We increasingly face thoughts about holidays with the approach of the summer. We cannot wait to go far from the daily hustle and bustle, listen to the whisper of waves, bask on a warm sandy coast, and take a stroll along the beautiful streets of the cities, permeated by historic events. When planning a trip to sunny Greece, you should think not only of comfortable living conditions and an excursion programme but also pay attention to the means of transport that will deliver you from the airport to a hotel and other required locations as well.
Things you should know on how to go to a hotel
There are several ways to travel within a strange town: by the means of public transport, a taxi and transfer facilities. You should learn more about each of them before you make a decision.
Traveling alone, without the help of travel agencies, tourists can reach a hotel or any other destination using any convenient way.
- Public transport. This option is suitable for travelers who arrive at a resort without young children and a large number of suitcases. One should also take into account that the stops of public transport might stand at some distance from your hotel or the most popular places of interest. Furthermore, the buses run on a scheduled basis. Thus, their expectation could take some time. However, if you have learned the map beforehand, discovered the required bus number and ready for a trip, then the means of public transport if the best match for your travel.
- Taxi. Like any other country, Greece also has got taxi service providers. They can carry passengers in any nook of the city and beyond its area as well. Having disembarked from the plane, you can order a taxi right at the airport building or try to find a free cab outside. Taking into account that there are always a lot of people wishing to use this mode of transport, it is quite possible that a search and expectation of a taxi will take a considerable amount of time.
- Transfer. If you still wonder: “What to choose a taxi or transfer?” you should know that a transfer is the most appropriate way to travel for families with children, aged people, and vacationers who prefer to use every free minute of their holiday to the best advantage. Upon landing, a driver will meet you in person and deliver to the required destination with comfort. The vacationers mainly choose an individual transfer. Compared to a city taxi, this mode of transport features a lot of advantages.
The cost
In most cases, when you make a call for a taxi or catch a cab in the street, you cannot predict its cost. Taxis in Greece have a lot of nuances which can affect the final payment, for example, the distance, the time of the day, and even the day of the year (as a rule the tariffs increase on public holidays). Moreover, the telephoning for a taxi is also a subject to extra charges as well as the vehicle delivery to a certain time. If you plan to go outside the city, then a trip by taxi might cost you a fortune. The thing is that the cost per one kilometer beyond the city’s lines is much higher compared to tariffs in the city.
Another important issue for a person who comes into the city for the first time is that might have a place is the fair calculation of the cost of a trip. One has no guarantees that a driver will try to make use of this, for example, he can choose a longer route and then significantly increase the final payment. Booking a transfer is an excellent way to avoid such an issue. The cost, set during the vehicle booking procedure, will not change and cannot be influenced by the length of a route. The target mission of a transfer driver is to deliver you in the given location with comfort even if he faces traffic jams on the road, increasing the mileage of a trip.
Expectation
If you decide to order an individual transfer to a hotel from an airport, a railway station or a port, you can rest assured that there will be no need to expect for transport under the burning sun, holding heavy suitcases. A driver will deliver the vehicle in advance and meet you in the building of the airport or a station, holding a name-tag in his hands. He will guide you to a transfer taxi, help with luggage, and take care of your comfort in the cabin. In case if your flight is delayed, a driver will wait for you to come at no cost.
If you telephone for a taxi, you cannot predict the exact time of its arrival. An operator will forward the nearest taxi to pick you up. It is impossible to predict the availability of traffic jams and other issues on the road in advance. Thus, if the taxi is served on time, but you got stuck on the way, you should know that out-of-service time is a subject to extra charges.
Technical condition of a vehicle
When you order a taxi, you know nothing about the state of a vehicle that will arrive. The only things you can discuss with an operator in advance are the capacity of the vehicle and the boot. Certainly, the taxi service providers control the state of their taxi fleet as much as possible. However, some of the technical issues are sometimes missed. The taxi drivers are always in a hurry, trying to take more orders. They do not pay proper attention to the cleanness of their cabins. This feature is of second importance for them. Moreover, it often occurs that passengers are delivered in vehicles which require technical maintenance.
When you order a transfer, you get the vehicle of a specific class and even a particular model. The vehicle fleet of a transfer company is always in a perfect technical condition. You can be sure that a clean and beautiful car will wait for you. There will be no foreign odors in its cabin. Moreover, you will face no doubts related to safety during the trip.
Comfort
The grade of comfort is no less important during a trip. We mean not only the level of comfort provided in a certain model of the car but also the availability of the necessary options. If you come with children, a driver will gladly fit the car seat which matches the parameters of your child indicated during the booking procedure. It can be either a cradle for infants, a seat for a child aged 6 months, or a booster seat for older babies.
Regarding taxis, one should mention that not all vehicles have a car seat. If you are about to travel with two small children, the probability of having the corresponding numbers of seats in a taxi is equal to zero. The availability of an air-conditioner and a spacious boot are of no less importance for the comfort of young travelers and their parents. The boot should be able to hold all the necessary items, including a stroller. Otherwise, you will have to place a piece of excess baggage in a cabin.
Driver
The first thing one will face after the decision to order a taxi in a strange city is a necessity to explain the destination. You will be lucky if a driver knows the name of your hotel. Otherwise, you will have to activate all your language skills to find common ground. It would be great if you bring a map of the area along with you. The thing is that in Greece, you can find the streets with the same names but in different districts of the city.
The taxi drivers quite often ignore the interests and wishes of their passengers, for example, turn on their favorite music, ask different questions or talk nonstop. Just a few passengers may like such a behavior, being tired after a flight and wishing to get to their hotel as quickly as possible.
Booking a transfer in such cases is the best decision. All the drivers of the Aktis.Taxi company pass through a rigorous selection process. They are polite, stress-tolerate, speak foreign languages, have many years of driving experience, and communication with people. You will never have to worry that a driver breaks the road traffic regulations, aiming to deliver you to the necessary hotel to take the next order. Having booked a transfer, you can experience the ambiance you want: it will be either complete quiet or slight sounds of music, a polite conversation with a driver related to a city or a country you wish to spend your holidays in. The most important thing is that your driver will be aware of the destination in advance. Thus, you will face no misunderstanding during a journey.
Stops on the route
A transfer from an airfield to a hotel usually does not imply any stops on the route, except when a trip is very long. When you request for a vehicle, you can order not only a usual delivery but also ask to visit particular attractions on the way. Such nuances are a subject to a prior request: it will take some time for the company’s manager to make a driver aware of the changes. Moreover, if you travel with children, an unscheduled stop might occur – the baby might get carsick or need to go to WC. A driver will certainly understand you and make a stop at the appropriate place.
Holidays in Greece are an excellent opportunity to combine a swim at beautiful beaches with cultural activities and familiarization with the history of this unique country. Take care of the nuances and important constituents of a cultural program by yourself and let a professional transfer service provider take care of movement between the scheduled points on a route. May these holidays in Greece become a memorable experience full of pleasurable emotions!