We are planning a two week trip starting the first week of March. generally through France over to Solvinia, down through Croatia then to Greece. Rough destinations at the moment are as follows….
Carcassonne LFMK
Cannes. LFMD
Pororoz. LJPZ
Dubrovnik. LDDU
Spilt. LDSR
Corfu. LGKR
Sardinia. somewhere?
would really appreciate people’s thoughts,advice, experiences of these destinations in terms of is handling required or PPR, ease etc. scenic destination? It would appear that the fuel issue at Cacassonne is resolved with a NOTAM which now state 100LL by AIRBP card. I understand Corfu and all of Greece is mandatory handing and that PPR is needed for LGKR, I assume that the handing agent will arrange this.
Thanks for your help in advance.
Hi @rob2701 sounds like a nice trip in the making. I would be very interested to hear how you got on with Corfu. I’m sure others will be able to tell you about the Greek Handeling charges. Are you an AOPA member? There are large discounts for members from certain Handeling agents…well worth checking.
From a trip last year:-
Slovenia – Portoroz (LJPZ) – PA32 2 nights parking, transport (one way) to hotel inc landing 61euro fuel was 1.80 ish euro per ltr. Customs / imigration very simple and hassle free last summer. Really friendly airport complete with shot of Jet A1 on arrival ! They have transport which is reasonable into Portoroz or Piran
Croatia – Mali Losinj (LDLO) – PA32 3 nights parking plus landing 76Euro fuel was also around 1.80euro per ltr but we didn’t take any. Ditto imigration / police at the airfield and very easy. There is a small cafe / restaurant outside the airport which called us a taxi and we had a drink while we waited.
Cannes (LFMD) was very straightforward and well priced, circa 30euro landing and fuel with BP self serve pump was well priced, from memory around 1.60euro per ltr. The restaurant at he airfield was closed (bankrupt?!) so if you need to personally refuel perhaps check this out! You could realistically be in and out of here in an hour or perhaps less for a fuel and convenience stop.
@Alex_. thanks for the tips. Is transport at Portoroz part of the landing package/service, or do you just book separately. ? Regarding Greek handling charges and AOPA discount, just checked out the AOPA web site. It says you need to join for 2 years to get the aircrew card at £222. Not sure how you would prove that you were a AOPA member without and which does not come with a 1 year membership. Perhaps others can offer some Clarification on this matter, though if only 1 stop in Greece it may not be worth it.
I didn’t book the transport at Portoroz. They have an airport car and the staff offered to drive us into the town, if you ask when you land they will either drive you to the hotel or call a taxi they were extremely friendly / helpful and helped to get a discount at the hotel as well which was cheeper than booking.com. It’s about 20mins to Portoroz or 30 to Piran. I think the breakdown for the transport was approx 25euro.
The AOPA cars gets you 5percent off fuel in Guernsey / Jersey as well if you visit there often?
I think the Handeling discount is quite substantial I.e in the order of 100euro plus to 25euro…but have no firsthand experience yet!
Peter.
Details and prices are on the AOPA U.K. Site here……
http://www.aopa.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=96&Itemid=636
Rob
After looking at bit further on the AOPA site, you do get a membership card with the one year membership price of £95. But the AOPA HELLAS handling agreement does state you need an aircrew card.
Here….
https://www.aopa.gr/en/aopa-hellas/member-benefits/332-aopa-en-c-4
Rob2701 wrote:
After looking at bit further on the AOPA site, you do get a membership card with the one year membership price of £95. But the AOPA HELLAS handling agreement does state you need an aircrew card.Here….
https://www.aopa.gr/en/aopa-hellas/member-benefits/332-aopa-en-c-4
Where did that £95 come from ?
You mean AOPA UK ?
If AOPA UK issue an AIR CREW card then that covers you, if they don’t it does not.
AOPA Hellas (Greece) subscription is minimum 1 year.
12months x 4€ = 48€
Printing & Shipping of membership card: 6€
Total = 54€
The card takes 1~2 weeks to get shipped. In case of “last minute” membership subscription, AOPA Hellas will send upon your request notification to the handling agent of choice of your first airport in Greece a confirmation of your new membership so that your discount is valid before you receive the card.
A handling with the discount will cost you 30~50 Euro depending on the terms (services) described in the link you provided (if you go weekend, if a ramp bus is mandatory, if more than 3 persons, if luggage needs to be transported etc.).
If you do not have the discount it will be double prices.
You can easily do the math and see how with ~3 handling services in Greece you already pay back your AOPA Hellas membership for a year.
What does the air crew card do, @petakas?
Does it enable a passenger to be “crew” and then you don’t pay the ~ €10 passenger charge? I have tried that before and they always ask Justine to show them her PPL license 
But for €10 it’s hardly worth the bother.
Like most UK pilots I have never been a UK AOPA member. Only US AOPA. And that always worked in Greece.
Peter wrote:
Does it enable a passenger to be “crew” and then you don’t pay the ~ €10 passenger charge?
No it does not, only a pilot’s license proves it when it comes to crew exemption from passenger tax.
The discount for handling only needs the captain to show a valid AOPA AIR CREW card.
In some airports in Greece they will accept the 2nd person to be declared as crew (as in Copilot for larger aircraft) and not charge the 12 Euro passenger tax for him/her.
In some airports they won’t. Its a hit and miss thing. It all depends on how “by the book” the CAA staff will be at any given airport for this issue.
