Dear Marcuschap72
I did'nt know you could drink the water. Since 1996 I've visited Greece and the Islands. On every visit we have been told NOT to drink the water.
This information is given by both the tour operators and the locals you talk to. If you live there for a long period then your Gastric Bacterial Flora will change and you will probably be able to drink the water without becoming ill. However on a 2 week holiday I would not want to take the chance.... never had an upset stomach in Greece in 10 visits. Will therefore stick to drinking bottled water. A Controlled experiment would be to drink the local water..... maybe next year ?

I know alot of Tour Ops/Reps tell people not to drink the water, they often say it's due to a different mineral content. I live back in the UK now but still drink the water when in Greece for a week or two as do my friends.

Many locals i know don't understand why people are told not to drink the water. I suppose they're just playing on the cautious side - if a Holiday Rep/Hotel told someone that they'd be fine drinking the water and they weren't they'd become victims of the 'compensation culture' that seems to be taking over!

We drink the water in Lesvos, Stoupa, Agios Ioannis (Pelion) and Parga, and no harm seems to come to us. We have our own spring at home and their water is every bit as good as ours and 100% better than the stuff with chlorine in.

Rhombus

I'm sorely tempted to answer the post you addressed to me point-by-point, but as I'm rather fond of this forum, I don't wish to risk being banned for being drawn into a personal conflict and so will resist the temptation. I would, however, politely suggest that you read the Terms and Conditions of Use, since you appear to have broken at least 3 of them in the course of this thread.

Hi! Marcus is quite right about the water - the only place I wouldn't drink it would be Nissiros because it's desalinated. On Tilos, it was completely safe to drink throughout the year and only started to taste a bit brackish in mid July when the spring weakened and the pump went on! As for what the locals say - the locals told me about the Tigers of Tilos, but I didn't fall for that one either!

The season is shorter - I flew out to Rhodes on a charter flight on 2 April in 96 - this year looking for Heraklion flights for a chance to spend Easter in Hora Sfakion nothing around.

If anyone needs a reminder of the Terms & Conditions of posting at Holidaytruths, it may be appropriate to check them out before posting again in this thread.

Many thanks
David HT Mod

Apologies - I did try to make it as mild as possible. Have edited the post.

Apologies as well for breaching the rules of this site

In the Pelion its common practice to fill the water jugs in tavernas directly from the streams that run through many of them. We also drink the water from the roadside fountains in this region. No problems as yet!!

Rhombus don`t know where abouts in Spain you went but having been to Samos and then to visit my parents who live in Spain, i have found the prices on the whole to be much the same Greece was cheaper on some things than Spain and Spain was cheaper than Greece on some things.

As for the water we`ve been going to the Greek island 15 years and have always drunk the water with no ill affects

I have to agree with xenosuk I put exactly the same statement on a website a while back do we expect cheap holidays at the expense of the greeks or other nationals.Also am I living in a different country to everyone else because they keep telling us how low inflation is but it doesn't feel llike it when you're out shopping.Prices on Crete are pretty much what I was paying last year.I don't know how true it is but they tell us that we get the cheapest prices for holidays in Europe.
Rick.

xenosuk, I don't obviously have a problem with people trying to earn a living, especially in what is a short amount of time. I do however, have a problem with being taken for granted, hence the value for money argument and also, being ripped off, hence the bit about ice cream prices as an example.

I think that we actually agree about most things!

I have nothing but respect for the majority of Greeks because they work very hard, are extremely friendly and welcoming and are worth chatting with!

Dear Borismab,
For work I go to Valencia and find the prices there very cheap. I am with locals and have Tapas lunchtimes, but go into the main town and have wonderful food in the restuarants. The bars are cheaper than in Greece, this is remember a huge city so I am very suprised that some parts of Greece have got so expensive.
I have posted on other Greek Sites and still have no answer to this question :-
A bunch of goods from a supermarket in Skiathos is exactly the same price of that in Lesbos. However the price in Restuarants, bars, sunbed prices etc etc is 50-60% more expensive in Skiathos than in Lesbos/Samos. There are many Islands I have'nt visited, but I feel like I've been bushwacked by the Skiathians. In 1996 and 1997 we thought that Skiathos was wonderful value for money. Having talked to many people this year, time and time again it was stated that although the Island is beautiful they will not be coming back due to the expense. If you pick and choose your places to visit in Greece you can still get value for money. But it is getting harder and harder.

Rhombus my parents live in La Marina which is about 30 km south of Alicante and the prices there where as i say much the same i think the main problem there is the tourists, as the prices do go up in the bars and restaurants during the summer months, can still find some good deals though new pair of ray bans about £45 in Spain £80-£90 in uk.
The prices on Samos this year where the same as last year, haven`t been to Skiathos but if its as expensive as you say then i won`t be going there neither