Kos is one of the most popular destinations for Greek Islands holidays to Kos from the UK.  Now you’re thinking – is he joking with me?  No.  Come one now, read a bit more and see for yourself..

Kos is in the middle of the Greek Island group known as the Dodecanese (from the Greek word for 12, as there are 12 of them, duh!).  It’s to the south-east of mainland Greece, and very handy for Turkey, which is useful if you spend Christmas Day there.

On Holidays to Kos?  On yer Bike!

Kos is not like other Greek Islands.  It’s long and narrow, and basically a great flat plain, apart from a little crease of a mountain range along the south-eastern edge.  As it’s mainly flat, it’s got to be the best of the Greek Islands for cycling.  I’m not talking Tour de France or anything – I mean, the whole island is only about 45 kilometres long and between two

Holidays to Kos - Cycling, courtesy of flickr.com user maxilgatto

and eleven kilometres wide.  Just get yourself down to one of the many bike hire shops and you’ll be all set for a bit of tranquil two-wheeled tottering amongst the olive trees.

Why Kos Beaches?  Kos They’re Lurvely!

Beaches in Kos come in all shapes and sizes, but tend towards long stretches of sand rather than little bays.

Holidays to Kos – Tigaki Tranquility

A good example is Tingaki or Tigaki.  (One day the English will decide how they want to translate it!)  Tingaki is about seven kilometres west of Kos town and although it’s developed  a fair bit in recent years, it’s still low-key and relaxing

Holidays to Kos - Tingaki Beach, courtesy of flickr.com user monstermunch

and a very nice place to be.  Loads of people who take holidays to Kos from the UK come to Tingaki year after year – as you can see if you read the reviews.

The beach here, just like Andrex toilet tissue, is soft, erm strong?  Hmm.. Well it’s definitely very, very long!  Ten kilometres long, so you can always find a spot to spread out your towel in peace, but if you like a bit of company, go for one of the sections near the resort centre where you can hire sun beds and umbrellas.  Tingaki beach has lovely white sand and gently shelving, shallow water, so it’s great for kids.  Of all ages, right..

If you turn left when you get to the sea, and walk for about a kilometre, you will reach the official nudist beach.  This is probably the most popular of all the nudist beaches on Kos, so if you’re after an all-over tan, this is a great place to start!

Marmari Moments

No dear, not Marmaris in Turkey,  this is Marmari with no “s”; the next resort along the beach west of Tingaki, less developed and less well-known than its neighbour.  In many ways, the beach here is similar to that of Tingaki, with lovely white sand, crystal-clear sea and plenty of room.  There are some watersports on offer here and you can hire sun

Holidays to Kos - Near Marmari, courtesy of flickr.com user amaechler

beds and umbrellas or get a drink and a snack from one of the beach bars.  On the other hand, just like on Tingaki beach, you can easily find a quiet spot further along the beach if you want to go to Kos holiday heaven!  Oh, just to say that there are some great places to stay if you would like to make Marmari the base for your holiday in Kos.

Kardamena = Happenin Holidays to Kos

Now we’re off to the other side of the island to the southern resort of Karmadema.  It’s a very different kettle of kalamari from Tingaki and Marmari.  If you stay here you’re the other end of the island from Kos town – about 30 kilometres away.  The good thing is that you’re actually very handy for the airport at this end

holidays to Kos - Kardamena, courtesy of flickr.com user eric81

of the island – just five kilometres makes for a very short transfer but you’re not close enough for any noise from the planes.

Kardamena has developed over the last 20 years into a resort that’s large by Kos standards, and I’m not sure but it could well be the most popular resort for Kos holidays in terms of visitor numbers.  There’s a lot to do here, with bars, restaurants and great night-life.  In fact, there is enough night-life for the liveliest of young things, but on the other hand Kardamena is definitely a great place for couples and families too.

The beach itself is a good ‘un.  Golden sand, clear water, great amenities and plenty of places to eat and drink on and just off the beach.  Watersports are on offer too, and if you want to do your Cap’n Birdseye impersonation (oh please, not again..) hop on one of the boats in the harbour and demand to be taken on a trip!  (I would choose one of the actual excursion boats if I were you.)

OK before we finish, I want you to tear yourself away from the beach for a moment because we’re off to the highest village in Kos for a little adventure:

Zia – Say Hi to Zorba!

The pretty village of Zia is right in the middle of the mountains.  It’s a mecca for the discerning sightseer, to quote Alan

Holidays to Kos - Zia, courtesy of Wikimedia user Thomas Feldes

Bennett, but retains its olde worlde charm, oh yes.  For many people taking holidays to Kos, their first taste of Zia will be a traditional Greek night, maybe at the famous Fantasia Taverna.  Great food, Greek dancing with a palate-cleansing Zorba between courses if you’re lucky!  If you come on holidays to Kos and you’ve not been before, you just have to do Zia, OK?

Well, that’s a quick Suntrap Holidays round-up of the beautiful Greek island of Kos – I hope you enjoyed it!  You can click the button at the top to check the best deals and availability for holidays to Kos.

On a holiday in Crete, faced with over a thousand metres of coastline, you are spoiled for choice.  So how do you find the best beaches in Crete?  Read on..

Crete, that most southerly of Greek islands apart from little Gavdos, is just about the hottest and sunniest place in Europe.  It’s also very large at about 160 miles east to west and 35 miles from north to south at the widest point.  Therefore, when you are planning a holiday to Crete, you need to choose your resort carefully if you aim to spend some time on the best beaches in Crete without facing several hours travelling each way.

That’s why Suntrap Holidays produced this little two-part guide to the best beaches in Crete.  In this part, we look at the top beaches in Crete’s eastern half, reachable from Heraklion, Malia and the other resorts on the right-hand side of the island.

Let’s take a look:

(To see the beaches on a Google map, click this link: Map of the best beaches in Crete – Eastern Half.)

The Best Beaches in Crete – Matala

Best Beaches in Crete - Matala, courtesy of flickr.com user: storem

Matala, about two hours from Heraklion by car, is a long-established beach that started to gain popularity back in the 70s with the hippy movement.  Renowned for the ancient cave tombs carved into the rocks that overlook the white sand and crystal-clear water, Matala is definitely worth a visit.  Actually, being fairly central on the southern coast, it is also just about accessible for a day trip from the resorts in the Chania area on the western side of Crete, perhaps some two-and-a-half hours by car from Chania.
If you go here, be sure to try some of the really fresh local fish in one of the great little tavernas on the beach.

The Best Beaches in Crete – Makriyialos

The Best Beaches in Crete - Makrigialos

This lovely long sandy beach is about 90 minutes’ drive from Heraklion.  This side of the island tends to be quieter apart from one or two resorts, and the beach here, being so long, offers plenty of opportunity for you to escape from the crowds.  The water here is shallow, making it an excellent choice for families with younger children.

The Best Beaches in Crete – Vai

The Best Beaches in Crete - Vai, courtesy of flickr.com user: paulmannix

About two hours’ drive from Heraklion, the beach at Vai has been described as “Caribbean-style”, which is a reference to the palm grove that surrounds the beach – it’s the largest palm grove in Crete and does indeed give the beach a  somewhat un-Greek feel!
Vai is certainly a beautiful place, and the whole area is protected to keep it that way.  In high season, it can get busy here though; the beach is fairly small and popular because of its beauty.
Beach facilities are limited because of the protected status of the area, but there is a small snack bar.

The Best Beaches in Crete – Itanos

Just two kilometres north of Vai, there are fewer of the famous palm trees here – but also fewer people, so it’s a good alternative if you arrive at Vai only to find it pretty busy.  There are actually three different beaches in Itanos, the most northern sandy bay being the best for swimming.  It is here that you can explore the underwater ruins of the ancient town of Itanos that gives the area its name.

The Best Beaches in Crete – Hiona

The pretty little sandy beach of Hiona is only about 300 metres long but it’s a real gem.  It’s also in the same area as Vai and Itanos, so you can make a day of it from Heraklion or Malia and see all three beaches.  Hiona is about 22 kilometres from Sitia and three km north-east of Palekastro.  The final kilometre or so of road to the beach is pretty rough, so go slowly!  The beach is also subject to the prevailing wind, so best on calm days.

The sea here is beautifully clear, and the sand is golden.  There is some shade at the back of the beach from the Tamarisk trees.  The sea shelves gently too, so it’s pretty safe for kids.  There are some little coves to the south-east which are clothing optional.

The three tavernas on the beach do such wonderful things with the locally-caught fresh fish that they are famous throughout Crete, so definitely worth taking a meal here.  The fish soup is especially good – maybe when the heat of the sun has diminished towards the end of the day!

I hope you have enjoyed this quick Suntrap Holidays guide to the best beaches in Crete’s eastern half.  If you are based in or around Chania or the resorts of the left-hand, western side of Crete, please take a look at the sister guide to the best beaches in Crete’s western half.

You can check availability on some great holiday deals to Crete here: Holidays near the best beaches in Crete.

Crete is a land of tall mountains and turquoise sea, with a thousand kilometres of coastline.  The best beaches in Crete are also among the best beaches in Europe, as we will find out..

Crete is the most southern one of any size, making it one of the hottest.  It’s also the largest of all the Greek Islands.  At 160 miles long its longer than Wales, and it’s 35 miles wide at its widest point.  This means that, unlike most Greek Islands holidays, where you can get from one end of the island to the other in a short trip, on holidays to Crete you’re practically restricted to a limited area of the island unless you want to spend much of the time travelling.

So remember, depending on where you are staying, not all of the best beaches in Crete will be within easy reach.  I’ve separated them into two groups, dividing the island in half down the middle, and in this article you can find out about the best beaches in the left-hand, western half of the island – mainly beaches that can be reached from Chania and other resorts in this half.
Let’s take a look:

The best beaches in Crete’s western half

Here is the Suntrap Holidays pick of the beaches in the western half, accessible from the resort of Chania and other resorts on the left-hand half of Crete:

(To see the beaches on a Google map, click this link: Map of the best beaches in Crete – Western Half.)

The Best Beaches in Crete - Balos, courtesy of flickr.com user: wolfgangstaudt

This is a beach you will often see on the postcards, and it’s a natural beauty, with fine white sand and crystal clear water.  It’s on the Gramavoussa peninsula on the far West of the island, about 45 minutes’ drive from Chania.  The track to it is rough so be careful in the car or on the scooter.  The large lagoon here is shallow and safe for children – it’s also one of the best places for snorkelling or even scuba diving in Crete.  Because of its remoteness, there are no facilities on the beach and rubbish cannot be collected, therefore visitors should show respect and take their litter with them.

Elafonisi

The Best Beaches in Crete - Elafonisi, courtesy of Wikimedia user: Gatm

This is the beach famous for its pinkish sand said to be caused by tiny particles of coral broken down over many years.  On the far south east of Crete, it’s about an hour’s drive from Chania – and what a drive.  Up through the Gorge of Topolia and through pretty mountain towns like Elos and Kefali, before arriving at this special place.

It’s also one of the best places for birdwatching in Crete, because migrating birds use this part of the island as a rest stop when flying to and from Africa.

Sweetwater Beach (Glyka Nera)

Best Beaches in Crete - Sweetwater, courtesy of flickr.com user: bryceedwards

This spectacular and quieter beach is about 40 minutes by car from Chania, and on the south coast.  It’s called Sweetwater because if you dig a hole deep enough on the beach, “sweet” pure water will seep out.  The sea is warm here, and the sand has a reddish tint.  The beach is nothing like the bustling resorts of Northern Crete, and has for many years attracted those wanting to get away from it all, including naturists.  There is a little cafe selling water, but the beach is undeveloped and retains all of its natural beauty.  Well worth a visit.

Preveli Beach

Best Beaches in Crete - Preveli, courtesy of Wikimedia user: Oltau

On the south coast about a third of the way along from the left-hand end of Crete, you can get to Preveli, truly on of the best beaches in Crete, in about 90 minutes from Chania.  As a matter of fact, you can get there in not much more time than this from Heraklion, because Preveli is not far from the centre of the south coast.  Look for the monastery and the nearby car park, from which there are steps down to the beach.  Sadly, this route is not suitable for people with walking disabilities, but fortunately there is a boat from nearby Plakias at 10am, leaving the beach at 4pm, avoiding all the steps!
Preveli is a beautiful palm-fringed sweep of a bay with clear waters.  You can lie under the trees for some shade during the hottest parts of the day, so you may decide you don’t need the sun beds and umbrellas on offer here.  It can get busy here, but this is understandable when you see how beautiful it is.  During quieter times it’s possible to go naturist in the rocks to the left as you face the sea.

Well, that’s a quick Suntrap Holidays to the best beaches in Crete – the western half.  If you are based in or around Heraklion or the resorts of the right-hand, eastern side of Crete, please take a look at the sister guide to the best beaches in Crete’s eastern half.

You can check availability on some great holiday deals to Crete here: Holidays near the best beaches in Crete.

So what’s so great about biking despite all the risks?  Why not stick to a car?  Please read on, because whilst the previous articles are all about safety, this one’s about the sheer joy of riding a scooter in the Greek Islands.

This is part ten of a series by Suntrap Holidays about scooter hire in Greece, and if you came to this part first, please take a look at the other articles for some very important safety information:

Scooter Hire in Greece – The Series

I’ve only hired a car once in Greece, and that was to get our suitcases from one resort to another when we had a problem with accommodation.  This was after many years of doing scooter hire in Greece, and I can tell you, it gave me

Scooter Hire Greece - Sharing, courtesy of flickr.com user: ivoyager (helmets please!)

a view of Greek roads that I never want to have again.  What do I mean?  Well, the thing about being on a scooter on a Greek island road is that you really are king of the road.

“just swing over”

For a start, when you see that stunning view across the ocean from up in the hills, or even something as trivial as a little flower at the side of the road, on a scooter it’s not a problem – you can stop just about anywhere, any time.  You just swing over and off the road pretty much as you like.  Now, in a car, well, you know how it is.  You see something you want to look at, but there’s a queue of traffic behind, so you can’t just pull up.  And in any case, the road is too busy and narrow for you to just stop on the side, and there is nowhere to park.  By the time you have reasoned this far, the view you wanted to look at is about half a mile back, and, well, it’s a lot of trouble to find somewhere to turn round – so maybe next time..

“pine-clad hills”

Something else I love about scooter hire in Greece is that you are higher up than car drivers, and have unrestricted visibility all round you.  You can look over the roofs of a whole queue of traffic and enjoy the scenery (whilst keeping an eye on the road, of course!).  The one day I was in a car on holiday in Greece, in Corfu it was, I was shocked at just

Very Old Pedal Moped in Greece, courtesy of flickr.com user: keoki (hope your hired one is newer than this!)

how little I could see.  Basically, on the main island road where it was usually quite busy, most of my view was of the car in front.  Until then, my whole experience on the road in Greece was on a bike, and in that instant I felt sorry for all those people who only hire cars when they come to Greece, their view filled not with olive groves, pine-clad hills and sea panoramas, but rather with the back of the car in front.

If you ask someone who always hires a car during their Greek Islands holidays, they will tell you that most of the roads on the islands, even the main ones, are often narrow, have very rough surfaces, sunken grids everywhere and potholes to die for.  The problem in a car is that there is very often only room to drive in a fixed path along your side of the road, so if a pothole, sunken grid or whatever happens to be where the tyre needs to go, bump, down you go!

“loads of room”

But you get a whole different experience of the state of the roads in Greece on a bike.  Now, if you’ve never done scooter hire in Greece, maybe you would think that on a scooter, any deficiency in the road would be worse than for car drivers.  But it’s a weird thing, this – the very dimensions of the road seem to change when you are on a scooter or

Scooter Hire in Greece - The Gang, courtesy of flickr.com user: dainee (seriously lads, get those helmets on!)

motorbike. You have loads of room to play with, even on narrow roads.  You can take your time to choose a lovely smooth route around even the tiniest of mini-potholes.  You can see over the tops of the cars and you can plan well ahead, braking silkily, leaning yourself and the bike one way and another to make the bends a joy to experience, really being at one with your vehicle and the road.

“heart-lifting scent of wild thyme”

Of course, one of the very best things about scooter hire in the Greek Islands is that you are out in the open air, cooled by a breeze even on the hottest of Greek summer days, taking in the heart-lifting scent of wild thyme and oregano.  Contrast this with being cooped up in a metal box, either boiling hot or artificially frozen by the air conditioning with its damp mouldy smell; isolated from the very essence of what a Greek holiday in the sun should be all about.

In the Greek Islands, when you travel by car, the journey is something to be endured in order to reach the pleasure of your destination, often the beach.  On a scooter, the very journey itself is part of the pleasure.

“scooter hire in Greece is FAB”

Well, we have reached the end of this series and I hope you’ve enjoyed it.  I think that scooter hire in Greece is FAB, and I hope you will too.  More than that, I very much hope that you are now more aware of some of the risks you will be taking if you choose to hire a scooter in Greece for the first time, so that you can stay safe, and so that you can really enjoy this marvellous experience.

If you have enjoyed this series and you can see yourself buzzing around on a scooter in the Greek Islands, why not spend a minute or two taking a look at some of the best Greek holiday deals on offer: Find Holidays in Greece

For more information on the motorcycle test in the UK and for more information on how to stay safe on your scooter, take a look at these links:

Driving Standards Agency

Bikesafe

Wikipedia – Motorcycle Safety

(Please take a look at the earlier parts of this series on scooter rental in Greece if you haven’t already: Scooter Hire in Greece – The Series)

Lorries

Watch out for lorries on the Greek Islands, especially big, dirty open lorries.  Many islands have only one or two main trunk roads, and all the lorries use these where they can.  The problem is that these roads are very often not as big as ‘A’ roads in the UK.  Sometimes there isn’t even a central white line.  Lorries will be ‘close to you’, and not in a Carpenters kind of way either (for the over 40s, that one).

“huge lorry clanking past “

Seriously, if a lorry is coming up behind you, first of all you need to know about it before it reaches you, and this is a great reason to use those mirrors, OK?  It seriously spooks me to have a huge lorry clanking past a couple of feet away, at speed, unexpectedly – for me it’s one of the few bad things about scooter hire in Greece.  So, know what’s coming.

Scooter Hire in Greece - Fast Girls, courtesy of flickr.com user: OBenson

There is no shame (and I do it all the time) in pulling off the road for a second or two to let the lorry pass safely if the road is narrow.  The driver will love you for it, and you will be safe.  One thing – if a lorry is sitting behind you waiting to overtake, and there are bends so he can’t see what’s coming the other way, be very careful.  Sometimes the driver will have a go anyway..

If this happens to you, and oncoming traffic suddenly comes round the bend as the lorry is alongside you, imagine what could happen next..  If you ever find yourself in this situation, with the side of a lorry alongside your scooter and closing in rapidly, you need to get AWAY from that lorry.  On a low-powered holiday scooter, accelerating out of the way is not an option, but slowing immediately to let the lorry pass and pull in very quickly, is.  Failing that, get off the road as best you can.  It’s a dire situation and one to be avoided.

The other scenario is the oncoming lorry.  These little devils are not so bad because they are more or less on the other side of the road.  However, open lorries, especially those carrying stone, gravel, that kind of thing, can be a hazard.  The wave of dust and grit can really catch you out, and if you very unlucky, one of the stones can jump off the lorry and come flying straight towards you at speed.  I got hit on the fingers by one such stone once, and I can tell you it bloody hurt!  This is one reason why eye protection is important at all times.

Coaches

Scooter hire in Greece would not be complete without a few transfer coaches thrown into the mix.  I always cringe when I am actually on one of these big, square, air-conditioned beasts, the driver palming the wheel with one hand and operating the radio with the other.  They go at such a speed along the narrow roads, and from the coach it looks as if you are passing each teetering moped just inches away.

“Mirrors, darling, mirrors!”

When you get out on the bike, though, you realise that actually, most of the coach drivers are highly competent, know the local roads well, and are well-used to novice riders on scooters.  Yes, they will pass you at speed sometimes, but they tend to drive to very high standards in my experience, and only overtake when it’s safe to do so.  Just make sure

Scooter Hire in Greece - Come In Number 36, courtesy of flickr.com user: j-e-s

that you know when one is about to whiz past, so you can keep your nerve.  Mirrors, darling, mirrors!  Oh, and if you can help them by pulling over on narrow, winding roads, please do so.

Roundabouts Jim, but not as we know ‘em

There is a great little roundabout in the north-west of Corfu with three roads coming off it.  None of the locals seem to know what a roundabout is or how to deal with it.  Some of them stop to give way to traffic.  Some of them never stop and you would be forgiven for thinking there was not even a roundabout there.  Some of them stop for everything except scooters!

“catch the driver’s eye”

The point is, roundabouts are not common in the Greek islands, so when you do scooter hire in Greece, forget everything you learned about roundabouts back at home.  Here, you have to assume that NOTHING will give way to you.  If a vehicle is approaching the roundabout when you are on it, catch the driver’s eye, really stare at him, until you are CONVINCED that he has seen you and will give way.  Always, always, be ready to avoid him if he carries on despite you.

Please follow this advice because you know, after a while, the angels will get SO bored of hearing that story about how it was YOU who had right of way down there on Earth..

Junction Attitude

Unlike roundabouts, the locals will be used to junctions.  Too used to them in some cases.  Often, when a local car driver is waiting to pull out of a side road, and sees a bike approaching, he will pull out anyway, as long as he can physically avoid the bike even if it’s only by a couple of metres.  This can take some getting used to!

Macho Man in his hired jeep

These folks are FAR worse than the locals.  Just as you are unused to your vehicle and unfamiliar with the roads, so are they.  But in their case, they have the protection of a big, ugly metal box.  I have seen some HORRENDOUS driving by this lot, especially if they are hunting in packs.  I’m sure this is what happens when the group of lads weaving around on scooters get older – they all switch to mass jeep hire.  The driving’s certainly just as bad.  This is a pain, because jeeps go faster and are harder to avoid than mopeds.

Well, that’s it for part nine.  In the next and final part of this series from Suntrap Holidays about scooter hire in Greece, after all the warnings and hazards, we end on a joyous note, looking at what a great pleasure it is to ride a scooter in the Greek Islands:

Scooter Hire in Greece – Part 10 – The Joy of Scooters

(Please have a read of the earlier parts of this series on scooter rental in Greece if you haven’t already: Scooter Hire in Greece – The Series)

Lads:

You know who you are, lads.  Yes you, with the Corsa back home.  Or the beat up BMW.  Or an attitude.  Take note of this especially if a few of you are out on mopeds or scooters together, and especially if it’s new to you, this biking thing.

Scooter Hire in Greece - Here Come the Lads, courtesy of flickr.com user: dainee

In a car, you are in a steel box that dents when you hit something.  On a bike, it’s gonna be you that takes the knocks, not the Corsa, OK?

So have a laugh, have a great time in the sun.  But ride within your ability.  Don’t take risks.  Don’t show off, and don’t ride when you’re drunk.  OK look, I feel really stupid writing this as a 46-year-old because I know most of you will ignore it in the heat of the moment, but at least I tried..

As for the rest of us out there quietly enjoying our scooter hire in the Greek Islands, well, just in case one or two of the raging hormone brigade have not read this article (how could they not?), you had better be ready for them.  Quite often, you will see groups of lads and girls on their scooters, in a very disorderly gaggle, weaving all over the road in front of you.  If you try to overtake them, they can be a real pain, behaving not unlike a flock of sheep.

“like deranged hydrogen atoms in a nuclear experiment”

Just as you pull out to overtake them, some pull in towards the edge of the road to let you pass, others stay right in the middle of the road, either because they haven’t seen you or because they are too much of a “man” to let you pass them, and a few carry on weaving about like deranged hydrogen atoms in a nuclear experiment.  They may hear your horn but probably just think it’s their mates messing around.  It’s always dangerous to get anywhere near this lot to be honest and my best advice is to give them a VERY wide berth.

The Lilo Brigade

Those people who choose to walk to the beach from their apartments or hotels will often find to their disgust that there is no pavement and they have to walk along a winding, narrow road, right alongside the traffic.  It’s something I hate doing and a very good reason to take out scooter hire in Greece!  On the bike, you need to watch out for these luckless

Local Greek Islands Scooter, courtesy of flickr.com user: keoki

souls.  Just around the blindest of bends, there they will be, whole families of them, adorned with shopping, lilos, the lot, walking right in the road without a care in the world, oblivious to the approaching danger.

Locals

Scooter hire in Greece has been well-established on the main tourist islands for many years now, but somehow this development seems to have been missed by a one or two of the local inhabitants of every island.

Those on foot will often be seen tottering along at the side of the road, but don’t assume for one minute that this is where they will stay.  So often, at the vital moment, especially in villages, this harmless looking pedestrian will suddenly be drawn into your path, perhaps by a call from across the

Greek Islands Scooter with Sidecar, courtesy of flickr.com user: jonmelsa

street; perhaps by some death wish, who knows.  Be ready to react quickly to whatever happens, and give them a wide berth to give yourself more options.

“signalling is a black art”

Locals in cars or on scooters, a small minority of them admittedly, can also be problematic.  For these privileged few, signalling is a black art best avoided.  They will come at you from all directions, with no warning.  You need to be ready for them.  Oh, and if someone IS signalling, don’t assume that this is in any way a sign of the direction of impending travel, because while some people don’t signal at all, for others signalling is merely an artistic gesture.

Well, that’s the end of part eight.  In the next part of this series from Suntrap Holidays about scooter hire in Greece, we take a look at some of the hazards caused by other traffic on the road:

Scooter Hire in Greece – Part 9 – Traffic

(If you have not read the earlier parts of this series on scooter rental in Greece, you can find it all here: Scooter Hire in Greece – The Series)

OK let’s get one thing straight – I make no pretences here about writing a complete guide to riding a scooter. For that, you need to look elsewhere. The motorcycling section at the Driving Standards Agency website is a good place to start.

Scooter Hire in Greece - Mountain Road, courtesy of flickr.com user: edoardotacconi

This article is a quick guide to those life-saving riding tips that you REALLY need to know if you are thinking of hiring a scooter in Greece for the first time:

Now, if you’re thinking “I just want to do a bit of scooter hire in Greece so just give me the basics PLEASE”, then here they are:

• You need to know what’s happening on the road, all around you, at all times.
• You need to know the state of the road and driving conditions and ride accordingly.
• You need to have a rolling plan of the path you will take along the road. You need to be able to stop within the length of this visible path at any time (e.g. the path is much shorter if you are about to come to a sharp bend).
• You also need to constantly scan this path and watch for developing hazards that may block it (such as cars pulling out of a side road) so that you can react as soon as possible.
• If you’re planning to make a significant change to what you’re doing, i.e. a change of speed or direction, you need to let other road users know so they can allow for it.

And that really IS a high-level summary. If that’s all you need, perhaps because you have some experience of riding, you can skip the rest of this article and head for the next part of this series:

Scooter Hire in Greece – Part 8, Hazardous Humans

OK you’re still here, and that’s good because I have some great tips here that really could keep you out of trouble. Now don’t worry, I’m going to make it nice and easy to read, nothing technical, OK? Right, first of all, mirrors:

Mirrors

Use ‘em! That’s it really. No, seriously, you need to be checking in your mirrors, the offside one at least, all the time, every five seconds. I mean it. It’s not as bad as it sounds because you soon get into the habit and it becomes second nature. The last thing you want is to be surprised when a massive tour coach or fully-laden cement mixer suddenly

Scooter Riding in Greece - Check those Mirrors, courtesy of flickr.com user: dainee

thunders past in a vortex of dust literally inches away from your left ear, perhaps so surprising you that you panic.

As well as the the regular mirror checks, you also need to do a mirror check whenever your scooter is going to “change”. By that I mean, change direction or change speed. Any time you plan to turn left or right, slow down, pull over, speed up, set off, pull out of a junction or even just swing out a little to avoid a pothole – before doing any of these things, look in the mirror and assess what’s going on behind you.

The mirror check before a “change” of direction or speed is just the start of the manoeuvre. To put it simply, after checking the mirrors, an instructor would say signal if appropriate and then just before executing certain manoeuvres you do a so-called life-saver glance, looking over the appropriate shoulder to check the blind spot you are about to move into.

When do you need to signal? Well, if you are turning 90 degrees, definitely signal. Same for setting off and stopping. For slowing down, speeding up, and altering your line of travel to avoid a grid, say – it’s not always obvious if you need to signal and you need to decide whether signalling would help or confuse another road user.

When do you need to do a “life-saver” glance? Again, it’s not always clear-cut and you need to use common sense. I would certainly do one just before positioning myself for a right or left turn, after the mirror check and signal; and also just before setting off and stopping, again after the mirror, signal. You have to be realistic though – you can’t safely do a lifesaver if you’re going at speed. Having said that, even when you’re travelling a bit and maybe need to veer out a little to avoid a pothole, a rapid chin-to-shoulder glance will show you the blind spot not covered by the mirror.

Hazards

To get a motorcycle licence in the UK you need to sit a separate hazard perception test, such is the importance given to this subject. You look at a series of video clips of cars pulling out, pedestrians wandering across the road – not to mention a lot of far more subtle hazards – and you have to click a button as soon as you notice any developing hazard.

If scooter hire in Greece is your first taste of biking, you may be doing this for real without having any of the training, you crazy kid! So, you’re scanning the road ahead and planning your path along it, and as you move along that path you need to be watching all the time for developing hazards.

Scooter Riding - Lifesaver Glance, courtesy of flickr.com user: dainee

And I don’t just mean “Will that car pull out?” or “Will that old woman walking in the road decide to totter across in front of me?”. More than than – for me, this also includes potential hazards that are not even “developing”, such as “Will the little urchin playing on the rubbish dump throw a glass bottle into my path?” (happened to me last time I was in Greece!) and “Is an unseen goat about to jump out of that hedge?” (yes, been there too!)

Defensive Driving

This is going to be very hard if you are the macho-man type, used to throwing insults and veering at other road users from the safety of your big metal box. When you take out scooter hire in Greece, you really must be defensive rather than aggressive. Defensive in this context does not mean defending yourself in a fight. It means avoiding the fight at all costs. This is because on a scooter, you are exposed. You lose. In any fight with a lorry, car, pedestrian, dog or goat, you lose. (OK I’m not saying the goat will be having a party either..)

So, you need to drop ALL of that attitude that went with your car driving, and get defensive.

Speed

I need to talk to you about speed. Speed is not in itself dangerous, but inappropriate speed for the conditions and circumstances is. The basic rule is that you need to be able stop safely within the visible path ahead. Thinking of racing round blind bends? Be my guest. While you’re at it, why not go full-on barmy and wear a blindfold too?

Leave plenty of stopping distance for the speed you’re doing, even more than in a car, and watch you don’t take a bend too fast especially if the road surface is wet, uneven – and especially if it looks oily.

If you’re doing the typical UK holidaymaker version of scooter hire in Greece – clothed in just the tee shirt, shorts and flip-flops, well, if I were you I’d be VERY careful about speed. I’m not going to spell it out because there could be kiddies reading this, but basically the more you think about what I’m getting at here, the safer your spell of scooter rental in Greece will be!

Brakes

If you’ve been to the Greek Islands on holiday you will know that many of them have bloomin big mountains in the middle, and often the roads of the island snake along the edges of these mountains, sometimes with a massive drop on one side, sometimes punctuated by hard-looking concrete blocks for barriers. Often I find myself careering down a steep stretch with a sharp bend at the end and the sea beyond, and I think, hmm.. what if?… What if BOTH of the brake cables suddenly snap when I grab the brakes?

I don’t want to scare you, because for both brakes to fail on a bike is virtually unheard of, but it’s a useful exercise to keep excessive speed in check. When you’re out on the bike, on a downhill stretch, as the bike accelerates under the pull of gravity and the breeze starts to whip past your head, think to yourself now and then – am I absolutely confident that I can stop safely if I need to, even if the brakes don’t do quite what I expect them to? It’s quite sobering, and the usual effect it has on me is that I slow down. A lot.

Well, that’s it for part seven. I’m not trying to put you off hiring a scooter in Greece, honestly. I love it and I want to make sure you stay safe so you can enjoy it too. But, before I talk about some of the real pleasures of riding a scooter in Greece, in the next part of this series, you can read about one of the biggest hazard of all – humans! Just click the link:

Scooter Hire in Greece – Part 8 – Hazardous Humans

This article’s reference number is suntrap148. Text suntrap148 to your friends and family and tell them to Google it to find this article.

(If you have not read the earlier parts of this series on scooter rental in Greece, you can find it here: Scooter Hire in Greece – The Series)

Road Surface

Quite a bit of the time when you’re out on the bike enjoying the Greek holiday sun, you will be looking at the road.  Not just to see what’s happening, but to constantly check the state of the road.  This is an important aspect of riding a scooter, especially on holiday in a foreign country, because the roads are different to those at home in the UK.  Also, if you’ve never been on a bike before, it’s not the same as a car – the road surface has more effect when you’re balancing on two wheels.  Here are a few things to consider:

Potholes:

Scooter Hazard - Pothole, courtesy of flickr.com user: teofilo

Oh how people love to talk about the perilous state of Greek roads!  These days, the main roads are fine.  OK, so maybe not as good as the main roads back home, but OK.  Off the beaten track, yes, it’s a different story.  You can find that the tarmac literally runs out, without warning, and you are on a so-called “un-metalled” road – one that’s basically a load of very loose white chippings and stones.

“the tarmac literally runs out”

In my early days of scooter hire in Greece, there were a LOT of these roads and I sort of got used to them.  But, if you are on a scooter for the first time, it’s very easy to come unstuck.  The best advice I can give is to avoid them (remember, any damage to the bike from flying stones – you pay for).  If you can’t avoid these stony sections of road, go slow enough – and fast enough.  You need to go slow enough that you can correct any slides as soon as they start, and to avoid damage from fast-flying stones, and fast enough to make sure you are well-balanced.  Seriously though, all but the confident beginner should avoid these roads.

Steep Hills:

On Greek Islands holidays, steep hills are everywhere.  When, as a 22 year old, I did scooter hire in Greece for the first time – in Rhodes it was – I had literally never been on a scooter before, which is true of so many holidaymakers of course.  My partner did not fancy riding one, so from day one I was riding with a pillion passenger, on a bike that was barely able to move on the flat under our combined weight, so you can imagine that when we got to the hills, things became rather interesting.

“jump off the back”

From that first week of my biking career, I was learning VERY fast what to do if the bike literally stopped when going up a steep hill with two people on board, engine screeching, clutch slipping, forcing an unplanned scurry to the side of the road.  Soon, my pillion passenger learned to spot the signs, and would jump off the back before we stopped altogether, giving me enough power to crawl on,  until reaching the top of the ascent, where I would wait for my passenger to walk up!  This is, erm, not recommended, especially in traffic..

“the very definition of danger”

You really DON’T want to find yourself on day one of your scooter hire in Greece, with a passenger, going up a steep incline, losing speed fast, starting to weave about to keep your balance, with lorries and coaches whizzing past inches away.  This is the very definition of danger.  Well, one of them.  What are you going to do?  Well, if you really do find yourself there, escape and bloody fast.  Get off the road before the bike stops. Or at the very least, get to the side and stop.  Do not wait until you have stopped altogether or you will only have your feet and gravity to propel the bike out of the traffic.  Having stopped, play it safe and wait until there is a good break in the traffic before trying again, or better still, turn round and go back down.

Scooter Hire in Rhodes, courtesy of flickr.com user: kalevkevad

To avoid this situation, and I URGE you to avoid it at all costs, know your bike!  Find a quiet, hilly road on your first outing, and LEARN what the scooter can do – and what it can’t.

“the bike went backwards”

I was riding a scooter up a VERY steep hill in Skopelos one year, a beautiful island next to Skiathos.  There was a lad and a girl going up this hill some distance ahead of us, and I could see that they were slowing rapidly.  On they went – blind hope I suppose.  As we approached, powerless, their bike stopped – and to my horror started to roll backwards – the lad in his panic must have forgotten where the brakes were!  The bike went backwards in a straight line for a while then turned suddenly and off they came.  Fortunately, they only had a few scratches.  They said it was their first day on the bike.  Judging by how flatly the girl was refusing to get back on, I suspect it was their last!

“terrifying wheelie”

Another story about hills from my early days riding a scooter in Greece – one year we found a lovely beach where the road down to it was very steep indeed.  One day, on the way back up I suddenly noticed a lad pointing at us and clapping.  It was only after a few seconds that I realised the front wheel wasn’t on the ground!  In my eagerness to take a swift run at the hill, I ended up doing my first, unintentional and rather terrifying wheelie!  Now don’t go getting any ideas…

Grids & manhole covers:

On the straight, in the dry, grids and manhole covers are OK, but it’s best to get into the habit of avoiding them because they can turn into slippy hazards when it’s wet or on bends.  They can also, if you are really unlucky, tip as you go over them, and some of them are really sunken..  Worse still, the cover could be missing altogether, and the deep hole left behind often looks just the same as the dark cover.  So, look for grids and manhole covers and plan a route around them whenever possible.  This is especially important on bends and in the wet.

Tramlines:

You sometimes get these where the road has been laid in strips lengthways, and one of the strips breaks down.  Or you can get a stretch of subsidence along one edge of the road, causing a length-ways crack, or tramline.  If your wheel gets caught against the edge of one of these, you’re in trouble.

Smooth Patches:

I remember a particular year when I hired a scooter in Skiathos – there had been a really hot spell beforehand and the tarmac had melted on long stretches of the main road around the island, somehow bringing the tar to the top, where it set.  This made the road surface black, shiny and completely smooth, like an ice-rink.

“like an ice-rink”

You would think that a smooth road would come fairly low on the list of dangers of you could face doing scooter hire in Greece, but I can tell you it was one of the trickiest weeks of riding I have ever experienced.  I had to go soooo slowly on the bends, because a time or two I literally felt the rear wheel losing its grip even at 50kmh / 30mph.  So, watch out for those smooth black stretches of road because in the extreme heat of summer in the Greek Islands it’s not unusual for this to happen.

Sand:

If you’re on the beach road, watch out for this one.  Patches of sand can drift over onto the road, and they’re a killer.  Riding on any depth of sand, the steering becomes impossible and the bike sinks in and slides all over the place.  If you hit a patch of sand at speed, boy, you’re gonna get sandpapered if you’re not very careful indeed.  Avoid sand at all costs.

Oil:

This is something else to avoid at all costs.  Brake or corner on a patch of diesel, even at relatively low speed, and you will be off.  So, when looking at the road ahead, one of things you must strive to see, scanning endlessly, is that patch of oil.  They are not easy to see either – often just a darker patch on the tarmac.  It’s especially bad at junctions, where lorries turn and diesel overflows.  Just where you want it least; just where you need to turn and just where your

Scooter Hire in Greece - Goat Hazard, courtesy of flickr.com user: benjamin_mercadier

attention is likely to be on other traffic rather than the road.  So watch out.

Animals:

Ah, animals.  I have had some lucky escapes with animals while on the scooter in the Greek Islands.  Here are a few of the most kamikaze to watch out for:

“some daft goat”

Goats – very problematic for scooter riding in the Greek Islands, goats are.  On several occasions I have been riding along a deserted country road in the hills, then suddenly right in front of me, some daft goat literally jumps out of the hedge and in front of the bike.  Just when you spot a route past it, another one appears and blocks you.  They’ve got no sense of your speed whatsoever, and if one goes, the next will follow.

All I can say is this – if a goat runs across the road ahead – boy, you better keep your eyes peeled and lose your speed, because you can guarantee that just as you reach the spot, goat number two will jump out in the same place, virtually under your front wheel.  Worse than that, you can be unlucky enough to encounter goat number one jumping out at close quarters with no warning whatsoever, at any time, on any country road.

Pigs – like goats, pigs are often not alone and prefer to test your riding skills as a group!  They’re a bit slower than goats too, so give that bacon on legs a bit more time to shift.

Hens – actually hens are not as stupid as you might think, and usually get out of the way even if it’s at the last minute.

Greek Islands Scooter Hazard - Dog, courtesy of flickr.com user: benjamin_mercadier

Dogs – in country villages or through farmyards, dogs can be a pain.  I’ve had them running alongside, jumping up and barking, and sometimes rather aggressively too.  The best thing is not to look them in the eye, not react at all in fact, and keep going at a safe speed, ignoring them until you leave them behind.  They are not stupid enough to run in front of you.  Hopefully.

“many a dead snake”

Snakes – I’ve seen many a dead snake on the road in Greece, but only a couple of live ones slithering across.  If you can safely avoid them, dead or alive, do so, but they are not worth swerving into traffic or off the road for.

Dappled shade:

This is something particularly common to scooter hire in Greece – often there are olive groves next to the road – lovely yes – but they can cause deeply shaded areas of road surface.  because the sun on the other parts of the road is so bright, these shady patches will be a complete unknown, possibly hiding any one of the other hazards mentioned in this article.  If you can, steer round these shady patches, and if you can’t – assume that any one of the above hazards is lurking there.

Well, that’s it for part six.  Look, I’m not trying to put you off scooter hire in the Greek Islands, I promise you.  It’s tremendous fun, and as I have already said, one of my great pleasures in life.  But you need to stay safe, OK!  In the next part in this series, you can find some vital tips on riding style:

Scooter Hire in Greece – Part 7 – Ride in Style

This is part five of a series by Suntrap Holidays about scooter hire in Greece, and here we FINALLY get out on the road.  Beginners, don’t miss this..

In case you came here first, here’s a link to the earlier parts of this series:

Scooter Hire in Greece – The Series

Right, in this article we’re going to take a look at what to wear on the scooter in Greece, and some of the hazards out there on the road,  but first, we need to get fuelled up:

Petrol

Just before you leave the scooter hire shop for the first time, there is one thing, one vital thing, that you need to ask the man in the shop – “where is the nearest petrol station?”.  An almost universal phenomenon of scooter hire in Greece is

Scooter Hire in Greece - Silver Moped

that most shops issue scooters with the petrol tank barely coated with a thin layer of fuel.  Now usually you will be told automatically where the petrol station is, but if they forget to tell you, make sure you ask, because you can almost guarantee that the bike will have little more juice than it takes to get as far as the petrol station forecourt.

“keep a close eye on the petrol gauge”

At the petrol station, remember what the man in the bike shop said to ask for – often “Super” which is basically unleaded petrol – and then put the scooter on its two-footed stand to keep it horizontal, and get the attendant to “fill her up”.  By the way, when out riding, make sure you keep a close eye on the petrol gauge at all times.  You will be surprised how it drops faster in the most remote areas where there are no petrol stations!  Running out is a pain, because you have to phone the bike shop and await their unimpressed arrival…

OK – all fuelled up?  Great, we’re almost ready to go, but DARLING, what are you wearing?

Clothing

If you went on a motorcycle compulsory basic training (CBT) course in the UK – the first step towards obtaining a motorcycle licence – you would be taught about suitable clothing to wear, to protect you against the elements and to protect your body if you fall off the bike.

Scooter Hire in Corfu

On holiday in the Greek Islands in summer, protection against the elements amounts to nothing more than suntan lotion or sunblock!  However, protecting your body in the event of an accident is a different matter.  The problem is that proper protective clothing just won’t be available at the vast majority of shops offering scooter hire in Greece.  Therefore, there is going to be an element of risk involved.  For example, if like so many people hiring a moped for the first time, you just wear your normal summer holiday outfit – shorts, tee shirt, flip-flops – it will feel great out on the bike, I admit it.

“toppling off”

However, the risk you are accepting is that if you fall off, you will be lucky to escape unhurt.  I mean, even toppling off a stationary bike onto tarmac is going to involve cuts and bruises if you have bare arms and legs, isn’t it?  To reduce the risk a little, you can wear jeans.  The thick fabric will give you some protection and is better than nothing.  You can also wear long-sleeved tops instead of tee shirts, or even a jacket.  Again, the protection is minimal, but at a slow speed it could save you from injury.

We will more talk about speed later, but to sum up this section, you have to accept that, without proper protective clothing, hiring a scooter in Greece has a level of risk attached.  Only you can decide if you are happy taking that risk.

“bee, cicada, olive – you name it”

A quick word about your eyes:  You need eye protection – it’s important.  Sunglasses are probably all you will have, and they’re nowhere near as good as goggles or a helmet visor, but if, like many holidaymakers, they’re all you’ve got, they are a definite must.  Without them, at best your eyes are going to be red and stinging from the dust, and at worst you could get hit in the eye by a stone, bee, cicada, olive – you name it.  Not worth the risk.

Well that’s about it for clothing.  The next part of this Suntrap Holidays series on scooter hire in Greece has some cracking tips on what to look out for on the road while riding a moped or scooter in the Greek Islands:

Scooter Hire in Greece – Part 6, The Road

This article’s reference number is suntrap146. Text suntrap146 to your friends and family and tell them to Google it to find this article.

This is part four of a series by Suntrap Holidays about scooter hire in Greece, and here you can find out how to do some quick safety checks on that bike before you hand over your money.

In case you came here first, here’s a link to the earlier parts of this series:

Scooter Hire in Greece – The Series

Right, on with those safety checks:

When you are about to get on a machine with only two wheels, you really do need to carry out a few simple checks, because if something goes wrong, there is literally no chance that the bike will quietly roll to a stop like a car might. It will fall over. That’s physics. So, this is what you need to do:

Greek Islands Scooter Hire - On the Move, courtesy of flickr.com user: iain

Rental Bike Checklist

First of all, ask to see the actual bike you will be getting. Don’t just point to one and say “I want one of those”. Ask to see the one you will be getting.

• Tyres – Get down and look at the tyres – check the tread. Look for bald patches, tears and objects like nails embedded in the tyre.
• Damage – Look at the front forks and the chassis in general. Is anything bent or cracked? Look at the wheels. Is there any sign of buckling or mis-alignment? Note that we’re not concerned with cosmetic damage to the body panels – most bikes offered for scooter hire in Greece will have some of that.
• Chain – check at least that the chain is well-oiled, not dry. See if you can spot any irregular links or anything obviously out of place. Ideally, you want to check the tension – the correct tension varies between models, but for a rough check see that the chain moves up and down at its loosest point no more than an inch – this is tricky without getting oily!
• Lights and horn – ask to be shown that the lights work, and see for yourself that they do, including main and dipped headlights. Check the horn. Do not be fobbed off with “aah, you won’t need the left indicator, it’s the right one that’s important!” Or, “you won’t need main beam because you won’t be going fast at night, will you.” I’ve heard both of these lines personally when hiring a scooter in Greece.
• Mirrors – you will NEED your mirrors, especially the offside one on the left. You will be using it ALL the time. When bikes destined for scooter hire in Greece have been around a bit, and fallen over a few times, the mirror is one of the first things to get damaged. So, make sure at the very least that the left-hand mirror is – well, first of all make sure it’s there! Then, check that it’s clear and not cracked, and try to adjust it or ask the man to show you how to adjust it. The mounting must be tight but just loose enough to allow for adjustment with one hand. Many a time I have not bothered to really check this, and for the whole week I have struggled with a mirror that just won’t stay in place.
• Cables and hoses – check for badly worn or frayed cables or hoses. Check that all cables are not trapped or snagged on any part of the bike.
• Brakes – Check that the brake levers move smoothly and easily. Ask for the bike to be placed in neutral and to be taken off its stand. Grasp the handlebars and roll it a little, then apply first one brake and then the other to check that the brakes work. It’s better that they do if you’re planning to enjoy your holiday in Greece. With each brake applied, you should in no way be able to move that bike.
• Steering – astride the bike, still with it off its stand, check that the handlebars can move from one lock to the other nice and smoothly, no grating, jarring or stiffness, and without any cables getting caught anywhere.
• Oil – ask how to check the level of oil in the engine and get him to show you how. We are talking about engine oil not fuel. There may be a little gauge where you can see the oil level, or there may just be a dip-stick. You need to know that the oil level is within the acceptable range shown on the gauge or dip-stick.

So those are the checks I recommend for safe scooter rental in Greece. Once you have run through them a few times, it

Greek Islands Holidays - Old Basket Scooter, courtesy of flickr.com user: daquellamanera

only takes about five minutes. But, if you feel awkward doing these checks when you are in front of the man in the shop, at the very least you should do them afterwards – and go back to the shop if anything is not right.

Operating the Bike

If you are not familiar with the model, and most especially if you have never ridden a moped before, you MUST make sure that you get the man in the shop to show you where the controls are and how to operate them. This is a vital step for successful scooter hire in Greece. DO NOT somehow think

“it will fall into place as I ride away down the road”.

It’s more likely that:

you will fall into the road as you ride away from the place!

You need to be certain at the very least where to find the brakes!

In my early days, I had the embarrassment of having to ask in the petrol station for petrol without having a clue where it went in! So, ask where the fuel goes and what sort to ask for. If it’s a two-stroke bike, you will see a separate oil filler cap next to the petrol cap (under the seat on many scooters), and you will need to ask how and when to check this too.

Now, assuming you have your moped or motorbike, and have left the motorbike hire shop, you might be wondering what to wear out on the bike.  Here’s part five of this series, on that very subject:

Scooter Hire in Greece – Part 5, Clothing

This article’s reference number is suntrap145. Text suntrap145 to your friends and family and tell them to Google it to find this article.