general question

[maggiesaes]

It would not be the same for me if I were there all the time.
Twice a year is a treat and something special to look forward to.

[shawty1984]

What makes me laugh is we are looking for the best rate possible for the Euro, its 1.089 here oh but its 1.092 there yet are willing to throw £100 on a taxi to save 1 to 1 half hours. Each to their own, just makes me laugh.

I do believe TUI and other tour operators get a lot of flack when it's not needed. They get blamed for high prices, they get blamed for 'chavs' coming to the resort because of cheap deals and numerous other things. It just sometimes feels like if you are using TUI, or aren't booking independently then you are doing it wrong.

[geordieborn]

What makes me laugh is we are looking for the best rate possible for the Euro, its 1.089 here oh but its 1.092 there yet are willing to throw £100 on a taxi to save 1 to 1 half hours. Each to their own, just makes me laugh.

I do believe TUI and other tour operators get a lot of flack when it's not needed. They get blamed for high prices, they get blamed for 'chavs' coming to the resort because of cheap deals and numerous other things. It just sometimes feels like if you are using TUI, or aren't booking independently then you are doing it wrong.

Ha! I totally agree on the rate front, your figures are a saving of €6 on £2000.
TUI I'm not so sure about and think it would be good to hear the "pros & cons". To me the big thing of not using them is the freedom to go as and when we want and where we want. Not a fixed time or place dictated by TUI. I'm also not convinced they are not much more expensive. Finally, from what I've been told by locals they are not too fair with them either. Always happy to be shot down!
PS minor point, but the taxi is Euros..

[Jimbo]

I'm with you there, Shawty! Years ago some locals said to me that they hated August because of the kind of people who were there then. We'd never travelled with Thomson until we first went to Agios Stefanos in 2010, and feared for the worst. Over the years we've had very good service from Thomson/TUI and the apartments have been fine.

It's not necessarily cheaper to take a DIY trip than a package. It depends to some extent where you live. Unless you live near a cheap-as-chips airline hub you have to factor in the added cost and hassle of getting to the airport and back for departure. Our nearest airports are Doncaster - which is a Wizz Air hub and has dirt cheap flights to Poland and the Czech Republic - we are left with Leeds - which has Jet2 and Rynair - and Manchester. Round trip to Manchester is a 200 mile drive. So that's time, hassles and petrol across a frequently problematic M62. The Trans-Pennine Express from Hull doesn't go to the airport, so it either means a nightmare change at Manchester or an easier one at Huddersfield. Not very relaxing. LBA is nasty to get to from Hull. Then you have the necessity of taxis in Corfu, so add another £125 to your bill.

Contrast that with a 50 minute all-motorway drive to Doncaster, where there's lot's of parking right next to the terminal and a TUI package. I used to fly a lot when I was younger - for about a year I more or less commuted from London to Munich or Vienna. In my advanced years I now find it much more relaxing to check in and hand all responsibility to TUI. (There are only 6 gates at Donny, and most of them are essentially part of the departure lounge, so there's no chance of missing a plane!) If I take a taxi from Agios Stefanos to the airport and the taxi breaks down and I miss the plane - well that's just tough luck. If I'm on a TUI coach with plenty of other people that breaks down it's TUI's problem. So although I can see some justification for getting a taxi from the airport to Agios Stefanos to save maybe an hour before you get a drink, I regard not using the bus back to the airport as marginally insane.

I know Maggie will be along shortly to say it's a matter of choice, but there is some logic involved!

[shawty1984]

Ha! I totally agree on the rate front, your figures are a saving of €6 on £2000.
TUI I'm not so sure about and think it would be good to hear the "pros & cons". To me the big thing of not using them is the freedom to go as and when we want and where we want. Not a fixed time or place dictated by TUI. I'm also not convinced they are not much more expensive. Finally, from what I've been told by locals they are not too fair with them either. Always happy to be shot down!
PS minor point, but the taxi is Euros..

If people want to go independent that's fine, I have no problem with that, it just seems as if you aren't doing it right if you are not booking independent. I don't work for TUI but have used them for years and the very few problems we've had were sorted no problem. We've had some very cheap prices and some average prices over the years and they only get silly prices once people start booking up which is just supply and demand. From what I could gather, people loved it when the hotels started leaving TUI, yet the operators they have gone to are charging even more for the holidays. TUI can just be as cheap as anyone else. Last week, 4 weeks at the Romanza (bed and breakfast) including flight from Doncaster was £786 each from TUI. That's as cheap as anything. Yes they might not pay the hotels a lot of money but the hotels could equally go fully independent.

[maggiesaes]

We travel with Tui but yes i choose to go by taxi to and from the airport for convenience and comfort.
I know we take a package but comfort is important to us hence the taxi,and I have no desire to drag about on the return run to the airport.
We take more than enough with us to have the sort of holiday we want and yes we look for the best rate because we don't like to be ripped off but how and where we spend is entirely our decision. 

[Karen]

We always go with TUI and had an exceptional rep this year at Silver Moon. We had some issues with what might have been a long journey back to the airport and wanted to know how long the journey was likely to be, as it was also a late night flight. She printed out all the stops and times for us and even offered to meet us at the airport, on her day off, to help us, as hubby is not too mobile at times. We priced up Indy at Silver Moon and with everything factored in, it was going to be considerably more. Well done Tui!

[shawty1984]

We travel with Tui but yes i choose to go by taxi to and from the airport for convenience and comfort.
I know we take a package but comfort is important to us hence the taxi,and I have no desire to drag about on the return run to the airport.
We take more than enough with us to have the sort of holiday we want and yes we look for the best rate because we don't like to be ripped off but how and where we spend is entirely our decision.

That's totally fine. I just find it funny how we go for weeks looking for the last cent when looking at the exchange rate but don't bat an eye lid when paying £100 for a taxi when transfers are included. 

[shawty1984]

We always go with TUI and had an exceptional rep this year at Silver Moon. We had some issues with what might have been a long journey back to the airport and wanted to know how long the journey was likely to be, as it was also a late night flight. She printed out all the stops and times for us and even offered to meet us at the airport, on her day off, to help us, as hubby is not too mobile at times. We priced up Indy at Silver Moon and with everything factored in, it was going to be considerably more. Well done Tui!

The stops are on the TUI app about two days before your flight so you can roughly work out how long the transfer is.

[Jimbo]

The longest delays to the bus leaving the airport are caused by people booking taxis and not telling the reps at the airport. Inevitably, this mean the reps having to wait until it looks like everybody is through and searching for missing people. Totally inconsiderate.

[maggiesaes]

First thing I do when we have our baggage is to tell a rep.
Also for the return journey I tell the rep straight away and remind her the day before.

Jimbo you can preach all you like but some people prefer to take a taxi.We do and there is no way I would use the coach again.We factor the cost into the holiday just as we do the cost of getting to Cardiff airport at this end.

[Jimbo]

Maggie, my father was a preacher and I left it to him. Pointing out facts is not preaching. Because you behave decently does not mean that everybody does.

Are Karen and Shawty preaching?

[simonE]

Hi all,

Could we perhaps let this one lie now please? To my knowledge, I've never met any of you, but I'm sure you are all lovely people but this debate is all getting a bit childish don't you think?
I joined this forum purely as a means of finding ( and hopefully offering) good advice and sharing our mutual affection for the place we all love. I'm afraid this constant sniping
is quite wearing and reminds me why I tend to avoid other forms of social media!
Why the constant need for point scoring?
Hope this plea has not offended anyone too much, but if the silly rows continue, I for one will be leaving the forum as it's spoiling my holiday.
Love to you all !!!

[eildan]

Hear hear.

[maggiesaes]

It hasn’t offended me,and you are right,the forum is supposed to fun and full of advice and information.
We all have our own opinions,nobody is right nobody wrong,we make the decisions which suit us best.

Still very hot I see out there.