn't sell just flight only and had to include accommodation. It was only mentioned slightly in their very small print, adding that the accommodation would be allocated on arrival and "might be, for example, dormitories or camping". The reps in resorts were pretty much unaware of this regulation and we always took a copy of the brochure to show them. We reported to the reps on arrival, they said "Ah, you're flight only getting your own accommodation" and we replied "No, we'll take the included accommodation". They never had a dormitory or camping waiting for us and had trouble dealing with it - all they could do was phone HQ, then put us into one of their empty places (all the companies have more property than they fill). Every time, we ended up in perfectly good accommodation, once even in a complete house on the beach, with phone, diner, lounge, two bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom (but no butler!). After a few years, Thomson changed it to require you to pay in advance if you wanted to use the accommodation - the prices put the flight only costs way above the package holidays.
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Hi all
Apr 5, 2014 13:41:18 GMT
via mobile
Post by seanie on Apr 5, 2014 13:41:18 GMT
Hmmm yes that is interesting Tre, I shall have to have a look at that! That walk does look nice Woody, especially as it's shady too
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Hi all
Apr 6, 2014 19:13:10 GMT
Post by Tre on Apr 6, 2014 19:13:10 GMT
Mmm? Allocation on arrival with Monarch seems no longer to be on offer. Thought it seemed too good to be true! Still not bad prices though. £484 pp for 2 weeks from 8 July, Christakis, Troulos. £499 pp for same 2 weeks at Theodora, Kolios. At these prices, might have to look at a return September visit
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Hi all
Apr 7, 2014 11:22:58 GMT
Tre likes this
Post by panyan on Apr 7, 2014 11:22:58 GMT
It is still there - just looked. We booked this on Friday paying £346 each for 2 weeks going 30th May.
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Hi all
Apr 7, 2014 17:38:46 GMT
Post by Tre on Apr 7, 2014 17:38:46 GMT
Worth it just for the flight payan! Hope you get allocated well. Keep us posted.
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