Yiassou Everybody.
I was having a quiet day at work and stumbled across this wonderful site devoted to the lovely town of Arillas.
After threatening for many years and being frequent visitors to San Stefanos & Arillas my mum and her boyfriend finally packed all their possessions (and dogs) into the back of a van at the start of the year and started a new life in Corfu which they have never regretted for a second. They actually live in Villa Gabre which is marked on the Arillas map on this site (left at Arourada Taverna and a little up the hill on the road to San Stefanos), it would be wonderful to know if anybody has bumped into my mum Brenda. You can't really miss her she tends to have two very friendly dogs with her everywhere she goes, Sally a Golden Retriever and Ceri, a ridiculously cute Jack Russell. She also is very good friends with Mick & Helen who own the Sundowner Bar in San Stefanos and works in there most nights, if you are ever in Arillas and see a tall dark haired women being harassed by two dogs please say hi, send my regards to and watch the expression of surprise on her face!
My main reason for posting on here is that I work for Thomas Cook Flight Operations and if anyone has any questions regarding flights, accommodation, general info, I would be happy to try and help as Corfu is a lovely island and the welcome afforded by all the locals is truly special, I totally understand why people return time and time again, especially to Arillas and San Stefanos.
I noticed a lot of posts on this forum have been in regard to the transfer times from the airport, some stories seem horrendous. The current projected transfer time from the airport to Arillas is 1h30m, with the coach stopping at Sidari and San Stefanos first. Most coaches on this route are supplied by Arillas travel and a little smaller that the standard counterparts, this helps navigates the streets (especially Avliotes) but more so carries fewer people so the drop offs are quicker. Unfortunately due to its position Arillas will always be the last drop off. I stayed in San Stefanos in June and the transfer there was a little over an hour but the coach was only half full, the best advice I can give is when you book your holidays try and ask for a day/early flight, there is sometimes a small premium for these but the transfer times tend to be shorter as there is less people to move around at that time of day. The congestion at the airport is also a little easier than later in the day, but not by much.
Hoping to get out next weekend for a couple of days if anybody is there and I am staying at the Mirage in September for which I am really looking forward to, I have heard nothing but praise for the Mirage and the people who run it, the food is supposed to be incredible.
Anyway sorry about the long post, pleased to meet you all,
Yammas
Joe