Best Honeymoon Destinations For 2017- 2018

The islands of Santorini in the Cyclades and Corfu in the Ionian sea are among the 20 “Best Honeymoon Destinations for 2017-18” in the world, according to the digital news and information company U.S. News & World Report.

Tuscany ranked first and is followed by Tahiti and Bora Bora. The top 5 Best Honeymoon Destinations for 2017-18 include St. Lucia and the Fiji islands in the fourth and fifth place respectively.

Santorini ranked 14th for its brilliant sunsets, rich Greek food and romantic hotels. The island is almost tailor-made for those who have just said ‘I do’.

Honeymooners can lounge on red- and black-sand beaches before taking in historic sites or visiting the island’s wineries, the US News & World Report said.

The company urges newlyweds to visit the towns of Fira and Oia and catch a breathtaking view of the caldera; explore the impressively preserved Ancient Akrotiri and take a daytrip to Thirassia, and the volcanic islands of Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni.

Furthermore, it underlines that Santorini’s volcanic activity plays a role in many of island’s popular activities, from swimming to exploring ancient ruins once buried in ash.

Corfu ranked 18th on the list for its lush green landscape and sprawling, pebbly beaches.

Used as the backdrop for epic tales by both Homer and Shakespeare, the island of Corfu, or Kerkyra, continues to attract weary travelers looking to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, the US News & World Report said.

Apart from the stunning beaches, the island is also home to interesting museums and sites, including the Old Corfu Town, the Old Fortress and the Church of Agios Spiridon.

Both islands are also included in the 12 Best Destination Weddings Spots in Europe, according to the US News & World Report. Santorini ranked sixth and Corfu eleventh, while Tuscany, Porto and Paris top the list.

Santorini is highlighted for its plethora of pristine ocean views, as couples can choose to get married high atop the caldera or along the island’s east coast.

Being a bigger island, Corfu offers more venue options, with most preferable sports being the Venetian-influenced Corfu Town and the island’s chapels overlooking the waters of the clear blue Ionian Sea.


Tourism Observer

GERMANY: Intersky And Minoan Air Stop Flying

Two European regional airlines have stopped flying this week as the summer peak demand turns into winter over supply of flights.

Intersky the German carrier, which flew domestic scheduled services from Friedrichshafen Airport to Cologne/Bonn, Dusseldorf, Berlin Tegel and Hamburg Fuhlsbühl and international flights from Zurich to Graz and Salzburg has decided to call it a day and grounded its fleet of two ATR72-600s and three Dash 8-300s

In a similar story, Minoan Air based in Heraklion in Greece, has suspended operations but hopefully this is only temporary with its fleet of four four Fokker 50s aircraft which had operated scheduled services between Athens, Heraklion, Alexandroupolis, Rhodes, Thessaloniki, Kos, Mytilene, Mykonos, and Santorini grounded for the timebeing pending a corporate reorganisation.

Alternative Airlines can provide alternative ways of flying between all these destinations and we specialise in helping passengers book and travel on less well known carriers throughout the world. As a specialist we can guide passengers with access to up to date information on what is happening in the comlex world of airlines, we are our your experts in air travel.

With our new, exciting subsidary site, self connect.flights we have a unique service - on-line and telephone bookings for the discerning traveller.

GREECE: Santorini Is The Crown Jewel Of Greece

Majestic Santorini is one of the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea. The island is known for its whitewashed, cubist houses of its two principal towns, Fira and Oia, clinging to cliffs above an underwater caldera. The principals overlook the clear Aegean and beaches made up of black, red and white lava pebbles.

Santorini is a collection of five islands floating on the Aegean Sea like an incomplete jigsaw puzzle. Once they were a single landmass, a walnut-shaped island known as Strongyli (the round one). When Strongyli’s volcano erupted catastrophically around 1650 BC, the island split initially into three separate parts. Together, they now form the walls of a massive, fragmented crater enclosing a central lagoon that was created when the middle of the original landmass collapsed into the sea.

A mythical ancient island that endured one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history, Santorini feels like no other place on earth. Here, everything is brighter: the whitewashed cube-shaped houses, the lapis lazuli sea, and the sunsets that light up the caldera.

In summer the weather is always perfect in Santorini, or so the locals say. But come rain or shine, prepare to be dazzled by charming towns and a volcanic landscape steeped in Greek mythology.

Donkeys and Santorini go together like pigeons and the Piazza San Marco in Venice. They’re an integral part of the local tourism scene, providing tourists much loved rides up and down the traditional steps. There are hundreds of donkeys lined up along the island ready to take tourists around. Donkey droppings are everywhere, so tourists may want to watch their steps.

The small town of Fira is located on the west of the island on the caldera cliffs opposite the volcano. It is Santorini’s capital and, as a popular destination for day-trippers from cruise ships, one of the busiest spots on the island. Fira offers various sightseeing activities such as museums, galleries and cultural events, it has the island’s largest shopping center and the biggest choice of dining out and entertainment. Fira’s sunset is magical; many say that that this island is usually busy and loud.

Fira tourists love walking around the shopping district searching for designer clothing, leather goods, jewelry and souvenirs. Travelers should be cautious of the tourist trap and as prices may be high, bargaining should be ideal.

Agiou Mina Street is a street that goes through Fira part-way down the cliff, from the south part of the town all the way to the cable car. It provides the stunning views of Fira that you came to see. You can walk either north or south, but walking north has the advantage that the main part of Fira is in front of you. You will find a donkey parade where people use them for transportation purposes.

The old port is an interesting place to explore; you must take a couple of photos from sea level. You can take a ride up and down again using the cable car or a donkey ride. Going there is only half the fun. On the port, you will see many fishermen selling their catch of the day, especially octopuses that you will see hanging from a rope for display. Try having lunch there, have some Greek seafood.

The village of Oia in the north (pronounced Ee-a) is formerly a major maritime trading center, it’s entirely picturesque and is rightly celebrated as the jewel in Santorini’s crown. Oia is a dazzling mixture of cave houses, originally built for sailors and fishermen and painted in traditional whites, blues and orange, packed cheerfully alongside the magnificent neo-classical style castles of former sea commanders. The other smaller houses surrounding them have domed roofs, which is another distinctive feature of Santorini’s architecture.

The Marble walkway is a must see in the evening, it will be filled with people waiting to see street performances. From here, Santorini’s sunsets are even more dramatic than those seen from the designated viewing terrace at the tip of the village.
Even the chaotic wiring and loose cables that criss-cross the square becomes part of the experience.

Catamaran tour of the volcano
Sunset Oia Catamaran tours is a first rate adventure. You can swim in the hot springs and get a close up view of churches, the volcano, and the famous three beaches in Santorini. The view of Fira from the sea is breathtaking. Captain Argiris and the crew are gracious hosts and will tell you things about the island others may not take the time to tell you.

You must watch a sunset over dinner, it is what the island is known for. People gather around the sunset time at the cafes and restaurants lined up next to the seaside. Dinner is served at this time, it is recommended to try the authentic Greek food.

Kamari Beach is a black pebble beach framed by the jagged cliffs of Mesa Vouno and Profitis Ilias Mountains and the crystalline waters of the Aegean. The beach itself is covered with small black volcanic stones, not sand, so it is difficult to walk on, but boards have been laid especially where there are many umbrellas.

Most of the restaurants and cafes are on the beach side of the promenade with some on the other side along with shops and hotels.

You should also visit the Akrotiri, it is a Minoan Bronze Age settlement on the volcanic Greek island of Santorini. The settlement was destroyed in the Theran eruption about 1627 BC and buried in volcanic ash, which preserved the remains of fine Forescoes and many objects and artworks.

The settlement has been suggested as a possible inspiration for Plato’s story of Atlantic. The site has been excavated since 1967. Today it is partially excavated and is protected from the sun inside a large shed.

People love visiting Santorini bakeries, they sell a variety of baked sweet and savory goodies. You will love the baklava, this sweet was originally made in Greece but is now made and sold all over the Arab world. The Pita is bread filled with cheese, olives or spinach and minced meat.

The Tiropita or tyropita is a Greek layered pastry pie with feta cheese filling. For dessert, try the pastry consisting of either vanilla custard or (salty) cheese filling between layers of phyllo. Fanouropita is a kind of spice bread with ground cloves and cinnamon, resembling a sweet bread rather than a cake.

Similar to donuts, Loukoumades are essentially fried balls of dough drenched in honey and sprinkled with cinnamon and (sometimes) crushed walnuts. Finally, the Melitinia cookies are a must try, these sweet cheese pastries originated in the Cyclades. Soft Myzithra goat’s milk cheese is typically used as a filling, but ricotta can also be used as a substitute.

No visit to Santorini is complete without a boat trip, and there are loads of boats for hire from the old port. One can enjoy an adventure trip to the sea filled with water activities.

IRELAND: Ryanair Kicks Off Athens Winter 2015 Schedule

New route to Berlin, Bratislava, Budapest, Santorini and Warsaw. More flights on 3 other routes including Paphos 2X daily, Rhodes 2X daily, and Thessaloniki 8 X daily.

Ryanair kicked off its Athens winter 2015 schedule, which includes 5 new routes to/from Berlin, Bratislava, Budapest, Santorini & Warsaw as well as increased frequencies on 3 other routes (including Thessaloniki 8 x daily), which will deliver over 2.4 m customers p.a. and support 1,800* “on-site” jobs at Athens Airport.

Ryanair’s Athens winter 2015 schedule will deliver:

5 new routes: Berlin, Bratislava, Budapest, Santorini & Warsaw
13 Athens routes in total
More flights & improved schedules on 3 other routes
2.4 m customers p.a. in total
1,800 “on-site” jobs p.a.

Greek customers and visitors can choose from 13 routes from Athens this winter, while enjoying allocated seating, a free second carry-on bag, reduced fees, a new website, a brand new app with mobile boarding passes, Family Extra and Business Plus, making Ryanair the ideal choice for families, business and leisure travellers.


Ryanair’s Dimitra Apatsidou said: “The winter season is almost here and Ryanair is pleased to celebrate our biggest ever Athens schedule, with 13 exciting routes in total, including our new routes to Berlin, Bratislava, Budapest, Santorini and Warsaw. We’ve also added extra flights on 3 routes, including Thessaloniki, with an eight-time daily service from November and we continue to connect Athens with Europe’s major centres of business.

Greek consumers already choose Ryanair for our low fares, industry leading customer service and great route choice. Now they can also book their summer and winter flights on our improved website and great new app, carry a free small 2nd carry-on bag and avail of our new Family Extra and Business Plus services, as Ryanair continues to deliver so much more than just the lowest fares – with more improvements to come in 2016.

To celebrate the beginning of our Athens winter 2015 schedule and 5 new routes, we are releasing seats on sale from €29.99 from Athens to Berlin, Budapest, Bratislava and Warsaw for travel from November to January 2016 which are available for booking until midnight Friday (6 November). Since these amazing low prices will be snapped up quickly, customers should log onto ryanair.com and avoid missing out.”

Athens Airport spokesperson, Ioanna Papapadopoulou said: "We are indeed delighted with Ryanair's decision to continue its dynamic expansion in the Athens aviation market, during the current winter season, with the establishment of new services and the increase of frequencies. The Athens market has been developing rapidly within the last two years, demonstrating double-digit traffic increases and Ryanair has substantially contributed to this success. On our part, we remain firmly committed to continue supporting Ryanair, as well as all our airline partners, in order to further enhance their very successful presence in our market”.

FINLAND: Finnair To Fly To Four New European Destinations In 2016

The airline Finnair will launch next year four new routes from Helsinki to northern Europe or East And it will convert into eight routes previously operated scheduled flights only charter flights.

As of April 4, 2016, the national carrier of Finland will offer a daily flight between the airport of Helsinki-Vantaa and Billund, operated by Embraer 170 seats 76 by ​​its subsidiary Nordic Regional Airlines (eg Flybe Nordic). Departures are scheduled at 8:05 (8:55 arrival) or 4:10 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (arrival 17:00) are return flights leaving Denmark respectively at 12:10 (2:55 p.m. arrival) and at 20:10 (10:55 p.m. arrival). No competition on this route for Finnair, already poses five times a day in Copenhagen.

As of April 18 and throughout the summer season, the airline alliance will offer three and four weekly rotations between its capital and Edinburgh, operated by Airbus A319 of 138 seats again without competition. Departures Monday and Thursday are scheduled at 8:30 am (arrival 9:10), the one on Wednesday at 17:20 (arrival 18.00) and the Sunday at 16:30 (arrival 5:10 p.m.) Return flights will leave Scotland Monday and Thursday at 9:50 am (14:40 arrival), Wednesday at 18:40 (arriving 23:30) and Sundays at 18:15 (23:05 arrival). This road will allow "our Asian customers excellent opportunities to travel to Scotland on their travels in the UK, Scotland and connect the broad Asian network of Finnair, which has 13 airports."

From June 1 to August 27, Finnair will offer three flights a week between Helsinki and Svalbard, Longyearbyen airport accepting regular flights over the north of the planet. The E190 100 seats of its subsidiary will take off on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday 23:45 (arrival the next day at 1:55), and will leave the Norwegian archipelago Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 2:45 (6:45 arrival). Only SAS Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian offer low cost scheduled flights to Svalbard.

Finally significantly further south, Finnair will offer from June 20 to August 12 two flights a week between Helsinki and Pula starts Monday at 7:45 (9:40 arrival) and Friday at 5:35 p.m. (arrival 7:30 p.m.) and return of Croatia respectively at 10:30 am (2:25 p.m. arrival ) and 8:25 p.m. (0:20 arrival). No competition there either for the company that already serves Dubrovnik and Split.

Finnair will convert to the other regular flights from the month of May 2016 eight routes to Greece, Italy and Bulgaria previously offered only as charter flights in almost every case with one flight per week in A319, A320 or A321: these flies to Preveza (two flights a week), Rimini, Mytilini, Santorini, Skiathos, Varna, Verona and Zakynthos.