Hi, can anybody help us. We are hoping to retire to Corfu. We wondered if anybody could let us know what life is like in St.Geogre south Corfu in winter time. We were told there are no supermarkets open. Also could we get around area as we don want a car when we retire. Thanks
Message posted by cannock girl on 15 August 2009 at 7:19pm - IP Logged
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I can live here comfortably over the winter, But, not without a car, we recently had a major repair carried out on ours and boy was life difficult for 8 days.
The area you have in mind is very quiet in the winter, as is St Steph, many a time we go there in winter and never see a soul.
Buses still run, but I don't know the times of the winter services
You could live in Roda, Acharavi, Sidari possibly without a car, think carefully before choosing your location.
Good luck .
Message posted by Barrow Boy on 15 August 2009 at 8:50pm - IP Logged
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Hi Lizzy,
I would recommend for such a big decision that you try a winter trip out to Corfu, you would probably have to stay in an hotel in Corfu Town as everywhere else is closed. The Hotel Arcadion right in the centre of town is very convenient.
We have made three winter trips to Corfu and the difference from the summer is very surprising. All the tourist places, even the tourist supermarkets, are closed for the winter (Corfu Town remains busy). On the beaches and in the smaller resorts, you can often be the only soul around , very good if you like solitude, peace and quiet and your own company. And the weather can be atrocious, on one two week trip it rained hard every day apart from the day we arrived and the day we left!
Good luck!
Brian.
Message posted by janmanessi on 15 August 2009 at 9:58pm - IP Logged
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Definitely do a trial trip before deciding, some villages are now quite lively in winter. Benitses has some restaurants etc. open, unheard of when I first lived there 30 years ago. Buses are far less frequent though and I personally would suggest not living outside the 'blue' bus radius round Corfu Town (about 14 kms) or you could feel extremely isolated without a car
You can find apartments with heating though which will give you a much better idea what life would be like than staying in a hotel.
The great thing about Corfu in winter is that people have TIME for one another, something which in summer with work is not always easy to find, but if you are isolated and without transportyou wouldn't be able to enjoy this aspect to the full.
Message posted by lizzy2 on 17 August 2009 at 12:11am - IP Logged
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Hi Kath, Brian and Jan. Thank you for all your replies about Corfu in Winter. We will certainly try and get out to Corfu for a trip in winter. We have been holidaying in Corfu for nearly 30 years now and visited lots of different places. After visiting Arillas 2 years ago we thought it would be a nice place to retire to. This June we visited St Geogre South and looked at some properties, we liked the place but couldn't find out what it would be like in Winter. We have also thought about renting somewhere for a year before we take the plunge and buy a property. Thanks Lizzy
Message posted by Graham T-A on 17 August 2009 at 1:37am - IP Logged
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Lizzy, it's a total tourist built town and as far as I know, it shuts down in the winter as no one ever actually lived there. In the future this may change as there are places open in other tourist resorts like Sidari which now open in the winter where no one ever lived before. Please go for a few weeks in the winter to see how it feels. I think you will be supprised.
Message posted by janeto on 17 August 2009 at 1:22pm - IP Logged
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Try to get close to town. l don't have a car l use the buses. OK, one every hour in winter but plan your day right. Also locations, avoid the north as it really quite dead unless you have a car. Benites, Gastouri, Perema this is where life is. Most people who have places in the sea side areas tend to live in Corfu town in the winter, they're not silly. So choose wisely where you stay.
Message posted by lizzy2 on 17 August 2009 at 11:41pm - IP Logged
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Hi Janeto, thank you so much for your message. We think we would also be able to get around without a car in Corfu. But the amount of people who have told us we can't. We were beginning to wonder if we would be able to go out and retire to Corfu if we didn't have a car. We always get around by bus and by walking when we visit for holidays. We think in winter time out there we won't want to go far any way.
Thanks
Lizzy
Message posted by lizzy2 on 17 August 2009 at 11:48pm - IP Logged
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Hi Graham, Thank you for your message about Corfu in winter. We will have to take a trip over to Corfu in the winter time to see for ourselves what it is really like.
Thanks
Lizzy
Message posted by janmanessi on 18 August 2009 at 12:22am - IP Logged
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Definitely start by looking in the blue bus radius. You could manage there without a car but still have to plan your shopping trips etc. quite carefully, but at least the buses run pretty well to time!
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