My family and I know what we want from a holiday, we actually have a checklist. Quiet location, but not too far from the airport, close to at least one supermarket and a few tavernas, an on-site pool (keeps the kids occupied) and a balcony (for night-time wine slurping). Oh and it has to be in Greece. We find all we require by booking through Kosmar.
Kosmar claim to be the UK’s No 1 specialist travel company to Greece and it’s easy to see why. An independent company with over 23 years experience, they don’t offer huge discounts or fancy frills with their holiday packages as their prices are extremely competitive to start with. We are travelling to Crete next year with them in the children’s summer holidays and are paying less than £1500 for a family of four (including all insurances and supplements). Mind, we had to book before the brochure was actually published to get what we wanted. We have found that the apartments suitable for families are snapped up pretty quickly. As it was we were lucky to book ours, as it was the last apartment left in the accommodation we wanted. I have found that a lot of people who use Kosmar become regular customers.
The Brochure
This is essential reading matter when choosing our annual holiday. It tells me everything I need to know about each island, the resorts
and the accommodation. So far I have found the descriptions to be accurate and truthful. If a resort is situated on a steep hill or is miles from amenities it tells you. You are often advised to carry a torch for late night returns. There is always a warning if the accommodation is close to an airport in case the noise disturbs the holidaymakers. We have had a couple of holidays close to the airports but can honestly say it has never spoiled our holiday, on the contrary sometimes it has been quite entertaining watching the aircraft landing and taking off. There is also a lot of information about what to expect when visiting Greece, such as the mosquitoes, lack of kettles and strange plumbing systems.
The brochure is colourful and well set out; each islands page is a different colour for easy reference. It gives lovely descriptions of each place and just flicking through it again makes me itch to book another holiday. Just opening at any page I am tempted by this:
‘Like Rhodes…the friendly little holiday island of Kos has a busy main town, with a Crusader castle and lively nightlife, some fine beach resorts…a mountain range providing a dramatic backdrop to the green and fertile interior, and an international airport for easy access’.
Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it?
Destinations
Kosmar offer holidays to over fifty Greek resorts, catering for all age groups and all types of holiday. They introduce new islands and resorts each year to give their customers maximum choice. This year amongst old favourites such as Corfu, Crete and Zante, newer destinations include Ithaca, Alonissos and Finikounda. This year we travelled to Skiathos, which is an absolute gem of an island. We have in the past visited Santorini and would recommend that particular island to everyone after a peaceful relaxing holiday.
The Reps
One thing I abhor about package holiday is the tour companies representative (apologies to any of you who have been one). I still shudder at the memory of an all-inclusive holiday we endured (the whole experience was cack), where all the new arrivals were herded into an underground, airless room. We were then subjected to two hours of sales spiel from the pushy teenage reps who attempted to intimidate us all into purchasing overpriced excursions. We only went along cos of the promise of a free drink; we had forgotten we were all-inclusive. We had also wanted to sign the children up for the kids clubs but after seeing the reps decided that our children would be better off with us, poor lambs.
Kosmar reps are different. Always smartly dressed in a very bright orange and blue uniform. Attentive, but never pushy, we have never had any problems with these reps. Our rep in Skiathos, Ben, was pleasant, informative and knowledgeable about the island. His welcome meeting was hilarious as he didn’t have a proper map of the island and used his souvenir tea towel complete with ouzo stains instead. He gave us a list of excursions but we found they were no higher priced than others offered on the island. We have always found the reps are easy to contact and very approachable.
Accommodation
The majority of Kosmar accommodation are self-catering apartments, a few being bed and breakfast. Each one we have stayed in has been simple, but clean and pleasant, with basic self-catering facilities. The owners generally live on site and are usually very nice and friendly. This year we had a double-glazed bungalow with two bedrooms, which was close to the pool area without being overlooked by others. The complex was set in its own well-tended grounds, well away from any roads (it was a bit of a trek to the main resort – took about 5 minutes!). Kosmar regularly checks the pool areas. I had read on Holidays Uncovered that a lot of people who had holidayed at these apartments last year had ear infections from the pool, so maybe it was being more closely monitored. None of the Kosmar accommodation we have seen has been overly big or high-rise, the majority being only two storeys high and with never more than a handful of rooms or apartments, so it never gets too crowded. Unfortunately I would have to say the majority of apartments are not suitable for those with walking disabilities.
Flights
Kosmar fly from many UK airports, Gatwick and Manchester being the main ones. We always fly from Newcastle and haven’t had a problem so far in getting a flight to whichever destination we fancy. One thing that really annoys me are flight supplements, but I have noticed that Kosmar’s aren’t too bad, we usually pay about an extra £100 for the entire family to fly from Newcastle. The aeroplanes Kosmar uses are not the norm. This year we flew by IslandFlug, an Icelandic company, I think they must have been the Icelandic equivalent of EasyJet as there were no films or entertainment throughout the flight and the interior was very basic. Actually the exterior was very basic too, I now refer to them as Meccano Jet. This is indicative of all airlines we have used when going through Kosmar. We prefer daytime flights and have found that Kosmar tend to offer times that suit us. It’s awful having to vacate your accommodation at midday and hang around until late at night especially with children so daytime flights are ideal.
Transfares to and from the airport
The transfer times are detailed in the brochure and are very accurate. We did have a minor disruption with our transfer to our resort in Skiathos as a herd of mad goats and even madder farmer decided they wanted to take an amble down the main road, but I actually found it quite funny to hear our Greek coach driver screaming obscenities at the poor beasts. Transfer times back to the airport are posted a few days before departure and we found that we had no problems there either.
Special Offers, Car Hire and Travel Insurance
Kosmar offer two-centre holidays, discounts for children (if you are quick), two weeks for the price of one (at selected times) and discounted car hire. They insist on each holiday member having appropriate travel insurance and offer a very attractive policy.
Prices
As I said before, Kosmar are extremely competitive with their prices. The average cost per person is around £400 for a fortnight’s holiday, in peak season. We have been fortunate to secure a free child place for next year and get a £20 discount for our second child. This doesn’t sound like a good deal until you total up the entire holiday and compare it with other companies. Thomson’s prices were well over £2000 for the four of us.
Booking
Kosmar have their own website, where all the information is exactly the same as in the brochure apart from the fact that you can book the holiday of your choice on-line. I found this very handy when pricing out the total cost of my trip. I prefer to book through a travel agent as you can usually get free insurance and if you use Co-op TravelCare as I do, can have points put onto your Dividend card (at least enough points for a few bottles of decent wine).
I think the only fault I can find with Kosmar is that the holidays tend to sell out very quickly so early booking is essential. I have no hesitation in recommending this company to others who wish to book a low cost, hassle free holiday; just remember to leave a few holidays for me to choose from please!
Pictures of KOSMAR.CO.UK
Kosmars brochure pic of my family
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Never heard of this company before and you did them justice. I went to Zante last year and going to Corfu in August - may try Kos next year to keep up the trend. Jane x
hellogirl 07.04.2005 17:26
We used Kosmar for the first time in 2003, and I agree heartily with averything you say about them
s_jones_2003 11.12.2004 19:06
I went to Kos this summer with First Choice and can't say I had any problems, going back to Greece next summer so may consult this operator! Sarah x
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