DIRECT GREECE

[steven]

Some friends of ours have been trying to book on line with Direct Greece for May/June next year , but they are having no luck, all the dates they have tried are not available!! is anybody else having problems, or is it just to early

[Liz]

Not sure Steven but there is a thread on Trip Advisor saying that the DG properties are to be handed over to Manos .....how true this is I don't know

[Di]

I actually managed to get on to the DG site (as opposed to the TC version) the other night and input dates for what was meant to be the Rhodes / Halki page. Whilst I could get details for anywhere on Rhodes for May next year, there was nothing at all for Halki. When I tried again by selecting one of the properties on Halki (quite fancied staying in Nikitas in May) it just came up "no details available - please refine your search". I took this to mean " please p**s off and stop bothering us about Halki 'cos we don't know where it is and can't be a***d sending people there and it's easier to just shove 'em all on Rhodes" . Of course I might be mistaken

[Liz]

Think you got the jist of it Di ! ;D ;D ;D

[verity]

My 'source' says that the DG 'brand' is disappearing after this season and the Manos brand will be used for Halki for 2010. Some folks have definitely managed to book Elena and Nikitas for 2010 so they ARE available.. maybe the website hasn't yet been updated properly yet so you need to brave the call-centre!

[Deleted]

Cannot the two properties you named be booked independently?

[verity]

No, they're not available independently as they are under contract to Thomas Cook and can only be booked through them, under whichever brand name they choose!

[steven]

O' dear our friends will be happy! lasts time we traveled with Manos to Crete, we ended up in a Chicken Shack
Manos say on their website 40years of experience , no mention of when they went into Bankruptcy in 2002 and left clients stranded
But they do say you are in safe hands as they are part of the Thomas Cook Group who's majority share holder has filed for Bankruptcy

All very reassuring

[sunfun]

:)Hi all!Yes,direct greece are finished after this year and it is Manos taking over.They are cutting a lot of their flights down i think.We are having to travel to manchester next year instead of edinburgh......BUT IT WILL BE WORTH IT!!1 ;D
We have flown from there for longhaul flights before,but always said we wouldn't do it for a short flight...but we hadn't discovered halki then!
I'd deffo phone direct holidays or manos to book,you'll have a better chance i think.
Good luck!

[bobandjoan]

Going independantly is becoming more popular. Rather than waiting for TC/DG (or Manos) to decide whether YOU want to go to Halki ( or Rhodes ) it may be better to go the independant route. We have done it for the last 2 years and had no problems whatsoever. Try www.halkivillas.com or Zifos travel who have a list of properties for rent.

[cathy]

When I was there last week the couple who were staying at Kaity said that a photographer was taking photos of Nikitas and Kaity for the Manos brochure. I don't know if they took photos of anywhere else but one morning on my way to Ftenagia there was a photographer taking pics of the beach and taverna then got into taxi and left. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens

[daisy]

Well TC DG or Manos no doubt will still mange to c**k it up

We have booked independantly next year thank god ;D

[sunfun]

Don't understand why everybody is downing DG.We've travelled with them lots of times and also thomas cook,and up till now have always had good service.That's why we booked to go back to halki next year.
Maybe you are talking from experience and have had problems,but we haven't any complaints at all.

[carol]

Hi Sunfun, we travelled for many years with Direct Greece and always received excellent service, Jane and Sheila ran Halki like clockwork and had it remained the same we most certainly would have carried on going with them. Thomas Cook took over and immediately we lost our flight from Cardiff meaning we now have a trip to Gatwick and also have to take two extra days holiday plus the added hotel costs, the amount of accomodation was cut drastically but worse than any of these things even two years on the staff at TC still have no idea of where Halki is !!!!! Nobody I have spoken to on the phone has any idea that we have to get flights to connect with ferries, in fact most of them still think I am talking about Halkidiki even after this length of time, a fact which quite honestly fills me with horror.I am still waiting for the promised email from 3 months ago regarding next years accomodation, too late now, we have booked elsewhere !! Daisy will I am sure relate what happened to them a year ago when they arrived in Rhodes and were pushed from pillar to post. Admittedly transfers have improved but we have decided to go it alone from now on, we have done it for so many years with DG that we know the ropes.
It will be interesting to see if things improve with manos next year.

[sunfun]

Hi Carol,i understand about the flight situation as we can't get from scotand,but we loved it so much,we are willing to make the journey to manchester.
If they do pull out from halki though,it's great that there are plenty of experienced people on this board that can guide us should we ever need to travel independently.