Expats Martin and Gill, who have called Crete home for 16 years, took to their YouTube channel Sunpire to share insights with Brits about life on the Greek island. The pair expressed their fondness for Crete’s hospitality: “We like the Greek culture, we have been to a lot of places on the mainland but somehow Crete seemed a little friendlier,” they said.
They also pointed out some significant advantages, saying: “We’ve been to Cyprus a few times but the big difference with Crete is the huge infrastructure. It’s got everything.”
They continued highlighting the disparity in amenities across the islands: “There are many more shops and businesses here compared to the other islands.”
Addressing winter travel, they cautioned: “A lot of the little islands look beautiful but there is nothing open in the winter. You can’t go to supermarkets or anything so it’s very difficult.”
Gill shed light on healthcare availability and costs: “Private healthcare is not expensive. I got a private consultation with a doctor within 24 hours of making the appointment which cost me €30 (£24.90).”
Adjustments to living in Crete was also touched upon: “I don’t think we quite expected that there would be as much Englishness. It’s very comfortable to have people who speak your language to spend time with.”
Martin added an important note regarding a legal requirement: “After we had been here several years with British driving licenses, the authorities insisted that they were only valid for six months and therefore we needed to get Greek driving licences.”
Securing a driving licence, however, proved to be a lengthy process for the couple. “We had to go through the Central Police station, it took nine months. For many months, we were driving with a little piece of paper which said ‘driving licence applied for’ in Greek.”
Meanwhile, as UK tourists continue to book their spring and summer holidays now that Christmas is over, the expats shared their insights on the cost of living in Greece, reports Birmingham Live.
“Some things are more expensive but some things are incredibly cheap,” they explained, adding: “Water, for example, is incredibly cheap considering this is a place where you expected water shortages but our water bills are very small.”