CHQ-ing in to Rethymno
May 26, 2023, 2:52 am
#1
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
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CHQ-ing in to Rethymno
An obscure TR title? Call it click-bait!
OK, so I’m boring! TR writing gets difficult when we keep going to the same places! We enjoyed our visit to Rethymno in Oct 22 (TR here "It's all Greek to me", or "Per Astra ad Crete" with BA.) so much that within a month of our return we had re-booked for May 23. Fortunately, BA operates Crete flights to both Heraklion (HER) and Chania (CHQ), both of which are broadly equidistant by road from Rethymno [both c. 1h 10m transfer] so we took the opportunity to avoid HER [which we thought was a horrible airport] and try routing via CHQ instead.
The booking was of course through BA Holidays, taking advantage of the current Double TP offer and will get us well on our way to renewing BAEC Gold status. Total cost was just over £3,800 for the week, which broke down to c. £2,700 for the CE flights (JER-LHR-CHQ) and c. £1,100 for B&B in the Master Suite at Rimondi Boutique Hotels in Rethymno, https://hotelsrimondi.hotelbrain.com We decided not to use BAH for the airport transfers, as our previous trip showed they were noticeably more expensive than booking through the hotel (£119 v. £83!). So there we are … £150 deposit paid and another trip to look forward to. I hope the weather’s better than last time!
13 May 23
Sector 1
BA1339, JER-LHR, 0725-0830, A319, Seats 1D/F
Our routine early start, with a taxi booked for 0545 for the quick run to the airport. Unusually we are flying on a Saturday, and with the early start plus it being a weekend, that was £28 instead of the usual £19. OUCH! However, Bag Drop was painless as usual, although Security was a bit slow (I blame the EZY pax who were out in force!). As ever I got pinged for Secondary for some unknown reason - our scanners seem oversensitive, as I hardly ever get this anywhere else on the Planet. My screener suggested it might be the numerous press-stud fasteners on my Cargo pants! Boarding was slightly delayed, but soon it was Gate 10 and as Group 1 we were sent straight on to the aircraft. Where the pre-boarders had gone I have no idea, but they turned up later. Then it’s Captain Speaking time - “We will have a delay of about 30 minutes, as Swissport are understaffed and haven’t started loading the bags yet. I suggest you complain to BA: we do that frequently but they don’t listen to us!” Brilliant start to the trip, eh? Anyway, we did eventually get airborne, munched our luxury Breakfast …
… and landed at LHR at 0825, just 5 minutes late thanks to the padded schedule! And we even had a Gate, so we were off at 0830 heading for Connections. Fast Track worked, and we were fed into the CT scanner trial lane which worked well. We were in the FLounge at 0900, grabbed a glass of fizzy and at 0950 had a Gate declared. Yes, Gate 4, at the far end of T5 of course, and a Bus to the aircraft. Oh, the luxury of Premium travel and Priority boarding. Oh, well, onward and upward …
Sector 2
BA0666, LHR-CHQ, 1045-1650, A320, Seats 1D/F
On board around 1010, and settled into our front row seats … 12 rows of Club Europe for this sector, which will keep the CC busy. At least we will get served early in Row 1. Doors closed at 1035, and then the dreaded Captain Speaking moment again!! ”Due to Flow Control our ETD is now 1120.” Later amended to 1110, but whatever … I’ve lost track of the number of delays and disruptions we’ve had over the last 12 months. Did anything operate as advertised? Eventually pushed back from our remote stand at 1045 to somewhere, when Captain Speaking again says “They’re doing a runway inspection”. Eventually airborne at 1115, so 30 minutes late. Was it like this in the days of Imperial Airways?
A round of drinks and nuts [those unoperable Soca things] ensued, followed by our lunch meal orders. To enhance the luxury of travel in BA's Club Europe cabin, no menus were loaded … so we settled for the Thai Yellow Chicken Curry … and the other stuff. Oh, and the weight-saving reduced cutlery provision.
We had no idea what the Starter was supposed to be, but the Curry was “OK”.
And so to devote ourselves to our Kindles for the remainder of the trip … supposedly 3h30, according to Captain Speaking [he gets around a lot, doesn’t he?]. At around 1400 we got the imminent landing warning, so I reset my watch … it’s now1605, Crete O’Clock … and at 1635 we landed at Chania. By 1645 we had been bussed to Immigration and a totally silent Immigration officer, cleared that and 5 mins later we were at Reclaim. As I looked at the indicator boards, iWife pointed out that our case was already there on the belt in front of me … that was nice! And so to Arrivals to find our driver, somewhere among loads of others holding up boards and iPads. And, by a bizarre coincidence, I found a board for someone with the same surname and the first initial on BA 0666. No, not him … iWife found our driver, and waved frantically! Ahh, all is well as we walk to the distant car park where our transport is parked. On the road to Rethymno c. 1700 … Nice wheels, Mercedes mini-van, …
… only delayed slightly by a Police road-check which had our driver working his way through his documents in his mobile filing cabinet, but delivered us safely an hour or so later to somewhere on the Waterfront where a Hotel porter was waiting for us to drag the bag and navigate the alleyways for a 5 minute walk to the Hotel, €95 + €5 tip well spent!
OK, so I’m boring! TR writing gets difficult when we keep going to the same places! We enjoyed our visit to Rethymno in Oct 22 (TR here "It's all Greek to me", or "Per Astra ad Crete" with BA.) so much that within a month of our return we had re-booked for May 23. Fortunately, BA operates Crete flights to both Heraklion (HER) and Chania (CHQ), both of which are broadly equidistant by road from Rethymno [both c. 1h 10m transfer] so we took the opportunity to avoid HER [which we thought was a horrible airport] and try routing via CHQ instead.
The booking was of course through BA Holidays, taking advantage of the current Double TP offer and will get us well on our way to renewing BAEC Gold status. Total cost was just over £3,800 for the week, which broke down to c. £2,700 for the CE flights (JER-LHR-CHQ) and c. £1,100 for B&B in the Master Suite at Rimondi Boutique Hotels in Rethymno, https://hotelsrimondi.hotelbrain.com We decided not to use BAH for the airport transfers, as our previous trip showed they were noticeably more expensive than booking through the hotel (£119 v. £83!). So there we are … £150 deposit paid and another trip to look forward to. I hope the weather’s better than last time!
13 May 23
Sector 1
BA1339, JER-LHR, 0725-0830, A319, Seats 1D/F
Our routine early start, with a taxi booked for 0545 for the quick run to the airport. Unusually we are flying on a Saturday, and with the early start plus it being a weekend, that was £28 instead of the usual £19. OUCH! However, Bag Drop was painless as usual, although Security was a bit slow (I blame the EZY pax who were out in force!). As ever I got pinged for Secondary for some unknown reason - our scanners seem oversensitive, as I hardly ever get this anywhere else on the Planet. My screener suggested it might be the numerous press-stud fasteners on my Cargo pants! Boarding was slightly delayed, but soon it was Gate 10 and as Group 1 we were sent straight on to the aircraft. Where the pre-boarders had gone I have no idea, but they turned up later. Then it’s Captain Speaking time - “We will have a delay of about 30 minutes, as Swissport are understaffed and haven’t started loading the bags yet. I suggest you complain to BA: we do that frequently but they don’t listen to us!” Brilliant start to the trip, eh? Anyway, we did eventually get airborne, munched our luxury Breakfast …
… and landed at LHR at 0825, just 5 minutes late thanks to the padded schedule! And we even had a Gate, so we were off at 0830 heading for Connections. Fast Track worked, and we were fed into the CT scanner trial lane which worked well. We were in the FLounge at 0900, grabbed a glass of fizzy and at 0950 had a Gate declared. Yes, Gate 4, at the far end of T5 of course, and a Bus to the aircraft. Oh, the luxury of Premium travel and Priority boarding. Oh, well, onward and upward …
Sector 2
BA0666, LHR-CHQ, 1045-1650, A320, Seats 1D/F
On board around 1010, and settled into our front row seats … 12 rows of Club Europe for this sector, which will keep the CC busy. At least we will get served early in Row 1. Doors closed at 1035, and then the dreaded Captain Speaking moment again!! ”Due to Flow Control our ETD is now 1120.” Later amended to 1110, but whatever … I’ve lost track of the number of delays and disruptions we’ve had over the last 12 months. Did anything operate as advertised? Eventually pushed back from our remote stand at 1045 to somewhere, when Captain Speaking again says “They’re doing a runway inspection”. Eventually airborne at 1115, so 30 minutes late. Was it like this in the days of Imperial Airways?
A round of drinks and nuts [those unoperable Soca things] ensued, followed by our lunch meal orders. To enhance the luxury of travel in BA's Club Europe cabin, no menus were loaded … so we settled for the Thai Yellow Chicken Curry … and the other stuff. Oh, and the weight-saving reduced cutlery provision.
We had no idea what the Starter was supposed to be, but the Curry was “OK”.
And so to devote ourselves to our Kindles for the remainder of the trip … supposedly 3h30, according to Captain Speaking [he gets around a lot, doesn’t he?]. At around 1400 we got the imminent landing warning, so I reset my watch … it’s now1605, Crete O’Clock … and at 1635 we landed at Chania. By 1645 we had been bussed to Immigration and a totally silent Immigration officer, cleared that and 5 mins later we were at Reclaim. As I looked at the indicator boards, iWife pointed out that our case was already there on the belt in front of me … that was nice! And so to Arrivals to find our driver, somewhere among loads of others holding up boards and iPads. And, by a bizarre coincidence, I found a board for someone with the same surname and the first initial on BA 0666. No, not him … iWife found our driver, and waved frantically! Ahh, all is well as we walk to the distant car park where our transport is parked. On the road to Rethymno c. 1700 … Nice wheels, Mercedes mini-van, …
… only delayed slightly by a Police road-check which had our driver working his way through his documents in his mobile filing cabinet, but delivered us safely an hour or so later to somewhere on the Waterfront where a Hotel porter was waiting for us to drag the bag and navigate the alleyways for a 5 minute walk to the Hotel, €95 + €5 tip well spent!
Last edited by T8191; May 29, 2023 at 3:06 am Reason: typos
May 26, 2023, 2:52 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
13 - 20 May … Being there.
Oh, it was nice to be back at the Rimondi.
Our greeting at Reception was amazing … huge hugs and enthusiasm, as if we had returned from another Planet after years in space, instead of just 6 months away as returning guests. Not complaining, that’s just how nice they are here. And so we are escorted, via the small elevator, to Suite 7 (The Master Suite). Oh, it’s huge and nice and beautifully presented and, most importantly, has 2 outside spaces where we can smoke [small front balcony and rooftop terrace with comfy chairs and sun-loungers]. We enjoyed an Arrival drink and nibble before declaring the day adequately filled, and settled for an early night
OK, I’m not doing a Hotel review, so I really should concentrate on the destination. But our accommodation was superb. The Hotel is 2 buildings on opposite sides of the lane. This was our bit, in the Rimondi Estate part of the hotel ...
The Master Suite - 2 stories and a rooftop Terrace
Terrace
The Suite [Rimondi photo]
Breakfast room
But Old Town Rethymno is just so sweet, and compact, and walkable … if you can dodge tour groups and scooters and bicycles that share the streets with you! A score or more of Restaurants and Tavernas within 100 yards or so of the Hotel ensured refreshment and nourishment at any hour of the day. We had previously established our favourite of course! Back to Minares, where we were greeted with more hugs from the owner! Great food options (we loved the Cretan Meze) washed down with a 0.5l carafe of perfectly drinkable Cabernet Sauvignon … and the meal finished with a small complimentary dessert and a mini-decanter of Raki. The bill? Typically around €30 for two.
Great value
Cretan Mezze for 2
Complimentary items!
And while wandering around Old Town, there are plenty of other places to sit or drop in for a bit of refreshment.
One utterly relaxing week, enjoying perfect weather … what’s not to like? But we had to go home eventually, so asked Reception to arrange a taxi back to CHQ and the journey home.
Oh, it was nice to be back at the Rimondi.
Our greeting at Reception was amazing … huge hugs and enthusiasm, as if we had returned from another Planet after years in space, instead of just 6 months away as returning guests. Not complaining, that’s just how nice they are here. And so we are escorted, via the small elevator, to Suite 7 (The Master Suite). Oh, it’s huge and nice and beautifully presented and, most importantly, has 2 outside spaces where we can smoke [small front balcony and rooftop terrace with comfy chairs and sun-loungers]. We enjoyed an Arrival drink and nibble before declaring the day adequately filled, and settled for an early night
OK, I’m not doing a Hotel review, so I really should concentrate on the destination. But our accommodation was superb. The Hotel is 2 buildings on opposite sides of the lane. This was our bit, in the Rimondi Estate part of the hotel ...
The Master Suite - 2 stories and a rooftop Terrace
Terrace
The Suite [Rimondi photo]
Breakfast room
But Old Town Rethymno is just so sweet, and compact, and walkable … if you can dodge tour groups and scooters and bicycles that share the streets with you! A score or more of Restaurants and Tavernas within 100 yards or so of the Hotel ensured refreshment and nourishment at any hour of the day. We had previously established our favourite of course! Back to Minares, where we were greeted with more hugs from the owner! Great food options (we loved the Cretan Meze) washed down with a 0.5l carafe of perfectly drinkable Cabernet Sauvignon … and the meal finished with a small complimentary dessert and a mini-decanter of Raki. The bill? Typically around €30 for two.
Great value
Cretan Mezze for 2
Complimentary items!
And while wandering around Old Town, there are plenty of other places to sit or drop in for a bit of refreshment.
One utterly relaxing week, enjoying perfect weather … what’s not to like? But we had to go home eventually, so asked Reception to arrange a taxi back to CHQ and the journey home.
Last edited by T8191; May 26, 2023 at 11:16 am
May 26, 2023, 2:53 am
#3
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Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
Saturday 20 May 23
Checked out at 1100, paying the €3/day tourism tax, and then escorted by our driver made our way through more back alleys to his parked Mercedes. And so we set off for a comfortable and safe 1h10 journey back to CHQ. It was interesting to note that everyone seemed to stick rigidly to the speed limit (generally 80 kph) so I assume the Police are both observant and strict.
Ah, Chania Airport … one long building, with Departures at the left end. We thanked our driver with €95 + €5, which seemed to please him … is tipping not expected?
And so to Bag Drop, which seemed rather hectic until we spotted the empty BA Club Europe queue on the left [this photo was taken a few minutes later when it had more customers!].
We slipped outside for a last cigarette [there’s seating all along the kerbside area] before making our way inside and up the escalator to Security. This was completely painless and quick, and so to the inevitable Duty Free Zoo! Cigarettes [Marlboro Gold] were €42/200, not hugely cheaper than in a local tobacconist but miles cheaper than at home.
Having escaped that area, it was onward to Gate 15 via Passport Control. Gates 14 & 15 are separated - I assume this is for non-EU flights. Passports duly stamped in a very neat fashion … one for Entry, one for Departure, neatly aligned side by side. How different from the USA [and others] who just whack a stamp randomly in the middle of a new page! This page is now the Crete Page!
And here we are at Gate 15 … yes, wait at the Gate, because there are no lounges at Chania! Comfortable enough, though, and with a decent view of the ramp area ahead of us. And it’s the first time I have ever seen BA Carry-On Sizing Gauges! Oh, if only they used those at LHR and LGW.
Gate 15 holding pen!
Our aircraft!
Bag Sizers
The Group 1 bus
Saturday 20 May 23
Sector 3
BA0661, CHQ-LHR, 1420-1630, A320, Seats 1D/F
Eventually at 1340, Group 1 [only] were called forward, and released to wait outside, at the top of the steps down to the buses. A few minutes later, BA0661 was ready to receive us and the Tensa barrier was opened to enable us to board the bus for the 100 yard journey to the aircraft. And to my amazement, the bus departed with just we lucky Group 1 pax, leaving ’the others’ still stood outside waiting. How VERY nice! And so we settled in to our seats, noticing the lack of a fitted table between 1D and 1F.
They are VERY efficient here at Chania … Boarding Complete at 1400, with 6 rows of CE. And not a word from Captain Speaking about delays! We received an effusive and genuine Gold greeting from the IFM and seemed to be the only recipients of that: how strange.
Push back at 1417, airborne 1428, drinks and nuts 1445, Meal at 1455 …
Lunch is served
Braised Beef Cheeks, etc.
Primitivo
That all turned out to be rather nice, including the little bottle of Primitivo, and so we sat back [or rather, upright] for the rest of the totally unremarkable journey, reading our Kindles as usual. Approaching LHR I reset my watch [back 2 hours] and at 1610 we landed on Runway 09L at LHR. And we had a Gate at T5A, which made a change from some recent experiences. A short delay ensued before the doors were opened, but then we were on our way again to Flight Connections, this time taking the left side for the CTA & Channel Islands. There both our passports scanned without difficulty [was this a first for my Lady?] and it was up to South Security which was negotiated without any grief.
We were in the First Lounge by 1645, so not a bad transit. Not being particularly hungry, we searched for a light snack and found the offer pretty dismal. My chicken sandwich seemed to have partly escaped the filling process, and I quickly gave up!
Sad Sandwich
Sector 4
BA1350, LHR-JER, 1930-2035, A319, Seats 1D/F
During one of BA’s many timetable changes, this sector had been brought forward from 2020, at least sparing us another hour in the Lounge. And we have a Gate … yes, the bus from Gate A4 again, at the far end of T5. And so we all cram on the bus, with no Group 1 priority or anything except being treated like cattle as we head for a remote stand near the Fuel Farm. The contrast with CHQ makes me feel slightly pi**ed off.
Whatever, we board with the rest of the cattle, note with relief we have space in the overhead above 1D/F, and wait to go home. Which we do without any intervention from the Captain, and are served the hight-speed salad dinner [which was actually rather tasty all round].
After which, as usual, we flew and landed at JER. Bags were quicker to arrive than they were on our departure, and so taxi home and … another trip done. Lovely. Next stop, Dominican Republic in July, lucky old pensioners!
A few afterthoughts on Crete, from our limited experience:
Checked out at 1100, paying the €3/day tourism tax, and then escorted by our driver made our way through more back alleys to his parked Mercedes. And so we set off for a comfortable and safe 1h10 journey back to CHQ. It was interesting to note that everyone seemed to stick rigidly to the speed limit (generally 80 kph) so I assume the Police are both observant and strict.
Ah, Chania Airport … one long building, with Departures at the left end. We thanked our driver with €95 + €5, which seemed to please him … is tipping not expected?
And so to Bag Drop, which seemed rather hectic until we spotted the empty BA Club Europe queue on the left [this photo was taken a few minutes later when it had more customers!].
We slipped outside for a last cigarette [there’s seating all along the kerbside area] before making our way inside and up the escalator to Security. This was completely painless and quick, and so to the inevitable Duty Free Zoo! Cigarettes [Marlboro Gold] were €42/200, not hugely cheaper than in a local tobacconist but miles cheaper than at home.
Having escaped that area, it was onward to Gate 15 via Passport Control. Gates 14 & 15 are separated - I assume this is for non-EU flights. Passports duly stamped in a very neat fashion … one for Entry, one for Departure, neatly aligned side by side. How different from the USA [and others] who just whack a stamp randomly in the middle of a new page! This page is now the Crete Page!
And here we are at Gate 15 … yes, wait at the Gate, because there are no lounges at Chania! Comfortable enough, though, and with a decent view of the ramp area ahead of us. And it’s the first time I have ever seen BA Carry-On Sizing Gauges! Oh, if only they used those at LHR and LGW.
Gate 15 holding pen!
Our aircraft!
Bag Sizers
The Group 1 bus
Saturday 20 May 23
Sector 3
BA0661, CHQ-LHR, 1420-1630, A320, Seats 1D/F
Eventually at 1340, Group 1 [only] were called forward, and released to wait outside, at the top of the steps down to the buses. A few minutes later, BA0661 was ready to receive us and the Tensa barrier was opened to enable us to board the bus for the 100 yard journey to the aircraft. And to my amazement, the bus departed with just we lucky Group 1 pax, leaving ’the others’ still stood outside waiting. How VERY nice! And so we settled in to our seats, noticing the lack of a fitted table between 1D and 1F.
They are VERY efficient here at Chania … Boarding Complete at 1400, with 6 rows of CE. And not a word from Captain Speaking about delays! We received an effusive and genuine Gold greeting from the IFM and seemed to be the only recipients of that: how strange.
Push back at 1417, airborne 1428, drinks and nuts 1445, Meal at 1455 …
Lunch is served
Braised Beef Cheeks, etc.
Primitivo
That all turned out to be rather nice, including the little bottle of Primitivo, and so we sat back [or rather, upright] for the rest of the totally unremarkable journey, reading our Kindles as usual. Approaching LHR I reset my watch [back 2 hours] and at 1610 we landed on Runway 09L at LHR. And we had a Gate at T5A, which made a change from some recent experiences. A short delay ensued before the doors were opened, but then we were on our way again to Flight Connections, this time taking the left side for the CTA & Channel Islands. There both our passports scanned without difficulty [was this a first for my Lady?] and it was up to South Security which was negotiated without any grief.
We were in the First Lounge by 1645, so not a bad transit. Not being particularly hungry, we searched for a light snack and found the offer pretty dismal. My chicken sandwich seemed to have partly escaped the filling process, and I quickly gave up!
Sad Sandwich
Sector 4
BA1350, LHR-JER, 1930-2035, A319, Seats 1D/F
During one of BA’s many timetable changes, this sector had been brought forward from 2020, at least sparing us another hour in the Lounge. And we have a Gate … yes, the bus from Gate A4 again, at the far end of T5. And so we all cram on the bus, with no Group 1 priority or anything except being treated like cattle as we head for a remote stand near the Fuel Farm. The contrast with CHQ makes me feel slightly pi**ed off.
Whatever, we board with the rest of the cattle, note with relief we have space in the overhead above 1D/F, and wait to go home. Which we do without any intervention from the Captain, and are served the hight-speed salad dinner [which was actually rather tasty all round].
After which, as usual, we flew and landed at JER. Bags were quicker to arrive than they were on our departure, and so taxi home and … another trip done. Lovely. Next stop, Dominican Republic in July, lucky old pensioners!
A few afterthoughts on Crete, from our limited experience:
- They seem to be a kind and friendly people. We were welcomed everywhere we went, including the local 7-days Supermarket and various shops and tavernas.
- Driving seems a saner experience than in much of the Mediterranean.
- Passport stamping, as noted above, is very precise!
- I suspect you don’t mess with the Police or any officials.…
- Do NOT flush toilet paper down the loo unless specifically authorised! …. https://realgreekexperiences.com/why-you-should-not-flush-toilet-paper-in-greec
Last edited by T8191; Feb 11, 2024 at 4:41 am
May 26, 2023, 5:14 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: LAX and LHR. UA lifetime Gold 1.9MM 1K , DL Gold Medallion, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, Avis President's Club
Posts: 3,592
You must have been very unlucky. I have never seen the Duty Free at CHQ as crowded as in your photo!
Glad you enjoyed Rethymno again. It's a lovely city!
Glad you enjoyed Rethymno again. It's a lovely city!
May 26, 2023, 6:23 am
#5
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We are now total Rethymno converts, and already looking at getting back again in October! Can I guess you prefer CHQ to HER?
May 26, 2023, 6:32 am
#6
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BKK
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Posts: 3,719
Looking like a great trip! I had that so-called Thai yellow curry last week and it is ok with a tonne of salt and pepper
May 27, 2023, 12:31 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,642
We stayed at Rimondi 2 years ago and found it very pleasant. We were a party of 5 and 3 of us stayed in Residence while the other couple stayed in a room at the main inn. I recall they got breakfast but we didn't, so that was a bit weird but otherwise a good stay. Enjoyed having a clothes washer, as we had been touring for many days.
Last edited by xooz; May 27, 2023 at 4:26 pm
May 27, 2023, 3:29 pm
#9
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Bainbridge Island, WA
Posts: 8,965
Last time I was in Rethymno was 1970 as a 14 year old spending a year on Crete with my family. I've been back to Crete maybe half dozen times since then but always focusing on Eastern Crete. ( Aghios Nikolaos and eastward.) Thank you for sharing your journey. It makes me homesick for Crete. ( Health issues with my husband prevent us from going back in this lifetime).
May 30, 2023, 4:40 pm
#10
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: LAX and LHR. UA lifetime Gold 1.9MM 1K , DL Gold Medallion, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, Avis President's Club
Posts: 3,592
Absolutely! Much smaller, more "intimate".
But when the new HER is ready in two years' time (they're building it now) that could change things. It will be much larger than the present HER and so able to handle the pax numbers without the current congestion, but further out so more expensive to get to/from if you're staying in the city and relying on taxis. From recent photos, it looks as if the terminal buildings are well on the way. They are also doing massive construction of two new roads to service the new site; they will join the existing main roads along the north and south sides of the island.
But when the new HER is ready in two years' time (they're building it now) that could change things. It will be much larger than the present HER and so able to handle the pax numbers without the current congestion, but further out so more expensive to get to/from if you're staying in the city and relying on taxis. From recent photos, it looks as if the terminal buildings are well on the way. They are also doing massive construction of two new roads to service the new site; they will join the existing main roads along the north and south sides of the island.
May 31, 2023, 2:37 am
#11
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Cheers, 1P ... yes, I'd seen the plans for the "New HER". Undoubtedly good for some, especially for those in the south of Crete, but miles [sorry, km!] further away from where we would want to be. It will certainly be CHQ in the future for us, schedules permitting!
Last edited by T8191; May 31, 2023 at 2:44 am Reason: Map added for clarity
May 31, 2023, 3:00 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: SE U.K.
Posts: 123
Great TR Uncle T. Once again, you have made my week with another episode of the travel chronicles of Uncle T with his side-kick iWife. Always a pleasure to read and learn about destinations that we have yet to visit. I will put Crete and especially Rethymno on the ever expanding list of places to visit.
May 31, 2023, 8:52 am
#13
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Posts: 32,146
Great TR Uncle T. Once again, you have made my week with another episode of the travel chronicles of Uncle T with his side-kick iWife. Always a pleasure to read and learn about destinations that we have yet to visit. I will put Crete and especially Rethymno on the ever expanding list of places to visit.
May 31, 2023, 9:17 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,015
Another good TR and you manage to keep them fresh and interesting even if you have been there before. I had a quick look at BA Holidays and couldn't find the Rimondi listed anywhere. Did you actually book through BAH or was it a separate flight and holiday booking via BA?
Of course, the one downside of doing interesting TRs is that it attracts others to places you may wish to keep to yourself! As it happens, I don't intend to visit Crete anytime soon but is somewhere I'd like to go to again in years to come.
Of course, the one downside of doing interesting TRs is that it attracts others to places you may wish to keep to yourself! As it happens, I don't intend to visit Crete anytime soon but is somewhere I'd like to go to again in years to come.
May 31, 2023, 11:28 am
#15
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Another good TR and you manage to keep them fresh and interesting even if you have been there before. I had a quick look at BA Holidays and couldn't find the Rimondi listed anywhere. Did you actually book through BAH or was it a separate flight and holiday booking via BA?
Of course, the one downside of doing interesting TRs is that it attracts others to places you may wish to keep to yourself! As it happens, I don't intend to visit Crete anytime soon but is somewhere I'd like to go to again in years to come.
Of course, the one downside of doing interesting TRs is that it attracts others to places you may wish to keep to yourself! As it happens, I don't intend to visit Crete anytime soon but is somewhere I'd like to go to again in years to come.
Yes, both this and the previous were booked through BAH. Bear in mind it's a small establishment, and that flights are seasonal, which might negate your search attempt.
And we're looking at somewhere even smaller, booking direct, and getting no rooms available! Perhaps i shouldn't have advertised, as you imply!