Peloponnese to Turkey via Cyclades trip in May....
Jan 6th, 2014, 06:28 PM
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Peloponnese to Turkey via Cyclades trip in May....
We're planning this route for May and June over 6 weeks . We find it costs the same to fly into Athens from Australia and depart from Istanbul and this is a great way to avoid backtracking. So we'll go straight to Nafplio on arrival late April for 10 days exploring the Peloponnese, then head for the Cyclades and hopefully cross to Samos,Chios,Rhodos or preferably to Kos as we haven't been there before.
Favourite stops are Sifnos,Milos,Folegandros, and Naxos while we'd love to see the East Cyclades islands like Amorgos before the Dodecanese islands to jump across to Turkey via Kos and up to Istanbul.
Can any of the kind expert planners here thread these stops together coherently in May to help us please? Flights with cos. like Skyexpress are fine and preferable to the cats where there's the option ....
Favourite stops are Sifnos,Milos,Folegandros, and Naxos while we'd love to see the East Cyclades islands like Amorgos before the Dodecanese islands to jump across to Turkey via Kos and up to Istanbul.
Can any of the kind expert planners here thread these stops together coherently in May to help us please? Flights with cos. like Skyexpress are fine and preferable to the cats where there's the option ....
Jan 6th, 2014, 08:08 PM
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Having said the above, we find that an alternative might be to fly back to Athens from Kos etc. as this can be done on Aegean for about $50 and it's $60 for a Turkish visa for Australians!
Jan 9th, 2014, 11:50 PM
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I am not a ferry expert, just providing some ideas.
On May Blue Star Naxos departs Piraeus taking in Syros, Paros,Naxos, Small Cyclades, Amorgos 3 times per week but on return it skips Syros (PIRAEUS - SYROS - PAROS - NAXOS - DONOUSSA - EGIALI - AGIOS ANDREAS - EGIALI - DONOUSSA - NAXOS - PAROS - PIRAEUS)
The tricky part is connecting Cyclades to Dodecannese.
On May Blue Star 2 ferry departs Piraeus, goes on Syros and then onto Dodecannese 3 times per week. (PIRAEUS - SYROS - PATMOS - LEROS - KOS - RODOS and reverse).
I guess you can reach Syros either from Paros either through Paros/Mykonos . I used Aqua spirit a few years ago but it was latter in season, so you may have to connect to Mykonos on Seajet or flying cat from Paros, then take Blue Star Ithaki to Syros (PIRAEUS - SYROS - TINOS - MYKONOS - TINOS - SYROS - PIRAEUS daily) .
If deciding on Kos, would try to allocate some time on this area too. Kalymnos and Nissiros are easy side trips and very different than Cyclades or Kos...
On May Blue Star Naxos departs Piraeus taking in Syros, Paros,Naxos, Small Cyclades, Amorgos 3 times per week but on return it skips Syros (PIRAEUS - SYROS - PAROS - NAXOS - DONOUSSA - EGIALI - AGIOS ANDREAS - EGIALI - DONOUSSA - NAXOS - PAROS - PIRAEUS)
The tricky part is connecting Cyclades to Dodecannese.
On May Blue Star 2 ferry departs Piraeus, goes on Syros and then onto Dodecannese 3 times per week. (PIRAEUS - SYROS - PATMOS - LEROS - KOS - RODOS and reverse).
I guess you can reach Syros either from Paros either through Paros/Mykonos . I used Aqua spirit a few years ago but it was latter in season, so you may have to connect to Mykonos on Seajet or flying cat from Paros, then take Blue Star Ithaki to Syros (PIRAEUS - SYROS - TINOS - MYKONOS - TINOS - SYROS - PIRAEUS daily) .
If deciding on Kos, would try to allocate some time on this area too. Kalymnos and Nissiros are easy side trips and very different than Cyclades or Kos...
Jan 10th, 2014, 01:05 PM
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That's great mariha thanks! Don't know how you found them we keep getting "No schedule released yet" what site do you use?
There's been a change of plan and we now arrive Athens Apr.24 and depart from there this time 6 weeks later. One reason was we can fly back to Athens from Kos for the price of the Turkish visa for Australians now...
Still hoping to get a ferry or flight from Peloponnese to Cyclades (Crete maybe) but resigned to there not being schedules till we are there already, but hard for planning.....
There's been a change of plan and we now arrive Athens Apr.24 and depart from there this time 6 weeks later. One reason was we can fly back to Athens from Kos for the price of the Turkish visa for Australians now...
Still hoping to get a ferry or flight from Peloponnese to Cyclades (Crete maybe) but resigned to there not being schedules till we are there already, but hard for planning.....
Jan 10th, 2014, 09:54 PM
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You are welcome!
Some playing around with gtp.gr mostly : )
I doubt you can connect Peloponnese- Cyclades without going back to Attica...
I believe a Lane ferry,Vintsetzos Kornaros, runs a route from Gytheio area of Peloponnese to Kissamos on Crete, stopping by Kythira and Antikythira on the way. Schedules for next summer are not out yet.
There are more people with more knowledge than me on this forum, maybe they'll come up with something else : )
Some playing around with gtp.gr mostly : )
I doubt you can connect Peloponnese- Cyclades without going back to Attica...
I believe a Lane ferry,Vintsetzos Kornaros, runs a route from Gytheio area of Peloponnese to Kissamos on Crete, stopping by Kythira and Antikythira on the way. Schedules for next summer are not out yet.
There are more people with more knowledge than me on this forum, maybe they'll come up with something else : )
Jan 11th, 2014, 08:19 AM
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Tommo, I have checked into that possibility several times (Pelops - islands), or even, a ferry from Pelops to Piraeus, to transfer to a ferry to Cyclades. and the time savings seems to be minimal. The problem is, you have to go from a Peloponnese town like Nafplio, to a port for your ferry. If you have a rntal car, you can't drop it off at such a port. And if you want to take a bus, there are usually only 2 per day, not at convenient times. Example: AM bus from Nafplio to Galatas (across from Poros). Afternoon ferry from Poros to Piraeus ... arrive late in day. Sigh. Easier to take an early AM bus to ATH kiffisou KTEL station, then bus or Taxi to Port. Then ferry. It makes a looooong day, I know, have done it in reverse, and companions get seriously cranky.
The least stressful way is to take a KTEL bus at dinnertime to Kissifou Station, stay ONE night at budget hotel convenient to Monastiraki Metro station, then get early metro for 7 or 7:30 ferry to islands. The other option? Magic Carpet! If u are going to Crete, you might take that late-day bus, then go straight to Piraeus for overnight ferry to Crete ... a cabin ticket is more expensive, but it also serves as your hotel for that night.
The least stressful way is to take a KTEL bus at dinnertime to Kissifou Station, stay ONE night at budget hotel convenient to Monastiraki Metro station, then get early metro for 7 or 7:30 ferry to islands. The other option? Magic Carpet! If u are going to Crete, you might take that late-day bus, then go straight to Piraeus for overnight ferry to Crete ... a cabin ticket is more expensive, but it also serves as your hotel for that night.
Jan 11th, 2014, 12:21 PM
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Thanks Jan
I think that ferry Gythio to Kissamos would be perfect and Lane says it runs - but no firm schedule until April.
If that's not going I guess we could bus back to airport and fly to Rhodes or Kos or Chania - a one hour flight. At around Eu35 to Eu54 on Aegean we think that's a viable alternative to the lengthy ferry ride...
From those places we can ferry to Symi for a stay and then ferry on. Amorgos and Sifnos are two destinations for the return trip to Athens this time...
I think that ferry Gythio to Kissamos would be perfect and Lane says it runs - but no firm schedule until April.
If that's not going I guess we could bus back to airport and fly to Rhodes or Kos or Chania - a one hour flight. At around Eu35 to Eu54 on Aegean we think that's a viable alternative to the lengthy ferry ride...
From those places we can ferry to Symi for a stay and then ferry on. Amorgos and Sifnos are two destinations for the return trip to Athens this time...
