elgill

My fiancé and I are going to Istanbul and Greece for 2 weeks in July for our honeymoon. We have several questions:

1. Should we use a tour company to make our arrangements or make them ourselves? Has anyone ever used Classic Vacations? Can anyone recommend any other tour companies?
2. How long should we stay in Istanbul for? Should we take any day trips from Istanbul?
3. We want to go to Santorini for 4 nights, but we are not sure what other island to go to...Mykonos, Crete, any other suggestions?
4. Hotel in Santorini – We are currently leaning towards Katikies. Any other suggestions or is that a good pick? Any hotel suggestions for the other island we travel to...Mykonos, Crete or other?
5. Should we fly between islands, use the hydrofoil, or ferry?

Thank you!
Emily

eurotraveller

First of all, congrats and have a great trip!

It might help if you clarify a few things.

What is your budget for accomodations?

What do you enjoy doing while you travel?

Do you usually use a tour company? I never do and my boyfriend is always amazed at how fantastic our trips always are. You just need to do a lot of research via the internet and books. A great website for Turkey is www.turkeytravelplanner.com.

I haven't been but I have been researching my trip to Turkey so I may have some info.

elgill

Thanks for responding so quickly.

Our budget for hotel and transportation b/w the islands and Turkey is about $5000. We want to sightsee, but also relax. This is our first real trip together, so we don't have any experience with travel companies.

eurotraveller

I clicked on your name and I see that you are new to posting on this forum. You can do a search by choosing Europe as your forum choice. You can then do a search by arrowing down to either Turkey or Greece and reading the posts there. That would be a good place to start.

With that budget you should be able to stay in nice accomodations. It really depends on how much you spend on meals, museums, etc. It looks like you need to do a bit of research first and then ask specific questions by posting on topic that is more narrowed down such as "Accomodations in Istanbul" or "Favorite Islands in Greece?". You will most likely find these topics if you do a search.

Good luck!

bg_collier

Sounds like an excellent trip. Istanbul is a very large city and there is much to do there, especially if you are in to Ottoman, Byzantine, and ancient Greek history. It's a wonderful blend of old and new and of east and west. There is much to do and see; so much so, you could easily do your two weeks there and its environs. Stay in the thick of it: Sultanahmet. You will be within walking distance of all the most famous sites: Agia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, the Cistern Basilica, and so much more.

As for Greece, Santorini is the quintessential island. Truly unique and I'm sure you have found tons of information on this. You are traveling at the peak of the tourist season, so yes, I would pre-arrange hotels and transpo so that you can maximize the honeymoon and minimize the hassle.

Mykonos is upscale and nice, much like Santorini in that regard, and it's known for its nightlife (the main town). My preference is for more traditional Greek islands, so I'm partial to Astipalea and Amorgos. Both are nearby. Paros and Naxos are also good choices and are a bit more "well-rounded", offering a mix of traditional and modern. You really can't go wrong as each island is unique.

There's also an active discussion on this board regarding Fantasy and Dolphin Hellas travel agencies, so you should take a look at that. I've used Fantasy once to arrange lodging and transpo when I went in July once. Recommended.

Have a great trip and congratulations.

Regards, Bruce
Greece Travel Photos -- http://www.brucegcollier.com/galleri...level2_all.htm

Anton

I would use a local travel agent in Greece and Turkey, such as Fantasy Travel for Greece or Credo Travel for Turkey.

They would help with transportation options and with narrowing down your hotel choices, but still give you the flexibility and independence you want.

propertravel

Congratulations !
My basic suggestion would be : 2 Days Crete, 3 Days Santorini, 2 Days Mykonos than to Turkey. 3 Days istanbul, 2 or 3 days Cappadocia and Med. Coast like Kalkan if poss. 3 days to enjoy the sun, beach, maybe a day cruise on Gulet, lots of Capmari orange by sunset, fabtastic view, delicious meals right by the sea, some pampering yourself and back home via istanbul.
Wish you good luck.

Murat

RSSmith

We spent our honeyroom in Greece with 4 days on Chios (12 miles from Turkey - not touristy at all, a lovely island with beaches that we had entirely to ourselves and an amazing luxury inn), 4 days on a 50-foot yacht that sailed from Chania (Crete), 2 days in Crete, and 4 days on Mykonos, including a day-trip to Delos. Without question, the highlights were the sailing and Delos. Whether you're an experienced sailor or a total novice, sailing on the Aegean is a magical experience. If you're considering something like this, I would definitely recommend a travel agent who specializes in Greece/Turkey. We used 12 Islands & Beyond in DC.