Sporades Tours: Greece, Turkey, Italy, Egypt, Eastern Europe

    2010 will be the 30th and final year for Sporades Tours. After three years of taking USC students on summer tours (1978-80), I decided to work for real people. So I started Sporades Tours in 1981 at the age of 41and now I'm retiring at 70.

    I have had many unbelievable experiences. In Greece: the islands Skopelos and Hydra, the mountain villages Drosia (Crete), Laggadia (southern Greece), and Metsovo (northern Greece), the Vikos Gorge, the temple of Apollo Epikourios at Vassai. In Turkey: Agia Sofia (the greatest edifice ever built), the Tolga Pension on the Dalyan River, the temple of Apollo at Didyma, Miletus (far more interesting than Ephesus), the museums of Antalya, Ankara, and Istanbul, the temple of the Sky God at Hattusas (a possible parallel to the Minoan "palaces").

    But my best memories are my traveling companions — countless wonderful people, smart, interesting, congenial, and fun, some of whom have become lifelong friends. And even the not-so-wonderful gave me and my bus driver something to talk about.

    My 2010 tours will be a bit more leisurely, but still unconventional. We will extend our stays where possible, but we will still go to places and see things and eat at restaurants where no other tour groups have been. For better or worse, Sporades tours are like no others.

    These tours are not for everybody. If you think cruises are the best way to travel, if you have to eat lunch and dinner at the same time every day, if you need someone to carry your luggage, or if you're dying to go to Mykonos, you probably won't like my tours.

    You don't have to believe me (and probably shouldn't). Instead, please read what Jillian Nicholson of Durban, South Africa, said about her experience:

"Having recently (May 2009) returned from 14 days touring Greece with Dick Caldwell we can definitely say that this was not one of the hundreds of tours for conformists who want to follow a guide waving a flag. Dick's tours are for people wanting to avoid these: they are for people who can appreciate an inimitable guide who goes out of his way to make his tours informative, relaxed and unique. He provided all that his website promised and more. He shared his wide ranging knowledge of Greece and Greek history and culture generously and introduced us to a range of new experiences and adventures: we went to places where there were no other tourists, we tasted authentic Greek food night after night, we argued about myths and legends, we interacted with local people and learnt to appreciate Greek music and the Greek life style. We doubt that we would ever have had this on another tour. Anyone who is prepared to 'go with the flow' and put fun and fascination before punctuality and luxury hotels will love Dick's tours. (By the way, the hotels were always chosen to bring us within walking distance of interesting places - including the Parthenon. They were clean and comfortable.)"
Jillian Nicholson
Jilliann@iafrica.com
(For other comments by 2009 participants, click here)

PRICES After several years of losses due to the collapsing US dollar, in 2010 all Sporades tours are priced in euros. The euro has been the currency of Greece for several years, and in Turkey, even though the official currency is the lira, prices in hotels are usually in euros.
    The dollar is now ar a 6-month high against the euro. If you pay in full before March 1, 2010, the price is $165 per day per person.   There are several websites where you can find the international bank rate of exchange (I use www.xe.com). On March 1, will re-evaluate the dollar/euro exchange rate and announce any changes in prices.

WHAT IS INCLUDED? All land and sea transportation (except travel you might do on your own), all hotels, all breakfasts, half of the dinners, all lectures, guide services, admissions, and personal assistance. On the Turkish yachts all meals are included. For transportation supplements please see SUPPLEMENTAL FEES below.

SUPPLEMENTAL FEES (in US dollars)
1. The single room supplement is $30 per night.
2. There is a yacht supplement of $75 per day for the Turkish yacht. Cabins on the larger yachts typically contain one double bed, so if you don't want to sleep in the same bed with the person you're with, you should opt for the single supplement for these nights.
3.   There is a charge of $140 for each domestic flight and for First-Class cabins on the overnight ferries to and from Crete.
3. There is also a suppplement of $20 for each time we use a hydrofoil or high-speed ferry (which are typically double the cost of standard ferries).

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED? Airfare, meals not covered, port taxes, visas, and tips for the bus driver or yacht crew.

PAY BY THE DAY You pay for the number of days you spend on a tour, including the day you arrive and the day you leave. This provides the freedom to start and stop when you want, and also to combine all or part of one tour with all or part of another (usually at a savings, since most tours overlap).

PAY WHEN YOU WANT You can pay in advance or when you arrive in Greece or Turkey. If you pay in advance, send a check payable to Dick Caldwell to 13101 Laurinda Way, Santa Ana CA 92705, USA. If you pay when you arrive, payment should be in cash or travelers' cheques.

PRIVATE TOURS   I am in Greece now and will be here at least until mid-January. But if you have a group of 2 or more persons, I can take you anywhere you want in Greece or Turkey at any time I don't have a scheduled tour. The rate for groups of 2-4 persons is 130 euros per day at any time. The rate for groups of 5 or more persons is 120 euros per day for payment received by March 1, and 130 euros per day thereafter. If you're interested, please contact me (sporadestours@hotmail.com).

BRING YOUR ATM CARD An ATM card is the best way to change money in Greece and Turkey. Today I bought 300 euros for $468 dollars, including all bank charges. If I went to a change office, 300 euros would cost $478. Banks are all different, but their rate is usually a bit worse than change offices.

GET READY From June 11 to July 11, the World Cup in soccer will be contested in South Africa, the world's biggest event (bigger than the World Series, the NFL , and NBA championships combined). Everyone in Greece and Turkey will be glued to their televisions, and a wild time will be held by all.