Istanbul/Greece

[Fedup]

I’m planning a trip to Istanbul after staying at the Islands like Mykonos and Santorini. My husband spent his childhood years there, his father was working at the British Embassy there. Bottom line he wants to go back to see the place before he gets too old.
Anyone here has any advice or has travelled since the recent turmoil between Turkey and US. I mean do you have problem getting a visa to go there?
Also any suggestion regarding how many days, what to do and see? Any tour guide recommended? Should we stay at Airbnb or hotel? We have not had good experience staying at any Airbnb so far but are welcome any good suggestion. Thanks ahead.

 

[Nemo2]

Should we stay at Airbnb or hotel? We have not had good experience staying at any Airbnb so far but are welcome any good suggestion. Thanks ahead.

Funny...we've never had a bad airbnb experience...luck of the draw perhaps.

Istanbul....last time I was there, about 32 years ago on an R&R from Riyadh, stayed at the Pera Palace Hotel......lots of history there, Agatha Christie, Kemal Atatürk, worth it just for that alone.

Luxury Hotel in Istanbul | Historic Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul

 

[Fedup]

Funny...we've never had a bad airbnb experience...luck of the draw perhaps.

Istanbul....last time I was there, about 32 years ago on an R&R from Riyadh, stayed at the Pera Palace Hotel......lots of history there, Agatha Christie, Kemal Atatürk, worth it just for that alone.

Luxury Hotel in Istanbul | Historic Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul

Thank you for your recommendation. It wasn’t bad, but it was not good either. Plus for one Airbnb it had very strict cancellation policy. I tend to book hotels with non cancellation policy because my plans are not always firm.

 

[Nemo2]

If you click on the Pera Palace link, the pic on the top right looks like the same room(s) my late wife and her late parents stayed in (oh, I was there too):

 

[Fedup]

If you click on the Pera Palace link the pic on the top right looks like the same room(s) my late wife and her late parents stayed in:

Very nice!

 

[OldShooter]

Just got back from from two weeks in Greece on Wednesday. Did Turkey in 2010.

The original plan was to combine Greece and Turkey in one trip, but in doing the planning we discovered that almost everything was in Turkey. Ephesus, ancient Sparta, etc. Something like 60% of place names in the bible are/were in Turkey. Also Cappadocia is spectacular. Don't miss it. By the time we planned what we wanted to see in Turkey there was no time for Greece. Now, having been to Greece, I still think that was the right decision.

We were in Santorini for a few days early last week. Awful place IMO. Herds of bus-borne tourists everywhere and terrible traffic/parking. I am told that Mykonos is worse. I am sure they were great 30 years ago but not now. When in Turkey we took a "middle-of-trip" break for a couple of days in Bodrum. Very nice, many tourists but no herds. Great seafood.

We did not do AirBnB on either trip, but we have used it happily many other places in the world. We sort the offerings highest-price first, skip over the villas, and start looking for offerings that are apartments with at least minimal kitchen, private quarters with ensuite bathroom, etc. We also read the reviews carefully. Our goal is comfort, not to save money, and to avoid staying in big, boring cookie-cutter hotels. An on-site host is a plus for restaurant and attraction suggestions. In Norway and in Morocco we had hosts who got up early and drove us to the airport for less than the price of a cab. Very convenient.

 

[Souschef]

We got married on Santorini. I have attached the story of our cruise from Venice to Istanbul.

 

[Fedup]

Just got back from from two weeks in Greece on Wednesday. Did Turkey in 2010.

The original plan was to combine Greece and Turkey in one trip, but in doing the planning we discovered that almost everything was in Turkey. Ephesus, ancient Sparta, etc. Something like 60% of place names in the bible are/were in Turkey. Also Cappadocia is spectacular. Don't miss it. By the time we planned what we wanted to see in Turkey there was no time for Greece. Now, having been to Greece, I still think that was the right decision.

We were in Santorini for a few days early last week. Awful place IMO. Herds of bus-borne tourists everywhere and terrible traffic/parking. I am told that Mykonos is worse. I am sure they were great 30 years ago but not now. When in Turkey we took a "middle-of-trip" break for a couple of days in Bodrum. Very nice, many tourists but no herds. Great seafood.

We did not do AirBnB on either trip, but we have used it happily many other places in the world. We sort the offerings highest-price first, skip over the villas, and start looking for offerings that are apartments with at least minimal kitchen, private quarters with ensuite bathroom, etc. We also read the reviews carefully. Our goal is comfort, not to save money, and to avoid staying in big, boring cookie-cutter hotels. An on-site host is a plus for restaurant and attraction suggestions. In Norway and in Morocco we had hosts who got up early and drove us to the airport for less than the price of a cab. Very convenient.

Thank you for your post. It’s going to be a 2-3 months trip, and we plan to go early in Spring, so I hope we have time to see everything. But this trip is to to hotter places like the Andalusia, Morroco, possible Grenada, places that we couldn’t go in the summer.

The last trip was the first time I booked and used Airbnb, I now have more experience. But one place was listed as luxury, it wasn’t cheap, but the bathroom smells like urine most of the time and A/C was noisy. I found out later on that whole area has sewage/drainage problem. It’s an old building in a Italy but the location was perfect.

 

[Fedup]

We got married on Santorini. I have attached the story of our cruise from Venice to Istanbul.

Nice. While we were not married on Santorini, we are celebrating a big anniversary. I’ve read that some beach near Mykonos is great for windsurfing, my husband likes to windsurf there if it’s possible.

 

[Scrapr]

At a family get together my cousin told us about his week on a sailboat in Greece. I would love this. I am still working on my sales pitch for Mrs Scrapr

https://www.anko-yachting.com/categ...-typical-day-on-our-crewed-yacht-charter.html

 

[Scuba]

We are in Greece right now, two weeks into a six week trip. It depends on your interests but so far we absolutely LOVE Greece. Very interesting ancient historical sites, friendly and welcoming people, excellent food and decent wine, and stunningly beautiful beaches and villages.

Our itinerary is: Skopelos, Athens, Nafplion, Santorini, Milos, Naxos, Rhodes. Averaging 5-6 days per stop. I’m not a windsurfer, but a friend of mine just returned from a windsurfing trio to Paros and Naxos. Both are well known for windsurfing.

We skipped Mykonos as the main attractions seem to be nightlife and crowded beaches, which are unappealing to us. However, many people we know love Santorini. We haven’t been there yet but are hoping for the best. If you aren’t into crowds/touristy places, try Folegandros. I’ve read that it’s like Santorini was 40 years ago.

Can’t comment on Turkey. We considered adding it to our Greece trip but did not want to be too rushed and decided we didn’t have enough time.

 

[Fedup]

We are in Greece right now, two weeks into a six week trip. It depends on your interests but so far we absolutely LOVE Greece. Very interesting ancient historical sites, friendly and welcoming people, excellent food and decent wine, and stunningly beautiful beaches and villages.

Our itinerary is: Skopelos, Athens, Nafplion, Santorini, Milos, Naxos, Rhodes. Averaging 5-6 days per stop. I’m not a windsurfer, but a friend of mine just returned from a windsurfing trio to Paros and Naxos. Both are well known for windsurfing.

We skipped Mykonos as the main attractions seem to be nightlife and crowded beaches, which are unappealing to us. However, many people we know love Santorini. We haven’t been there yet but are hoping for the best. If you aren’t into crowds/touristy places, try Folegandros. I’ve read that it’s like Santorini was 40 years ago.

Can’t comment on Turkey. We considered adding it to our Greece trip but did not want to be too rushed and decided we didn’t have enough time.

Thank you for your post. I will try to do some research about those islands you mentioned.

 

[IMATERP]

Up until last week, we entertained the idea of going to Greece and Istanbul in the Spring of 2020. We had planned on flying into Athens and picking up a Celestial Cruise to Istanbul. Nice one week specials in late 2019 and early 2020.
Since the wife is still working we have opted for a one week jaunt to London and Amsterdam next June, instead.

We are hoping to get to Greece within 5 years.

I

 

[brett]

There is so much to see and do plus so many travel options. How long is your trip?

We typically skip Mykonos and would only go to Santorini if there are no cruise ships in port (it is possible to check) and preferably in either of the shoulder seasons.

Greece and Turkey are two of our favourites and we have been several times.
Capadoccia is wonderful. The Turkish Med coast has a lot to offer as well. We really enjoy Antalya. Turkey has several good domestic airlines as well that are well priced.

 

[Fedup]

There is so much to see and do plus so many travel options. How long is your trip?

We typically skip Mykonos and would only go to Santorini if there are no cruise ships in port (it is possible to check) and preferably in either of the shoulder seasons.

Greece and Turkey are two of our favourites and we have been several times.
Capadoccia is wonderful. The Turkish Med coast has a lot to offer as well. We really enjoy Antalya. Turkey has several good domestic airlines as well that are well priced.

I’m planning right now, nothing is booked yet. But I have free ticket to go from LAX to London, then I fly from there. Planning about 2-3 months, starting around April/May.
Which airline to fly from Greece to Turkey?

 

[brett]

Good time to go.

If you start in Istanbul you could go to Cappadocia. Google discount airlines in Turkey. We have used Pegasus and Atlas but there are a few more. (we booked on their turkish website since it was much cheaper than online such as expedia)

After that perhaps the Med coast. You could fly to Fethiye or Dalaman, rent a car and tour the Med coast. OR fly to Antalya, rent a car but drop it off in Marmaris. There are other places to consider...best to get a guidebook. Izmir perhaps. Canakkale?

From Marmaris take the short ferry to Rhodes. From there, island hop. End up in Pireaus (by ferry OR fly in to Athens from an island) See Athens. Rent a car a drive around the Peloponnese for 10 days or so. Back to Pireaus. Then island hop. Sifnos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini...lots of choice.

Make your way by ferry down to Crete. Rent a car, spend a week or two
driving around the island. It is beautiful in that time of year.

Book an inexpensive Aegean Air flight to a European gateway city such as Paris (depending on where you want to go and what kind of fare you can get to return home)

You really need to look at some guidebooks. The ferry system in Greece is centered around island grouping. A good way to understand them is find a copy of this book in a library near you...Greek Island Hopping. You don't need the latest but a recent year is good.

IF you plan to do this our strong advice is to pack light. We are in our sixties. We travel with one 20" light weight roller each. Weighs about 8-10kg.

Or do the reverse. We love Turkey and Greece. Very special. Istanbul is amazing.

 

[mamadogmamacat]

Ive never been to Turkey. I do have friends who married Turkish men and do travel there to visit family. None have had problems but they also tell me they keep a low profile and of course have the protection of family.
There is this statement from our state dept:
"Reconsider travel to Turkey due to terrorism and arbitrary detentions. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory."

more here: https://travel.state.gov/content/tr.../traveladvisories/turkey-travel-advisory.html

 

[Scuba]

Thank you for your post. I will try to do some research about those islands you mentioned.

One group of islands we are planning a day trip to visit but wish we had more time for is the Small Cyclades. They are probably best for people into beaches and snorkeling, which we are. They look absolutely beautiful and not touristy at all. Other thoughts are:
- Antiparos is supposed to be very nice and quaint. To get there, fly into Naxos and take the ferry to Paros.
- Many Greek people we’ve met have said Milos is their favorite island. Also Crete gets high marks, but you really need 1-2 weeks just in Crete to experience it properly. We plan to visit Corfu & Crete on our next trip here.
- The Peloponnese Peninsula is beautiful and diverse, but huge. Again it would be easy to spend couple of weeks just seeing the various areas.
- One general point is that it is pretty time consuming to get from Point A to Point B in Greece. There are not generally flights between islands; you must fly back to Athens and make a connection. So flying between islands takes several hours. Ferry schedules are not daily. They tend to go in one direction rather than back and forth, so it’s not that easy to island hop by ferry without careful planning, coupled with flexibility in case schedules change.
- So far we have been VERY pleased with Airbnb and Booking.com apartment accommodations. So much more comfortable to have a little kitchen, and our Athens Airbnb even had a living room and 2 balconies, all within an easy walk to most major attractions. The average price per night for our rooms has been in the range of $55-$75. All apartments so far have exceeded our expectations in terms of comfort, views and location.

Feel free to PM me with other questions as you do your research. Planning a trip to Greece takes a lot of time, but it’s worth it to do your homework. I’m convinced there is something for everyone here.

 

[Fedup]

Good time to go.

If you start in Istanbul you could go to Cappadocia. Google discount airlines in Turkey. We have used Pegasus and Atlas but there are a few more. (we booked on their turkish website since it was much cheaper than online such as expedia)

After that perhaps the Med coast. You could fly to Fethiye or Dalaman, rent a car and tour the Med coast. OR fly to Antalya, rent a car but drop it off in Marmaris. There are other places to consider...best to get a guidebook. Izmir perhaps. Canakkale?

From Marmaris take the short ferry to Rhodes. From there, island hop. End up in Pireaus (by ferry OR fly in to Athens from an island) See Athens. Rent a car a drive around the Peloponnese for 10 days or so. Back to Pireaus. Then island hop. Sifnos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini...lots of choice.

Make your way by ferry down to Crete. Rent a car, spend a week or two
driving around the island. It is beautiful in that time of year.

Book an inexpensive Aegean Air flight to a European gateway city such as Paris (depending on where you want to go and what kind of fare you can get to return home)

You really need to look at some guidebooks. The ferry system in Greece is centered around island grouping. A good way to understand them is find a copy of this book in a library near you...Greek Island Hopping. You don't need the latest but a recent year is good.

IF you plan to do this our strong advice is to pack light. We are in our sixties. We travel with one 20" light weight roller each. Weighs about 8-10kg.

Or do the reverse. We love Turkey and Greece. Very special. Istanbul is amazing.

Thank you for your post. We always pack light, don’t like to check luggage or waiting for luggage even if they are free. Last trip, we only had a carrying luggage for 2-3 months. We buy shampoo and toothpaste when we get there and throw them away when we leave.

 

[Fedup]

Ive never been to Turkey. I do have friends who married Turkish men and do travel there to visit family. None have had problems but they also tell me they keep a low profile and of course have the protection of family.
There is this statement from our state dept:
"Reconsider travel to Turkey due to terrorism and arbitrary detentions. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory."

more here: https://travel.state.gov/content/tr.../traveladvisories/turkey-travel-advisory.html

I’ve been hesitant to go for that reason, but my husband is English, nobody would think he is American. I just have to not be so outspoken, my American accent is a dead give away. Yes on keeping a low profile. But I think I’m only planning for Istanbul because my husband did grow up there from 5-10 years old. It’s one of his bucket list.

 

[Fedup]

One group of islands we are planning a day trip to visit but wish we had more time for is the Small Cyclades. They are probably best for people into beaches and snorkeling, which we are. They look absolutely beautiful and not touristy at all. Other thoughts are:
- Antiparos is supposed to be very nice and quaint. To get there, fly into Naxos and take the ferry to Paros.
- Many Greek people we’ve met have said Milos is their favorite island. Also Crete gets high marks, but you really need 1-2 weeks just in Crete to experience it properly. We plan to visit Corfu & Crete on our next trip here.
- The Peloponnese Peninsula is beautiful and diverse, but huge. Again it would be easy to spend couple of weeks just seeing the various areas.
- One general point is that it is pretty time consuming to get from Point A to Point B in Greece. There are not generally flights between islands; you must fly back to Athens and make a connection. So flying between islands takes several hours. Ferry schedules are not daily. They tend to go in one direction rather than back and forth, so it’s not that easy to island hop by ferry without careful planning, coupled with flexibility in case schedules change.
- So far we have been VERY pleased with Airbnb and Booking.com apartment accommodations. So much more comfortable to have a little kitchen, and our Athens Airbnb even had a living room and 2 balconies, all within an easy walk to most major attractions. The average price per night for our rooms has been in the range of $55-$75. All apartments so far have exceeded our expectations in terms of comfort, views and location.

Feel free to PM me with other questions as you do your research. Planning a trip to Greece takes a lot of time, but it’s worth it to do your homework. I’m convinced there is something for everyone here.

Thank you for the information. I’ve been thinking of just a few islands, but your post give me ideas of which islands to go.

 

[Freedom56]

I’m planning a trip to Istanbul after staying at the Islands like Mykonos and Santorini. My husband spent his childhood years there, his father was working at the British Embassy there. Bottom line he wants to go back to see the place before he gets too old.
Anyone here has any advice or has travelled since the recent turmoil between Turkey and US. I mean do you have problem getting a visa to go there?
Also any suggestion regarding how many days, what to do and see? Any tour guide recommended? Should we stay at Airbnb or hotel? We have not had good experience staying at any Airbnb so far but are welcome any good suggestion. Thanks ahead.

The last time I was in Turkey was in March 2015, a few months before retirement. I have traveled to Turkey about 8 times on business, 3 times landing in Istanbul and 5 times landing in Ankara. These were during periods of other turmoil but we never had any issues. In Istanbul, we stayed at the Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel every time. The hotel faces the sea and is like a complete fortress with very good security. It's a Marriott hotel. Turkey should be a bargain now with the current exchange rate.

https://www.marriott.com/hotels/tra...el/?scid=bb1a189a-fec3-4d19-a255-54ba596febe2

This hotel and the Hyatt and Sheraton Hotels were the only ones recommended by our company due to their security. I found Istanbul to be very safe and Ankara to be even more so. Much safer than many cities here. In fact Ankara is one of the few cities left that is void of graffiti and is extremely clean. The hotel little out of the way from the center of Istanbul but very close to the airport and attractions like the Sultana-met, Grand Bazaar or Hagia Sophia. The views from the Hotel were amazing.
We had a rental car every trip as our customers were outside Istanbul. Driving in Istanbul in the morning and afternoon rush hour can be frustrating. If you plan to stay in Istanbul, use the tram system. We took the hotel shuttle to the airport and took the tram from the airport into the city. Cabs are inexpensive, but you may spend a lot of time sitting in gridlock with the meter running. If you plan to visit places outside of Istanbul, then by all means rent a car. For excursions outside the city we always used the rental car. Driving is easy once you leave Istanbul. Flying Turkish Airlines business class from LAX to Istanbul is certainly a treat. The food and service with the flying chefs was fantastic. The food was even better in Turkey. As for places to visit in Istanbul, I would recommend:

1- Sultana-met District
2- Hagia Sophia Museum
3- The Grand Bazaar
4- Topkapi Palace
5- Princes Islands

As for the visa, we obtained them online (e-visa) for $20. The process is the same now.

Have a nice trip!

 

[Fedup]

The last time I was in Turkey was in March 2015, a few months before retirement. I have traveled to Turkey about 8 times on business, 3 times landing in Istanbul and 5 times landing in Ankara. These were during periods of other turmoil but we never had any issues. In Istanbul, we stayed at the Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel every time. The hotel faces the sea and is like a complete fortress with very good security. It's a Marriott hotel. Turkey should be a bargain now with the current exchange rate.

https://www.marriott.com/hotels/tra...el/?scid=bb1a189a-fec3-4d19-a255-54ba596febe2

This hotel and the Hyatt and Sheraton Hotels were the only ones recommended by our company due to their security. I found Istanbul to be very safe and Ankara to be even more so. Much safer than many cities here. In fact Ankara is one of the few cities left that is void of graffiti and is extremely clean. The hotel little out of the way from the center of Istanbul but very close to the airport and attractions like the Sultana-met, Grand Bazaar or Hagia Sophia. The views from the Hotel were amazing.
We had a rental car every trip as our customers were outside Istanbul. Driving in Istanbul in the morning and afternoon rush hour can be frustrating. If you plan to stay in Istanbul, use the tram system. We took the hotel shuttle to the airport and took the tram from the airport into the city. Cabs are inexpensive, but you may spend a lot of time sitting in gridlock with the meter running. If you plan to visit places outside of Istanbul, then by all means rent a car. For excursions outside the city we always used the rental car. Driving is easy once you leave Istanbul. Flying Turkish Airlines business class from LAX to Istanbul is certainly a treat. The food and service with the flying chefs was fantastic. The food was even better in Turkey. As for places to visit in Istanbul, I would recommend:

1- Sultana-met District
2- Hagia Sophia Museum
3- The Grand Bazaar
4- Topkapi Palace
5- Princes Islands

As for the visa, we obtained them online (e-visa) for $20. The process is the same now.

Have a nice trip!

Thank you for your post. I was thinking of staying at an American hotel for security. I found there is a Four Seasons hotel in Istanbul. A little pricey but I don’t mind paying. I’m not sure I will drive there, so stay somewhere more downtown is preferable.

 

[NYEXPAT]

DW is going solo in a few weeks to Istanbul. She will be staying in the Sultanahmet area (forgot the hotel). It is a great area to stay to see the attractions, but is dead at nightime. Travelling on KLM to Turkey and Emirates when she heads to Dubai and later Australia. Peruvians do not need visa's to enter Turkey.

 

[Scuba]

Update - we are in Santorini now. It is dramatically beautiful but I can confirm Old Shooter’s comments about the hordes of cruise ship passengers mobbing the streets of Oia. Luckily we rented a car and were able to go to some places with no crowds, but Oia is by no means the serene and exclusive place I had heard it was. If we ever return to Santorini, we will avoid Oia and Fira.

Santorini is also quite expensive compared to other Greek islands, and I imagine Mykonos is the same.