Charter Vacation - Italy vs Greece vs Croatia - Pros and Cons ?

[pjosip]

Originally Posted by yeloya

I am also told that the wind is either nothing or too much.

You should know that summers are OK. For 99% of time you have Mistral that never really goes over 20 knots.

It's a pretty predictable and blows almost every day.

[Maramu 46]

I am Italian but...In Italy on the Adriatic coast you have nothing. On the Tirreno side you have some picks as Capri/ Elba, with Elba having the only decent and not to mention free anchorage. In Greece, the winds at times are a bit rough and the prices in ports, eating out are out of control. If you are planning the trip in late July or August, it's not worth the trouble haggling with the "Sailor" wanna be's. My best suggestion to you is Croatia. Initial sailing permit cost, you have abundant and free anchorage, the winds are almost never overcoming, the food (lamb) is wonderful and inexpensive, you will find many towns with heritage being that many places were Italian or Venetian in origine. Split and Dubronovik are 2 places not to miss. Once there you can make an easy crossing to Italy to maybe Monopoly or Vieste, where you can stay for free and get to see a little of Italy. Stefano

[pjosip]

Originally Posted by Maramu 46

I am Italian but...In Italy on the Adriatic coast you have nothing.

Don't be too modest - Isole Tremiti are nice, Gargano parc is fantastic. A bit north but let's not forget that, Venice is on Adriatic too.

[Oyvind]

If you're able to take an early vacation, I'd recommend going in May or early June. You'll be ahead of the main season, so the anchorages and marinas are uncrowded and prices are lower. The temparature is pleasant and not too hot, and the landscape is green and at its most beautiful before it starts drying out in the summer heat.

The official high season in Croatia is between July 1st and August 30th, and everything tourist-related is quite a bit more expensive in this period.

[swagman]

Originally Posted by pjosip

Well, I just got back from a 10-day trip from Croatia to Korfu (Greece).

I don't know where you've been but we've been charged 78 euros for a night in marina in Kontokali for a Beneteau Cyclades 50 (we are talking about early April).
The poor dinner at "Andreas" restaurant with 3 palm size fishes and his "you must try this" hints for some white sauce costed 110 euros.

The next day we found another restaurant and payed 44 euros for a more decent launch. We ate chicken and there was a nice side dish of vegetables and potatoes. I noticed that waitress spoke very good English and I commented that in front of her. She said she is English and that all the staff is English. (BTW: could someone explain what is it with all English on Korfu?)

So I had to take an English lunch in Greece to get a decent meal that does not cost too much.

If you are asking why so many Brits visit or have homes in Corfu then the answer is in it's history.

Corfu was controlled by the Venicians for centuries as did a lot of the eastern Med islands. They repused a number of attempted Turkish invasions before falling first to the French (when Nepoleon conquored the Venicians) then to the British following their successful Nepolionic wars with France......

Lots of the local Brit architecture remains today - and they still even play cricket.

But the Brits passed it to the founders of modern Greece way back, and as that new country struggled to resist the overtures of the Ottoman empire, a lot of Brits volunteered and fought on the Greek side.

It's remained a favoured British holiday spot ever since - orginally for the rich and famous - but now for anyone who can sail in or simply afford the airfare.

I love the place.

JOHN

[pjosip]

Originally Posted by swagman

If you are asking why so many Brits visit or have homes in Corfu then the answer is in it's history.

Corfu was controlled by the Venicians for centuries as did a lot of the eastern Med islands. They repused a number of attempted Turkish invasions before falling first to the French (when Nepoleon conquored the Venicians) then to the British following their successful Nepolionic wars with France......

Lots of the local Brit architecture remains today - and they still even play cricket.

But the Brits passed it to the founders of modern Greece way back, and as that new country struggled to resist the overtures of the Ottoman empire, a lot of Brits volunteered and fought on the Greek side.

It's remained a favoured British holiday spot ever since - orginally for the rich and famous - but now for anyone who can sail in or simply afford the airfare.

I love the place.

JOHN

OK, thanks for the info. I also noticed a lot of Brits wandering the streets late night and I realized they feel comfortable there.

And yes, Corfu is very nice.

[pillum]

Greece for my two-pennyworth is by far the best, for wind and for friendliness. I read a thread on this forum some time ago and a comment made about how easy and cheap Greek harbours were compared to Italian ones struck me - On asking if it was possible to enter the harbour the Master said "Don't worry about it, you're in Greece now, we have room for EVERYBODY".

No brainer for me, for a week only I'd consider the Sporades, if you have longer then the choice is greater. And don't worry about the Meltemi, I've sailed the Aegean in July and it was similar winds to BVI in April.

Whatever you choose on a freebie do something different.

[evd46]

Originally Posted by danedee

Wow, thanks for the quick reply! May I ask who you chartered through and whether you'd use them again? What base they were out of etc? I'm a fan of learning from other peoples experiences. Thx! And looking forward to hearing from other people as well!

Hi,
We rented twice already with the same charter company the same type of boat (Bavaria 40 cruiser) and were happy with the price and the quality of the service. The man is called Christos Plegas and you can rent his boats via Omegasail.com.
He uses two bases: Gouvia (Kerkyra = Corfu) and Lavrio (SE of Athens, on the east coast of the Pelopponesos).
PS: I have no futther connections with that man or company as that of a happy client.
Erik

[Connemara]

Just back from a week in Croatia. Can't say anything about Italy or Greece, but we had a fantastic time sailing out of Split, which is (as someone said) a great little city.

Weather was unsettled, but usually sunny and we only had one day without wind, during which we motored from Hvar to Vis. Coming north the next day we had a Force 5 breeze under clear blue skies with those wee puffy clouds.

We did have a few occasions of interest -- 40 knots one night for a couple of hours but we had warning and were on a mooring ball and an anchor-dragging incident at 0500 during a spectacular electrical storm when the wind switched 180 degrees making our lovely sheltered anchorage rather less so.

But no harm to man nor boat in either case.

The islands are stunning and the sailing was usually fine.

Connemara

[Sailor208]

Originally Posted by Tnd

I agree that one week is too short to visit Greece from Montenegro, but for Croatia-it's not. It's pretty close. I really can't agree that Greece is much more beautiful than Croatia,no it's not, at all. That's maybe because i'm from Croatia, but that is my opinion. Whatever you decide, it's obvious that one week is too short to see everything. Best solution would be that each summer you visit one country

Hello, we always allow enough time in our charters to get to know the country we are visiting. Several people have mentioned the costs and difficulty in finding moorings. So, we are coming in September. Will there be less boats in September? Can you suggest anchoring or are the quays worth the price? Any suggestions would help us.

[SailBeat]

It will be busy in September. Quays etc will be expensive and will be very crowded. You'll need to get in early to get yourself a spot. Anchoring will be free-of course-but you'll have to plan your trip accordingly-wether etc.

Here's a quick guide to Croatia so you can get a better idea:

Yacht Charter Croatia | Sailing Holidays Croatia