I've just returned from Greece and promised to write a review! There were 29 ladies and 2 men (!) on the trip. A mixed group aged early 40s to early 80s. On the whole the group gelled well, and I certainly made some very good friends. As usual there was a JY rep at Heathrow to help check us in, a local guide to meet us at Mykonos Airport, and Sue McCullough our Tour Manager met us at the hotel in Mykonos.

The Aphrodite Beach Hotel on Kalafati Beach in Mykonos was our first stop for 4 nights. As it was the beginning of the season, they had just opened, and there was some teething problems which Sue, our TM, valiantly tried to rectify with the hotel manager - hopefully the next JY group will get hotter food! The buffet selection was very good though. The hotel was relaxing and right on the beach. I would recommend using the taverna up the road for lunch, which was excellent - we had our last night's farewell dinner there and it was the best meal of the whole trip with stunning views.

The included excursion to Mykonos town was led by the local guide Roxanne, and after a walk of about an hour, to see the windmills etc and the blindingly white narrow cobbled streets, we had free time to wander. It doesn't mention it in the guide books, but Mykonos is very very windy!

The optional excursion to Delos is a half hour boat trip each way, and is worth doing. The included trip to Ano Mera is also worth doing, to see the monastery, and have lunch (the taverna near the cheese shop was excellent!).

Santorini, and a 2 hour high speed boat to our hotel, the Afroditi Venus Beach - needless to say is right on the beach! Loads of tavernas and shops between the hotel and the beach. A large hotel, which we think was an amalgamation of 2 or 3 hotels. All the rooms were different. I had a super one on the top floor with a sea view (great for sunrises!). The optional excursion to Fira and Oia is a must - stunning views, quaint shops, and the museum interesting. The taverna at the top, near the cable car, is good for lunch. The included cruise goes to 3 islands - the lava island of Nea Kameni, where, if you are feeling strong, you can walk up to the volcano - or relax on the boat with a beer! - a swim from the boat in the hot sulpher springs in Palea Kameni, and then free time in Thirassia which has a rocky beach. I would suggest not going to the last taverna as the food was cold! The last day is an optional excursion to Akrotiri (the ruins are under cover), free time in the delightful village of Pyrgos (it is worth climbing up to the first church, with wonderful views, and there is a tiny restaurant below the church), a winery visit and tasting - again outstanding views, a quick visit to the top of the island for photos, and lastly time at Perivolas beach (I was the only one who had a swim, which was great). Don't have the crab salad in the taverna there, unless you like crab sticks!! In the evening we had our farewell dinner in one of the local tavernas in Kalafati - not a happy experience for me as I didn't get my main course until after 10pm - I don't think JY will be using this taverna again!!

On the whole, an excellent trip and I would thoroughly recommend it.

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Hils

Thanks for posting this information sounds like you had a good time, even with the teething troubles.

Cindy

Glad to hear you enjoyed your trip - really informative review.

Good to meet you in person at the Premier Inn the night before we left on our holidays. My (not JY) holiday could be classed as "mixed reviews" but overall I saw a lot of Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania, loved the churches, castles and palaces but wished we could have had more time in the countryside.

Hopefully catch up with you again soon. Hope all goes well for you in the next few months.

:thumbup:

I can only echo what you have already said, excellent trip, superb TM in Sue McCollough, wonderful islands... A truly great holiday.

Good to meet you and maybe we will cross travel paths again sometime.. Keep taking the photos.

Best wishes

Karen:thumbup:

Hi Hils

I can only echo what you have already said, excellent trip, superb TM in Sue McCollough, wonderful islands... A truly great holiday.

Good to meet you and maybe we will cross travel paths again sometime.. Keep taking the photos.

Best wishes

Karen:thumbup:

Hi Karen,

It was good to meet you too and hope you got home OK. Thanks for the advice on the "bag" which I now have! I took over 600 photos so am still cropping out some of the unwelcome tourists in Santorini! Hope your RAW photos came out well.

Hope we will meet up again.

All the best,

Hils

May I ask, was there space to chill as well taking the opportunities of the tours? Thank you.

Treen

Hi Hils, I have been looking at the JY website and reviews for months now with the view building up enough information to know if this was a reputable company to go with! You know how it is, you wonder if it's really as good as people actually state. I want to go to far off places and was wondering about India and other places too but I am more in the need of a holiday with not as much go go go and early mornings at the moment. I have been looking at the Mykonos and Santorini and keep putting it off. Until...... I read your great review Hils so thank you.

May I ask, was there space to chill as well taking the opportunities of the tours? Thank you.

Treen

Hi Treen,

Delighted that I have wetted your appetite to book with Just You! I have now done 12 trips with them, including longhaul to India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Thailand etc. etc. but I like to do one shorter and nearer holiday every year, and Greece was ideal, having not been to either of these islands before. There is time to chill if you want - I tend to book all the excursions as I don't want to miss anything (!) but quite a few of the ladies(and the 2 gents!) took days out to lie on the beach/pool, toodle about etc. Even with the excursions, there were no really early departures - unlike India (which is still top of my list!) when 6 a.m. was a lie-in!

I did an interview with JY in February - if you look on the News, Archive bit on the Community website, it has the full interview, which hopefully will answer any questions you may have, but do come back to me, if you want.

Book, and enjoy!

Cheers,

Hils

I've had two holidays in Italy with Just You and have had a great time. I'm off on 10th June and feel more confident now I've read your review.

I don't know whether anyone else has last minute nerves - will there be anyone I get on with?

I'm staying at the Holiday Inn nearest to Terminal 5 on Monday night, may meet someone else catching the shuttle bus in the morning?

Well, I guess JY are doing something right if you have been with them 12 times! I'm getting nearer to booking!

I couldn't locate the article you mention but this is probably something to do with me being new to the site and not knowing my way around things yet.

Thanks

Treen

Saw this message and thought I would post the link for you. Click below to see the full Hils Q&A:

http://www.justyou.co.uk/news-and-features/article/go-and-see-the-world-you-won-t-regret-it/#id-614 

Kindest regards,

Julia

That is most kind of you and much appreciated, thank you. That is an excellent article and it has certainly helped my thought process. After reviewing the JY website for a number of months and keeping my eye on reviews, it is clear that people working for JY do genuinely care.

I have a feeling I will be booking soon!

Thanks

Treen

It's not a problem, it's one of the many reasons I'm here.

If you do go on to book your first Just You Holiday whether it is our Mykonos & Santorini trip or another tour, I'd love to hear where you choose to travel and if there are any questions you have, please don't hesitate to ask.

Kindest regards,

Julia

I did book for Mykinos/Santorini and I am looking forward to my first JY holiday in September. How many people are booked on this trip, please? Do travellers still book their seats (I saw an old posting about Easy jet and booking anywhere from 30 days before trip) but with this being my first trip I want to make sure I do things right!

I am also looking at a city break to Berlin in December, however, I was wondering what changes had been made, if any, following the feedback from the last trip?

Thanks

Treen

There are 25 travellers booked on your departure - there are still a few places left so this number may change before you depart (feel free to ask again closer to the departure for an update).

In terms of the flights, yes, you will need to check-in online and print off your boarding pass before you arrive at the airport. There will be instructions on what to do in your final document, but please don't hesitate to get in touch with a member of the Just You team if you encounter any problems.

Berlin - I'm just waiting on clarification on a couple of points. I have your other thread ready and waiting to go as soon as I get this information.

Kindest regards,

Julia