Greek property news

TripAdvisor®, the world’s largest travel website and an operating company of Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE), recently announced it has acquired the United Kingdom’s largest independent holiday home website holidaylettings.co.uk

The acquisition of Holiday Lettings by TripAdvisor holds enormous amounts of potential for advertisers and consumers. While at the point of the deal no plans had been created for integration, we are now discussing the various options that would see Holiday Lettings adverts appear on the TripAdvisor sites. How Holiday Lettings can offer guest reviews on its adverts and/or how reviews will be handled on Holiday Lettings adverts on TripAdvisor, are expected to form part of these conversations. Once we have completed the proposition, our advertisers will be the first to know.

The core benefit is that a travel company with such a global following and a captive audience of travellers has entered the holiday lettings marketplace. This reflects not only the increasing demand for holiday home lettings, but also the demand for this type of accommodation from existing TripAdvisor users. The blend of our expertise in the holiday home marketing industry with TripAdvisor’s leadership in the travel community ensure that Holiday Lettings has an enviable position in the global travel industry.

Greece has had a tough few months economically and reputationally, but despite this, overall demand for holidays in Greece on Holiday Lettings remains quite steady. Enquiries for Greek holidays sent during June increased five per cent year on year. Owners of Greek holiday homes are increasingly savvy to the need to increase their marketing in order to entice people to the country and many are opting to promote late deals as we steer closer to the main summer period. Year to date compared to 2009, we have experienced a 12 per cent increase in demand for Greek holidays, so we are hopeful that with the focused efforts of those with homes there, along with our continued promotion of the destination, that Greece will continue to attract high volumes of visitors and that holiday home owners will be some of those to benefit most.

If you’d like to advertise your Greek Holiday Home and take advantage of the new opportunities created by this partnership, you can register here, if you do so before 31st July 2010, you will be entitled to their Money Back Guarantee. Find out more here

For information on how to buy in property in Greece
Buy a home in Greece
Buying property in Greece – Legal information

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Property for sale in Skopelos Greece

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Written by Mathew Edwards, Foremost Currency Group (www.foremostcurrencygroup.co.uk)

Last week we witnessed another volatile week for Sterling against the single currency with a 3.2% fluctuation in exchange rates across the week. In real money terms this equated to a difference of over £5500 when purchasing €200,000.

The movements came following a series of economic announcements in both the UK and the Eurozone, further proving the fragile state of both economies and in turn their respective currencies.

The main details of note from a UK perspective came in the shape of the consumer price index (which is a measure of inflation), showing a hike by 0.6% taking the annual rate to 3.7%, higher than the expected 3.5% that had been forecast making the current level the highest seen in 17 months.

This was followed by the bank of England minutes which showed an expected 9-0 vote from the Monetary Policy Committee to hold interest rates at 0.5% and pause its quantitative easing program at £200. The final piece of data released on Friday saw the UK’s budget deficit revised down to £156 from £163, providing a glimmer of hope and welcome news for buyers from the UK in light of a good deal of otherwise negative variables.

With reducing this figure a top priority for newly instated Prime Minister Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Clegg, the news has been well received as the new coalition government attempt to bring the UK out of the financial crisis it is still in.

In the Eurozone, the biggest news of the week came from Germany where Chancellor Angela Merkel announced a ban on naked short selling. This caused investors to sell off the Euro causing some short term weakness for the single currency. Also, Spain’s central bank has decided to bail out regional savings bank CajaSur with $621.75 million (500 million euros), causing investors to worry that Spain’s savings banks are in more trouble than the country can handle. This was followed by negative economic sentiment figures from Germany, Greece and the Eurozone as a whole. The fragility of the Euro is sending shockwaves through the EU, as in the case of the Greece bail out package, Greece will benefit yet the German economy will suffer. As these countries lean on one another in the interest of generating support for the single currency, it inevitably feels the strain of such economic unrest.

Euro weakness hurting the pound (Risk Aversion)

The weak Euro is also not helping the pound. All of the euro worries have led to general weakness in risky assets and that’s typically not good news for sterling. It’s more selling of risk than anything else – Sterling is seen as a riskier currency, and so when things are uncertain as they are now, it drives investment towards the safe haven US Dollar – that’s why we have seen Dollar strength of late, and the pound and Euro are comparatively weak. This trend was kick-started by the downgrading of Greece’s sovereign debt rating and as people took to the streets of Athens, concerned investors moved their money from the Euro to the safe haven US Dollar. The downgrading of Spain and Portugal swiftly followed and a fortnight ago at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels, reports surfaced of Nicolas Sarkosy threatening to pull France from the Euro if Germany failed to fall in line with the proposed bail out plan for Greece. Although these claims have since been denied, Germany did conveniently change their tact and agreed to fall in line.

What does this mean for people buying property in Greece?

For people looking to buy a property in Greece or on any of the Greek Islands, this may be an opportune time to take advantage of the weakening Euro. If you are looking to exchange Sterling, Scandinavian Krona or Swiss Francs to Euros for your property purchase on Skopelos or anywhere throughout Greece, you are guaranteed to get a good live commercial rate when using a specialist in foreign currency exchange. The difference between a commercial rate and the tourist rate can mean a difference of thousands when exchanging larger sums. Specialists can be found at brokerages like the Foremost Currency Group www.foremostcurrencygroup.co.uk , where I will be able navigate you through the entire process of foreign exchange, keeping you aware of what the markets are doing and why.

Contact Mathew Edwards - Click here
Currency consultant and FX Trader at Foremost Currency Group
www.foremostcurrencygroup.co.uk

For information on how to buy in property in Greece
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Buying property in Greece – Legal information

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Provided by holidaylettings.co.uk

Hi,

I just wanted to let you know about the latest special offer that I’ve managed to negotiate with holidaylettings.co.uk

Get £60 off a Premium advert and be one of the first to display a video of your home on your ad

Typically Premium Adverts deliver 20-30 per cent more enquiries with well presented adverts performing even better. Feedback from advertisers with Premium Adverts also emphasises the quality of enquiries they are receiving. Plus, Premium Adverts now have the facility to display a video of your holiday home – showcasing it yet more comprehensively to potential guests.

NEW: There is also a video display on Premium Adverts

holidaylettings.co.uk are the only major UK holiday home advertising site to enable you to display a video of your home on Premium Adverts. Introduced in response to demand both from holiday home owners and holidaymakers, videos provide an even richer insight into the home they are interested in renting.

20 enquiries in 12 months or your money back!

If you join Holiday Lettings for one year by 31st May, they’ll give you a Peace of Mind Guarantee – if your advert attracts less than 20 enquiries in the 12 month advertising period they will refund your payment in full. Plus you’ll get a free deal credit worth £25.

So if you do own a holiday home and have been thinking about renting it out during the summer this seems like the perfect time to get advertising with them.

Click here to register quoting promo code 45922 and as long as you pay before May 31st 2010, you’re guaranteed to qualify for this offer.

For information on how to buy in property in Greece
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With a looming economic crisis the Greek Parliament is currently debating a bill that could impose up to a 20 per cent tax on extensions or additions to existing properties that will include holiday homes.

Current laws stipulate that home owners must pay tax to the government based on the size of all internal rooms at the property. However, unscrupulous building firms have taken to creating large ‘verandas’, only to convert them into liveable spaces later on once the inspectors are out of sight.

It is thought that many owners – who are liable to pay this extra tax – will be unaware of what tax may have been paid when the property was first constructed. Taxes are expected to vary from 19.5 per cent in the more expensive areas and those in cheaper regions are expected to receive a less potent 10 per cent tax bill.

Industry experts predict a modest two-bedroom apartment found to have an ‘undeclared room’ could end up with a bill of around £600.

Greek estate agents are warning the new tax penalties may cause a downturn in the lucrative countries property market.

Owners of holiday homes in Greece are obviously concerned will need to seek advice from a lawyer in the local area.

We will bring you updates if and how the new law is imposed

To check on the current requirments for buying property in Skopelos Greece

Please see our Legal information page
Please see our Buying a home page

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Flying to Greece by Dealchecker

Greece has been a popular holiday destination for many years. The beautiful beaches and excellent holiday resorts on both the mainland and on Greece`s many islands are only part of the appeal that keeps visitors coming back year after year and attract the majority of visitors during the hot summer months.

During late spring and early autumn the temperatures are cooler and the beaches and resorts are quieter and many visitors are attracted by the beauty of the hills and wild flowers. There is always a warm welcome from local people and the traditional Greek culture and lifestyle is easy to find. The resorts vary depending on location and whether the holiday maker is looking for a lively night life, great cuisine, a deserted beach or beautiful mountain walks, Greece has it all.

Flights are available to most popular Greek holiday locations from the UK during the holiday season only and by the end of October the majority of holiday resorts have closed for the season. Flights to Athens are available throughout the year. Athens is fast becoming a popular holiday destination as well as a great location for a short break or long weekend. With its ancient sites such as the Acropolis and the famous Parthenon, Athens is steeped in history and myth, but is also a modern city where the visitor can enjoy designer shopping, boutique restaurants, exciting night life and local markets.

Greece`s national airline, Olympic, flies from Athens airport to many of the smaller islands that are not catered for by UK flight operators. In addition, visitors can reach the islands that do not have an airport by catching a ferry from the port of Piraeus in Athens or from Agios Constantinos in the north to Skiathos and Skopelos.

It is easy to fly from UK to Greek locations such as Athens, Volos, Thessaloniki and Skiathos. Easyjet flies from London Gatwick to Athens daily between mid-April and the end of October and from Manchester every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday during the same period. Easyjet also fly to Thessaloniki from London Gatwick each Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday during late April and throughout May. From June to the end of October there is an additional flight available with Easyjet to Thessaloniki on Thursday. Thessaloniki has a large port from which there are many ferries to the islands in the Aegean. The beautiful holiday island of Skiathos is a popular holiday destination during the summer months and Thomas Cook provide flights from Birmingham and Newcastle once a week and fly from Manchester and Gatwick, providing 2 flights each week on Wednesday and Friday.

The city of Volos is the third largest in Greece after Athens and Thessaloniki and is located approximately 320 km from the capital. Many Greek islands can be reached via ferry from the port in Volos including the Sporades islands of Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos. Air Berlin fly to Volos from London Stansted, while Flybe and Monarch Charter fly from London Gatwick and Manchester. BMI fly to Volos from London Heathrow and Edinburgh, with SAS flying from Aberdeen.

Flights are available between mid-April and the end of October.

This Article is brought to you by dealchecker

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Sterling makes the most of its I’m-not-a-euro credentials. Euro has no such defence to Greece’s problems.

The pound drifted down from €1.14 to €1.13 before jumping nearly two cents higher on Thursday. It peaked at €1.1550 on Friday and opened in London this morning at €1.15.

Sterling has been doing its best to develop a career in not-being-a-euro. With the problems in Greece holding investors’ attention, the pound wore a badge of non-involvement on its sleeve.

The Bank of England’s Quarterly Inflation Report (it does what it says on the tin) raised the spectre of a further round of quantitative easing. It was a possibility that sterling’s supporters would have preferred not to see. There is still the impression – warranted or otherwise – that the Bank is happy to see the pound weaken and that it chooses its language to help that cause.

And if the statements out of Paris, Berlin and Luxembourg over the last few month are anything to go by, the majority of Euroland finance ministers would like to see a more competitive (i.e. weaker) euro. This might explain why they have put so little effort into reassuring investors about their plans to help Greece out of its budget bind. An ‘agreement’ in that direction masterminded by the EU last week was worth less than the very small piece of paper it was printed on. In order to gain the approval of France and Germany it had to be pruned so severely that all it said was ‘Don’t worry’. Its exact wording was ‘Euro area member states will take determined and coordinated action if needed to safeguard stability in the euro area as a whole.’ As reassuring statements go it was useless.

It did not help matters for the euro when revised figures for the fourth quarter of 2009 showed slower economic growth than previously thought. Until EU leaders can formulate a coherent and credible plan to make Greek government bonds saleable the euro will remain weighed down by fears about the fiscal viability of Club Med.

After three months spent between €1.09 and €1.13 the pound has attached itself to a slightly higher range between €1.13 and €1.16. For the moment, the euro’s Greek albatross is a significant burden, balancing investors’ slightly different worries about Britain’s political and financial situation. Moneycorp suggests that buyers of the euro investing in the Greek property market should take advantage of any spikes to hedge 50% of their exposure.

The pound and the dollar are likely to strengthen further against the euro. This is subject to the UK economy continuing to claw its way out of recession and the decision of what the Euroland finance ministers will do to help the economy in Greece. In this short term situation, buying property in Greece is cheaper for UK and US buyers.

It is always best to transfer currency to Greece via the commercial rate and not the tourist rate. Currency specialists like Moneycorp often offer much better exchange rates than high street banks, and their expert dealers offer you guidance to help to ensure you are sending your money to Greece when the exchange rate is at its peak within your given time frame

It is always best to transfer currency to Greece via the commercial rate and not the tourist rate. Currency specialists like Moneycorp often offer much better exchange rates than high street banks, and their expert dealers offer you guidance to help to ensure you are sending your money to Greece when the exchange rate is at its peak within your given time frame

For information about setting up a bank account in Greece and Skopelos please see: Legal info

To find out about the best ways to transfer money to Greece and Greek Islands

Please contact:

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Roger Fox – Glossa Houses, Skopelos, Greece

Within minutes of France and Germany publicly pledging support for Greece in its struggle to reduce the budget deficit, the euro went from 1.15 to 1.13 against the pound.

Two hours later, when it became clear that no figures were going to be attached to these pledges, the pound went back to 1.15. Two days later it is 1.152 and the currency markets are predicting that the euro will weaken further over the short term.  Today Monday 15th February 2010 the euro is 1.157 – Moneycorp

Clearly, this situation will continue until “support for Greece” becomes a proper financial package. Under normal circumstances, this would be a job for the IMF, but it is difficult for leaders of the eurozone countries to have the IMF saving the euro.

Perhaps more important in the world of realpolitik is the fact that the current head of the IMF is Dominique Strauss-Kahn and a potential future challenger to French President Sarkozy; the sight of Strauss-Kahn riding in on a white charger to rescue the euro would be politically unwelcome – to understate it massively. Therefore expect delay.

Greece has two important dates coming up when the government has to repay outstanding loans – 20th April and 19th May. Given that a Greek default cannot be allowed to happen, something will have been fixed up by then. The smart money says that the eurozone leaders will swallow their pride and allow the IMF to sort out a loan for Greece.

Before that happens, the pound and the dollar are likely to strengthen further against the euro (subject to the UK economy continuing to claw ts way out of recession), making Greek property cheaper for UK and US buyers in the short term.

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How do you travel from London to Thessaloniki by train?

This is a pros and cons guide for travelling by train from London U.K. to Thessaloniki Greece.

We have done it and will tell you how.

Why travel to Greece by train?
When travelling by train, you can book months before or, buy your tickets and seat reservations just before the train departs.
You can arrive at the train station just a few minutes before departure.
Unlike airplane travel, there are no luggage restrictions. You can take as much luggage as you like as long as you can carry it on and off the train.
With train travel you get to see a lot of interesting places and changing countryside along the way.
You can choose where to hop off; decide what to see and how long to stay.
The best part is that most tickets can be refunded (some only up to 85%) if you decide not to travel.
If you don’t like flying, take the train, it can be an interesting and an enjoyable adventure.

The downside is
You can book the entire train journey from the U.K to Greece but you cannot book the return journey. Only when you reach the ticket office in Thessaloniki can you book the return journey and they will only book it to Belgrade. Once in Belgrade you have to book the next stages back to the U.K. yourself. (On hearing this, we chose a route from Volos, Greece to Brindisi, Italy by bus and ferry).
You need a lot of spare time and patience as train journeys can be long and tedious.
Connections can be late or cancelled and if you miss your connections, your seat reservations become invalid.
Overnight sleepers can cost as much as a hotel room and you get woken up constantly throughout the night by the train stopping at stations, noise and passport control.
Trains in Eastern Europe we travelled on often broke down due to old rolling stock. They did not have buffet cars and sometimes sleeper cars had no lights.
Stations in Eastern Europe were old and crumbling. Information was sparse
“Keep your doors locked” the Romanian guard shouted at us on the Bucharest to Thessaloniki night train. “There are bandits in Bulgaria who jump on the trains!” My wife quickly armed herself with a coat hanger. Maybe she wanted to politely ask the bandits to hang up their coats before they attacked us!
Hidden costs, reservations and small extras can make it more expensive than an economy airplane ticket.
Ferries from Italy to greece can be rough in bad weather and toilets can be disgusting.
Travelling by train is much, much slower than airplane travel.

How much time is needed to travel from London to Thessaloniki by train?
The shortest time from the U.K to Greece by train would be about 3 days.
The longest time is up to you.

Pre-planning is essential
Study maps and have a pretty good idea of your route before you travel.
It is very important to co-ordinate the planning of your route with train timetables and ferry schedules.
We chose to book through Eurostar: www.eurostar.com and DB Bhan: www.bhan.co.uk
Make sure that you leave enough time in-between connections. Half an hour is not enough, 2 hours is advisable.
Remember to find out if your next train connection starts from a different train station and if it does, leave enough time to get there.
Make sure you reserve seats on all the trains you travel on. (Compulsory on most trains) Journeys can be long and trains overcrowded. If you don’t reserve a seat you may have to stand and in some cases even if you have a ticket you may not be let on as the train may be full.
Take water, some food, mobile phones with spare batteries and a book to read.
Be prepared for delays, cancellations and missed connections.
Always have a plan B.

Train Tickets

Eurostar: www.eurostar.com
DB Bhan: www.bhan.co.uk

The best way to travel by train is to buy an InterRail Global Pass.
There are various types of tickets and they would work out cheaper and give you more freedom (Hop on-hop off) of travel than buying each ticket individually.
Remember this ticket does not include Eurostar, seat reservations or sleepers. Each seat reservation would have to be bought separately from the Global pass.
Prices for reservations can range from about Euro 3 per person to about Euro 10 per person per seat. Sleepers on the overnight trains can be around Euro 84 (entire 3 person compartment unless you want to share)
You must fill out the days you travel, destinations, connections and train numbers on the InterRail Global Pass before you board the trains you travel on in two places on the ticket. If you don’t the ticket inspectors will fine you Euro 50 every time.

So, how good are the trains?
Western European trains are fast, reliable, comfortable and mostly on time.
Eastern European trains are slow and frequently break down as rolling stock is old. The trains we travelled on were mostly delayed (some by 3 hours) and the toilets were terrible. There are no buffet cars, so bring your own food. I bought beer from the train guards and the price went up every hour! For some reason they also seem to like driving the trains with the carriage doors open. Stations can be chaotic with platforms crumbling. Information is sparse. Things seem to run on luck!

The best and worst trains we travelled on

The best
The French, German and Italian trains

The Worst
The Romanian (Old Rolling stock) and Greek trains. It is always better to travel by bus in Greece. (EG: Thessaloniki to Volos by train-5 hours – by bus 2.5 hours).

London to Thessaloniki Greece by train

Our route: London to Paris – Paris to Vienna – Vienna to Budapest – Budapest to Bucharest ( with stopovers in Sighisoara and Brashov) – Bucharest to Thessaloniki – Thessaloniki to Volos by bus – Volos to Skopelos by ferry.

Tickets: Eurostar, InterRail Global Pass and paid for seat reservations.
Eurostar: www.eurostar.com
DB Bhan: www.bhan.co.uk

Day 1
London to Paris by Eurostar:
(Eurostar is not included in InterRail Global Pass.)
Choose your travel time and best price – Frequent trains
Duration: About 2hr 30m
Ease and Comfort: 8 out of 10
Notes: On time.

Day 2
Paris to Vienna by ICE Trains (12:24 hours- 1 change)
Seat reservation: €4 per person
Departing Paris EST at 6:58am
Arrive: Vienna 19:22
Duration: 12hr 24m
Ease and Comfort: 7 out of 10
Notes: 5 min late. Dinner and sleep over in Vienna

Day 3
Vienna to Budapest by IC Trains
Seat reservation: €4 per person
Choose your departure time – Frequent trains
Duration: About 3 hours
Ease and Comfort: 7 out of 10
Notes: 15 min Late

Budapest to Bucharest, Romania by CFR Trains.
Seat reservation: €84 for a three berth sleeper
Choose your departure time: Trains every 2-4 hours or so.
Duration: 14hr 15m – depending on train
Notes: It is best to arrive in Bucharest by 10:30am to catch the 12:16 connection to Thessaloniki or by 18:00 to catch the 20:04 connection to Thessaloniki. (Only two trains a day)
We chose an over night sleeper to Sighisoara
Depart: 19:13
Arrive: 05:40 next day
Duration: 8hr 56m
Ease and Comfort: 2 out of 10. Old Sleeper car. Clean sheets. No lights. At 23:30 work was carried out to replace the train battery. Much noise and what a carry on!
Notes: We arrived 65 minutes late.

(Day 3&4)
2 days touring in Romania

Day 5
Brasov to Bucharest – (It is the same Budapest to Bucharest train)
Seat reservation: €4 per person
Choose your departure time carefully: Every two hours or so (Choose 07:14 train to catch connecting 12:16 train to Thessaloniki).
Duration: About 3:15 hours
Ease and Comfort: 1 out of 10 – Trains stink of unwashed backpackers – No opening windows. Stop and start journey.
Notes: 90 min Late – mechanical problems with train. We only had 13 min to catch our connection to Thessaloniki.

Bucharest Romania to Thessaloniki Greece by CFR Romanian trains
Seat reservation: €78 for a three berth sleeper
Choose your departure time: 2 trains a day – (Don’t miss it!)
Departs: 12:16 or 20:04
Arrive: Thessaloniki 5:40 or 12:50
Duration: 17hr 24m
Ease and Comfort: 3 out of 10 – Sleeper was cosy with clean sheets. We were told to lock our doors whist travelling through Bulgaria as bandits can jump on the trains. No buffet car. Buy beer/water from train guards. Much noise.
Notes: We arrived 2 hours late.

Day 6
Thessaloniki to Volos by bus – Volos to Skopelos by ferry
Make sure you check the Ferry schedules before you travel so you don’t arrive after the last boat departs. Please make sure you reserve and buy seats on the ferry/flying Dolphin before you travel.

Ferry schedules: www.ferries.gr
Hellenic seaways Volos –Tel: 0030 2421023415
www.hellenicseaways.gr

Take bus No.18 outside train station to the central bus station (20min). Then take the bus to Volos.
KTEL Bus Company  in Thessaloniki: www.ktel-thes.gr
Tel. 0030 2310 510-835

Bus from Thessaloniki to Volos
Price: €15.80 per person one way
Frequency: every 2 hours.
Duration: 2hr 30m
Ease and Comfort: 9 out of 10
Notes: On time. On arrival in Volos it is a 25min walk to the port or a 5min Taxi ride. If you have heavy baggage, take a taxi. (It costs around €6)

Ferries / flying Dolphins: Volos to Skopelos
Price: €40 per person one way
Frequency: Check schedules (times change during summer and winter) www.ferries.gr / or ticket offices. Hellenic seaways Volos – Tel: 0030 2421023415
Duration: 3 hours
Ease and comfort: 8 out of 10 in good weather – 2 out of 10 in bad weather (vomit commit)
Notes: On time, saw some dolphins

Skopelos to London by Train

We decided not to book a return journey from Thessaloniki via Belgrade.
We travelled from Skopelos Greece to Italy and France to London

Our route: Skopelos to Volos by Flying Dolphin – Volos to Ioannina by bus – Ioannina to Igoumensta by Bus – Igoumensta to Brindisi, Italy by ferry -  Brindisi to Rome by train (with stopover in Florence) – Rome to Paris by train – Paris by Eurostar to London.
We booked all the above as and when we travelled.

Day 1 – Return
Ferries / flying Dolphins: Skopelos to Volos
Price: €40 per person one way
Frequency: Check schedules (times change during summer and winter) www.ferries.gr / or ticket offices. Hellenic seaways Skopelos Tel: 0030 2424022767
Duration: 3 hours
Ease and comfort: 8 out of 10 in good weather – 2 out of 10 in bad weather (vomit commit)
Notes: Best to leave on the first ferry/flying dolphin of the day from Skopelos to make all connections.

Bus from Volos to Ioannina
Price: Around € 28 per person one way
Frequency: every 2 hours.
Duration: 4hr 30m
Ease and Comfort: 8 out of 10
Notes: Bus travels through Meteora, one of the largest and most important Eastern Orthodox Monasteries in Greece – A must see sight. The bus then travels around and through the tunnels in the mountains.
On arrival in Ioannina central bus station, run through the station building for the connecting bus to Igoumensta as it leaves on the hour every two hours. We arrived at 17:59 and our connecting bus left at 18:00. If you miss it, it is a two hour wait for the next bus.
A direct bus route operates on the newly opened highway from Thessaloniki to the port of Igoumensta cutting journey times by 2 hours.

Bus from Ioannina to Igoumensta
Price: Around €3 per person one way
Frequency: every 2 hours.
Duration: 90 minutes
Ease and Comfort: 6 out of 10
Notes: Igoumensta is a new Greek shipping port and it is still being built.
The terminal for international ferries to Brindisi Italy is on the far left (facing the sea)
We stayed over night in a hotel near the port.

Day 2 – Return
Ferry from Igoumensta Greece to Brindisi Italy
Price: €78 for two people on deck ( price included with an InterRail Global Pass)
Be aware, you will have to pay Port Tax:  €10 per person - not included in your ticket price
Time: 7:30am – make sure you are on the ferry by 7:00am
Duration: 8 hours
Ease and Comfort: 8 out of 10 if it is not cold and does not rain (0 out of ten for toilets.)
Notes: Take wet wipes/antibacterial hand wash
Arrived 45 min late.
On arrival in Brindisi don’t get ripped off by taxi’s wanting to charge €20. Pay around €5 or €10

Brindisi to Rome by train Eurostar Italia high speed trains
Seat reservation: €10 per person
Travel time: 17:30 – 23:38
Duration: 6hr 8m
Ease and Comfort: 9 out of 10
Notes: Eurostar Italia is not the same company as Eurostar.
Beware of people dressed to look like train or platform staff. If you ask them a question about your train they look at your ticket then grab your bags and run with them to your carriage and seats. They then demand payment.

Day 3&4 – Return
Touring in Italy

Day 5 – Return
Rome Italy to Paris France by train TGV France
Seat reservation: €10 per person
Travel time: 11:30 – 23:19 (11hr 49m)
Arrival: gaud de Lyon Paris
Ease and Comfort: 7 out of 10
Notes: 10 min late.
Hotels in Paris can be expensive and awful.
Paris Metro is fast and cheap. (€1.60 for a single ticket)

Day 6 – Return
Touring in Paris.

Euro star Paris France to London U.K
Pre-booked tickets (£140 for two people – return)
Travel time: 18:30 – 21:30 (2hr 30m)
Depart: Gaud De Nord
Ease and Comfort: 9 out of 10
Notes: On arrival into London St. Pancras we found out about the weekend’s engineering works, causing tube cancellations and train delays. Welcome home!

Useful info:

Eurostar: www.eurostar.com
Train bookings: DB Bhan: Tel: 08718 80 80 66 -  www.bhan.co.uk
Flying dolphins/ferries, international/Greek: – www.ferries.gr
Hellenic seaways Volos, Tel: 0030 2421023415 -  www.hellenicseaways.gr
Hellenic seaways Skopelos, Tel: 0030 24240 22767 – 003030 24240 23060
KTEL Bus Company in Thessaloniki: Tel. 0030 2310 510-835  www.ktel-thes.gr

The Man in Seat Sixty-One: www.seat61.com

Disclaimer: Prices quoted in the above article are subject to change. Train timetables and prices quoted are subject to change. Ferry prices and schedules are seasonal. We are not responsible for the companies that have links on our site. Our article is a guide and should be viewed as such. Other people may have very different experiences to ours.

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Provided by holidaylettings.co.uk and angelsgreekislandhomes.com

Foreigners have been banned from buying property in several parts of Turkey. However, experts feel that this is unlikely to affect the holiday home market in the country.

A number of locations in south east Turkey are covered by the ban, reports the English language newspaper The Hurryet Daily News. The ban on foreigners purchasing Turkey apartments has been introduced after land purchases by foreign owners exceeded the 10 per cent limit imposed by the country’s government.

As a result, overseas investors can no longer purchase property in certain inland areas close to the Syrian border. These are Mardin, Kilis and Hatay.

Nevertheless, industry experts are confident that the ban will not impact on second home purchases. “This has nothing to do with the holiday home market,” Julian Walker from Turkish estate agent Spot Blue told Overseas Property Professional (OPP). “These are popular areas for commercial and industrial land purchasers but not for the residential market.”

Darren Edwards, director of Network Turkey, added: “These are not tourist areas and will not affect real estate sales, nor do I believe similar [restrictions] will be implemented in the major cities or the coastal resorts of the Aegean and the Mediterranean.”

Despite Edwards’s view that the restrictions will not spread, OPP warns that “similar bans could technically be brought in in other areas of the country”. This would be the case should foreign ownership reach 10 per cent.

However, such measures may be a long way off. Concerns were raised that foreign ownership could reach the limit in the Mugla region, which includes Bodrum, Marmaris, Dalaman and Fethiye. Mugla is “the prime area for foreigners purchasing,” Ishik Ahment from World Abodes told OPP. Such fears were unfounded, he added: “As far as I am aware, Mugla region is still some way away from achieving this figure at this moment in time.”

So, what is the answer to this latest imposed limit by the Turkish government?

It’s simple, buy in Greece!

We have many properties for sale in Skopelos and we like foreigners

See our property page
Property for sale in Skopelos Greece

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Buyers beware: Local Estate Agent trading under our name without agreement in Skopelos Greece

It has recently come to our attention that our copyrighted company logo ‘Angels’ has been reproduced and is being used to sell property and land on the island of Skopelos without our permission.

Angels Greek Island homes is a separate company and has no affiliation with ‘Angels’ For Sale – Homes and Land’ operating locally on the island of Skopelos by Angelo. We therefore can take no responsibility for any property sales or transactions carried out with this real estate agent.

Please see how our copied and reproduced Angels logo looks in the sign below. It does not contain the words ‘ Greek Island Homes’  like our logo

Warning: We do not work with the Estate Agent (Angelo) trading under this name

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Our Angels Greek Island Homes Logo looks like this:

N.B. Please be aware of the difference between the two logos as Angels Greek Island Homes can take no responsibility for any property sales or transactions carried out with ‘Angels’ FOR SALE HOMES & LAND. This is not our company and is not in anyway affiliated to us.  Please see: First report

If you need any further advice or have any queries please contact us

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