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Your Questions Answered
Our Ethos in Arranging a Holiday to Greece
Who are we and what type of holidays do we offer? If you are one of the 60% who rebook with us every year, you will know the answer. If you are not, read on……
“Greek Sun Holidays? Never Heard Of Them!”
Family owned and run, established 45 years and no large corporate axe to grind sums us up nicely. Based in The Haymarket, London SW1 for 24 years, we moved to Sevenoaks in 1987.
Our Main Strength
When arranging a holiday to Greece, it is you the individual who is the total focus of our attention. Whereas the vast majority of tour operators lump individual bookings in with a large mass of bookings, each and every individual holiday that we arrange is just that, individual! This means that Greek Sun clients rarely feel part of a large group of British tourists which is so often the case on package holidays, even with some of the smaller, specialist operators. Whether it is the scheduled flight or the taxi transfer or discovering a plethora of nationalities in your accommodation or resort area, you will feel that you are on an unpackaged package holiday!
Our Personal Service
Most tour operators are encouraging prospective clients to book their holiday on-line to save costs. We are the complete opposite! We believe that speaking to someone with personal knowledge of both destination and accommodation will always be preferable to trying to decipher text on a computer screen. Unlike most other tour operators, when you telephone us you will not be greeted by an automated voice. Likewise, the frustrating experience of having to negotiate the maze of selecting umpteen options before you speak to a human being is not something that we will put you through. Whether you are requesting a brochure or checking availability of a holiday, you will speak directly to one of our experienced sales personnel immediately. In fact, this personal contact applies from the moment you make the initial holiday enquiry through to the moment you return from holiday.
Our Destinations
Not all Greek islands are the same. We are quite unequivocal. If you want to live it up on a cheap holiday, we are the wrong company for you. Many years ago, we positively chose not to feature the mass-market destinations favoured by the British in Greece, and it is these destinations that are cheap. Conversely, if you dream of that unspoilt, deserted beach and have particular holiday requirements that would seem to fit in with our ethos, then pick up the telephone and talk to us. In the main, we have selected some of the least spoilt islands in Greece.
Our Infinite Choice
The vast majority of tour operators have restrictions on the day of travel and how long the holiday will be. For instance, you can only travel to Mykonos on a Friday for 7 or 14 nights. All the holidays in this brochure can be booked based on daily departures for any duration. You want a holiday departing on a Friday returning on a Sunday for 9 nights? No problem for us! The flexibility we offer does not end here. There are endless possibilities in combining our Greek islands. With 45 years experience we know all the permutations, so twin, multi centre and island hopping holidays are our greatest strength, especially as all transfers and travel are included.
Our Associates in Greece
We do not employ British Nationals as representatives in Greece, so not a red, green or yellow coat in sight! Clients on our holidays are in the care of local people who work in the tourist industry. Over the years, our clients have preferred this arrangement.
Our Accommodation
All our accommodation has been selected by Mark or Nick Johnston. Where we have the opportunity to contract superior accommodation, we will do so. Many if not most of our properties now boast swimming pools and are air conditioned. However, some of the more remote islands have a limited choice of accommodation. Unlike larger tour operators, our accommodation is far more likely to possess a cosmopolitan atmosphere. It is not unusual for our establishments to accommodate different nationalities and it is most rare for the British to be in the majority.
Our Value for Money Holidays
Unlike other tour operators, we do not discount our holiday prices. However, we do base our holiday prices on the most cost effective travel arrangements which means we can pass on to you some fantastic savings, especially if you book early. Conversely, there is the possibility that later bookings may incur a rise in price if air fares increase. Equally important is the fact we include all the travel arrangements on our holidays. Every last air and ferry ticket as well as transfers are included in our prices unlike some of our competitors. When comparing prices please try to compare like with like. Our holidays include a lot more than the basic flight, transfer and accommodation that cheaper holidays include.
Our Financial Security
Oceanways Travel Services Ltd. trading as Greek Sun Holidays holds an Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL) No. 0011. This was the eleventh licence ever issued and there is only one other company with a current, valid licence number lower than our own! This licence means that we are fully bonded and that your money is safe. You are thus assured of complete financial protection. We are also full members of ABTA (No. V219X).
Our Clients’ Satisfaction
It is only natural to be wary of booking a holiday with a small family-run tour operator like ourselves. The millions of pounds spent on marketing by large tour operators will always create the impression that they have the edge over the minnows. However, we have survived longer, 44 years to be precise, than many large companies including household names, in their time, like Clarksons, Budget & Intasun. The level of repeat business that we achieve and the number of personal recommendations that lead to bookings for us mean that we hardly need to advertise.
We look forward to speaking to you, fulfilling your holiday requirements and arranging what should be a holiday to remember in Greece.
Mark & Nick Johnston
Directors - Greek Sun Holidays
How to book
Having selected your Greek Sun holiday, telephone or visit our shop in Sevenoaks to check the availability. Having ascertained the availability of your chosen holiday, or an acceptable alternative, we will hold the holiday for you for one week by which time we must receive a completed booking form and deposit. Please read the booking conditions carefully before signing the booking form. We also accept bookings from selected, independent travel agents. We do not sell holidays through the large travel agency chains.
IMPORTANT NOTE: All special requests including special in-flight meal requests, special accommodation requests, executive lounge bookings, car hire reservations and pre-booked excursions from Athens must be made by you at the original time of booking your holiday. All special requests made after you receive your original written holiday confirmation may incur an administration charge.
When we are open
We are open for business as follows in 2007 & 2008:
Monday - Friday: 09.00 - 17.00
Saturday: 09.00 - 14.00 (October, November & December 24 closed)
Who to speak to at Greek Sun
When telephoning us or making a personal visit to our shop, you will speak to one of the Johnston family, all of whom know the Greek Sun programme in detail. Mark and Nick Johnston have between them 65 years in the travel industry of which 56 years have been devoted to Greece.
What happens after you have booked
Upon receipt of your booking form and deposit we will write to you and confirm your holiday arrangements. We would like final payment no later than 8 weeks before departure. This final payment date will be shown on your original holiday confirmation.
What your holiday price includes
· Return air flights to Greece as described
· Airport taxes and airport service charges from £69.00 each person
· V.A.T (approximately 2.50%)
· In-flight meals and/or refreshments if included on your chosen flight(s)
· Transfers as specified
· Accommodation and meals as specified
· Services of our agents in Greece
What your holiday price does not include
· Insurance
· Transport between your home and U.K. airport
· Drinks, meals (unless specified) and all other personal expenditure
· Possible surcharges (please see booking conditions in this insert)
· Some very minor ferry transfers where tickets cannot be booked in advance
What will be included with your tickets
Unlike many tour operators, we believe in giving you too much information rather than too little. Therefore, in addition to the usual air tickets, you will receive a detailed, personalised travel itinerary which will give you flight times, flight numbers and ferry times (if applicable). The names and telephone numbers of our agents in Greece are provided in a separate booklet that also includes other holiday information. We will also include free of charge and subject to availability either a detailed road map (for all stays) or guide book (if your stay includes 7 nights or more as part of a single centre holiday).
Child discounts
These vary from holiday to holiday so please contact us to check prices. We do not offer free child places.
Who looks after you in Greece
Over the past 46 years we have selected some of the best local agents to look after you in Greece. However, most Greek Sun clients are very independently minded and do not appreciate the usual hard-sell image portrayed by representatives abroad. We therefore instruct our agents to be available when needed, but otherwise remain unobtrusive. If you are expecting the red coats, singing on the bus and your hand being held for 2 weeks, you are definitely looking at the wrong brochure.
Single room supplements
Rather than quote a flat rate for each accommodation for the whole summer, we would rather you contacted us and we can quote you a rate depending on the time of year you wish to travel. Quite often, the extra that an accommodation owner charges us for single occupancy out of season is much, much lower than in high season.
Over & under occupancy accommodation rates
The prices shown in our price panels cannot take into account all the various permutations that are possible in the accommodation listed. If three of you are sharing one bedroom, five of you sharing a two bedroomed apartment or conversely just three of you sharing a two bedroomed apartment, the price of your holiday will have to be adjusted accordingly. Once again, rates vary according to the time of year and to secure the best costing possible for you, we would prefer that you contact us for a price.
Your financial security
Oceanways Travel Services Ltd. trading as Greek Sun Holidays holds an Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL) No. 0011. This was the eleventh licence ever issued and there is only one other company with a current, valid licence number lower than our own! This licence means that we are fully bonded and that your money is safe. You are thus assured of complete financial protection. We are also full members of ABTA (No. V219X)
Out-of-season facilities
It is sometimes the case that at the beginning and at the end of the season, not all facilities are operating in Greece. This may restrict your choice of places to eat, not all shops may be open and other facilities like watersports etc. may not be operational.
A few facts of holiday life
These days, most holiday brochures have pages and pages of what to expect when travelling to a foreign country. We could easily fill three pages of this insert warning you that a donkey may bray in the field next to your accommodation, that the water for your evening shower may be only lukewarm because cloud blocked the sun's rays reaching the solar panels or that a small lizard may sneak in below your patio door during the night. The fact that you must take care whilst riding a moped seems obvious. Frankly, such advice is somewhat insulting to the intelligence of the clients who travel on our holidays and is a waste of good brochure space. However, if there is any matter that would seriously concern you on holiday, please make this clear to us at the time you make your holiday booking.
Greek domestic transport
In many cases, our holidays are dependent on local ferries, hydrofoils, catamarans and domestic air travel. Very occasionally, ferries and flights are subject to delay and cancellation and schedules have been known to change at the drop of a hat. Our holidays are planned with 45 years' knowledge of Greek ferry and flight schedules. With such experience we normally get our travel arrangements exactly right and we have remarkably few problems considering the complexity of some of our holiday itineraries, but there are occasions when even our experience is not enough to overcome high winds, broken down vessels or personnel on strike. In such circumstances one has no choice but to be flexible and patient whilst our local agents make alternative arrangements for you. If you are likely to get hot under the collar whilst awaiting a delayed ferry or if late schedule changes alter your original itinerary, maybe the remote Greek Islands are not for you! When travelling in Greece, it definitely helps to take a laid-back attitude to the occasional inadequacies you may encounter.
And finally...
Our one main aim as a specialist tour operator is for you to have a great holiday. With 45 years under our belt, we think we have a proven track record in providing excellent, value for money holidays to lesser-known Greece. Why not give us a try?
Important notices
Prices
Unfortunately, it is inevitable that some of the prices or details contained on this website brochure may have changed since the brochure was printed. You will be informed of any changes to any of the relevant details within this brochure when you book either with your travel agent (selected agents only) or direct with ourselves, as part of our commitment to quality customer service.
Data Protection
Please be assured that we have measures in place to protect the personal booking information held by us. This information will be passed on to the principal and to the relevant suppliers of your travel arrangements. The information may also be provided to public authorities such as customs or immigration if required by them, or as required by law. Certain information may also be passed to security or credit checking companies. If you travel outside the European Economic Area, controls on data protection may not be as strong as the legal requirements in this country. We will only pass your information on to persons responsible for your travel arrangements. This applies to any sensitive information that you give to us such as details of any disabilities, or dietary/religious requirements. (If we cannot pass this information to the relevant suppliers, whether in the EEA or not, we will be unable to provide your booking. In making this booking, you consent to this information being passed on to the relevant persons). Full details of our data protection policy are available upon request.
Health Information
At the time of going to press, no vaccination certificates were compulsory for entry to Greece. You should always check with your doctor, in good time prior to departure, which inoculations the Department of Health consider necessary or advisable for specific areas. In addition, the Department of Health issue a leaflet “A Travelers Guide to Health”, (Ref. T5) which is available from the DSS or freephone 0800 555777. The latest Department of Health advice is available on page 460 onwards of Ceefax. Medical treatment in Greece is expensive so please make sure you are adequately insured.
Passports & Visas
Every international passenger requires a valid passport issued by the government authority of their country. At the time of going to press, the following requirements apply to British citizens. Please note that as from 5th October, 1999, all children under 16 years must have their own passport. This only applies to new passports issued from this date. 1. For British citizens, a standard 10 year British passport is required which must be valid for at least six months after the date of arrival back in the UK. Visitors passports are no longer issued. 2. A visa is not required to stay in Greece of up to three months duration. It is essential for non-British passport holders and non-British citizens to check requirements for entry to Greece with the passport office or the Embassy of Greece. We cannot accept responsibility for extra expenditure if you do not have the correct documents to travel.
Foreign Office Advice
The Foreign & Commonwealth Travel Advice Unit issues information about holiday destinations. This information is available on BBC2 Ceefax page 470 onwards or on the internet under the address www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo
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