Books and Good Reading.
Having
said that, this book is full of excellent advice and information
which was up to date at the time of printing - 2005, alas - (2006 now
available). It calls
itself ‘the island hopper’s bible’, and it may well be the best
collection of information currently available, but nothing is as good as
turning up on the day and checking and re-checking the information –
including the name of the ferry that is in service. There may well be a
last-minute substitution of one ferry for another, leaving you stranded
on the quayside, mistakenly awaiting one which will never arrive…..
Don’t forget, too, that a different timetable may operate in ‘mid’
and ‘high’ season, so you need to keep an particular eye open around
the dates that these change. You may also need to bear in mind that more
than one ferry company may operate on a particular route, and that you are
unlikely to get information from any one company about the service offered by rivals. A
blunder many of us make when we are first-time island-hoppers is to
assume that you can get to a particular island from any other. Not so!
The various groups of islands are connected on a ‘hub’ principle,
each having one island that is linked to the others in the group via a
local service, and also by more regular service to a major island in
other groups. The trick of course is to know which is the island that
serves as a ‘hub’ in the group you are heading for, and make for
that one first. Another big mistake is to assume that all the ferries run every day. Some only run once or twice a week, so it is vital to check your linked-up return journey as well as your outward one before you set off for that isolated spot. Luckily
this book gives you typical timetables (note, they are TYPICAL, not
necessarily ACCURATE) and plenty of information about the different
ferry companies, their addresses, telephone numbers and how to contact
them. So
let us suppose you have arrived at your destination without too much
stress and you have your return tickets safely in your hot little hand.
How does this book shape up once you arrive at your destination?
Unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to check out all the
information (sob), but there seems to be plenty of detail about what to
see, good beaches, accommodation, places to eat, and even a few maps. Of
course, most guide books are somewhat subjective so you should not be
too put off by some of the remarks… (‘a candidate for the weirdest
hotel in the Greek islands..’, ‘a very insipid sort of place..’,
‘a small, rather drab town…’, ‘the only decent boat they
have….’). Just do your own thing, make your own decisions, and have
fun. 'Greek
Island Hopping' is updated annually, promises regular access to updates
via the internet (greekislandhopping.com)
and encourages reports and comments from guide users. So why not buy a
copy, pack your bags and test it out? What do you have to lose?
Reviewer.
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