Flotilla sailing around the Greek islands

FLOTILLA SAILING LETS YOU pilot your own boat in unfamiliar waters with the assurance that a well-seasoned skipper and engineer are sailing nearby. It's an adventurous but relaxed way to travel around the Greek islands, the most popular spot for this kind of sailing. Trips generally last two weeks, including travel from the U.S. or a European city.

On some trips, boats sail together continuously. On others, you may break off for a while, then regroup.

Are you a fledgling skipper? Some trips are geared to beginners: you learn skills while bunking ashore for several days, then set sail. To skipper a boat owned by other outfitters, you need to be a competent sailor--at least in a similar craft.

Sailing groups generally consist of at least four people per boat, unless you pay a supplement. You can cook simple meals in your galley or dine ashore. All the boats are equipped with engines and radios.

You're under way from 3 to 6 hours a day, covering 10 to 30 miles. Though such wind-borne passage may sound idyllic, it isn't always: you might be becalmed and have to motor, it might rain, and food in island restaurants might not always be delicious or promptly served.

Sailing costs $50 to $220 a day per person, depending on dates and type of craft. Prices do not include air fare or food. The season is May through mid-October. The four companies we list have U.S. agents.

Falcon. Sails 12 boats off the Peloponnese, in the Ionian Sea and Saronic Gulf. Villa-Flotilla combines shore training with a week of sailing. Departures twice a week. Fly from London. Write to Si Smith Sailing in Greece, Box 11510, Aspen, Colo. 81612, or call (303) 925-8181.

G.P.S.C. Sails 6 to 10 boats around the Cyclades or Saronic islands. No instruction. Monthly departures, May through October. Frly from New York. Write to 600 St. Andrews Rd., Philadelphia 19118, or call (800) 732-6786.

Moorings. Sails 18 boats. One trip at the end of September. No instruction. Fly from New York. Sail the Saronic Gulf side of the Peloponnese. Write to 19345 U.S. Highway 19N, #402, Clearwater, Fla. 34624, or call (813) 535-1446 or (800) 535-7289.

Sunsail. Uses from 6 to 12 boats in Saronic Gulf and Ionian Sea, or around Dodecanese and Sporades. Five departures every week. Fly from either London or Manchester. Write to 2 Prospect Park, 3347 N.W. 55th St., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33309, or call (305) 484-5246 or (800) 327-2276 (reservations).

CHILE

GLACIERS AND FIORDS

Departing Miami on February 27, a 14-day Chilean journey begins with several days of exploring Santiago. Fly to Puerto Williams, board the Society Explorer, and cruise among glaciers; for a closer look, join naturalists on small landing craft. Cruise the Chilean fiords and visit Torres del Paine National Park. Continue to Puerto Montt and spend a day in the Chilean Lake District. Cost starts at $4,995. International Oceanographic Foundation, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami 33149; (305) 361-4697.

AUSTRIA

INNSBRUCK SKIING

Through early April, skiers and winter travelers can purchase 7-night lodging packages in Innsbruck and other Austrian resorts. Two-through four-star hotels are priced from $238 to $398 per person, double occupancy. Prices include breakfast, transfers from Munich, and bus service to ski resorts each day. DER Tours, 11933 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90025; (310) 479-4140.

BELIZE

KAYAKING, CAVING, RIDING

Delve into the diverse ecosystems of Belize on 14-day trips, departing frequently through April. From Placencia, enjoy sailing, snorkeling, and leisurely kayaking through the southern barrier reef. Inland, explore a cave system used by the Maya for rituals, float the River of Caves through the jungle, visit the Xunantinich ruins, and tour waterfalls and the highland country on horseback. Cost from Belize City is $2,195. Ecosummer Expeditions, 1516 Duranleau St., Vancouver, B.C. V6H 3S4, Canada; (800) 688-8605.

EGYPT

CAIRO AND THE NILE

Leisurely 14-day tours highlight Egypt's history and monuments. In Cairo, visit bazaars, the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, and the historic Islamic and Roman districts. Day-trips take in Memphis and the Pyramids of Giza. Fly to Abu Simbel, then on to Aswan, where you visit the Aswan High Dam and the Temple of Isis. Then, board the new Sun Boat II for an 8-day Nile cruise to Kom Ombo, Idfu, Luxor (Thebes), Valley of the Kings, and Abydos. Cost from Cairo starts at $2,905. Abercrombie & Kent, 1520 Kensington Rd., Oak Brook, Ill. 60521; (800) 323-7308.

HOLLAND

TULIP TIME

April is the best month to enjoy Holland's spring flowers. See the country in bloom on 9-day tours based in Haarlem. First, take in the Floriade flower show. Then, on day-trips, pass lovely gardens as you cruise the River Vecht, visit the Aalsmeer flower auction and the Alkmaar cheese market, tour the old cities of Gouda and Delft, and see the museums and shops of Haarlem. Cost from Los Angeles starts at $2,771. William D. Buckman's Travel Time, 17 N. State St., Chicago 60602; (800) 621-4725.