Special offers and discounts for less costly holidays

Brief guide to good deals offered by ferries, hotels

By Stathis Koussinis - Kathimerini

Well-informed travelers save money, get better service and have more enjoyable vacations. Yet Greeks tend to put little effort into planning what they’ve been looking forward to all year — those 15, 20 or even 30 days where they can have a break from the routine and do something different.

It is often said, and this is true to a certain extent, that some operators in the travel industry exploit both Greek and foreign tourists, especially at times of peak demand such as Christmas, May Day, Easter and in August. But there is still much room for examining how we can make the most of opportunities for inexpensive and unusual vacations.

The Ministry for Tourism’s policy, as announced recently by Minister Fanni Palli-Petralia, is to promote — both at home and abroad — all existing and potential forms of tourism in Greece, opening up new horizons for travelers and encouraging more visits to those parts of Greece that have not been highlighed in the past.

Meanwhile, careful scrutiny of the package tours offered by travel agents, hotels and ferry companies reveals many attractive and affordable options.

As for the problems that typically crop up on vacation — noise, lack of cleanliness, bad service — these should always be reported to the appropriate officials, be they the municipality, the police, Greek National Tourism Organization inspectors or the ministry.