Greece Travel Tips

1. The earlier you book your schedule flight the more inexpensive seats will be available.
Charter flights from all over Europe are available during the whole season. In case you like to travel in high season to Greece, better book early in order to profit from early bookings (in hotels and flights). If you like to book in last minute, we propose you doing so only outside of high season. All flights are bookable through Bluemar. Send us an email with your request to reservations@bluemar.gr
2. When airlines are short of cash they offer discounted fares on schedule flights, usually in January-Febuary so look for bargains then.
3. Normal automated On-line Booking sites are useful for researching hotel prices but they give you zero support. We are a reliable Greek travel agency and can give you competitive prices while helping you plan your trip to make the most of your time and money.
4. Booking hotels individually means you are responsible for getting there and to do that you need reliable ferry information often before the ferry companies have even released them. With last-minute cancellation fees for hotels as high as 90 to 100% this is risky. Better trust the expert and book through us.
5. Hotel websites are not objective. The website will tell you the hotel is the best. We as travel agency that knows the hotels and will tell you the pros and cons of each.
6. We as Travel agents make deals with specific hotels for extra low rates in return for the promise of bookings. The rooms are paid for before the season and these are the hotels the agency will have the best prices for.
7. If you are interested in a specific hotel you saw that looked good on a website ask  us if there are hotels of the same category or better for less. We give you the best possible for your individual needs.
8. We have a wide range of hotels with lots of different facilities in each price category, please ask us to propose you the best for your needs and budget.
9. We as good travel agency know that return customers are our bread and butter and we will go out of our way to make sure you are satisfied. When planning your trip express any doubts and don't be afraid to ask questions. If you have problems during your trip, whether it is dissatisfaction with your room or problems with the ferries or a change in the weather contact our agency. Part of our job is solving any problems that may occur for our clients and making sure they return home singing praises of Greece and our agency and return again and again.
10. ATM's are everywhere. Use your credit card to get money but for restaurants and shops it is better to use cash. In fact when you buy from a shop ask if there is a difference in price if you pay in cash instead of with your credit cards.
11. When booking on-line our travel agency will usually ask you for proof that the credit card is yours by having you fax a signed photo-copy. This is to prove that you made the purchase and not someone who has your card number. It is standard procedure.
12. Beware of hustlers. If you are booking as you go and someone approaches you on the street or in your hotel and takes you or sends you to a travel agency to buy ferry tickets to Amorgos and you walk out of the agency with five days on Mykonos and a cruise because they told you the Amorgos ferry was cancelled, then you were just hustled. That does not mean you won't have a good time. It just means someone took advantage of you.
13. You can take the public tranportation (metro in Athens, busses in rest Greece) or a taxi from your hotel to the port. The hotel concierge can arrange the taxi or point the way to the public transfer. If you know your transfer needs before, we as agency can arrange you each transfer with the best prices.
14. You can take the bus/metro from the port back to the hotel. But chances are unless you have pre-arranged for a taxi to pick you up at the boat you won't find one. Usually several hundred people disembark and the three or four taxis there are waiting for customers who phoned them in advance. Better pre-arrange everything, you pay even less.
15. If you have an early morning flight you don't have to stay at the airport or near the airport because the roads are clear of traffic in the morning and you can be at the airport in less than half an hour by taxi.
16. Don't try to see too much. Five islands in ten days is a lot of traveling and waiting around for ferries and flights. Two islands in ten days is sensible. If you want to see a lot of islands take a cruise. Islands like Crete are so big and interesting, that it is worth to stay more days in order to see at least the most beautiful locations.
17. Packages and Programs on our website serve two purposes. They make it easy for the customer and the us to create the itinerary because all the pieces of the puzzle are already in place. But as good travel agency we excel at putting together custom itineraries that suit the individual so don't be afraid to give us a list of islands, a time-frame and a budget and ask them to come up with something and then don't be embarrassed if you want to fine-tune it. This is what we do. At the same time don't putus through hours of work and then take the itinerary to someone else and ask for a better price. This is bad karma.
18. Don't think that you better arrange everything alone in order to save money. It is very time consuming and you pay more for each service than if we as agent arrange you the whole package.
19. A pre-arranged taxi transfer from the airport usually costs more as a regular street taxi. This is because the transfer taxi is going empty to the airport to pick you up and waiting as long as it takes for you to arrive. A regular taxi is at the airport because someone paid for him to be there and someone will pay for him to go back. Plus when you have a pre-arranged taxi it is usually an English speaking, non-smoking, informative driver in a new Mercedes.
20. Greece is the safest country in Europe, Athens the safest city and women should not be worried about traveling alone. Chances are also good you will meet someone else who is also traveling alone. As for terrorism there is more of a chance that you will drown or have a heart attack in the shower than be killed by a terrorist. Not that the showers are dangerous either.
21. We as travel agency book flights and ferries as a service to our customers since there is no profit in them. If you book with an automated system or the hotel trying to save money you are pretty much on your own. You can buy deck tickets in the port usually on the day of departure unless there is a big holiday. If you want a cabin, have a car or are going by highspeed it is best to book at least a week in advance.
22. Most people you will come in contact with will speak English since most people you come in contact with will be waiters, hotel employees, travel agents, shop owners and people involved in the tourist trade. But even in non-touristy places the number of people who speak English is remarkable.
23. To all Americans: Anti-Bush or Anti-US Government is not the same as Anti-American. The Greeks are anti-Bush and anti-US Government but are quite fond of the Americans who come to visit their country. Unless your name is George Bush, Colin Powell or Donald Rumsfield you are in no more danger than you would be in your home town and maybe less.
24. Many people who come to Greece have a profound experience, like coming home or feeling like themselves for the first time in years. If this happens to you don't be surprised. It is normal and when you go home you may see life differently. Many people want to return to Greece as soon as possible.