This past week has been spent in Greece, in Crete to be exact. We booked a fully inclusive holiday staying at the Vasia Beach and Spa Resort. We spent 10 days relaxing, swimming, drinking and eating. I had actually booked the holiday some 15 months earlier because it is not easy to get accommodation to suit the five of us. We had a two bedroom set up that also had a lounge. Having two bathrooms was the finishing touch for us. It meant we could all get ready quite quickly – no mean feat with teenagers in tow!
There will be a full blog post coming on Vasia Beach but I wanted to give a few top travel tips if you are still about to head of on your summer travels.
Travelling day is a long old day. For us it started at 9.30 when we left the house for the two hour drive to Gatwick. We made good time on this stretch of the journey and arrived at the time we expected. Previously we have used off site parking and then bussed over to the terminal. However this time we used meet and greet parking for ease. I booked this through Holiday Extras Meet and Greet as they work with a number of partners. The Meet and Greet was only a little more expensive but it was a whole lot easier. Especially when returning to Gatwick at 11.30 pm. Our car was with us in a matter of minutes allowing us to get on with the journey home.
The second part of the journey to Crete was the four hour flight. We were actually delayed by an hour but made that up whilst in the air. We took plenty of snacks with us and chose not to order in flight meals as I don’t find them good value or very appetising!
The final part of the journey was the transfer. Now I had done my research via trip advisor and other review sites, and I knew that Vasia Beach was the final drop off. Add that to the fact that Crete has many narrow roads and I wasn’t overly excited on finding out the transfer would take 2 1/2 hours! This transfer was also taking place late into the evening and we were not expected to arrive in resort until gone midnight. If you are travelling with children that is one long day!
Therefore I started to look at options for a private transfer. I wasn’t keen on just getting a taxi when at the airport as I worried about none being available and not having a clue on the price. Plus it would mean that we would need to take Euros especially for the transfers.
I then found Hoppa. Hoppa is a worldwide private transfer company and will tell you how long the transfer will take. From this I knew we could actually be in resort after just 45 mins. Simply go to the website and book your transfer easily and quickly. It takes away all the hassle after a long flight. Hoppa can accommodate single travellers right up to large parties. There are private transfers and shared. The payment is made online, the e ticket is delivered to you and the car or minibus is ready and waiting on arrival.
We had clear instructions on where to go at Crete airport and were taken straight to our minibus. As we are a family of five we had the choice of two cars or a minibus. We opted for the minibus as we could all travel together then. The driver quickly loaded up our cases and we were driven to resort. The teenagers were happy to see we even had wifi on board! The air conditioned minibus and friendly driver had us in resort within 40 minutes. This enabled us to be fed and catch last orders at the bar before 11pm! Unlike those on the tour operators transfer.
The return pick up was the same and we got to the airport before the coach which meant we were one of the first to check in and avoided long queues. Another plus point when children are in tow!
Hoppa was the perfect finishing touch to our travelling. It really helps when children are involved as they are already tired buy the end of the day and just want to be at the final destination. Likewise for adults we just wanted a drink! I genuinely couldn’t have faced a long transfer and using Hoppa took away the hassle. We arrived and were first in line to be checked in too which is another advantage. Using a private transfer oes add a little more onto the holiday but for us it worked out at about £20 a head for each journey. Considering that we had spent over 4K on the holiday to have exactly what we want it was not a big outlay to use Hoppa. We were fully inclusive too and knew that we would not be spending much once in resort.
There are many advantages to a private transfer and next time we travel I shall be making the same enquiries to the exact drop off time to our resort. If Hoppa can beat it I will be paying for the privilege!
12 Responses
I hate bus transfers – I suffer from travel sickness and they make it worse especially when I am tired and stressed. I much prefer to be in a car and not to have to travel longer than necessary.
I hadn’t heard of Hoppa before but what a great idea. I hate bus transfers, they take so much time and my kids get impatient. I have an upcoming trip to Berlin soon so I’ll be sure to check them out.
Such a good idea to use a private transfer service! I think we’ll be doing the same the next time we go abroad
I must admit we haven’t gone abroad yet as a family because one of the things that I fear is the stress of travelling. Certainly looks as stress-free as possible with a private transfer though!
This looks like a great option – we’re often waiting around after the flight for the transfer and it can be tricky with a toddler in tow!
We used Hoppa this year too for the first time and in the main found it to be a great way to get the transfer from airport to resort. I loved having a big car all to ourselves and the journey was super quick. Mich x
Very nice post. I liked this.
I usually try to avoid bus transfers where I can!
This sounds amazing
What a great idea, anything that cuts down the journey time is totally worth it, especially when you’re travelling with children!
Hoppa sounds great, will have to remember that one for future travels #familytraveltips
I’ve not heard of Hoppa before- but what a good idea! Sounds like the perfect solution for holiday transfers.
#familytraveltips
Oh this is brilliant Emma, I’d never heard of Hoppa but it’s definitely something I’d use when we go away, there’s nothing worse than lengthy transfers, especially with young children. Thanks for linking up to #familytraveltips.
Nat.x