Bonjour lecteurs! I have been super quiet on here as we were away in Greece. Indeed, we decided to go ahead with our summer holiday. So we flew to Heraklion. Following the stories I did on Instagram during our stay at Stella Palace, many of you asked me questions regarding travelling with new measures in place. So here is pour vous our Break In Crete with Jet2holidays.
Why Jet2holidays?
This year, we decided to go for a Jet2holidays package. The brand is the second-largest tour operator in the UK.
En plus, it has some good reputation for family stays. So we chose it as it looked very convenient instead of booking a hotel and then separate flights.
We checked the prices and it worked out cheaper too. Plus, Jet2holiday offers a large selection of countries to travel to and also all sort of accommodations, whatever your budget.
We personally book a room at the Stella Palace in Analipsis, which is a gorgeous resort & spa in the North of Crete. Soon a blog post!
Travel With Jet2holidays
Many of you asked me about our plane journey. It was really straightforward. We departed from London Stansted.
And it was so much more convenient than Gatwick. Because it is not such a busy airport, queues for check-in and security were way faster!
No need to say that Baba looked super cool on his (oh so fab!) Micro Eazy 3 in 1 Ride Suitcase! People even asked us what was the brand to buy one! ?
I reckon it was also a bit less busy because many people are staying in the UK this year.
Either way, it is easy to spot Jet2holidays’ staff with their red uniform. We were directed to check-in as soon as we were at the airport and the rest ran super smoothly.
And unlike other airlines companies, the plane was on time. The journey was quick and easy and we arrived in Heraklion in less than 4 hours.
Landing In Crete
Once we got our luggage, it was again super easy to spot the company. Direction le bus! And after half an hour journey, we arrived at the hotel.
Basically, Jet2holidays has a bus that runs in the area where you stay and it drops people off at each hotel they book with, depending on their packages.
We had to wear masks on the bus as well as at the airport and during the plane journey.
Pretty standard from now on. We felt safe at all times.
Everyone was very helpful and it was straightforward!
Stella Palace
I will not talk too much about our hotel here as I will dedicate a post to it next. But the place was truly amazing!
Encore, the Stella Palace team was fab an after checking in via an app on our phone, we got to discover the resort.
During our stay, we also went several times to the adjacent Analipsis beach.
It was like being in a James Bond movie! I swear they must have filmed there!
Heraklion
We also rented a car one day for some adventures.
Jet2holidays offers all kinds of packages and excursions for you to book at their partner hotels.
We stopped by Heraklion, which is a Venetian port.
Once more, the cars’ rental company was super friendly and gave us some tips to help our day.
She indicated the cheapest car park in town, advised on good places to eat so that it was safe and convenient.
We walked around the town and got some lunch on the terrace. It was so lovely to be out! Un peu like in France!
I went shopping while the boys chilled and finished with a coffee.
You have to wear a mask in shops but many boutiques have some free ones if you forgot yours.
Knossos
Being in Cretes, we had to see an archaeological site! So direction Knossos!
Et oui! We were going after the Minotaur, nothing less!
We drove around the narrow roads in the Cretan mountains and the view was simply spectacular!
The Palace of Knossos is the centre of Minoan civilisation and capital of Minoan Crete. Situé 5km south of Heraklion, it is a must-see!
Entries were 15 euros per adult and 5 for Baba. I previously read some reviews and people were moaning that you could see less because of COVID 19 measures in place.
But in my opinion, the site is really big and we still saw a lot! So definitely worth the money! We had a lovely time. The palace is somehow well conserved but we did not find the beast… Never mind! We bought a statue of him!
Beach & Hersonissos
The rest of the week involved us drinking cocktails à volonté and swimming at the beach and at the pool.
But we also had one evening in the picturesque village of Hersonissos.
Walking along the beach, but also stopping by the local Plaka (kind of!) for some food.
We actually had dinner once just right by the sea and it was magnificent.
Our Break With Jet2holidays – Le Verdict
Would I recommend to travel with Jet2holidays? Oh oui! A million times oui!
It was so convenient to have it all sorted in one place! The hotel was stunning, the facilities there were varied and safe to use.
It was so straightforward and the Jet2holidays team answered all the questions we had at any time!
If anything, it was definitely one of our best holidays abroad as a family. En plus, our package provided really good value for money!
I am so happy we went ahead with it and we did not cancel.
I will definitely reuse the company’s services for our next vacances! Preferably somewhere sunny like Crete again!
We had such a lovely time!
What are your plans for this Summer? Will you travel abroad? Or will you have a break in the UK?
It looks like it was a great family holiday. It must have been tough to make the decision to go. But seems like it paid off.
Sounds like the holiday company had things under control for you x
Author
Yes we looked into it and Crete had no case. Plus I was tested when I landed so we thought it was fine. And we needed a holiday for sure after all those months indoors. No regret whatsoever and the company is really good
Glad you’ve had a wonderful time, looks a great place to visit.
Author
It was gorgeous
Wow looks like an amazing time and really safe! Xx
Looks like you had a lovely time. It’s definitely a very tricky decision to make at the moment to fly or not, glad your trip went safely and smoothly.
Author
absolutely no regret to have been 🙂 It was perfect
Looks like you had the perfect break away and everything was safe. We’ve used Jet2 holidays before and couldn’t fault them
Author
Yes I have to say everything was perfect with Jet2holidays unlike low charge companies! We will definitely travel with them again
looks idyllic there! plus you look so relaxed and happy with baba having fun on holiday!
The west of Crete suits our needs better as it less touristy.
Author
I was not aware of this. thanks for the tip! I will definitely check it out next time
Years since ive been – you’ve reminded me of what im missing
Great photos – i am missing a holiday just now !
It looks wonderful, I can see you are having a great holiday in an idyllic place,
Looks lovely beautiful photos glad you had a great time safely
Lovely photo’s. Looks like you had a great holiday.
You’re lucky to have had such a nice holiday. Knossos is normally mobbed with tourists, so by going at this time you have got to see it without the crowds.
Author
It was so lovely! I am so happy we did not cancel it and I felt safe as I was tested when we landed. Greece seems to be taking the issues very seriously so that tourists can still enjoy their holiday and feel secure. And yes, places were less busy so it was great