tkbell2001

Please read my post from Nov. 11, 2014 wherein I state that we were not totally happy with the associate that Lefty sent. To recap, while he was polite and a good driver, nice to talk to, he did not have information to share with us about what we were seeing. As we arrived at some ruins he just handed us a brochure about them. I prefer a guide who can tell us about what we were seeing. Best wishes for you!

Hello, I am the person who started this thread looking for something to do on Crete. I took the other poster named Texancruzer's advice and booked with Lefty's associate because Lefty was already booked for the day. I must say we were a little disappointed. When I go on a tour I want to hear a lot about what I am seeing. His associate took us to the ruins and basically handed us a brochure. He was very nice and told us what he knew about the land, history and customs of Crete, etc., and he was very knowledgeable about the olive press we visited, but then again also at the monastery he had very little information to share with us once we were there. He was otherwise very nice and a good driver, he didn't worry us with his driving, but I just prefer someone who is more educated on the sites we are visiting. So in sum I would say if Lefty is not available consider this information before booking. That said, you are not going for quite some time in 2015 so hopefully if you book early enough Lefty will be available, and obviously you have read his good review. His e-mail address is elnikigr@yahoo.com. Best wishes!

Yes, we just got back and we were very happy with the rent-a-car from Tony. I had a blast playing with his adorable puppy while my husband filled out the paperwork to get the car! I would like to mention it was a little scary with interpreting the street signs. We actually went down a one-way road the wrong way by the winery which was down the other end of the island from Oia on our way back from Akrotiri. It wasn't just a small road, either, it was a pretty fast highway! Thank goodness we figured it out and turned around before anything bad happened. Also for anyone else heading there soon, just to let you know there were no guides available for Akrotiri. I had read on-line that you could hire an English-speaking guide at the site but that was not the case. It may be because it's getting out of season for tourists there or maybe the fact that it was a Sunday, I don't know, but I was a little disappointed because it's just not the same without a guide to explain what you are looking at. They did give us a pamphlet to read upon entering that explained it somewhat, though, and it is an incredibly interesting site to visit.

Thanks. Your pictures are great! We leave tomorrow! Santorini is definitely one of the places I am most looking forward to and we've got the car already rented in advance!

I did check with Lefty at the same time I posted this thread, and he has replied that he is booked for the day but is offering to send an associate. So based on your advice that his associate also provided a good tour, I think I will book it! Thank you so much, I really appreciate the time you took to write such a thorough reply!

I had planned on taking a bus to see Knossos while in Crete in a couple weeks while our cruise ship is in port for the day, but from reading more threads I have realized that there's three ports on Crete, it's apparently a large island, and the port I'm going into, Chania (Souda), is too far to go to Knossos while we're there for the day. Any suggestions on things I could do would be greatly appreciated!

Are there any nice beaches within walking distance of the port where the cruise ships tender rather than taking a taxi to another beach?

I've heard from Tony. Last time he replied much quicker, but still quick enough this time....I was just being impatient! Thanks to all for the advice. We are supposed to be the only ship there that day. Hoping for a great visit in Santorini!

Thank you all for the advice. We only have four people in our party so I hope there will be six more people at Ancient Akrotiri so we will get to see it. I sent an e-mail to Tony's and he replied. I responded letting him know which car we would like to reserve, but haven't heard back from him yet. It hasn't been quite 24 hours yet so maybe I should be more patient. In his first reply he didn't ask for any down payment. I'm just wondering if payment is required in advance.

Hello. I will be tendering in Santorini (supposedly the only ship there for the day) in October from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.. I was thinking about renting a car, which I'm pretty sure I get at the top after taking the cable car up to Fira. I would like to then drive to Oia to see the views and then drive to Ancient Akrotiri to see the ruins. I'm hoping I'll have enough time to accomplish all of this and then return the car and see the views from Fira before heading back down on the cable car. My questions are as follows:

Can anyone tell me if I'm correct about where to rent the car and if I should try to do this from home in advance or just get a car when I arrive, and if it's a lengthy process once arriving to get the car rental? Also, do you think the car rental will provide maps to get to Oia and Akrotiri? Lastly, does my timing seem right, will I have enough time to do what I'm planning? Thanks in advance to anyone who may be able to help!