Last Minute Decision - Advice Greatly Appreciated

theteal

Howdy folks, i'm hoping someone could help me make a decision. We (myself and herself) have been provided with a 1 week window of freedom so as of last Thursday we decided we'd go get a bit of sun. Friday the 24th of Sept is the only day we can go - she's back in work on the 2nd of Oct at 7am (stupid nurses!). After painstaking search i've pretty much narrowed the choices to the grand hotel in Crete from Dublin with directholidays.ie or Tenerife from Belfast with thomascook (a couple of hotels picked a fair bit away from the strip).

We're not looking for a mad week, nowhere near it in fact, basically just going to chill and recharge the batteries. The main thing is we do really want some sun. I know the weather can be pretty much guaranteed in Tenerife but i've been before with the lads and it's not what you would call a couples retreat :rolleyes:. Crete is really my preference but i do know it will be a fair bit cooler at this time of year - it was pretty windy/cool when i was there a few years ago in August. I've checked climate reports and they're showing avg high temps of ~25C but i feel they may be optimistic

So basically (after the yarn, sorry) i just need to know if anybody has experience of north crete at this time of year? Can I be confident of getting buckets of sunshine?

I'll probably book something today/tomorrow so any advice is greatly appreciated

Kennie1

Dont know much about crete but i do know something about directholidays.ie We used them about 3 years ago. The level of customer service they have if something goes wrong is the worst I have ever came accross. Example; When we were going back to the airport at about 12.30am the rep got off the bus and went in to the airport to see what departure desk we were to use, he got back on and said that the two desk's were open and to make our way in. We all went in but both desks were closed, went back to see rep but he had high tailed off on the bus. No one there to tell us what was going on. I had reps phone number and when I rang him at about desk closed he told me to F..k off. and that it was not his problem. 1 hour latter before the desk was opened, another 6 hours before we boarded, No body available to tell us what was going on, whole airport deserted. This was one of several instances that we had throughout the holiday. Herd of serval other people with similar problems. But maybe they have got their act together since then. I would research direct holidays if I were you before I would use them.

Used Thomas Cook holidays several times, professional company.

Benny_Cake

I could be wrong about this - but aren't Direct Holidays now part of the Thomas Cook group, along with Sunworld and a number of others? So once you arrive you would surely be treated as a Thomas Cook customer? We used them for a trip to Lanzarote 5 years ago and had no problems, but 5 years is a long time..

Kennie1

Benny_Cake wrote: »

I could be wrong about this - but aren't Direct Holidays now part of the Thomas Cook group, along with Sunworld and a number of others? So once you arrive you would surely be treated as a Thomas Cook customer? We used them for a trip to Lanzarote 5 years ago and had no problems, but 5 years is a long time..

You could well be right and it may have been just taken over by TC that year we used them, but I think TC was taking the view that this was the poor relation and was not investing money in them at the time, as I said they may have improved there act since then! Lucky ye that has the chance of holiday this time of year. I would love the chance of going on a sun holiday but annual leave used so make the most of it...Enjoy!!!

theteal

thanks for the replies lads. i've no real issue with direct holdays, i've been away with them 3 times over the last 6ish years - although nothing has gone wrong on those trips so they may well be useless in such circumstances. also yes, they are part of the thomas cook group, says so on the website but i'm sure the reduced prices equates to a reduced level of service

anyway, im still mulling it over. i've got accuweather open for both locations now and it's actually looking like crete may be expecting the better weather (i'm dubious how accurate it can be this eary) so my choosing is being made slightly easier. the only problem now is that i'm thinking there might be more to do in tenerife e.g. a decent chance of grabbing some surf

feck it, i'll flip a coin later and that'll be job done - dang i've never been so indecisive. . .must be old age