tidy

We may also visit Corfu when on the western side of Greece. Actually I am exploring flying home from there through London.So, if we wanted to visited Corfu from either Olympia, Delphi or Kalabaka when visiting the Meteora Monasteries how would we do that? Can we drop a car and fly to Corfu from any of these locations.or I suppose if we don't fly from from Corfu we could just take a ferry over there for a few days. If that is the case is it possibly to take the car on the ferry or is it best to just park the car on the mainland and take the ferry. HOpe this makes sense.

neckervd

There are buses from Kalambaka to Ioannina and from Ioannina to Igoumenitsa. Frequent car/passenger ferries from Igoumenitsa to Corfu. When in Ioannina, visit the famous ancient Greek sanctuary and theatre of Dodoni and the famous caves of Perama. A ferry trip to one of the Islands on Lake Ioannina is pleasant too, especially in the evening.

If you want to visit Meteora, Corfu AND Olympia, it may not make much sense to fly home from Corfu. During the season, there are direct flights from Corfu to most European hubs as well as direct ferries to Brindisi, Bari and Ancona

tidy

neckervd, I don't understand why you say it may not make much sense to fly from Corfu if there are direct flights.

travelerjan

Because Corfu is between Meteora on Mainland and Olympia on far side of Peloponnese ... a lot of backtracking. Also when he says direct, he means for someone who lives in Europe. Altho you do not mention in this thread your city of origin, you are from Denver CO. you could end up having 3 planes from Corfu to US.

Heimdall

Tidy, if you arrange your itinerary to end up in Corfu, a flight from there to London could work very well. The budget airline easyJet has flights between Corfu and London Gatwick, and on their website I am seeing one way fares in May for as low as €32.99. Fares will increase as departure day approaches.

I wouldn't attempt a same-day connection in London, but if you wish to spend a few days in London on the way home, that would be an option. Not sure where your home is, but you may have to change from Gatwick to Heathrow airports to get where you are going.

Heimdall

I missed where travelerjan said you are from Denver, CO. There are direct flights with several airlines, including BA and American, between London and Denver. As far as I know there aren't any direct flights between Athens and Denver. Since you will have to change planes anyway, a cheap 3 hr flight from Corfu to Gatwick with a few days layover in London, and a direct flight from there to Denver might make for a good trip.

neckervd

If you end your Greece trip around Olympia, drive via Kyllini to Zakynthos airport or Argostoli airport and fly from there with easyjet to London.
Fares start around 35 EUR with hand luggage only and around 50 EUR with 1 piece of checked in luggage.

clausar

You can reach Corfu from Trikala ( near Kalambaka) with a KTEL bus.
There is a bus leaving Trikala every Wed and Sun at 14:45 hrs.

Ackislander

I looked into visiting Corfu after I read the books from which the current BBC series is taken.

It sounded as if you had a choice between expensive and pain in the tuchus. Nothing seems to have changed.

I hope some one will come up with the One True Answer.

travelerjan

Corfu today from what people tell me is a Far Cry from the Durrell's time, in the 1930s, before mass travel and package-holiday "resort" development.

littlejane

What attracts you to Corfu? I suspect you could find those qualities in the Peloponnese without adding on the long flight and extra hassle entailed in travelling to Corfu. The Peloponnese is so varied and you can have holidays there that vary right through beach / history / hip towns / rustic mountain retreats / trendy yachting venues and basic honest Greek tavernas. I can't think of anything in Corfu that wouldn't be on offer in Peloponnese, unless of course you want to see the Durrells' White House. If you wanted to visit an Island there are some nice ones within an easy boat trip of Peloponnese.

Heimdall

Unfortunately every Greek island is a far cry from what it was in the 1930s, or even the 1960s & 70s.

One of the books in my library at home is <i>On a Greek Island</i> by Fionnuala Brennan, an Irish schoolteacher, who resigned her job in 1977 and set out with her husband and two small children to live on a Greek island. After an odyssey through the Aegean they ended up on Paros, which was nothing like it is today. The book is out of print, but if you can find it, it's entertaining reading.

The Brennan family no longer live full time on Paros, but still maintain a home on the island.

travelerjan

I know, Heimdall ... cannot be. After decades of dwelling on Ancient Greece in Book Land, I first became intrigued by 20th Century Greece after I picked up a used paperback at a bookstall, Lawrence Durell's "Reflection on a Marine Venus," complete with fuzzy B & W photos, about life on Rhodes in 1946, when he was a British officer there. But when I finally went to Rhodes I did not seek the "Durrell Rhodes" because I knew it was long gone... I went to see ancient & medieval things that had not been changed by tourism.... and in fact, the Old City Walls totally lived up to expectations. So I was not disillusioned.

clausar

It happens that i am originally from Corfu... which is a very unique island.. It is still very beautiful with quaint villages and has one of the most interesting old towns of Greece, influenced by the Venetians ( and not only)- a Unesco world heritage site.

tidy

Sorry that I have not posted for a bit but have been tied up with a new grandbaby and Thanks giving. Thank you for all of your help. I hope to narrow things down by tomorrow.

billbarr

travelerjan and Heimdall, if you haven't already read them then I recommend the trilogy, Ebdon's Odyssey, Ebdon's Iliad and Near Myths, A Love Affair with Greece all by the late, great John Ebdon. The three books are about his travels around the Greek islands almost 50 years ago, the friendships he made and his descriptions of so much that is now gone.

Long out of print but 'used' copies of each are still available (at least on Amazon UK).

Bill

travelerjan

I might do, bill, but it makes me wistful, for things that will not come again. But thanks! BTW, one reviewer had this to say:

"Note: It is my belief that John Ebdon accidentally started a cult - there are now so many books written about Crete, several in the humourous vein; some more autobiographical with added humour to keep your attention; or on the theme of "I fell in love with unspoilt Crete" that we have almost reached the stage where the expatriate battle cry seems to be "Buy (or rent) a house - write a book!" Nevertheless, there are some good reads out there which are well worth your time and money."

I wish there were some books just about experiencing Crete or other parts of Greece, not the tale of a Brit who sells up his (agency•land•business) and goes to rural crete, falls in love with a tumbledown ruin, settles in the village to rebuild, is taken advantage of by lovable local swindlers, learns how to make wine/cheese/whatever, & it all ends with a lovely feast. Same can be said of books about France & Italy.

Heimdall

Peter Mayle did the same thing in the 80s with his book <i>A Year in Provence</i>. Since the UK entered the EU, it's been very easy for Brits to buy holiday homes in the sun, and even settle long term in Spain, Greece, Italy, France, etc without visas. It remains to be seen what will happen when Britain leaves the EU in two or three years time.

Books of this type, and also daytime television programs on the subject, are very popular in Britain because so many people who holiday in the Med dream of owning a home there. I suspect a book "just about experiencing Crete or other parts of Greece" would never make the best seller list.

Rubicund

Corfu is a lovely island, but tourism has changed parts of beyond recognition, including Corfu town itself. The resorts on the southern tip are to be avoided--full of drunks and tattoo parlours, bars and cheap fast food.

Paleokastritsa on the west coast has expanded way beyond what was a pleasant fishing village and is very commercial these days. Glyfada has been built up from when I first went there in the 70's, but is still OK. The villages up the east coast from Gouvia up to Sidari and Roda are more pleasant and quieter, but still far busier than ever they used to be.

We loved Agni Bay for Nikolas's Taverna, but it's enormously popular now, same with Ipsos. I think I'd choose to stay close to or in, Acharavi or Roda to get a taste of what Corfu used to be like, but sadly it's mostly gone.

billbarr

Jan

It was his first ever trip to Greece when he visited Andros that was my favourite. I think that's Ebdon's Odyssey but will need to get the books out and check.