Greece Travel: Travelers Reviews
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Greece Travel: Travelers Reviews
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Matt's Greece Travel Guide
Hi Matt, Hi Matt. My name is Stacy and I just returned from my honeymoon in Greece. Thanks so much and I'll definetely recommend the site to anyone I know Dear Matt - My mother and I just returned from our winter trip to Greece and I just wanted to send you an email to let you know how invaluable your website was to us. I know you hear this often as I read several of your testimonials, but for a novice traveler to Greece, I can't tell you how much your website helped us. We not only found a wonderful travel agent in Barbara and Giorgos at Aegean Thesaurus through your links who helped us make all our international arrangements, not to mention George the Taxi driver who was a godsend when our planes came in at all hours, but all your articles and even some of your emails to me helped prepare us for Greece in the winter. So, thank you Matt, for your wonderful resource. Nicole and Lee Ranadive Hi Matt
My wife, 20 month old son and myself just returned about a week ago from our first trip to Greece. I wanted to thank you not only for your fantastic website but also the time you take to respond to individual emails. Your recommendation of Fantasy Travel is much appreciated. I would strongly encourage anyone traveling to Greece to contact them, especially if you are traveling with a small child. From the time our plane touched down in Athens they were available for all of our needs. The fact I did not have to worry about any transportation really eliminated some stress. In addition your hotel and restaurant recommendations were also excellent. I should also add that Sifnos, as you suggested it would be, was perfect for a family. The beach at Kamares was as you described and perfect for a 20 month old to run wild. The weather was perfect the week we were there this past October and we basically had the beach to ourselves. The Greek people could not have been nicer. It seemed that from the Plaka to Apollonia the folks went out of their way to put a smile on our son's face. If he wasn't getting free bakery or fries, it was a toy at the pharmacy. I planned this trip for a long time but it was worth the wait. I can certainly say, my family would love to go again. Thank you again for all of your time and effort.
Warm regards............................ Casey, Julie & Caleb Palbicki
Oh, I'm sure you get plenty of better written testimonials but please feel free to include this email if you'd like. My wife and I just returned from two wonderful weeks in Greece. We have friends who have an apartment in Nafplion who had invited us to visit them several times. We decided to take them up on the offer. We booked flights to and from Athens, but really had no idea what we were going to do other than spend a two or three days in Nafplion. Fortunately, I discovered your multiple websites which gave us a wealth of information and ideas. Perhaps the best suggestion of all was to contact Fantasy Travel. From the moment we landed in Athens until we were delivered back to the airport there two weeks later, everything went like clock work. Wish I could say the same for the flight arrangements we made. I can't say enough good things about your websites, Fantasy Travel or Greece. Keep up the good work, even if it does mean more crowds. Art Surguine Matt...you are amazing...I'm the hospitality business and wish I had a
staff full of guys like you -- someone that obviously loves this stuff!
...anyway, you've given me a lot of material to review...and I'm sure I'll
have more questions....but thanks in advance!
SCOTT - Dear Matt, Matt, I just got from two weeks in Greece with my wife. I've done quite a bit of travelling and never even considered using a travel agent, but I took your recommendation from your site and was very happy. It's amazing how stress-free a vacation becomes when your taxis and accommodations are already lined up! I only used 2% of your guide and it dramatically improved our trip. Thanks again! Best Regards,
SHANE
H Matt:
I just wanted to let you know you are absolutely
right about using a travel agent. Patra at Fantasy Travel is a jewel! My
husband said the transfers to/from the airport alone were worth it. Plus,
Fantasy had a very pleasant young American of Greek descent named Fotini meet us
on arrival with the taxi to provide our travel vouchers and a bit of an
"orientation" to Greek driving. (We rented a car and did an eleven day
driving tour of mainland Greece, primarily so that I could visit my
grandfather's village.) There was a little mix up with the type of car we
wanted, and Vassilis at Fantasy advocated on our behalf with the car rental
agency. He got us something different, but completely suitable, and
managed to snag a bit of a refund for us too!
One thing we found was that our months of learning
a little Greek from audiotapes really paid off. My husband was more fluent
than I, and the astounded reaction, followed by the visible relief and approval,
really was gratifying. My husband is intent on learning more, and has
directed me to finish my tapes, buy Rosetta Stone, and then we get a
tutor. Not hard to do in Tampa, which is not far from Tarpon Springs (used
to be a very large Greek sponge diving community, now diminished but still many
Greeks in our area).
We plan to go back for an island vacation and have
already decided to use Fantasy again. It's just a question of the readies,
as the British say. Now, about those language lessons....
Thanks again for your wonderful
website.
Anne Lawrence
Hi Matt, I wrote to you enquiring about Athens in June... And i took all your advice, and i really had the time of my life in Athens, Greece! Fantasy Travel really made our trip to Santorini effortless and seamless, I must really thank you for recommending them. Our stay at Remezzo villas was unforgetable, as was the caldera view. I count our blessings that our initial choice of accomodation was not available. The village of Imeriovigli is the best place to stay on Santorini. It was so convenient travelling on the metro as well. I really hope to come back to Athens again, with its magnificent geography, addictive greek yogurt with honey!! and of course its beautiful people. Thank you for the wonderful memories. Claira from Singapore Matt: Matt: Dear Matt, I cannot thank you enough for all the help, insight, and references we received through your website. My wife and I just returned from our 25th wedding anniversary trip to Greece and it was absolutely perfect. I poured over various websites for months prior to our trip and kept returning to yours. Your tips on travel agents, hotels guides, transportation, island synopsis were invaluable. For the record, we used Aegean Thesaurus as our travel agent. They were professional, patient and implemented flawlessly We stayed at the Electra Palace in Athens, Dana Villas in Thira, and Alkyonis Villas in Sifnos. They were all exactly what we expected because of your descriptions. Clean, Friendly and the staff was amazing. Maria at Alkyonis even lent us some of her personal towels for the beach because we didn’t think of bringing some and Franko at Dana Villas copied a CD for us because we liked the music. We used George Kokkotos Taxi for our port transfers, (unfortunately didn’t get to meet him though). Your tip about arranging the port transfers was right on. We arrived in Sifnos at 04:45 in the morning. We were the only ones of about 30 people who had a taxi waiting….Magic! In Sifnos we drank Ouzo on the beach of Kameras at the Old Captain, and ate at Simos and Claudio’s and Manolis. We had the Tomato Keftades in Santorini, by the way you may want to add a restaurant called Rimini in Thira to your restaurant list, excellent! In Athens we ate at the Platanos and Byzantino restaurants and for our last night on the rooftop Restaurant at the Electra Palace. I guess you are getting the point, all above were recommended through your site. We had the most magical time, it was everything we hoped for. We want to thank you for the effort and dedication you put into your web site, I have no doubt that our trip would not have been as good without your help. Sincerely John and Laurie O’Connor Matt,
I followed
the links through your website and booked a skippered charter
through Globe Merchants which stopped in Plaka Skala
Leonidaion, Spetsos, Hydra, Poros, and Aegina (Perdika). This was,
without a doubt, the best vacation I have taken in my life. The weather
was perfect, the winds were awesome and the captain and my fellow passengers,
all from various parts of the world, a charm! I have made some
life long friends and created a life long vacation sailing habit going
forward!
And the travel
agency you recommended, Fantasy Travel were professional, courteous and bang on
with their hotel recommendations and reservations.
Thank you so much
for creating this website so that those of us who wish to take the road less
traveled can get the vacation of our dreams!
I can't recommend
you enough to my friends.
Best
Regards,
Heather
New
Hampshire
Dear Matt, My name is Laura. I live in Georgia. I wanted to tell you that I
have used your site and love visiting it!! After finding your site I went to
Athens, Mykonos, Santorini and other areas and have fallen in love with Greece.
I wish I could visit it as often as you do, so I live through your website!Photography is a love of mine and there isn't anywhere else I have been that has
so much to capture.
I'm hoping to return with some friends of mine and celebrate my birthday in
Greece!! I will no doubt return to your site for more tips! Thank you for
opening this world to me !!
- Laura
Dear Matt- Hi Matt, My wife Donna and I just got back from our marvelous vacation in Greece and I just want to send you a warm thank you, because a large part of how great it was is due to your site, information, contacts and advice. We used your site for travel, hotel and restaurant info. We made a list of restaurants you had suggested in both Athens and on Santorini and we went right down the list while we were there. You did not steer us wrong at all, and we did mention to the owners who we talked to about how we found them through your site. I have to tell you that the most endearing dinner we had was at Scaramaga's. The food was great, the place was quiet, very laid back and pleasant and we were entertained by the little granddaughter Maria's antics while we enjoyed our repast. Byzantino and Mono were both standouts too. The owner at Byzantino remarked that he and you were very much alike as he rubbed his bald pate. We purchased some jewelry from Laura at Byzantino Jewelry, a copy of a museum piece, a pendant of a Minoan statue's head (they mentioned in passing that your wife likes their wares a lot!) and also were very happy with her suggestion for dinner up the hill from their shop on Kydathenion St. at "Olive" (sorry, I don't have a Greek keyboard) on their roof terrace - great service, food and view. Paula at Fantasy Travel was very accomodating when making our plans and everything she arranged went like clockwork. Tom at Greek cell phones was very helpful and jovial. I enjoyed meeting and talking with him very much. Tha Volcano View on Santorini is a really cozy and remarkable place to stay, and it just seems to blend into the background of the island so nicely. It is a warm and wonderful country and I can easily see why everyone loves it. One of the things you wrote about that intrigued me prior to going there was the "impossibly azure water" and I have to agree, the words fail me when I try to describe it to people here. Although it seems crazy at first, I even got used to driving in the city. There's a dance-like fluidity to the way the drivers work around each other that makes sense when you get in the middle of traffic. I'm a downtown Boston traffic veteran so it wasn't too much of a stretch. I don't want to bore you with superlatives, but I do want to thank you again heartily, both for Donna and me, for helping to make our vacation there an unforgettably wonderful time, and for your calming advice to Donna after the fires to just go and enjoy. We absolutely did! I miss the tomatoes and olives terribly already. All our best to you, Pat and Donna Wilkins I am writing to you tonight but I should have done this 6 years ago Hi Matt, Hi, just returned from Greece and I wanted you to know I appreciate your information and website. We used Fantasy Travel to book hotels and a private driving tour with guides and they were excellent to work with and the details were perfect. Not one hitch. (and this was for my group of 8) Of course the people in Greece, as you said, are the best. We will definitely return. Thanks, Jeanne Ann Reid What a great site! I do believe it is the best I have seen. We use Rick Steve's books, but your site
is even better. We will probably go to Greece the first two weeks in March 2001. That is the only time
we can get away this year. What do you think of the weather then - are there any places we should hit because
they are likely to be warmer - or less rainy? Thanks - Sara Hey, Matt! I'm a travel writer working for a U.S. tour operator. I Dear Matt- Just to say (along with many others) how much I enjoy your site. I have been reading it for YEARS and it has been a great help on travels to Athens. Right now I read it as therapy when I am at my desk at work. I am enjoying your pages on Myitilini. Have you ever seen the photo book Vanishing Greece? Wonderful. Love your music page also. Keep up the good work. You are a palikari! Sifis I HAVE NEVER FOUND ANYTHING ELSE ON THE INTERNET THAT INSPIRED AND ENTERTAINED ME MORE. YOUR WORDS LIFTED MY SPIRIT.
Damn it Barrett!!! I am sure that in some book of law, somewhere, it is stated that it is illegal to be this good at something! And on top of it to be this funny...... Suspicious suspicious, I say. Well sir, Whenever I googlificate anything remotely interesting regarding Greece your sites pop up first. I am impressed. I meant to e-mail you last summer to tell you I though you were really good but now I'll just say you are annoyingly good. It is late and I am tired but I am happy to know the name of the cd of Tsitsanis I was listening to. So I am suppose I must say thank you. Kali nihta! Upma (Please don't stop being so irritatingly good at writing, photographing, traveling etc etc etc. etc. etc.) I OWE YOU SO BIG TIME ! I told you YEARS ago you should print a book, YOU ARE THE GREEK ORACLE INCARNATE ! how do I keep saying thank you to you? you are something else ! thank you ! ( again) s Hello Matt, I have been reading your web sight, and enjoying it very much. When I came to Greece for the 1st time in 1997, I had no preconceived notions about it, I read later or after a trip, but when we got to the Peloponnesos I felt like I had come home, I was raised in the Sierra Navada mts of Calif, and they are so similar, but I fell in love with the people the beautiful sea..the food so I came back every spring and fall..than in 2001 I moved to Athens, than later to Porto Rafti where is home to me. I am in the states right now not liking it at all but will soon be Home on the 22nd of this month , I can't wait, in my heart I am there already...and just wanted to say your web sight really show's the best of Greece thanks keep up the good work...Barbara Matt, Please let me say without exaggeration that your internet sites on Ivan Applebaum Yours was the most informative site I found. Have you Matt, Hello Matt, I wanted to thank you for your website and recommendations. I was given your site by my medical partner. My girlfriends and I used your information. I will only recommend your site in the future. It included everything we needed and then more. My compliments to Vassilis at Fantasy travel. He even worked out the kinks when the air traffic controllers went on strike. He was so accomodating. I only wish I met him in person. That is for my next trip which we are already discussing!! We stayed at both Hotel Attalos and Hotel Astor, wonderful, and terrific views. I stopped by Byzantine, loved Laura, and walked away with 4 exquisite pieces rather than the planned one. We also had Teresa as our guide for the Acropolis. I loved her emphasis on symbolism and Greek mythology. She asked me to proof read her oral presentation the afternoon of our tour. I told her I could also proof read future book chapters as long as she taught me a little Greek along the way. Thank you. I will recommend your site to everyone who expresses any interest in Greece. Sincerely, Lisa S Hi Matt, Dear Matt,
Before leaving for Greece, a friend recommended your
website and I believe it made all the difference in how much my daughters and I
enjoyed our time there. Because one of my daughters was studying in Athens, we
chose to stay there and take day trips from our hotel.
On your recommendation, we contacted George, the famous
taxi driver of Greece, and were treated to the services of his son, Dionisis
(Dennis, to us). He was a wealth of information not only while we were with
him, but also for suggestions of activities and places to go while we were on
our own. He took us to restaurants and shops that had specialties we would
never have known without him, all the while answering any questions we had
regarding his limitless knowledge of Greek history, sites and his amazing
country. When we told him that we wanted to visit Rhodes, he took us to a
travel agent that fit into our busy schedule and helped us negotiate our
arrangements. He even contacted another recommended driver, Nick, in Rhodes and
arranged for him to meet us at the airport, and then called the next day (while
we were with Nick) to be sure things had gone smoothly.
In Rhodes, Nick was his equal in every aspect: caring,
informative and also a fabulous guide with an obvious love of Rhodes and
its unique history. ( I told Nick that I thought Greece should give him an
award as a Good Will Ambassador. Dennis also would qualify out of Athens.)
Their knowledge and personalities magnified our experience by sharing so much
background information about Greece's rich history, that we came home with not
only wonderful memories and fabulous pictures, but also a deeper understanding
of life in Greece from ancient times to the present.
Thank you so much for sharing your love of Greece on your
amazing website. I can't imagine what we would have missed had we not visited
it before we left New York!
Sincerely,
Kathy Grossman Hi Matt, It seems like eons since we first exchanged notes about Greece and you generously provided me with invaluable information. I have since been to Greece and am now back with nothing but good words and good feelings for my trip and all the information I received from you in my quest for the perfect trip. The links to different sites was always very helpful and my traveling companion checked them all, made notes, and we diligently followed your advice and were always pleased. We did not get the chance to hook up with George, the taxi driver, in Athens because of our failure to act early but we did find a most delightful driver through our hotel, The Electra Palace. Your absolute best recommendation was for Fantasy Travel. We got everything we could have hoped for and more by way of assistance, recommendations and bookings for our trip. It was a genuine pleasure to step off of the plane in Athenson our first day and be met by their agent who delivered us to the agent for our car, be given a packet of vouchers for our next 25 days, explicit instructions and to have everything operate smoothly with courteous helpful people. The very best part of Fantasy Travel is Vassilis Comitas. I could never say enough good things about this man who before, during and after the trip has been in constant contact and “mothered” us through the entire process without ever causing us to have the “oh Lord, he’s a travel agent (!)” feeling. On the first day of our arrival I, unfortunately, became very ill with some form of stomach flu. Vassilis was calling the hotel just to check if we arrived safely and if everything was okay and he was advised of my problem. Even though this was the Easter holiday, and, as you had previously advised us everyone was involved in holiday activities, Vassilis called everyday to check on me, see if we needed anything and arranged for a doctor to be on call, if needed. I didn’t need one but it was really wonderful to know that we had a good friend in Greecewho cared about what was happening. During the trip we were constantly in touch with Vassilis for just about anything that came up. We wanted a hotel change – he arranged it immediately. In Athenswe wanted a serious hotel upgrade – he took care of it with no problem. If we had a small problem with not knowing something or needing to change a ticket – he was always on the other end of a phone or computer. All of our arrangements were smooth and efficient. We needed only to arrive at a high-speed line or a hotel, hand over our voucher and we were well taken care of. And after getting to know us he profiled us very well and made accomodation accordingly. For a trip of 25 days everything went very effortlessly and if a problem came up Vassilis fixed it. We visited the mainland, Peloponnese (Vassilis arranged a special visit to Monemvassia), we came back up through Olympia(where we met another delightful friend), crossed the unbelievable Antírrio Bridgeand continued on to Métsovo, then Metéora and Delphi. After that we traveled to Rhodes, Crete, Santorini and Mykonos, ending in Athens. Every place we visited was better than the other. Vassilis’ recommendations for number of days in each place and for special hotels were right on the mark. The recommendations from your website were perfect and we used most of them. A couple of things I think may not have been on your site but are tried and tested by us. I used the Michelin Green Guide and the DK Eyewitness Travel Guides for readily available information while traveling. The DK has one book for mainland and one for islands. I highly recommend all three. In addition, since we were doing a lot of driving I used Michelin map National 737 for Greece. With all due respect I found it to be more helpful than the maps you had recommended on your website and easily available through Amazon. You may want to have a look at it. My other great find was a holistic massage therapist on Mykonos– Jo Church. What a wonderful thing to enjoy at any point in a trip, but in my case especially at the end after climbing thousands of feet (in total) and riding donkeys. I will be writing an article on our trip for International Travel News and my agent may throw it to some other sources. Please know that Matt Barrett, Vassilis Comitas and Fantasy Travel will be highly recommended for anyone considering a self directed tour to anywhere in Greece. Thank you for your good advice, your encouragement and your wealth of information. I am already thinking about my next trip to this wonderful part of the world. Pat Matt I cannot thank you enough for your assistance and web site!! Hello Matt and Happy New Year, I want to thank you for the information posted on your website. Especially the link to "George, the Taxi Guy". Upon arrival, and my flight arrived early, there was someone there to greet me. I just spent the day at Delphi, an amazing place. I had lunch at a little restaurant, up the hill from Delphi, that had beautiful view of the entire valley. I am in love with Greece. I'm getting married this summer and we'll be coming back for our honeymoon. Thank you so much! Matt--just to let you know, Santorini was a fabulous suggestion and working through Patra at Fantasy Travel was excellent, too. Many thanks. Derek Booth Hi Matt, My name is Grace and I have been checking out your Greece website for the past few days because that is where I will be going on my honeymoon. I have never been to Greece so I’ve been excited and nervous about what the country is going to be like. However, after reading through your endless amount of information on Greece, I feel like going there now! Your website is more valuable than any travel guides in bookstores and I find your writing style very entertaining. I have a better understanding of what to expect once I arrive in Greece and your photos are marvelous. Greece is so beautiful. I really can’t wait for my honeymoon. Thank you again for making this website! Grace Matt, I just want to thank you for your website. I have not had a chance to sit down and do this and seeing your Chistmas in Greece section reminded me. Looking at your pics brought it all back to me. Looking at them was more like looking at pictures of home rather than some exotic place you hope to visit. My husband and I had the most wonderful time and if it wasn't for your site we never would have found Fantasy Travel who were unbelieveably wonderful! We were there early September and hated to leave. I hope we can get there again, this time with friends because we just could not express how wonderful it was in words. Thanks again. Best regards, Hi Matt, Hi Matt, Just wanted to once again say thanks for such an awesome and informative web site. We just got back last night and we had such a great holiday. Some of my summary info- - Fantasy Travel rocks! We've done a lot of European travelling and always on our own without a travel agent. I took your advise and used them this time and was so glad. What a relief to have all the transfers taken care of. They were very thorough and I just can't say enough.... - We ate at Psaras in Athens and loved it. Excellent food, not bad prices, and wonderful ambiance. - we stayed in Mykanos and didn't find it that expensive. Well, really no more so than Athens or Santorini. Also, though a lot is going on in that island, it still is very beautiful and one doesn't HAVE to party all night! Found a small, wonderful restaurant with amazing service and food, but not too expensive. - Santorini was more expensive than we expected. - We bought a metal bottle of ouzo at Brettos and told him we were there because of you. He seemed happy about that. Thanks again. We loved Greece. Long, relaxing meals, excellent food, Greek music, beautiful, friendly people, the most beautiful islands, souvlaki's (thank you for that guide - very helpful), etc., etc...... We can see why people like you move there! Cheers! Ian & Teressa Dear Matt, We just got back from Europe - we were on the Grand Princess - 12 day Mediterranean cruise from Venice to Rome. Thank you for your extensiveve guides to the Greek Islands - they were extremely helpful and we only went on one shore excursion with the ship - all of the rest of our excursions we did with private guides. There was one guide in particular that really stands out in our minds and his name is Michael Pitropakis of Rhodes Private Tours. He was so professional and friendly and helped to make our day in Rhodes so special and unforgettable. We met Michael at the Rhodes port around 8:30AM and he drove us through the magnificent Rhodes Medieval-town. We then proceeded for a scenic drive to Lindos, stopping on the way to buy gorgeous leather jackets and beautiful pottery. As we approached Lindos, we could see the Acropolis and then the spectacular bay and beach below it. We stopped at the beach, swam in the sea and ate a long, leisurely lunch at the Palestra Restaurant, which I would highly recommend. The food was superb and we chatted for awhile with the chef/owner and his wife to complement them over and over! We stayed at the beach for awhile and then Michael drove us back to the ship. It was truly a day I didn't want to end and Michael made it very special for us! My husband and I will definitely go back to vacation in Rhodes again. What a beautiful island! I would recommend Michael P. to anybody planning to go to Rhodes. Sally Moskowitz Bethesda, Maryland Wow -- we just got back from Greece a few days ago....I had no idea how much we would LOVE IT .....it was Great.....My favorite are Santorini and Hydra! Hi Mr. Barrett Hi Mr. Barrett, how are you ? I don,t know if you remember me but i wrote to you last summer to make a trip to greece from mid-july to mid-august. And i made it. For me it was not only a trip or a vacation it was an accomplishment. I made the trip of my life it was so nice and intense that now, i feel like a new person, i have a different way of thinking, because of this incredible trip. When my friend knew and my parents that i decided to go to greece they was all like, why greece ? why you want to go this far ? But in my mind, the place i wanted to go last summer was greece. I don,t really know why, but inside of me there was something that was pushing me to go there. When i arrived at the ariport in Montreal ( Quebec), alone with my parents and they were leaving me so ican catch my plane in my mind it was like : WoW, now i really in my way to go very far from my country and i,m alone !. But there was nos stress at all, when i arrived in Athens and i saw all the greek signs and people coming from everywhere, speaking greek, english, italian i was lost alittle bit. But, the first day i was at my hostel ( Athens backpackers, the best hostel in athens with a rooftop bar incredible!) i was already feeling good and free. I was already speking with people from everywhere and making new friends, that was the party ! it was just day one ! After Athens i went to IOS. What a paradise it was for me!!( 21 years old ) and for all the crowd of hundred young people that where there at this time of the year, i have no word to describe what i felt there. I slept 2 night at the Ios palace ( INcredible, unbeatable view, its near the best beach of the island and near everything, I recommend it to everyone, it woth every penny i pay to sleep there) and i slept 5 night at the hermes hotel 9 very nice too, i recommend it too, very nice pool, with lots of nice young people. I went to the bar every night and i met new people evey day!! Many italian there ! In Ios every body is son nice and it,s very easy to make friends. After this i went to Santorini 4 days very nice, i have hundred pictures of that island. The sunst is unthikeably nice. After i went to the most charming, entertaining, fantastic, unthinkeably nice place of my life : MYKONOS. Wow, even if it,s more italian than greek, and there is almost no real greek tradition there, i was 21 years old in a place that is in a league of it,s own! The girls were so nice that sometime i was pinching me to know that i was not dreaming !! I spend 10 days there and by chance that i had a plane ticket to exit this place, because i would have stay there more time. The only think that was missing me was the greek tradition. So, Mr Barrett, i wrote you this letter to you because i really want to thank you so much because if i haven,t foun your site on the internet, my trip to greece would probably have been impossible , or very hard. I took all my infromation on your site and that,s your personnal info that made me chose to go to greece and spend big money on a place that i didn,t even know one year ago, that is saying alot about the effort you put on that site( it is a achievemnt for me) I also want to thanks so many tiem the traval agency FANTASY Travel , i made my reservation in Ios with them and they send me a letter in my hostels with many different informations to guide me in Ios. They send a taxi to pick me up at my hostel and bring me in the port at my boat, so there was no stress for me. I was very happy to pay money and have a sevice so great. Thank you all the member of fantasy travel, i will made businness with you again anytime! I was 21 years old, i was from Quebec ( french Canadian), i was alone, my fisrt langage spoken was french, and i went in greece. That was the rip of my life and i would have stay there all summer long ( if i had the money :):):):) You should have see my friends faces when i showed them the pictures from Ios and Mykonos, and the girls !!! Yes, greece is not cheap for a canadian, but i made an achievement i spend 1 month there alone and i made more friend than in 21 year in my own country. So, for all the young peolple that want to go there and have no idea what greece look like in summer i have just one thing to say to you : GO FOR IT! SO finally, mr barrett thank you so much , because you made possible to me a experience that will stay in my mind all my life. Yann Veillette Quebec, Canada . In went in greece from mid-july to mid-august A big thanks to you for your information and especially your referral to Dear Mr.Barrett, Hi, Hi Matt, Just wanted to thank you for the invaluable information on your website. Our family (2 adults - my husband and I - and our 2 kids, ages 8 and 5) just got home from a fantastic trip to Greece and we used a lot of your recommendations and were really, really pleased with the outcome! We availed ourselves of George the famous taxi driver's services in Athens - actually, he didn't drive us, he sent a guy named Mikas instead - and we were so happy with Mikas that we engaged him for an additional two days including having him take us to Corinth as well as our original plan of going to the Temple of Poseidon. In additon to spending some time in Athens, we went to Sifnos and Santorini. Santorini was an obvious choice for us to visit, having been there 3 times already (we wanted to show the kids). But we went to Sifnos largely due to what you wrote about Sifnos being a great island to take kids - and it sure was. Not only did our kids love it - but my husband I agreed that it was the highlight of our trip. Thanks again for all of your valuable input - you helped make the best 2 weeks of the entire year even better! Best regards, Jill Hi Matt I have just spent some time on your website, it is the best I have come across for information on Rhodes. Yesterday 7/01/2005 I booked up for our second trip to Rhodes this next October, we previously stayed in Pefkos and visited Lindos and the old town. This year we are staying 2ks outside of Rhodes at the Esperides Beach Hotel, I have read some good reviews about it. Although its a way off yet, my wife and son are looking forward to it, and with the information received from your excellant site. I am sure you will have enhanced our forthcoming holiday to Rhodes. Thanks for such a great site. Regards Doug H & Family England I would like to commend you on your excellent and extensive site on Greece info. I'm happy that I discovered it 2 months before my trip to Greece, because that's about how long it took me to go through it. I recommend it highly. I have just returned from my 14 day trip to Kos, Naxos, Santorini and Athens and wanted to let you know about the relocation of the famous Poet and Sandalmaker Shop." Melissinos Art" has moved from 89 Pondrossou St to 2 Aghias Theklas St. just off of Ermou. I am sure you would like to change this on your website. Thanks again, Terri , Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada Dear Mr. Barrett - Your guide to Greece was most helpful and my family and I just returned from a successful trip there. George, though we only met his associate Tom and his son - made our pick up at the airport a breeze and the tour of the city very nice and pleasant. Litsa at Fantasy travel was most helpful and organized much of our trip throughout the islands. I did want to update you that we stayed at the Electra Palace Hotel, which was very nice, but they no longer have a rooftop pool or garden (and what a wasted view!) They said they may add another one back in next year. Other than that, your guide was pretty accurate. Many thanks - Jane W. Matt, I've just returned from 25 days traveling in Greece to Athens, Crete, Santorini, Mykonos, Delos, and Rhodes. Your newsletter was my primary source of information to plan the trip. The weather in October, the food in every restaurant and snack bar and especially the people were all wonderful. Your recommendations all worked out perfectly. First, I read over your newsletter and recommendations for visiting the islands. I made out a tentative itinerary and contacted Dolphin Hellas. I received a response immediately from Uli Perschau. What a professional. She worked with me, made recommendations, changes when I changed my mind, and had everything organized perfectly. Having all the vouchers for hotels, tickets for ferries and airlines made the whole trip go so smoothly. No waiting in line or trying to find the ticket counter. I also took your advice and contacted George Kokkotos. He arranged all of our transfers, and if he was not available, he sent another driver equally professional, English speaking, non-smoking, with an immaculate Mercedes. I totally agree that the extra few Euros you pay are worth it. We also took a private full day with George to Delphi. This may have been my husband's favorite day in Greece. George gave us a comprehensive introduction to Greece, the language and its history, as he showed us the countryside, a monastery, the ruins at Delphi, and took us to a wonderful little restaurant. Since this was our second day, it really set the stage for an enjoyable vacation. Now that we have returned home, we feel like we have a family friend in Greece. The travel cell phone through Tom Mazarakis was a real money saver, and a convenience that I would not travel without. I had Tom program in numbers for George, Uli, a few folks back home, and most of the hotels. I confirmed all my transfers with George just before arriving, called Uli if I had a question, and the hotel if I needed a taxi from a distant spot. I always felt I had the professional with the answers right at my finger tips. I didn't get to meet Tom in person, but again, after talking with him on email, I felt I had a friend and a point of contact. As you said, the overnight ferry, Lissos, to Crete was great. It was comfortable and clean, and we truly enjoyed the trip. I was very impressed with the ferries throughout Greece. They were excellent, and much better than any I've taken in the U.S. Driving in Greece was an "interesting" experience. We had reserved cars for Crete and Rhodes only, as on the other islands and in Athens we really didn't need a car. My husband did pretty well on Crete, driving in the country and from Chania to Iraklion but once we got to Iraklion, finding the Galaxy Hotel was another story. I found it impossible to read the map, read the street signs, deal with one-way streets, motor bikes and cars darting everywhere. So, I jumped out, got a taxi, and my husband followed. We didn't drive the car again until we left for the airport 2 days later. Based on that experience, I called Uli on my Greek Travel Phone, canceled the rental car in Rhodes, called George on my Greek Travel Phone, he recommended another George, George Sialadakis to take care of us in Rhodes. I called the new George on my Greek Travel Phone, and it was all arranged. He took us on a great tour to the sites around the island and to Lindos. Again, we learned so much about Rhodes and the history, and the people that it made us feel at home for the rest of the vacation. The hotels that Uli recommended were all very nice. We especially enjoyed the Casa Delfino in Chania, the Santorini Palace in Santorini, the Cavo Tagoo in Mykonos, and the Lindos Mare in Rhodes. It is hard to recommend specific restaurants, as each one was a peak experience. Another thing that really made the trip more enjoyable was reading many of the books listed on you Web site. I strongly recommend, This Way to Paradise, by Willard Manus for anyone who is visiting Lindos. Greek Unorthodox by Elizabeth Boleman-Herring was a hoot, and at the same time really prepared me for the Greek culture. Her Pocket Guides to Athens and the Aegean Islands were invaluable. Another book I enjoyed was Hellas by Nicholas Gage. He is a wonderful writer and a joy to read. I also read his wonderful, but very sad book, Eleni, about his family and the civil war. Anyone visiting the Palace of Konosos really should read The King Must Die by Mary Renault. Finally, I studied the language with Dr. George Balanis's Read and Speak Greek CD-ROM, and found it very helpful. Another month in Greece, and I think I might be able to speak the language just a little. On the way home, I found Paul Johnston's new book, A Deeper Side of Blue, and continued my Greek adventure all the way back to Colorado. In summary, your newsletter, Uli Perschau at Dolphin Hellas, George Kokotos (Yinnis, Nick, and George Sialadakis), Tom Mazarakis Greek Travel Phones, together made our vacation the best we've ever had. I strongly recommend that anyone visiting Greece for the first time seriously consider them. Just picture arriving in Athens and someone is waiting for you with a sign with your name on it. You are off to your hotel with you luggage in minutes. Arriving at the hotel you have a cell phone and all your hotel vouchers and tickets waiting for you. My husband and I were impressed. My only regret is that we didn't see Lesvos. We will do that next year. With much appreciation to you, and to all the wonderful people I've mentioned in this note. I hope I have not left anyone out. Thanks so much for helping us to have the best vacation of our lives. Della J. Bossart Hi Matt, Dear Matt Barrett - Andrea and Amarandi ! Matt, I just wanted to write you a quick note to say “thanks” for all the information you provided on your website, for returning my inquiry so quickly, and for recommending Fantasy Travel. I just got back from a two week trip to Greece and it was the most amazing vacation I have had to date! The people at Fantasy Travel were exceptional and our accommodations and travel arrangements went quite smoothly – it really made it stress free and relaxing despite our rigorous attempt to see all of Greece in such a short amount of time! I would, without hesitation, recommend Fantasy Travel and use them again upon future trips to Greece! Thanks and happy travels! Monica In case I didn't already make this clear, thank you for your amazing and passionate website. The piles of books I've purchased--Let's Go, Frommer's, Fodor's, Lonely Planet--didn't even come close to breathing life into Greece like you have. The best thing that most of those books did, in my opinion, was to refer me to your site. I've traveled all over Europe, and have been all over the web to research the places I've visited and I have never seen anything quite like what you do; clear, concise, opinionated, informative, critical and compassionate all at once. You're a rare breed. I'm planning our honeymoon and using your site for EVERYTHING! My fiancé Dear Matt, Dear Matt, Hello, Matt,
Dear Matt: Matt, just on a point of info; do you operate out of the US, or
are you domiciled in Greece, now? Your travel venture seems really to have taken
off. It must give you such pleasure to know that you assist and advise
Grecophiles so much. I think you are just brilliant! If you were a UK citizen,
to be sure, and were running the UK equivalent of your brilliant venture, I'm
positive that Her Majesty would have awarded you a Knighthood for services
promoting the UK. Seriously! Is there not some similar award in Greece? You
deserve it for sure, if you don't have it already!
Thanks again.
With best regards
Stuart
Matt - Hi Matt and Uli, My purpose of this email is to let you know how wonderful and helpful your sight was and to tell you how wonderful Uli from Dolphin Hellas was! Devon and I were married on Oct. 7th, 2000 and spent our honeymoon in Athens, Samos and Santorini (suggestions from Matt). I must admit I was a little nervous at first booking this trip via internet and email access only, but Uli was absolutely wonderful and very responsive which helped put our minds at ease over the last months of planning. Neither Devon nor I had been to Greece and we were going into this blindly as a suggestion from our Norwegian friend. As I researched all possible web sites I ran across yours...I found it to be the best sight out there! Your sight was extremely helpful with a touch of "down to earth", not one of those overly commercial sights were you're not quite sure if they are trying to sell you the shirt off your back! As Devon and I became serious about honeymooning in Greece it came time to decide what to do as far as a travel agent. This is where your handy dandy link to Dolphin Hellas came in perfectly. I emailed Dolphin Hellas and was blessed with the response of Uli! She took very good care of us! She was quick, very responsive and helpful with all of the questions we had. She even called us the night before we were to leave the States regarding an Olympic Airlines strike that put a little kink in our plans. We gave her our thoughts on what we were looking for and what she booked for us neither Devon nor I would have ever expected! She put us in some beautiful places that will remain with us for a lifetime! I wanted to thank you both for your help. Matt, if it wasn't for your site I don't know if we would have gotten enough inside information that would have interested us in Greece. Uli, you did an incredible job on booking our honeymoon we can't thank you enough. It was a pleasure meeting you when we were in Athens! It's the combination of the two that made this a special trip for us that I know we will never forget. Efkareesto. Devon & Nicole Nance (used to be Ehrman) |