Istanbul or Athens, Greek Isles, finish in Paris

[Montecfo]

We are planning a trip to Europe beginning mid-September. To start in Istanbul or Athens, do some Greek or Turkish Isles exploring. This for 3-4 weeks. Then to Paris for a week (with our son) before returning to the Washington DC area.

I know many of you have probably been to Istanbul and/or Athens and have ideas as to which is better for first trip. Open to all input and ideas.

The Paris part we have largely figured out but curious if folks have tips on logisics, must dos, good to avoid, etc. for any part of the trip.

Also any favorite Greek or Turkish Islands as there are many choices.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[brett]

We have been to both...numerous times. As a city we prefer Istanbul. We have traveled south from Istanbul to the Med coast. It is beautiful...especially driving along the coast to Antalya. You can easily ferry from Marmaris to Rhodes, then to other islands.

We have had some wonderful trips to Athens. Then did island skipping down to Crete. Have also driven through the Pelopponese. Spent 3 weeks in the Ionian Islands and loved it.

You cannot go wrong. Spend some time reseaching both cities, the islands, deciding whether you want to start in Istanbul or Athens. If it is a draw perhaps the airfares will decide the issue. We have found that Aegean flights from Crete to Paris (via ATH) to be very attractive.

Mid-late September is ideal. The later in the month the better. We have spent many beautiful late Septembers, Octobers island hopping.

We are very spontaneous travelers. If you are island hopping keep you schedules flexible. Review ferry transportation sites and understand the various ferry schedules/routes pertaining to the islands on your list so that you will not have any surprises. Always be prepared to change you plans/reservations at the last minute.

For the past 15 years we no longer bother with Santorini and Mykonos. Too crowded. DW very much enjoyed Kefelonia (Ionian) , Sifnos and Naxos in the Cyclades. And Crete of course. Milos and Folegandros are at the top of our list for our next trip. IF you decide that you must go there we advise you to look up the port data to see how many cruise ships are in port for the day. Some of those ships have 3-5K people on board. It can be an absolute zoo and there are some awful tourist traps.

Do yourselves a huge favor and only travel with wheeled carry ons. You will no doubt encounter people at ferry terminals who are struggling because they packed far too much and have a struggle to physically handle their bags. You are very much on your own to board and disembark. No porterage!

You have made me envious. Sounds like the perfect trip. Enjoy!

 

[Montecfo]

Brett, thanks so much for this info. Your travel tips are very helpful.

Yes we are aware of and honestly saddened by heavy cruise ship traffic to the popular island spots. We will plan accordingly.

We could stick to Turkish isles but I understand you can transit to Greece say via Rhodes for example.

How are customs/passport control for those? That is one perhaps minor complication of starting in Istanbul since we know we will be going to the EU (France) on the trip.

Thanks so much!

 

[brett]

I do not understand your concern. In our experience zero border issues going from Marmaris to Rhodes. Done at the port, very efficient.

I believe that there are other departure ports with ferries to other islands. Maybe to Chios or Lesbos. Do not really know. Ferry scheds can also change year to year, even month to month! Check on line.

There are also different prices for different ferries....ie fast and slower. Depending where and how far you are gong the only substantive difference might be cost and sched.

The only issue at Marmaris for us was ferry tickets. One of two vendors were trying to con us with exhorbitently priced ferry tickets before we got to the real ticket booth. Check ahead on line to understand what the fare should be. Others had warned us beforehand of this practice. Rhodes can be busy at times...a fair amount of UK packaged trips. We enjoyed it.

One other thing. IF you end up flying from Istanbul to the south of Turkey be aware that there are several very good Turkish regional discount airlines (Atlas, etc). They provide excellent service at a good price. If you do this make sure that you know which Istanbul airport they depart from.

On one trip we flew from Istanbul to Kayseri and spent three fabulous days in the sometimes overlooked Cappadocia region of Turkey. Fascinating. DW still speaks about it. Well worth a 2 or 3 day detour IMHO. So very different from the coast and the islands. . Then we flew south to the Med coast. Cappadocia was the highlight of our trip. Google it for details.

I do not understand your concern of traveling to/via Turkey to the EU/Paris either. An absolute non event in our experience. Other than the occasional long lines to get through customs/immigration at CDG or the hassle of changing planes at CDG but the latter will not apply to you.

The only issue, so we were told when we were in Cyprus, could be Greece or Istanbul to the corresponding Greek or Turkish side of Cyprus. We went Greece-Greek side of Cyprus and then to London and were not even aware of the issue.

 

[JoeWras]

Rhodes has cruise ships. Many pilgrimage trips go to Rhodes because it is mentioned in the bible as a place Paul went to, although the exact location is unknown. Not a problem, just worth a mention. Rhodes was kind of unique in that it had many influences from different cultures and conquests. Very interesting place.

Any place I went to in Greece was a win.

 

[wearefinishedworking]

Vote for Naxos! No crowds or ships, beautiful beaches, we Loved it!

 

[brett]

Vote for Naxos! No crowds or ships, beautiful beaches, we Loved it!

Agree...spent a wonderful 5 days in mid/ate October several years ago. Much prefered it to our stay in nearby Paros!

 

[FIREd]

I have been to Istanbul and Turkey a couple of times and I am planning another trip for next Spring, to visit southern Turkey this time (Izmir, Bodrum, Antalya, Kayseri, Cappadoce, and perhaps Antakya)

The first time I went, I drove from Switzerland and it was fine except for the hard border crossings in/out of the EU. The land border crossing into Turkey from Mainland Europe (Bulgaria or Greece) can be notoriously long, especially during the summer months when the Turks living in western/northern Europe go home to visit family. It can take hours to go through, as the Turkish border checks are very thorough.

The second time, I flew into Istanbul from Switzerland. Getting into Turkey was very easy. But note that the main airport in Istanbul is huge et hard to navigate, so if you have a connecting flight make sure to allow plenty of time between flights. On the way back, entering Switzerland after my flight from Istanbul was a non event. I suspect it would be similar if you land in Paris (Switzerland and France being both part of the Schengen area).

Next year I’m planning on driving again but this time I’ll go around to avoid Serbia and Bulgaria (due to not so good memories of those countries’ customs officers). So the idea is to drive from Switzerland to Ancona, Italy and catch the ferry to western Greece. Then either drive through northern Greece to Turkey or take the ferry to a Greek island and then another ferry to mainland Turkey (as far as I know there is no longer a direct ferry between mainland Greece and mainland Turkey).

 

[Montecfo]

Yes, we are planning to visit Naxos! love the suggestions from veteran travelers.

 

[Montecfo]

I have been to Istanbul and Turkey a couple of times and I am planning another trip for next Spring, to visit southern Turkey this time (Izmir, Bodrum, Antalya, Kayseri, Cappadoce, and perhaps Antakya)

The first time I went, I drove from Switzerland and it was fine except for the hard border crossings in/out of the EU. The land border crossing into Turkey from Mainland Europe (Bulgaria or Greece) can be notoriously long, especially during the summer months when the Turks living in western/northern Europe go home to visit family. It can take hours to go through, as the Turkish border checks are very thorough.

The second time, I flew into Istanbul from Switzerland. Getting into Turkey was very easy. But note that the main airport in Istanbul is huge et hard to navigate, so if you have a connecting flight make sure to allow plenty of time between flights. On the way back, entering Switzerland after my flight from Istanbul was a non event. I suspect it would be similar if you land in Paris (Switzerland and France being both part of the Schengen area).

Next year I’m planning on driving again but this time I’ll go around to avoid Serbia and Bulgaria (due to not so good memories of those countries’ customs officers). So the idea is to drive from Switzerland to Ancona, Italy and catch the ferry to western Greece. Then either drive through northern Greece to Turkey or take the ferry to a Greek island and then another ferry to mainland Turkey (as far as I know there is no longer a direct ferry between mainland Greece and mainland Turkey).

Thanks FIREd that is very helpful.

Do you sense any safety issue in Turkey versus say Greece?

 

[FIREd]

I was concerned about safety before my first visit to Turkey but I didn’t encounter any issues and found the Turks to be very friendly.

 

[brett]

Todays Guardian travel feature:

Exploring the quieter side of the Cyclades on a Greek island hopping holiday

The party island of Mykonos steals the spotlight, but a short ferry ride away, tranquil Tinos and Delos offer ancient history, holy sites and rugged beauty

www.theguardian.com

Safety....we typically feel safer in Turkey than we do in a number of places in the US. People are friendly, driving is a snap. But, we are not out and about late at night. As above, people are very friendly, even more so outside of Istanbul. This may surprise you but tourists from other countries coming to the US ask the exact same question about the US.

On one trip we flew from Istanbul to Dalaman, arriving in late afternoon. Our understanding was that there was a bus to our final destination....Marmaris on the coast.
No bus. A local saw that we were stranded. He was going that way. He bundled us into his car, drove us to Fethiye, arranged for a great B&B for us. He suggested it would be well worth a stop in Fethiye. The next morning met us for breakfast and acted as translater for an elderly gentleman who offered a row boat tour. Later in the day we took the bus to Marmaris, then over to Rhodes by ferry.

We were so glad that we spent time in Fethiye...it was an unexpected pleasure.

Ditto for Greece. Zero issues with safety other than you need to be aware of pickpockets on the Athens subway.

 

[Montecfo]

Thanks for all of the insight. The plan has taken a somewhat different shape due to our son's schedule. But here is the revised plan:

-7 days in London with our son (Apt in Mayfair)
-Fly to Chania, Crete. Split time over two weeks between Chania, Sougia and Heraklion.
-Fly Heraklion to Barcelona for 7 days.
-Quick hop to London then fly home.

Some of the changes were due to flight logistics. Flying in and out of London saved quite a bit for example.

Anyway, I welcome any thoughts, ideas or comments.

Thanks again!

 

[BlueberryPie]

I was going to comment on Paris, but now you're not going...

 

[Montecfo]

I was going to comment on Paris, but now you're not going...

Oh, I am.sorry about that. But I sure do appreciate your help!

 

[rembrandt]

About 76 people were killed in a ski resort fire in northwestern Turkey. Hope none of our members were there.

 

[Koolau]

Sounds like a great trip. Glad you will get to see your son for a nice visit.