Cycle Touring Crete and a taste of Santorini Episode 1

Join us, Canadian retirees Frank and Daphne on our Greek Adventure in 2018 as we embark on our first ever cycle tour. This video features a visit to Santorini en route to Crete where we start our cycle tour in Heraklion and ride east and eventually down to the south coast. This episode takes us to Tsoutourous where we hit some rough weather. See the continuation in Episode 2.
The pace is very laid back - no mileage records being broken here! We stop and spend time in places we like and enjoy coffees and beers often!
No high-tech video equipment used. Photos and videos done with a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 and a Motorola Z2 phone.
Music is by various artists from KZbin Audio library.

[@dongxue3909]

You guys are amazing. Love the story about the taxi driver.

[@jonathanc7251]

I have watched a lot of touring videos, but I really enjoy the way you present your tour, very relaxed and enjoyable. Keep posting.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thank you so much for that comment Jonathan. Glad you enjoyed it - it's so encouraging to get that feedback!

[@tightatours]

Inspiring! Got us motivated to go👍 Great vid & effort ❤️

[@daphnebehindbars]

Great! Glad it gave you inspiration! Thanks for watching 🙂

[@tightatours]

@@daphnebehindbars you guys are clearly an awesome couple. Well down! You need to get down to Oz (Australia) one day 😃 post Covid 😷

[@terset9912]

I am glad you didn't take the taxi up that hill on Santorini : 50 euros is highway robbery. ( in Canada myself) so you flew with the bikes to Athens, then took a ferry or flew to the first island before Santorini ? Was curious about getting a bike out of Athens airport. Thinking Greece (mainland) is not the most cycle friendly place in Europe, but your tour on Crete looked very pleasant. I had misgivings about what has been developed in Matala since Joni's time, but glad to hear much of it can still be enjoyed. Other than Frank 's missing pannier.... did you feel you and your possessions were mostly safe and secure on the island ? Very impressive for a first tour... wanted to do it mostly low tech as well, just my phone camera, bike and camping gear I already have, etc.

[@daphnebehindbars]

haha - it was good to save 50 Euro, and also very satisfying to ride that hill in Santorini! As for getting out of Athens airport, you can take your bike on the suburban train (not the metro) which will get you directly from the airport to the port at Piraeus. Although we didn't assemble our bikes at the airport and took just the bike boxes on that train, that train is a perfect solution either way. In terms of security - I'd say Crete is safer than many European places, but we still always secured our bikes with locks if we left them unattended and made sure not to leave valuables in the panniers when not with the bikes. Good luck with your own trip - Crete is still our favourite place we've been with our bikes (in spite of the hills) and I'm sure you will love it!

[@terset9912]

@@daphnebehindbars thanks Daphne, this is helpful information... and very good to know about that suburban train to Piraeus.( I keep hearing different stories about whether or not we can take our bikes on certain trains in Europe.) I am tempted to try and ferry from Italy to Greece. Turkey seems like it should also be on the list... just not sure about how cycle friendly it is. In any event, I'll likely start in Amsterdam, and see how things go... I've watched so many cycling videos now, but think you and Frank did Geneva south towards the Mediterranean (the Alps to Avignon)? Kind of what I have in mind as well.

[@daphnebehindbars]

@@terset9912 Yes in 2019 we cycled from the Alps (Andermat) to Avignon following the Rhone. This year we cycled from Amsterdam to Grado (Italy), taking in the Cyclovia Alpe Adria Radweg from Salzburg to Grado which we highly recommend, as well as the Rhine route and a section along the Danube. Lots of video material but haven't had time to make it yet! We have no experience of Turkey but it would be interesting. Friends cycled all around the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece and loved it. Lots of options - have fun planning!

[@terset9912]

@@daphnebehindbars thanks again Daphne ! I hope you find the time to make the Amsterdam-Grado tour video. I will be looking forward to it. Yes, all kinds of options... lol, that so-called "Romantic Tour" in southern Germany that goes through places like Rothenburg, etc.... and that Claudia Augusta route looks very tantalizing as well.

[@JirkaVor1]

Pretty uphill, right? I was short of breath with you.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Yes, definitely a tough hill. Hope you've gotten your breath back!

[@JirkaVor1]

@@daphnebehindbars This year, it doesn't look like traveling again. Are you going somewhere? Today we have the first day in the Czech Republic after the lockdown, so we will see what the situation will be like. Take care.