The Pelion Specialists since 1984
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What We Can Do For You.
INTRODUCTION
As you explore our website you will learn a little about Pelion, about the villages where our accommodation is situated, and you will find that we describe our Houses in some detail. There are also many pictures which we hope will whet your appetite for a visit! But what of our Company, and our approach to your holiday?
Houses of Pelion is very much a family-run business, with my wife Aphroula and myself living permanently in Milina and so being available throughout your stay in Pelion. And it is this arrangement that makes us, we believe, unique; we are here on the spot if any problems arise, and you are never left to the tender mercies of an agent, representative, or company employee. You are OUR guests, and we treat you as such. Our office is very close to the Milina waterfront, and you are always welcome to call in and ask for any information you may need, to book tickets or excursions, or to make arrangements for car or boat hire. In addition, various maps of Pelion and books of local interest are available for sale at our office.
But you do not have to wait until you get to Greece before experiencing our way of doing things. When you dial the number given in our advertisements, and on the 'Contact Us' page of this website, your call will be diverted to our office here in Milina. You will therefore be talking direct to Aphroula or myself; we do know the area, the Houses and the answers to your questions better than anybody else, and we feel sure that this will enable us to offer you the highest possible standard of service. Please note that you will only be charged for a UK national rate call; we pay for the international leg from the U.K. to Greece.
Once your booking is confirmed, we can help you with insurance, car hire or alternative travel arrangements from the airport to your House. You will receive a map of the Pelion peninsula, and a copy of our 'General Information' will either be posted or e-mailed to you. This gives details of local amenities, shops, restaurants and tavernas, business hours and where the nearest phone is, and tell you where the best beaches are. We give details of the various activities available to you, including water sports, riding , and rambling. Finally the 'Information' contains full details of your House and a glossary explaining the Greek names of most of the dishes you are likely to encounter while in Pelion.
If you are hiring a car and driving down from the airport, we will send or email you full details of the route, both to Pelion and back again.
For families travelling with small children, we can advise you on what is and is not available. What you should bring and what you can safely leave behind.
When you arrive at your House, you will find everything you need to have a snack and recover from your journey. We will provide fresh bread, butter, honey, juice, fresh fruit, vegetables, coffee, tea, milk and a bottle of the excellent local wine.
Whenever possible either Aphroula or I will visit you after your arrival to make sure you have settled in. If you are staying in Milina, we can introduce you to our butcher, grocer and greengrocer. But wherever you are, we can always be contacted for help and advice.
Finally, if you need medical help there is a 24-hour service at the Health Centre in Arghalasti, which is the largest village in South Pelion.
This gives you some idea of the type of holiday we are offering and the services you can expect.
We pride ourselves on giving you the best of both worlds. Being English, I know what the British traveller wants and expects from a holiday. And Aphroula, being Greek, is in the perfect position to translate this into reality.
GETTING TO GREECE.
The easiest and most convenient way of getting to Pelion from the UK is to take the Friday flight from either Gatwick or Manchester to Volos. There are also plenty of flights from Gatwick, Manchester and other regional airports to Skiathos, the next nearest airport, and we can arrange the hydrofoil transfer from there to Volos, or to Platania. To book these charter flights we recommend www.flightline.co.uk ; our clients have used this company for a number of years now, and it has proved to be both reliable and to offer good prices. Having said all that, the main problem with the Volos and Skiathos flights is the cost; far more economical is to book early with EasyJet, or British Airways, from Gatwick to Thessaloniki, picking up a car at the airport and driving down. We can arrange car hire for you from the airport, and give you full instructions for the drive down to south Pelion, and we send you a map ... Alternatively you can take the bus down from Thessaloniki to Volos, and we can arrange for a hire car or taxi to be waiting for you at the Volos bus station. We can also of course arrange car hire for you from Volos airport, and from Volos docks, or Platania, if you were to come via Skiathos. EasyJet, BA and various charter companies also, of course, fly into Athens, and we can arrange for you to pick up your car at the airport. Or again, if you prefer, there are frequent buses from Athens to Volos, and we can have a car or a taxi waiting for you at the bus station.
TRANSFERS: Between the Airport and your House.
As we said above by far the easiest way to get to Pelion is to fly into Volos airport; from there it is just an hour and a half in your private taxi to South Pelion, or if you are driving, you can pick up your car at the airport. If you are flying into Skiathos, there are regular catamaran departures to Volos, a journey of only 1 hour 25 minutes. From Volos you can pick up your car, or be driven straight to your House. All the arrangements will be made in advance and your prepaid tickets will be waiting for you at the offices of the hydrofoil company. A car can also be delivered to you at the bus or railway station in Volos, and you can, of course, collect and return a car at both Athens and Thessaloniki airports.
If you are flying into either Athens or Thessaloniki, an alternative to hiring a car is to take one of the frequent public buses to Volos. You will then be met at the bus station in Volos, and driven straight to your House, or you can pick up your car at the bus station. Should you decide to use the public bus service, we will send you full details of the times and schedules and a note (in Greek) asking the airport taxi-driver to take you to the appropriate bus station. Finally, we will be very happy to arrange to meet you from your flight and drive you direct to your House.
In all the above transfer arrangements, delays are rare, but not unknown. We do have contingency plans covering such eventualities, but some delays and changes are possible.
You will find brief details of the transfer options and their prices here, but when you phone us we will be pleased to give you further information. When you have decided how you would like to travel, please complete the relevant section of the Booking Form.
OVERNIGHT AT GATWICK.
If you have a long journey to the airport you may like to consider staying overnight close to Gatwick. We have made arrangements with the owners of an excellent Guest House in Horley where you can be sure of having a comfortable and relaxing night before you travel. You will be taken to the airport in good time for check-in and you can leave you car in the grounds of the Guest House itself; this is both cheaper and offers better security than the public car parks at the airport. Click for further details, and then complete the relevant section of the Booking Form.
GETTING AROUND
Car Hire. Because there is so much to see and do in Pelion, we suggest that you hire a car for the duration of your holiday. If you are staying at one of our more out-of-the-way Houses (Cleopatra, Lena, Angeliki, Eleni or Seagulls), we strongly recommend that you hire a car.
We will therefore be very pleased to book a car on your behalf: it will be waiting at the airport or port on your arrival and can be left there on your return; or the car can be delivered to or collected from your House. We will invoice you for the rental fee, to be paid at the same time as you pay for your accommodation, and will make all necessary arrangements.
Please use the following links for prices and full details of cars available at Athens, Thessaloniki and in Volos, and the conditions which apply to the use of a hire car in Greece. If you would like a car for a shorter period, we can arrange this through a local car hire company. Please complete the relevant section of the Booking Form to book your car.
If you decide against having a car for the whole period of your stay, we will be very happy to arrange a rental from one day up to a week using a local agency based in Milina, once you have arrived in Pelion.
Buses and Taxis. If you are staying in Horton or Milina, it is quite possible to manage without a car. From here there are daily bus connections to Volos, and to Lafkos, Promiri and Platania. There are two taxis available in Milina, and we will be pleased to make any bookings for you, as and when required.
THINGS TO DO
Riding. If you ride, or even if you have never done so before, Nikos of Kentavros Farm in Arghalasti will be delighted to show you the local countryside from the saddle of one of his friendly, well-mannered horses. Rides can take from a couple of hours up to a full day, and on all but the shortest beginners routes you will ride down to one of the beautiful, nearby beaches where you can, if you wish, swim with your horse.
Boat Hire, Watersports and Day Sailing. By far the best way of exploring the islands and the coastline up and down from Milina is by boat, and if you are staying at a house like Cleopatra's or Lena's in Lefokastron, or at Eleni's outside Milina a boat is a very convenient way of getting about. Milina Nautic offers motorboats for hire and we will be happy to make reservations for you. Note, however, that a boat can only be delivered for a minimum rental period of one week. Sailing dinghy and kayak hire is available from Pelion Sail & Cycle; please call for details. If you would like to experience the Pelion Peninsula and the islands of the Pagasistic Gulf from the water and under sail, we have teamed up this year with Mixit Sailing, a UK company whose yachts operate out of Volos, and whose experienced and fully qualified skippers would be delighted to take you out on a Day Sailing adventure.
Excursions by Taxi. We have arranged with Achilleas, our village taxi driver, a number of excursions so that, depending on your interests, you can visit some of the mountain villages to see the traditional architecture, or you can simply visit some of the spectacular beaches on the east coast of the peninsula. These trips are for either a half, or a full day, and we can also arrange excursions further afield to Meteora and Delphi.
INSURANCE
Most travellers are anxious to insure against any possible upset to their arrangements, and although the rules have changed and we are no longer able to sell you insurance direct, we can introduce you to Tagconnect which which offers you comprehensive cover at a very reasonable cost. This cover is mandatory, unless you already have a policy giving you protection equal to or better than that of Tagconnect. Click here for full details and then either click on the 'Travel Insurance' link, email Tagconnect, or call them direct, to make your insurance arrangements.
AIR CONDITIONING
A number of our properties are now fitted with air conditioners, covering either the whole house, or just the bedrooms. Because not all guests wish to use the A/C, in some properties the cost is not included in the basic accommodation price. If you wish to use the A/C, please tell your owner, who will give you the remote control, and will tell you the extra cost, on a weeky basis. Please then settle up direct with the owner, either at the time, or before you leave the accommodation. Houses where the A/C costs extra are indicated in their price tables.
AND FINALLY...
We are delighted to confirm that Pelion is still remote, rural and unspoilt. Some of our Houses are new with modern facilities, but others are old, traditional buildings which have been converted by their owners to varying degrees of modernisation. We, and most of you who come to Pelion, believe that this adds very much to the charm of the holiday. It does mean, however, that facilities can vary. For example, cooking facilities can range from the fully-equipped kitchen, to two small gas-rings which, while perfectly adequate for basic cooking, cannot be recommended for the preparation of elaborate meals. All kitchens have a fridge, and water is heated either by immersion heater, or solar panels backed up by electric heating. An exception is Eleni's, where there is no electric back-up. Bear in mind, too, that the old houses all have small windows, designed to keep out the cold in winter and the heat and sunlight in summer.
Because we have decided against asking our guests for a damage deposit of any sort, we do ask that you should report any breakages or damage that may occur, so that you can pay for any replacements or repairs before you leave the House.
As you will see from the web site and from the brochure, some of our Houses are situated within a village, while others are more remote. We have always tried to choose properties in quiet areas but life in the villages and out in the olive groves must go on, and may lead to noise from building work, farming activity, animals and motor vehicles. We are sorry if you should be affected but such matters are outside our control and we cannot accept liability. When you come to Pelion you come to the real Greece and live amongst its people so, if you hear your neighbours' voices or music, be assured that it means that, like you, your hosts are enjoying themselves.
As you explore our website you will learn a little about Pelion, about the villages where our accommodation is situated, and you will find that we describe our Houses in some detail. There are also many pictures which we hope will whet your appetite for a visit! But what of our Company, and our approach to your holiday?
Houses of Pelion is very much a family-run business, with my wife Aphroula and myself living permanently in Milina and so being available throughout your stay in Pelion. And it is this arrangement that makes us, we believe, unique; we are here on the spot if any problems arise, and you are never left to the tender mercies of an agent, representative, or company employee. You are OUR guests, and we treat you as such. Our office is very close to the Milina waterfront, and you are always welcome to call in and ask for any information you may need, to book tickets or excursions, or to make arrangements for car or boat hire. In addition, various maps of Pelion and books of local interest are available for sale at our office.
But you do not have to wait until you get to Greece before experiencing our way of doing things. When you dial the number given in our advertisements, and on the 'Contact Us' page of this website, your call will be diverted to our office here in Milina. You will therefore be talking direct to Aphroula or myself; we do know the area, the Houses and the answers to your questions better than anybody else, and we feel sure that this will enable us to offer you the highest possible standard of service. Please note that you will only be charged for a UK national rate call; we pay for the international leg from the U.K. to Greece.
Once your booking is confirmed, we can help you with insurance, car hire or alternative travel arrangements from the airport to your House. You will receive a map of the Pelion peninsula, and a copy of our 'General Information' will either be posted or e-mailed to you. This gives details of local amenities, shops, restaurants and tavernas, business hours and where the nearest phone is, and tell you where the best beaches are. We give details of the various activities available to you, including water sports, riding , and rambling. Finally the 'Information' contains full details of your House and a glossary explaining the Greek names of most of the dishes you are likely to encounter while in Pelion.
If you are hiring a car and driving down from the airport, we will send or email you full details of the route, both to Pelion and back again.
For families travelling with small children, we can advise you on what is and is not available. What you should bring and what you can safely leave behind.
When you arrive at your House, you will find everything you need to have a snack and recover from your journey. We will provide fresh bread, butter, honey, juice, fresh fruit, vegetables, coffee, tea, milk and a bottle of the excellent local wine.
Whenever possible either Aphroula or I will visit you after your arrival to make sure you have settled in. If you are staying in Milina, we can introduce you to our butcher, grocer and greengrocer. But wherever you are, we can always be contacted for help and advice.
Finally, if you need medical help there is a 24-hour service at the Health Centre in Arghalasti, which is the largest village in South Pelion.
This gives you some idea of the type of holiday we are offering and the services you can expect.
We pride ourselves on giving you the best of both worlds. Being English, I know what the British traveller wants and expects from a holiday. And Aphroula, being Greek, is in the perfect position to translate this into reality.
GETTING TO GREECE.
The easiest and most convenient way of getting to Pelion from the UK is to take the Friday flight from either Gatwick or Manchester to Volos. There are also plenty of flights from Gatwick, Manchester and other regional airports to Skiathos, the next nearest airport, and we can arrange the hydrofoil transfer from there to Volos, or to Platania. To book these charter flights we recommend www.flightline.co.uk ; our clients have used this company for a number of years now, and it has proved to be both reliable and to offer good prices. Having said all that, the main problem with the Volos and Skiathos flights is the cost; far more economical is to book early with EasyJet, or British Airways, from Gatwick to Thessaloniki, picking up a car at the airport and driving down. We can arrange car hire for you from the airport, and give you full instructions for the drive down to south Pelion, and we send you a map ... Alternatively you can take the bus down from Thessaloniki to Volos, and we can arrange for a hire car or taxi to be waiting for you at the Volos bus station. We can also of course arrange car hire for you from Volos airport, and from Volos docks, or Platania, if you were to come via Skiathos. EasyJet, BA and various charter companies also, of course, fly into Athens, and we can arrange for you to pick up your car at the airport. Or again, if you prefer, there are frequent buses from Athens to Volos, and we can have a car or a taxi waiting for you at the bus station.
TRANSFERS: Between the Airport and your House.
As we said above by far the easiest way to get to Pelion is to fly into Volos airport; from there it is just an hour and a half in your private taxi to South Pelion, or if you are driving, you can pick up your car at the airport. If you are flying into Skiathos, there are regular catamaran departures to Volos, a journey of only 1 hour 25 minutes. From Volos you can pick up your car, or be driven straight to your House. All the arrangements will be made in advance and your prepaid tickets will be waiting for you at the offices of the hydrofoil company. A car can also be delivered to you at the bus or railway station in Volos, and you can, of course, collect and return a car at both Athens and Thessaloniki airports.
If you are flying into either Athens or Thessaloniki, an alternative to hiring a car is to take one of the frequent public buses to Volos. You will then be met at the bus station in Volos, and driven straight to your House, or you can pick up your car at the bus station. Should you decide to use the public bus service, we will send you full details of the times and schedules and a note (in Greek) asking the airport taxi-driver to take you to the appropriate bus station. Finally, we will be very happy to arrange to meet you from your flight and drive you direct to your House.
In all the above transfer arrangements, delays are rare, but not unknown. We do have contingency plans covering such eventualities, but some delays and changes are possible.
You will find brief details of the transfer options and their prices here, but when you phone us we will be pleased to give you further information. When you have decided how you would like to travel, please complete the relevant section of the Booking Form.
OVERNIGHT AT GATWICK.
If you have a long journey to the airport you may like to consider staying overnight close to Gatwick. We have made arrangements with the owners of an excellent Guest House in Horley where you can be sure of having a comfortable and relaxing night before you travel. You will be taken to the airport in good time for check-in and you can leave you car in the grounds of the Guest House itself; this is both cheaper and offers better security than the public car parks at the airport. Click for further details, and then complete the relevant section of the Booking Form.
GETTING AROUND
Car Hire. Because there is so much to see and do in Pelion, we suggest that you hire a car for the duration of your holiday. If you are staying at one of our more out-of-the-way Houses (Cleopatra, Lena, Angeliki, Eleni or Seagulls), we strongly recommend that you hire a car.
We will therefore be very pleased to book a car on your behalf: it will be waiting at the airport or port on your arrival and can be left there on your return; or the car can be delivered to or collected from your House. We will invoice you for the rental fee, to be paid at the same time as you pay for your accommodation, and will make all necessary arrangements.
Please use the following links for prices and full details of cars available at Athens, Thessaloniki and in Volos, and the conditions which apply to the use of a hire car in Greece. If you would like a car for a shorter period, we can arrange this through a local car hire company. Please complete the relevant section of the Booking Form to book your car.
If you decide against having a car for the whole period of your stay, we will be very happy to arrange a rental from one day up to a week using a local agency based in Milina, once you have arrived in Pelion.
Buses and Taxis. If you are staying in Horton or Milina, it is quite possible to manage without a car. From here there are daily bus connections to Volos, and to Lafkos, Promiri and Platania. There are two taxis available in Milina, and we will be pleased to make any bookings for you, as and when required.
THINGS TO DO
Riding. If you ride, or even if you have never done so before, Nikos of Kentavros Farm in Arghalasti will be delighted to show you the local countryside from the saddle of one of his friendly, well-mannered horses. Rides can take from a couple of hours up to a full day, and on all but the shortest beginners routes you will ride down to one of the beautiful, nearby beaches where you can, if you wish, swim with your horse.
Boat Hire, Watersports and Day Sailing. By far the best way of exploring the islands and the coastline up and down from Milina is by boat, and if you are staying at a house like Cleopatra's or Lena's in Lefokastron, or at Eleni's outside Milina a boat is a very convenient way of getting about. Milina Nautic offers motorboats for hire and we will be happy to make reservations for you. Note, however, that a boat can only be delivered for a minimum rental period of one week. Sailing dinghy and kayak hire is available from Pelion Sail & Cycle; please call for details. If you would like to experience the Pelion Peninsula and the islands of the Pagasistic Gulf from the water and under sail, we have teamed up this year with Mixit Sailing, a UK company whose yachts operate out of Volos, and whose experienced and fully qualified skippers would be delighted to take you out on a Day Sailing adventure.
Excursions by Taxi. We have arranged with Achilleas, our village taxi driver, a number of excursions so that, depending on your interests, you can visit some of the mountain villages to see the traditional architecture, or you can simply visit some of the spectacular beaches on the east coast of the peninsula. These trips are for either a half, or a full day, and we can also arrange excursions further afield to Meteora and Delphi.
INSURANCE
Most travellers are anxious to insure against any possible upset to their arrangements, and although the rules have changed and we are no longer able to sell you insurance direct, we can introduce you to Tagconnect which which offers you comprehensive cover at a very reasonable cost. This cover is mandatory, unless you already have a policy giving you protection equal to or better than that of Tagconnect. Click here for full details and then either click on the 'Travel Insurance' link, email Tagconnect, or call them direct, to make your insurance arrangements.
AIR CONDITIONING
A number of our properties are now fitted with air conditioners, covering either the whole house, or just the bedrooms. Because not all guests wish to use the A/C, in some properties the cost is not included in the basic accommodation price. If you wish to use the A/C, please tell your owner, who will give you the remote control, and will tell you the extra cost, on a weeky basis. Please then settle up direct with the owner, either at the time, or before you leave the accommodation. Houses where the A/C costs extra are indicated in their price tables.
AND FINALLY...
We are delighted to confirm that Pelion is still remote, rural and unspoilt. Some of our Houses are new with modern facilities, but others are old, traditional buildings which have been converted by their owners to varying degrees of modernisation. We, and most of you who come to Pelion, believe that this adds very much to the charm of the holiday. It does mean, however, that facilities can vary. For example, cooking facilities can range from the fully-equipped kitchen, to two small gas-rings which, while perfectly adequate for basic cooking, cannot be recommended for the preparation of elaborate meals. All kitchens have a fridge, and water is heated either by immersion heater, or solar panels backed up by electric heating. An exception is Eleni's, where there is no electric back-up. Bear in mind, too, that the old houses all have small windows, designed to keep out the cold in winter and the heat and sunlight in summer.
Because we have decided against asking our guests for a damage deposit of any sort, we do ask that you should report any breakages or damage that may occur, so that you can pay for any replacements or repairs before you leave the House.
As you will see from the web site and from the brochure, some of our Houses are situated within a village, while others are more remote. We have always tried to choose properties in quiet areas but life in the villages and out in the olive groves must go on, and may lead to noise from building work, farming activity, animals and motor vehicles. We are sorry if you should be affected but such matters are outside our control and we cannot accept liability. When you come to Pelion you come to the real Greece and live amongst its people so, if you hear your neighbours' voices or music, be assured that it means that, like you, your hosts are enjoying themselves.
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