Last Updated 02/11/2009 © Villa Ralfa 2009
Gay owned and run accommodation, and lodgings, bed and breakfast hotel and inn for the independent gay travel ler near Hersonissos, Crete, Greece
There are links to travel related and similar sites on the ‘Links’ page
Located on the north coast of Crete, the largest and possibly the most beautiful of the Greek islands, Villa Ralfa is approx. 25km from the main airport in Heraklion and approx 3km from the busy resort of Port Hersonissos and 3km from the much quieter village of Old or Pano Hersonissos. With its out of town location Villa Ralfa is
ideal for those wanting a quieter place to sleep at night with easy access to nightlife either by car or on foot !
The Old National Road is about 300 metres away with a bus stop servicing the buses from Heraklion to the west and Malia, Agios Nikolaos, Sitia, and Ierapetra to the east. An hourly bus service runs from the airport and the buses are clean, comfortable and air conditioned.
To the south is the New National Road, the main east/west route, giving easy access by car to Malia and the east, and the main archaeological site at Knossos.
To the south is the New National Road, the main east/west route, giving easy access by car to Malia and the east, and the main archaeological site at Knossos.
Travel to Crete is quite easy as during the summer months there are charter flights from all over Northern Europe, and regular ferry services from Piraeus (Athens) run to Crete and onwards to other islands, making Crete an ideal stop off point for those wanting to go ‘island hopping’. There are also regular shuttle flights to Athens. During the winter months the ferries still run regularly and the flights to Athens continue on a limited timetable. Both Olympic and Aegean Air have onward services from Athens to various locations around Europe all year round.
Car travel to Crete is one option not often used by visitors, although residents travelling with pets to their home countries and foreign workers here for the summer season quite often bring their own cars. The drive from Northern Europe is not difficult, for instance the total driving distance from Brighton in the UK is around 1200 miles, and with ferries from various locations in Italy to Patras on the west coast of Greece running on a daily basis all year round driving can be an economic option for those on an extended stay as the cost of car hire here offsets the ferry fares! And, of course you get to see some of Europe on the way!
Hire cars and scooters are a popular way of getting around the island, although scooters are really only best for short local trips and we recommend that a car is used for longer trips especially for those ‘out of the way’ places that you are going to want to visit. For the more energetic, bicycles can also be hired but there are many hills on Crete so be prepared for some aching muscles.....Contrary to popular belief we do have speed limits and parking regulations, helmets and seat belts must be worn! Fines for speeding are around €140 and for riding a scooter without a helmet €70. Just because you see ‘locals’ riding without one doesn’t mean you can! If you want to book a car we have a small independent car hire firm nearby that we often recommend but the price should be agreed between you, I get nothing from it, just in case you thought I did!
For non-drivers it is possible to hire a driver for the day, please ask us about this when you are here.
For non-
Don’t forget the guide books and maps! Use the Amazon search boxes to find books and music for your journey.
Or try our sexy new customised Google search for ferries and flights within Greece
Or try our sexy new customised Google search for ferries and flights within Greece
This map show Crete in scale with other Greek Islands