Brits In Crete: Living in Crete, Greece -
A Comprehensive Guide for British and Irish Expats on
Day-to-Day Life on the Island

Lifestyle Information:
You will find Articles and Professional Advice for Expatriate Living on the Island of Crete, Greece. Diverse topics include: jobs and working in Crete, retiring to Crete, shopping, English speaking schools; importing a car to Crete; buying a home on Crete, renting and much more.

Reality of Expat Living in Greece
The BritsinCrete.Net slogan is: the reality of living in Crete (we have no connection with britsincrete.com). That means "REAL LIFE" experiences by expatriot residents who have already relocated to establish a new home in Greece.

BritsinCrete Forum. Visit the vibrant Online Community. Exchange Comments, Ideas and Ask Questions. It contains relevant and up-to-date factual notes from an active and growing membership of 1600+ Members (as of April 2, 2008). It is free to join. Gain a valuable insight. Benefit from the extensive and up-to-date knowledge base and information. Become a member.

Flights or Overland Ground Transport to Crete
Flying to Crete is the choice for most. You arrive at Chania, Heraklion or Sitia International Airports, but when you need to relocate and set up your new island home then it is practical and popular to drive from UK to Crete. You can load up your car with personal belongings, the family and pets and after three days motoring along the auto routes of France, Italy, Switzerland and Greece you are in the sunshine of Crete to start a new life. More at the Getting Here page.

From Crete to UK - Motoring Northbound Across Europe
You will be surprised at how many British residents in Crete like to travel by car, overland back to Britain, driving via Italy and France. Two Brit retirees recall their car driving and ferry experiences in late 2007 with details of the transport costs (petrol, tickets, road tolls, carnets) and timings of each leg of the journey. They explain the route chosen and the roads they navigated.

Cretan Lifetyle - The Dilemma
Our Crete and Greece resourced information helps you to know the best way to achieve results and get things done. Remember, the modis operandi is very different in Crete compared to the British Isles. Learn the Crete way to handle the bureaucracy to avoid any Catch-22 situation that may open a can of worms at the tax office, or a predicament in IKA social security payments, perhaps even confusion on pension rights, or an unexplained difficulty in a new car purchase. We offer many tips. Our first TIP: when in Crete, talk with as many neighbours and professionals as you can, regardless of whether you plan a short term stay, or you are taking up Permanent Residence.

Real Estate Market - Buying a Property
Probably the biggest single decision you will be making in a move to Crete is to purchase a property along with the related money matters, legal affairs, house and land searches, then which premises to choose, and which realtor, lawyer, accountant and architect to appoint. This is well covered in our Guidance on Buying Property page.

BritsinCrete.Net Disclaimer
This is to acknowlege that BritsInCrete is an impartial web portal. We are not an Estate Agency nor Real Estate Broker, but we recommend reputable licensed estate agents for the four prefectures (counties) on the island - Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion and Lasithi in our Real Estate Directory.

To Assist With Your Planning Ahead:
Mark your Calendar for the Greek Public Holidays 2008.

Crete is Full of Surprises
It should never be dull or boring living in Crete, Yes, it is living abroad but Crete and Greece have many reminders and compensations of what life used to be like in generations past "back home" - low crime, a community spirit whre everyone knows everyon else, that "back to living a comfortable grass roots existence" feeling. You will be amazed how each season brings its own unique change in day-to-day routines. This is something we cover in an ecclectic mix of subjects from time to time in our BritsinCrete Blog.

If you have not read our "Come on Over" Crete Wannabes' page, check it out. Another starter section is based on FAQ's. From Prokat Homes, to 'which side of the road does Crete drive on' and 'weather in Crete' are just some of the questions asked.
Whether it is about Living in Crete, Jobs and Working, Retiring, or Buying a Property in Crete, Greece - BritsinCrete.Net does its best to provide answers for the British, Irish and other expats looking to start a new life on Crete.

Herete! (Welcome)

Gerald
for and on behalf of
the BritsinCrete team
May, 2008

Back to the Top