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Reviews 4.9.

18,619 total

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Simplifying the reservation process

Crow, the agent, was very attentive, informative and prompt. He made the process of finding airline tickets and obtaining trip insurance relatively easy. We were so glad we did not have to tackle this process by ourselves.

Date of experience : April 11, 2024

Reply from SkyLux Travel

We're thrilled to hear that Crow made your reservation process smooth and hassle-free!

Castiel made the experience an ease

Castiel made the experience an ease. His experience and professionality combined with the resources offered by Skylux made this booking very easy. This is our second ticket through Skylux and we intend to give you our business

Date of experience : April 23, 2024

Thank you for your feedback! We're delighted to hear that Castiel made your experience seamless and easy.

Our Skylux experience has been great!

Otto was wonderful to work with! He was very honest, helpful and thorough. He really knows his stuff! We appreciated his patience and persistence as we worked through the technicalities of this reservation. Very personalized and attentive service. Thank you Otto!

Date of experience : April 22, 2024

Thank you for the great review! Safe travels.

Your agent Vincent is a absolutely…

Your agent Vincent is a absolutely amazing kind helpful,detail oriented person to work with.This is our second trip working with him and in forty years plus of traveling this planet,I've never worked with a more exceptional person on travel.I won't work with any other company or agent for all my travel needs,now or in the future.This man really deserves a very large pay increase in my opinion I hope this company realizes what a great asset they have in this gentleman.Cant say enough on how much I appreciate his hard work.Ronald Inauen

Date of experience : April 17, 2024

We're overwhelmed by your kind words for Vincent. We're thrilled to hear about your exceptional experience with him and your loyalty to our service. We'll make sure Vincent knows how much he's valued.

Our travel consultant,Cartman G

Our travel consultant,Cartman G, at Skylux was excellent. He was very helpful in our selection of the best travel options for our trip and travel needs. We highly recommend Skylux travel.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. We also want to thank you for taking the time to share your thoughtful review. We appreciate your trust!

Great way to get business class tickets

I like having one person to reach out to to help me secure the airline tickets I need. Saves me time and is easy to complete the transaction

We're thrilled to hear that you found our service helpful in securing business class tickets!

Always work with Melinda and she never…

Always work with Melinda and she never disappoints. Will continue to contact her for all our travel needs

Date of experience : April 24, 2024

Dear Customer, We value your positive feedback on the service delivered by our representative. Your decision to entrust us with your travel requirements is truly appreciated, and we eagerly anticipate the chance to assist you once more in the future.

Barbara was pleasant and responsive

Barbara was pleasant and highly responsive in constructing my difficult itinerary. My only problem was that she continued to push one flight alternative that I refused and could not accommodate. She was not listening to me during that time.

Thank you for your feedback! We're glad to hear that Barbara was pleasant and highly responsive in constructing your itinerary. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the miscommunication regarding the flight alternative.

I have worked with Boston for many of…

I have worked with Boston for many of our trips and he has always found the best flights at the best prices. We recently had to quickly change our travel plans for our return flight and he was able to find and book our new flight quickly. He made the whole process stress-free.

Tyke W—Outstanding service!!

Tyke W. was extremely patient as I considered the various options he presented for my trip to Croatia. Then, when I had trouble applying a credit from previous travel booked through SkyLux, he stayed with me on the phone, was able to remedy the problem, and walked me through finishing the transaction. Outstanding & friendly service!

Date of experience : April 16, 2024

We are glad Tyke W has helped you with your trip and the services provided are appreciated.

Our travel consultant

Our travel consultant - Fonzy was great. He was extremely responsive to our requests and his customer service was excellent. This is the second time we have booked with Fonzy.

Date of experience : April 19, 2024

Thanks a lot for booking with us! Your satisfaction with our assistance made our day amazing! Fonzy is great, indeed! We appreciate your time and cooperation with us and would be so happy to assist you once again!

Festus - Great Service raising the bar on Brand Value!

Festus has always delivered as promised. Very dedicated person and true to his customers no matter how long he needs to work even after his shift - he makes sure he follows through and gets what he promised to his customers and never leaves them hanging. It's people like Festus who raise the bar for the brand value! Great to work with and very helpful with attention to detail in making sure all travel wishes are checked off.

We are more than pleased to know that you had an enjoyable experience with us.Your agent would be so pleased to hear your words of appreciation!

Great experience this time!

I worked with SkyLux before. Overall it was a hit and miss. The main challenge was the communication of agents. They didn't understand what I needed typically and kept sending me the wrong deal. I worked with Gray Pierce this time. He was great! He's articulated and went beyond to help me with a last minute need.

Thank you for the honest review! We are glad that our agent was able to provide you an excellent service and we can assure you that we will continue to provide it to you in the future.

Samson is very responsive

Samson is very responsive, and he continued to follow up while I dragged my feet. He was persistent but not overbearing. I ended up with flights that will meet my needs at a reasonable price.

We take immense pride in our agents and are truly delighted to receive such a exceptional review. Your time and thoughtful recommendation of one of our finest agents to other customers is greatly appreciated!

Rick was very helpful and has excellent…

Rick was very helpful and has excellent communication skills! He did his best to accommodate us.

Our agents are trained to produce a great result to the customer's satisfaction and we are so proud of them! Rick is awesome indeed! Thank you very much for being our Customer and sharing your great impression on us!

Conrad from Skylux was very helpful and…

Conrad from Skylux was very helpful and followed up diligently to make our travel reservations for our trip to India and Australia on Business Class. Very friendly and courteous to work with. Great guy!!

Date of experience : April 14, 2024

We are happy that Conrad has provided you with such a wonderful experience.

Was able to get better fare

Was able to get the same fare previously quoted even though price had increased

Dear Customer, Thank you for choosing us for your travel needs, and we look forward to the opportunity to serve you again.

We had a great experience with this…

We had a great experience with this travel consultant. Tyke was our agent and we have no complaints at all. Will use again

Date of experience : March 04, 2024

Friendly service with very favorable rates

While the process was a little but lengthy this time, we like Logan's friendliness, his offers are generally the best, and so we have booked business class with him multiple times and can highly recommend him.

Excellent service from our travel advisor Wiser

This is the first time we use SkyLux for our family trip to Europe. As such we had a lot of questions. Our travel advisor Wiser has been very patient and took the time to answer all our questions thoroughly. He is very polite, responsive and knowledgeable. He was able to save us a lot of money on our family's first business class international travel. We will definitely consider contact him for our future travel needs.

Date of experience : April 09, 2024

We are so glad to see such positive feedback! Wiser is awesome, indeed and we are so grateful for his ability to satisfy our customers! Thank you very much for a 5 star review and your cooperation with us!

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SKYLUX Travel has a rating of 4.67 stars from 1,535 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally satisfied with their purchases. Reviewers satisfied with SKYLUX Travel most frequently mention business class, customer service, and best price. SKYLUX Travel ranks 6th among Travel Agency sites.

• Service 156
• Shipping 27
• Quality 416

This company responds to reviews on average within 11 hours

What reviewers want you to know

Positive highlights.

• Pablo was a great help in arranging business class travel for the 4 of us.
• And the outstanding service from reviewing many many flight options , giving constant advising makes the different.

Critical highlights

No critical highlights yet

“Looking forward to FRESH sushi!”

We are a family of three looking to take our soon to be high school graduate on a trip to Japan. Grant from SLT was super patient and great to us. We floated many potential itineraries and not only was he very reponsive but also gave great advice and things for us to consider. He was very knowledgeable on his industry and all of the possible options available. I would HIGHLY recommend placing your trust in SLT to get you connected to your next travel destination.

“Price was too expensive! Twice the amount that I can book myself through Google Flights.”

Supervisor came to that phone fuming and explanation was not clear. Agent was argumentative instead of being open minded for solution.

Reviews (1,535)

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From the business

SkyLux Travel® offers discounted business class flight tickets for 50-70% off the average market rate. We do the footwork, so you can travel cost-effectively and effortlessly and get the privately negotiated contract prices that others cannot find online. How we are different With SkyLux Travel, all clients will have a dedicated Travel Manager – your own flight designer – whose priority is to understand your travel needs. Our specialists will give you access to unique offers tailor-made with your preferences. Our one-on-one service approach has helped us to reach a remarkable satisfaction rate of 97% from SkyLux Travel customers. What services we offer Additionally to the discounted business class flight tickets, SkyLux Travel offers concierge services, which include private chauffeurs, airport transfers, car rentals, as well as the opportunity to book hotels and villas by using the benefits from our wholesale contacts and save your time. After-hours support we provide Expect customer service second to none offering 24/7/365 global support wherever you are. Our free after-hours assistance means that if unexpected changes occur, there will always be an expert available to provide immediate help. Our awards and recognition SkyLux Travel is the winner of the Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2023 in the category The Best Luxury Airline Ticket Agency in the USA. Since 2015 we have been accredited by BBB and hold the highest A+ rating. We thank all the travelers who take their time to leave their reviews about SkyLux Travel. By sharing your experience you help other travelers plan their trips in a smarter way.

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Whether you have a compliment or a complaint to share about SkyLux Travel, feel free to use one of the options below and leave a Review or Complaint. Whether positive or negative, your feedback will be sent to the appropriate department for a thorough investigation to ensure all of your needs are fully met.

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85 replies to this topic

Just use the search box on this forum or on the main forums homepage to search for existing topics on Skylux and read the complaints and warnings. But if you have already read complaints and warnings then I am unsure why you would still want to read more and still be interested in booking with Skylux.

Your concerned about negative reviews but are still considering them. How many positive comments do you need to offset the negatives

Did you read the complaints on the BBB site which comes up on the first page when you Google them? (although to my surprise they are actually BBB accredited).

are par for the course with most 3rd party booking sites and OTA’s. I can’t tell you of my experience because I would never use a booking site like this due to the sheer volume of complaints and issues.

It’s your money but I would never hand over money to a website like this to save such a small amount which could easily be eaten up by fees/charges/inclusions/pricing not actually been live etc. If things go wrong like schedule or routing changes, cancellations or amendments don’t expect much help from a cheap ticket flogger. The potential for things to go wrong these days is high so book direct with the airline or a reputable bricks and mortar travel agency.

Thanks for sharing. There are some sites where they have 4.5 and 4.7 ratings, but ratings are over a multi-year period. I was seeking recent info.

#4 thanks. You're confirming my assessment, but my husband felt otherwise and so I wanted to make sure my sense that Skylux was shady had merit. I'd rather spend the 10% savings and sleep better.

Be wary of some review sites as they can allow businesses to remove negative reviews.

Cheaper airfares is all about timing. Sign up to receive airlines emails and jump on a deal if/when they offer one and don’t look back.

Risk vs. reward: 90% is at stake in terms of risk / 10% as a reward

Question: Would you buy such a product from a bank? If no, why would you buy a ticket?

Advice: buy your ticket directly from an airline .

Not yet convinced? Then read the T&C's => https://www.skyluxtravel.com/terms

"YOU GIVE UP YOUR RIGHT TO GO TO COURT" => nice, to know that one cannot be taken to cour. Who would write something like that?

"tickets ... all service fees may not be refundable."

"If your ticket is not honored for any reason, please contact your agent immediately. Your ticket is guaranteed up to the amount paid for the ticket, and SkyLux Travel will replace your ticket within 24 hours or offer a full refund, or provide other alternative options within 24 hours." => they offer an options, not that you will fly within 24 hours!

In short: you are dealing with a mileage brocker. Not illegal but against airline rules. If the airline finds out, then your ticket will get cancelled.

Still not convinced? Go ahead but do not complain, if you happend to have problem, spoil your holidays and lose a lot of money.

Saving has a cost attached to it. It means awful or no support when things go wrong (how do you think they can sell tickets at a loss?).

Finally if they are indeed a mileage broker then you have the additional risk the airline could find out and cancel your ticket. Might not happen at the outbound, but what if it happens on the inbound? Stuck wherever you are having to buy new tickets at walk up prices.

I prefer to de risk my trips as much as I can. Maybe you like the adrenaline rush of gambling this works out.

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SkyLux Travel Customer Testimonials

Your journey in the world of travel begins long before you board the plane or set foot in your chosen destination. It all starts with one decision — the decision to put your trust in a travel agency that will shape and enrich your journey.  

At SkyLux Travel, we understand the power of that choice, and we recognize that the most compelling voices in this industry are those of our customers. In this article, we will share some of our customer testimonials and experiences to give you an insight into why SkyLux Travel is a trusted travel agency for exceptional journeys. 

Why Customer Testimonials Matter

Customer testimonials play a pivotal role in travel planning, offering plenty of benefits to travelers. The main reason these testimonials hold such importance is their capacity to build trust. They provide travelers with an invaluable glimpse into other people’s experiences.  

Client testimonials not only offer candid insights but also help to establish credibility and authenticity. Each testimonial captures the genuine experiences of other travelers, providing a level of credibility that glossy brochures and polished marketing materials can’t replicate. 

Customer Travel Stories

Now, let’s dive into the heart of this article: the experiences our customers have shared to help you make better and more informed travel decisions. These stories are a testament to how SkyLux Travel has played an essential role in making their trips extraordinary and special. We have also included videos from our featured customers where they share their travel experiences and highlight how SkyLux Travel contributed to their unforgettable journeys.  

Gary’s Travel Story — Personal Booking Experience

Gary, a SkyLux Travel customer, shares his feedback on the entire booking process with SkyLux Travel. He was planning a business class trip with a complicated itinerary. After deciding to avoid stress and entrusting a travel agency with all the arrangements, he chose to work with SkyLux Travel. 

Gary collaborated with travel manager Spike during his trip’s planning. After patiently listening to Gary’s travel preferences, Spike provided several business class flight options. Furthermore, he explained each option clearly to allow Gary to make an informed and well-considered decision.  

Gary is certain that SkyLux Travel delivers on its claims now that he has returned from the trip organized by SkyLux Travel. 

Laura’s Travel Story — Game-Changer for Flights

Laura was immediately impressed by her travel manager’s unconventional and offbeat approach. One of the most frequently mentioned features of SkyLux Travel is the personalized service that makes bookings simple. It also amazed Laura and caused her to rethink and reconsider how she had previously booked flights.   

SkyLux Travel’s travel manager handles each aspect of the entire journey. This surprised Laura since she hadn’t experienced such care during her previous flight bookings. She enjoyed the beneficial and good deals she got for a business class flight. As well as the easy and prompt communication with her travel manager. 

Laura has gained trust in SkyLux Travel and intends to continue using our services in the future. SkyLux Travel is the first thing that comes to mind for Laura when she thinks about a stress-free, affordable, and comfortable travel experience.    

Phil’s Travel Story — Journey to New Zealand  

SkyLux Travel customer Phil shares his recent business class journey with Air New Zealand from New Zealand to the United States. He was most delighted with his decision to fly business class on this long flight. This was mainly possible because his travel manager at SkyLux Travel found a reasonable and affordable business class deal with Air New Zealand .    

Phil mentioned that the onboard comfort helped him relax more and avoid jetlag. Air New Zealand’s crew also went above and beyond , serving delicious meals and fine wines. The flight was approximately 16 hours long, and the lie-flat bed option was a great addition , letting him feel even more relaxed after arriving at the location .    

It was a transformative trip for Phil, which turned a complicated itinerary into a great and comfortable experience .  

From Words to Experiences  

In conclusion, we encourage you to consider SkyLux Travel for your next adventure, keeping these genuine customer testimonials and experiences in mind. Your journey deserves nothing less than excellence, and with SkyLux Travel, we promise to make that a reality.  

Watch more testimonials from other travelers who have already used SkyLux Travel services by visiting our official YouTube Channel !   

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Greece's Largest Island Is Packed With Ancient History, Gorgeous Resorts, and a Stunning Pink-sand Beach

Get ready for plenty of fun in the Grecian sun.

Best Hotels and Resorts

Cities to visit, best things to do, best beaches, best time to visit, how to get there, how to get around.

Gautier Houba/Travel + Leisure

Crete, Greece's largest island, clocks in at more than 3,000 square miles and offers plenty of ancient history, incredible food, and natural beauty to explore. But you don't have to take my word for just how special Crete is. 

"I often describe Crete as a compact, island version of California. We have surfing and backcountry skiing in winter. In summer, we have canyon hiking, mountaineering, and, my personal favorite, hidden beaches only accessible by boat. And the shoulder seasons are — chef's kiss — perfection," Anastasia Sotiropulos, a tour guide based in Chania, Crete, shared. "The real treasure of Crete, though, are the people. The farmers, cheesemakers, fishmongers, artists, restaurateurs, winemakers, musicians, and homemakers create unique experiences for those lucky enough to visit this incredible island." 

Top 5 Can’t Miss

• Stay at a hotel with stunning Mediterranean views, like Elounda Bay Palace or Domes of Elounda. 
• Explore the ancient Palace of Knossos. 
• Catch some sun on Elafonissi Beach, one of the world’s most beautiful pink-sand beaches. 
• Wander the streets of Chania’s Old Town to admire Venetian, Turkish, and Greek architecture. 
• Visit during the shoulder season to avoid the hottest temperatures and largest crowds.

Ready to start exploring for yourself? Here's everything you need to know to plan a trip to Crete.

Gautier Houba/Travel + Leisure

Elounda Bay Palace

This luxury hotel has long been beloved for its mix of elegance and charm. The rooms and suites here open up to sweeping views of the azure Mediterranean waters, and the hotel's private beaches ensure you can always find a chair (and an umbrella). Make an appointment at the Chenot Spa, which offers massages, facials, and body treatments using science-forward ingredients and techniques. 

Domes of Elounda, Autograph Collection

Looking to stretch out? Domes of Elounda is the place to be. Known for its breathtaking views of the Mediterranean and the historic island of Spinalonga, the resort is home to just suites and villas, which open to fantastic patios with private plunge pools. Yes, this hotel comes with its own spa, but guests can also indulge in an in-room treatment to truly never lift a finger. 

Courtesy of Blue Palace, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa

Blue Palace

Blue Palace was named a Travel + Leisure reader favorite in the 2023 World's Best Awards , and in 2024, it's getting a whole new look. The renowned hotel is reopening as a modernist boutique hotel with just 47 bungalows and suites, all with brand-new interiors and some with private plunge pools. But even if you don't book a room with a pool, that's okay, as the hotel sits just steps from the beach anyway. 

Casa Delfino Hotel & Spa

Find yourself in a 17th-century Venetian mansion-turned-boutique hotel at Casa Delfino . The hotel, located in the heart of Chania's Old Town, allows travelers to stay amid the action while also offering a retreat-worthy rooftop garden that comes with sweeping views of the sea. It's a perfect place for families thanks to its one and two-bedroom suites. 

A visit to Chania's Old Town is a must, thanks to its charming Venetian, Turkish, and Greek architecture. To make the most of your time in Old Town, book a tour with a guide who can show you all the best sights and all the prime spots to get a great meal. 

Get in a little more Venetian architecture at Rethymno Old Town , one of the best-preserved historical districts in Crete. The city is built around the Venetian fortress, which provides fantastic panoramic views from its hilltop location. Don't skip the artisan shops where you can find the perfect souvenir. 

No visit to Crete is complete without a visit to its capital, Heraklion . Here, visitors can check out numerous historic sites, the Archaeological Museum mentioned below, and all the city's bustling markets, cafes, and bars. And as a bonus, the Palace of Knossos is just a short drive away. 

Elisanth_/Getty Images

Explore the Palace of Knossos.

Dive into more than 4,000 years of Greek history at the Palace of Knossos , Crete's most iconic archaeological site. The ancient complex is absolutely massive, and it comes with a gorgeous view of the sea thanks to its position high on the hill. "Crete's most famous archaeological site is the great Minoan Palace of Knossos, the oldest, largest, and most elaborate of these sites," Peter Sommer of Peter Sommer Travels , shared. "In its wide courts, shaded colonnades, and intricate arrangements of room after room, floor after floor, one can really come to grips with a civilization from far back in the Bronze Age, and grapple with questions that are still hotly debated – what did these palaces look like, what were they for, who lived in them, and how did they function?"

Hike the Samaria Gorge.

Outdoor lovers will adore spending a day hiking through the Samaria Gorge, a lengthy hike through Crete's White Mountains. The hike stretches on for nearly 10 miles through ancient cypress and pine forests and the abandoned village of Samaria before ending at the sea. However, the most famous part of the hike has to be the "Gates," where the gorge is just 13 feet apart but is more than 1,500 feet high. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time if you plan to hike the entire trail. The park's official site estimates that it takes about five hours to complete the journey. 

David C Tomlinson/Getty Images

Visit the Old Venetian Harbor of Chania.

Take a stroll through the Old Venetian Harbor of Chania and take in all the colors of Greece. Travelers can walk past homes and buildings showcasing Crete's unique melding of history, including all its Venetian, Ottoman, and Greek influences. Shop in its boutiques, grab a frappe in a cafe, view the massive fortress, and dine on plenty of fresh ingredients (hello, Greek salads) at its waterfront restaurants. Just make sure to have your camera ready, as its colorful buildings make for the perfect Instagram backdrop. 

Learn something new at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum.

Get an even deeper education on the island's history with a visit to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum , which houses the world's most comprehensive collection of artifacts from the Minoan civilization. Its most famous exhibit is the Phaistos Disc, a clay disc sporting more than 240 symbols that is said to be more than 3,000 years old. As the museum notes, "experts have not yet a definitive conclusion of the contents of the inscription," so maybe you can uncover what it all means during your visit.

Elafonissi Beach

Get ready to step foot on one of the world's most beautiful and romantic beaches, Elafonissi Beach . The stretch of shoreline is well-known for its pink sand — created by millions of crushed seashells —that disappears into shallow, turquoise waters. The beach, which is part of a nature reserve, is an ideal spot for families with small children thanks to the calm waters, but there are also plenty of spots for adults to put down their towels and umbrellas for a quiet day at the beach. 

Balos Lagoon

One more brilliant beach to visit is Balos Lagoon , a beach made up of brilliant white sand that's lapped by unbelievably blue water. "One of the most popular must-see places in the Chania region is the Balos Lagoon with hypnotizing turquoise waters and a panoramic landscape," Alonso Marly, a travel expert at Skylux Travel , said. "I suggest visiting the beach early in the morning to experience the lagoon at its most tranquil and skip the tourist crowds." 

Find a different style of landscape at Vai Beach , famous for the palm forest lining the coast. Once again, it's a spot where travelers can find warm, sandy beaches and beautiful blue waters, just this time with the bonus of tree shade for the perfect beach snooze. 

Related: 15 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Greece

The best time to visit Crete is from June to August when the weather on the island is at its prime. As WeatherSpark notes, the warmest weather can be found between early June and late September, when the average daily high temperature hits above 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Things get particularly hot in July, when the average temperature hits 84 degrees. 

"When it comes to the best times to visit Crete, keep in mind that the island is seasonal, and during winter months, most of its attractions are closed," Marly added. "However, throughout the high season, it is full of life day and night." 

But, if you're looking to escape the crowds, try plotting a visit during the island's shoulder seasons, which fall over April to May and September to early October.  

 "If possible, I recommend visiting the island during the shoulder season when it's not too hot and crowded – from April to June or September through October — to make the most of your authentic Greek holiday, full of sunshine and unforgettable experiences," Marly said.  

Crete is accessible via its international airports in Heraklion (Heraklion International Airport, HER) and Chania (Chania International Airport, CHQ). Heraklion is the island's busiest airport, and it is also the second-largest airport in Greece, just behind Athens. Several major airlines fly into the airport, including Emirates, Aegean, RyanAir, EasyJet, and KLM. 

For those looking to avoid the airport, there is a ferry option, but be warned: It's a long ride. Travelers can hop aboard a ferry from Piraeus Port in Athens to Heraklion or Chania, but the ride can take between nine and 10 hours.

Related: Everything You Need to Know to Plan Your Perfect Greek Islands Vacation

The best and easiest way to get around Crete is with your own car. Remember, this is Greece's largest island, so if you want to explore more widely, you will need some wheels. There are a ton of rental car companies on the island, including big names like Avis, Budget, and Hertz, all ready to loan you a ride. 

Public Transit

Crete also has a robust public bus system that can get you to most points of interest. Just note the buses here tend to move more slowly than cars, but it's also a rather affordable option, with rides starting at just a few euros. 

Scooters are also a rather popular mode of transportation here, as they are in almost all of the Greek islands. Visitors do need a valid license to rent scooters and must wear a helmet while riding. 

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The Moscow Metro Museum of Art: 10 Must-See Stations

There are few times one can claim having been on the subway all afternoon and loving it, but the Moscow Metro provides just that opportunity.  While many cities boast famous public transport systems—New York’s subway, London’s underground, San Salvador’s chicken buses—few warrant hours of exploration.  Moscow is different: Take one ride on the Metro, and you’ll find out that this network of railways can be so much more than point A to B drudgery.

The Metro began operating in 1935 with just thirteen stations, covering less than seven miles, but it has since grown into the world’s third busiest transit system ( Tokyo is first ), spanning about 200 miles and offering over 180 stops along the way.  The construction of the Metro began under Joseph Stalin’s command, and being one of the USSR’s most ambitious building projects, the iron-fisted leader instructed designers to create a place full of svet (radiance) and svetloe budushchee (a radiant future), a palace for the people and a tribute to the Mother nation.

Consequently, the Metro is among the most memorable attractions in Moscow.  The stations provide a unique collection of public art, comparable to anything the city’s galleries have to offer and providing a sense of the Soviet era, which is absent from the State National History Museum.  Even better, touring the Metro delivers palpable, experiential moments, which many of us don’t get standing in front of painting or a case of coins.

Though tours are available , discovering the Moscow Metro on your own provides a much more comprehensive, truer experience, something much less sterile than following a guide.  What better place is there to see the “real” Moscow than on mass transit: A few hours will expose you to characters and caricatures you’ll be hard-pressed to find dining near the Bolshoi Theater.  You become part of the attraction, hear it in the screech of the train, feel it as hurried commuters brush by: The Metro sucks you beneath the city and churns you into the mix.

With the recommendations of our born-and-bred Muscovite students, my wife Emma and I have just taken a self-guided tour of what some locals consider the top ten stations of the Moscow Metro. What most satisfied me about our Metro tour was the sense of adventure .  I loved following our route on the maps of the wagon walls as we circled the city, plotting out the course to the subsequent stops; having the weird sensation of being underground for nearly four hours; and discovering the next cavern of treasures, playing Indiana Jones for the afternoon, piecing together fragments of Russia’s mysterious history.  It’s the ultimate interactive museum.

Top Ten Stations (In order of appearance)

Kievskaya station.

Kievskaya Station went public in March of 1937, the rails between it and Park Kultury Station being the first to cross the Moscow River.  Kievskaya is full of mosaics depicting aristocratic scenes of Russian life, with great cameo appearances by Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin.  Each work has a Cyrillic title/explanation etched in the marble beneath it; however, if your Russian is rusty, you can just appreciate seeing familiar revolutionary dates like 1905 ( the Russian Revolution ) and 1917 ( the October Revolution ).

Mayakovskaya Station

Mayakovskaya Station ranks in my top three most notable Metro stations. Mayakovskaya just feels right, done Art Deco but no sense of gaudiness or pretention.  The arches are adorned with rounded chrome piping and create feeling of being in a jukebox, but the roof’s expansive mosaics of the sky are the real showstopper.  Subjects cleverly range from looking up at a high jumper, workers atop a building, spires of Orthodox cathedrals, to nimble aircraft humming by, a fleet of prop planes spelling out CCCP in the bluest of skies.

Novoslobodskaya Station

Novoslobodskaya is the Metro’s unique stained glass station.  Each column has its own distinctive panels of colorful glass, most of them with a floral theme, some of them capturing the odd sailor, musician, artist, gardener, or stenographer in action.  The glass is framed in Art Deco metalwork, and there is the lovely aspect of discovering panels in the less frequented haunches of the hall (on the trackside, between the incoming staircases).  Novosblod is, I’ve been told, the favorite amongst out-of-town visitors.

Komsomolskaya Station

Komsomolskaya Station is one of palatial grandeur.  It seems both magnificent and obligatory, like the presidential palace of a colonial city.  The yellow ceiling has leafy, white concrete garland and a series of golden military mosaics accenting the tile mosaics of glorified Russian life.  Switching lines here, the hallway has an Alice-in-Wonderland feel, impossibly long with decorative tile walls, culminating in a very old station left in a remarkable state of disrepair, offering a really tangible glimpse behind the palace walls.

Dostoevskaya Station

Dostoevskaya is a tribute to the late, great hero of Russian literature .  The station at first glance seems bare and unimpressive, a stark marble platform without a whiff of reassembled chips of tile.  However, two columns have eerie stone inlay collages of scenes from Dostoevsky’s work, including The Idiot , The Brothers Karamazov , and Crime and Punishment.   Then, standing at the center of the platform, the marble creates a kaleidoscope of reflections.  At the entrance, there is a large, inlay portrait of the author.

Chkalovskaya Station

Chkalovskaya does space Art Deco style (yet again).  Chrome borders all.  Passageways with curvy overhangs create the illusion of walking through the belly of a chic, new-age spacecraft.  There are two (kos)mosaics, one at each end, with planetary subjects.  Transferring here brings you above ground, where some rather elaborate metalwork is on display.  By name similarity only, I’d expected Komsolskaya Station to deliver some kosmonaut décor; instead, it was Chkalovskaya that took us up to the space station.

Elektrozavodskaya Station

Elektrozavodskaya is full of marble reliefs of workers, men and women, laboring through the different stages of industry.  The superhuman figures are round with muscles, Hollywood fit, and seemingly undeterred by each Herculean task they respectively perform.  The station is chocked with brass, from hammer and sickle light fixtures to beautiful, angular framework up the innards of the columns.  The station’s art pieces are less clever or extravagant than others, but identifying the different stages of industry is entertaining.

Baumanskaya Statio

Baumanskaya Station is the only stop that wasn’t suggested by the students.  Pulling in, the network of statues was just too enticing: Out of half-circle depressions in the platform’s columns, the USSR’s proud and powerful labor force again flaunts its success.  Pilots, blacksmiths, politicians, and artists have all congregated, posing amongst more Art Deco framing.  At the far end, a massive Soviet flag dons the face of Lenin and banners for ’05, ’17, and ‘45.  Standing in front of the flag, you can play with the echoing roof.

Ploshchad Revolutsii Station

Novokuznetskaya Station

Novokuznetskaya Station finishes off this tour, more or less, where it started: beautiful mosaics.  This station recalls the skyward-facing pieces from Mayakovskaya (Station #2), only with a little larger pictures in a more cramped, very trafficked area.  Due to a line of street lamps in the center of the platform, it has the atmosphere of a bustling market.  The more inventive sky scenes include a man on a ladder, women picking fruit, and a tank-dozer being craned in.  The station’s also has a handsome black-and-white stone mural.

Here is a map and a brief description of our route:

Start at (1)Kievskaya on the “ring line” (look for the squares at the bottom of the platform signs to help you navigate—the ring line is #5, brown line) and go north to Belorusskaya, make a quick switch to the Dark Green/#2 line, and go south one stop to (2)Mayakovskaya.  Backtrack to the ring line—Brown/#5—and continue north, getting off at (3)Novosblodskaya and (4)Komsolskaya.  At Komsolskaya Station, transfer to the Red/#1 line, go south for two stops to Chistye Prudy, and get on the Light Green/#10 line going north.  Take a look at (5)Dostoevskaya Station on the northern segment of Light Green/#10 line then change directions and head south to (6)Chkalovskaya, which offers a transfer to the Dark Blue/#3 line, going west, away from the city center.  Have a look (7)Elektroskaya Station before backtracking into the center of Moscow, stopping off at (8)Baumskaya, getting off the Dark Blue/#3 line at (9)Ploschad Revolyutsii.  Change to the Dark Green/#2 line and go south one stop to see (10)Novokuznetskaya Station.

Check out our new Moscow Indie Travel Guide , book a flight to Moscow and read 10 Bars with Views Worth Blowing the Budget For

Jonathon Engels, formerly a patron saint of misadventure, has been stumbling his way across cultural borders since 2005 and is currently volunteering in the mountains outside of Antigua, Guatemala.  For more of his work, visit his website and blog .

Photo credits:   SergeyRod , all others courtesy of the author and may not be used without permission

Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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Radiators fail once more: Moscow suburbs residents appeal to Putin

R esidents across the Moscow suburbs are besieged by a heating problem, for which they plead direct intervention from President Vladimir Putin. These individuals have yet to experience any semblance of home heating since winter started due to a dwindling supply of heating oil. The issue, one largely avoided by local authority communication, has left residents desperate to the point of directly appealing to the president.

While plots have been uncovered to disrupt Ukraine's infrastructure for a second consecutive winter, thus depriving civilians of heating, it seems Russians are now mired in their crisis. Irony drips from the fact that those under Putin's leadership are looking to cause turmoil in Ukraine, yet at home, they face a similar predicament.

Many dwellings within the Moscow agglomeration are presently without heat. The capital's residents are desperate, directly appealing to President Putin due to a perceived lack of alternate avenues for assistance. The absence of suitable heating functionality since winter commenced pushes them towards desperation with no relief in sight.

This seems improbable, but in Russia, it appears that anything can happen.

It remains uncertain if Vladimir Putin is actively addressing the heating crisis. Some experts suggest that Russia's heating oil reserves are depleting, which negatively affects residents' quality of life. Plagued by cold radiators and plummeting winter temperatures, these citizens have directly addressed their pleas to their head of state.

This heating crisis is happening in Elektrostal, a town approximately 71 miles from Moscow.

Ironically, Russia has constantly aimed to destroy the Ukrainian infrastructure since war broke out, deliberately trying to leave Ukrainians without heating during the harsh winters, aiming to break their strong will. It's an irony they now struggle with a domestic heating crisis, particularly near Moscow, their largest and most pivotal city.

Desperate individuals are reaching out to Vladimir Putin. They question his knowledge of the heating infrastructure conditions in the Moscow suburbs and the dire situations residents face there. Sundown brings no relief from the harsh Russian winter and without heating, their houses turn cold. With elections nearing, more and more residents find themselves reaching out directly to their president.

"Since winter's start, we've been without heating. This has been a yearly occurrence for the past three years. Despite paying for heating, we don't have enough. We implore you, help us!" - these are the desperate pleas from the heavily dressed populace dealing with the Russian winter conditions.

Experts attribute the heating oil shortage to international sanctions and surging demands for diesel fuel, pivotal to military operations. Russia now grapples with a dearth of raw materials essential for boiler and heating plant operation. As supplies dwindle, houses grow cold with little hope of any immediate corrective intervention.

It would be adequate if the war ceased, residents were prioritized, and attention accorded to their welfare.

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