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Friday 9 May 2014

The Cheap Greek Holiday Guide....

Holidays in Greece are no longer considered low cost holidays. Gone are the days where the exchange rate made you feel like a Drachma millionaire in a paradise, with notes to spare at the end of the week. This paved the way for the advent of the All Inclusive holidays, with companies like First Choice now entirely dedicated to this style, and away went the cash flow of Greek holiday destinations like Corfu. The knock on effect was that prices in resorts rose in a desperate bid to make some profit from the few half boarders and self caterers available. Vicious circle, ad infinitum.

Drachma to Euro

Combined with the general increase of the cost of living across Europe, Greece is no longer the spendthrifts haven it used to be. But, and this is a big but, it can still be affordable. Too many people let price dictate where they go, rather than deciding where they want to go and finding the holiday within their budget. You should invest your time, not your savings, in getting away to your ideal destination.

A little research takes your money a whole lot further. With such resources available as Tripadvisor and so much information widely available online there really is no excuse not to get where you want to go at the price that is right for you.

Tripadvisor
 I had a scout around online, looking at the end of this month for a week, and there are some amazing bargains to be had. Thomson, I hate to admit, came up trumps with flights and self catering apartments for just £162.00 per person. And I’m talking decent time flights, i.e. normal waking hours, and in a nice resort. Cosmos came a close second at £179.50 for a similar deal. I could have checked out other package holiday companies but it goes too far against the grain for me to delve too far down that road.

If you’d rather go independently, return flights I found from £88.00 – £142.00 through the big holiday companies and Easyjet. Rooms are very easily sourced through sites like ebookers.com, priceline.com and my personal favourite for bargains and sound reviews, booking.com, which has the added advantage that you can pay when you get there. I find their website very easy to navigate and have used them several times in the last couple of years with great success.

Corfu - Beaches


So for roughly £200.00 you can get to Greece and back and have a weeks’ accommodation, what are you waiting for, and what are you going to do with the rest of your spending money? My advice is hiring a car; all the franchised companies like Avis, Hertz and Alamo operate in Greece. They do tend to be expensive though, especially into high season. So back to trusty Google you go and source a local car hire company, who will meet you at the airport with a smile, words of wisdom and a better price.

Corfu - Taverna

Now you’re all set to go and explore, which in turn brings you more savings. Getting away from the main resorts means getting away from those inflated prices I was talking about earlier. The best food I have had in Greece has always been in little, out of the way villages, where the food is locally sourced, the wine made in the village square and the price tag unbelievably minimal.





So with just a few clicks, you can create a voyage of discovery in the land of myths and legends; swim in azure seas, sample local cuisines and find secluded beaches to bathe on, all at the touch of a button




1 comment:

  1. I would love to visit Greece someday! It looks amazing, thanks for sharing your money-saving tips!

    ReplyDelete