pmgoosed

First- A big thank you to those who responded to my Monchengladbach/Zurich post. I will have a trip report once I am settled...but it was interesting to say the least. Highlights included: Swiss Air debacles; a crazy cabbie trying to kidnap me to Dusseldorf; a fantastic night of food and jazz in Cologne; a battle with a front desk clerk; and a fantastic day and a half laying on the floating docks at Seebad Enge in Zurich while staring at the Alps.

Oh....and I got the job as well...which brings me to this post!

I just found out my start date is not until Oct.5...and I have an $800 voucher for American Airlines; I have decided to take a vacation prior to starting the new job.

I wanted to go to S.E. Asia but I am a bit concerned with the rainy season and shots. S. America was an option...but traveling solo at the last minute seemed too hectic. So...I decided on Europe....or EurAsia to be exact.

Though I have been all over Europe...I have never been to Croatia and Italy...shocking because I am Italian-American and have been all over Europe. I also have an affinity for heading to Turkey.

I was hoping to knock off all of these in one trip of 25 days...with the knowledge I WILL GO BACK TO ITALY multiple times.

So, I was thinking fly into Istanbul...do 8-9 days in Turkey. Fly into Croatia...do 3-4 in Croatia. Fly into Rome...and base my 10 days out of there.

Alternatively, I could take the ferry from Croatia to Bari...and train up to Rome.

Personally, even for my ambitious travel self...I think this is untenable. I am a huge history buff...and I love my food...so spending time in a city is impt.

I know this is a broad post...but I need to know if it is ambitious before I do my research and waste the little time I have-- I probably will leave Sat, Sun, or Monday of this week.

As a wish list...in Turkey I want to see Istanbul and, of course, the ruins Ephesus (sp?). In Italy...Rome and Naples (where family is from).

Thanks folks!

bobthenavigator

Italy takes about 6 weeks to see well, and Croatia another 3 weeks. I would save Turkey for another trip and see parts of Italy this trip---Rome and Sicily would be my choice that time of year.

Weadles

I would skip Croatia and do two weeks in Turkey,( Istanbul, Ephesus, Pamukkale,Cappadochia)and ten days in Rome/Naples.

julia1

You could do it, if you want to skim the top, cherry-picking the highlights. I often travel this way - after all, a week in Italy (or Turkey or Croatia) is better than no week in Italy (or Turkey or Croatia). And I always know I'll be back.

3-4 nights in Istanbul and 2-3 nights in Kusadaşi or Selçuk, with internal flights, will get you a good taste of Turkey plus Ephesus, and maybe Aphrodisias too, if you're into archeological sites.

Fly Izmir to Split and spend 4-5 nights. Lots to see and do, with good seafood, beaches, Roman ruins, etc. Do some daytrips, or possibly 2 nights in Rovinj or ?

Then fly to Naples. Stay in Naples if you're most interested in the city itself (Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis, museums and churches, etc.). Also easy ferry connections to Capri and Ischia. Otherwise, stay in Sorrento. Again, easy ferries to Capri and Ischia, easy access to Amalfi Coast and to Naples. Do one day on each island. One day, take a bus to Amalfi, Ravello. One day take Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii.

If you want a day for a vacation from your holiday, take the funicolare from Castellamare to the top of Monte Faito. The views are breathtaking. Walk the quiet roads/trails for a couple of hours, then stop in the small taverna for a filling meal of pasta (fettucine with ragu of wild boar and wood mushrooms or ravioli with gorgonzola and nut sauce both good!) and the local wine.

If you have an extra afternoon, take a ferry to lovely little Procida. Walk over the hill from Marina Grande to Corricella and enjoy a late lunch or early supper of freshly caught fish and local wine in a restaurant overlooking the small port. http://www.gardentouring.fotopic.net/p53023051.html Here are more photos of Procida to whet your appetite: http://www.gardentouring.fotopic.net/c1544804.html

Then take the train to Rome and spend whatever time you have left there, seeing the sights, eating gelato, etc.

My travel style is more about 'sitting-in-a-cafe-soaking-up-the-atmosphere/culture/sunshine' than it is 'rushing-around-seeing-all-the-highlights/churches/museums/ruins', so I'm not a big fan of Rick Steves' books, but he does do a good job of pointing out the must-see sights. You might want to check out his books/website.

You are probably already aware of opodo for searching out flights to/from obscure places: http://www.opodo.co.uk

zeppole

Since I note that you've said in caps that you will go back to Italy multiple times, I think you could have a blast staying in Lazio and Campania for 10 days. That said, your itinerary doesn't look very relaxing to me. It's been a long time to since I've been to Turkey, and surely the tourist infrastructure is better, but I don't think you'll get the best out of just parachuting in without having done a lot of research.

I'm guessing you've been to Athens, but if you haven't I would suggest Athens, Napoli, Sicily, Roma. I would pair Northern and Adriatic Italy with Croatia and Turkey for some future trip.

And I have to disagree with bob that Italy can be "done well in six weeks." I think it takes about four weeks to made sense of Sicily alone, ten weeks for Roma and nobody understands Napoli except the people who live there.

If it were me, I would fly to Napoli, include Pompeii and Paestum before heading to Sicilia, where I would make an arc between Palermo, Segesta, Selinute, Agrigento, Siracusa/Ortygia and Taormina and fly out from Catania -- or vice versa. Then spend the remainder in Roma, and I'd make time to see the Etruscan museum in Tarquinia to cap off my understanding of the regional history from Greece to Toscana.

I'd do Athens first if you haven't been, squeezing Roma at its expense, since return trips to Italy will probably involve return trips to Roma. About the only foray I'd make into Turkey would be Ephesus -- not because the rest of Turkey isn't worth seeing, but because the idea of a coherent Mediterranean greek antiquities tour would appeal to me, tracking the influence from Greece through Sicily and Italy.


Have fun.

pmgoosed

Thank you all. I am not going to lie-- originally I wanted to do S.E. Asia as a search of my posts will show...but the last minute timing is killing that-- I cannot get scheduled for shots. So, this trip is my "backup."

Question though- some of my seasoned traveler friends told me "NO WAY", however some Turkey research tells me I need shots for Turkey. I probably will do a day of hiking somewhere if I do go...but I dont want to waste time researching it if I NEED SHOTS-- I would be in the same boat as S.E. Asia.

So...do I need shots for Turkey? If if do...it is out.

I am going to spending the next three hours researching to figure out my plan.

I, like some of you, am a huge history buff...so the ruins in Turkey are intriquing.

As for the suggestion on Athens, one of my closest friends is Greek...and I am planning on heading there next year with him on a 3 weeks trip to his family home...and visit as much as I can. Thank you so much for the advice though.

zeppole

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationTurkey.aspx

LowCountryIslander

pmgoosed...

Not sure if things have changed since last year, but I did not need shots when I went to Turkey in September 2007.

pmgoosed

Danke!

One less thing on my mind. I really need to stop travelling on the whim-- it creates so many headaches...but so many more adventures.

Weadles

Our NYC travel doc advised us to get Hepatitis A and typhoid shots for Turkey, so we did. However, others on this forum say it isn't necessary.

maitaitom

4 or 5 Days Slovenia - Ljubljana (castle and cave day trip), Bled (Vintgar Gorge Sidetrip)

10 or 11 Days Croatia -Rovinj, Plitvice National Park (a must), Trogir (then to Hvar by ferry), on to Dubrovnik.

10 or 11 Days Italy - Rome and Umbria or Rome and Tuscany.

bobludlow

Your 'wish list" explains why you want to visit Turkey and Italy - but why Croatia?

Taking it one step further - why Italy and Turkey in the same trip? Either countries could easily provide an amazing 25 day vacation by itself. Your $800 trip voucher will help get you to either location but an open-jawed multi-country itinerary will likely cost much more than that.

julia1

No shots needed for Turkey last year. If you want to do the typhoid immunization, you can take oral medication.

lucy_d

Go to Turkey! I would do two weeks in Turkey and two weeks in Croatia. I visited Turkey in July and no shots were required. A visa is required, though, but is easily purchased for $20 USD cash upon arrival at the airport.

Turkey is an amazing country with such diverse landscapes and rich culture. As another poster suggested, Istanbul,Ephesus, Pamukkale and Cappadocia are great destinations.

I have not been to Croatia, but I would go there the other two weeks.

http://turkeytravelplanner.com/

Have a great trip whatever you decide.

pmgoosed

So much to take in...and so little time. I was negotiating my offer all day and just got to this; 130am EST...so I am going to have to soak this in tomorrow and get flights tomorrow night instead of today.

To answer one posters question about why Croatia-- I felt like I got cheated with Prague. Don't get me wrong...I LOVED IT...but I want to see Croatia before it gets any more commercialized. Dubrovnik sounds amazing...and if I can hike...I will.

My Asia trip was going to be all active...and I think Croatia can do some of that for me. However the appeal is that Turkey and Italy are what they are and I know I will love them. But Croatia, while overrun, seems to still have some innocence.

If I were really into researching it...I would actually go to Montenegro instead of Croatia.

bobludlow

If you want an active vacation then drop Turkey - it is 1,000 miles away and will involve another day or two of airline travel. And I'm saying this as a guy who absolutely loved both of his trips to Turkey. Croatia and Italy are next-door to each other and there is more than enough stuff to do there to fill your vacation.

maitaitom

Take a look at my trip report. We are in Dubrovnik right not (well, in the report). We loved Dubrovnik and loved all of Croatia!

pmgoosed

Quick question as I am fumbling through flights.

The plan if I do this is to use my American Airlines voucher that would take me in and out of rome.

I used whichbudget.com to see what flys from Italy to Croatia...and all I got was Pegasus Air. It then showed no flights (as in they dont fly to Italy).

What airlines go between the two countries. I want to save time by not taking the ferry.

julia1

Have you tried http://www.opodo.co.uk ? Airlines flying Rome-Split include Air One, Croatia Air, Austrian Air, Malev-Hungarian, Air Berlin. Air One has non-stops, fares not too bad. Flying Rome-Dubrovnik are Croatia, Austrian, Air One, Lufthansa and Malev-Hungarian. No non-stops, prices higher.

pmgoosed

Gracias...on it now!