Sticker shock over -- tickets to Greece purchased!

Can you tell I'm a little excited? I definitely got carried away with the (!).

Paule

Woo hoo for you, progol. Let the planning commence. Hope you have a great trip.

Robyn

Many thanks! The fun begins!

We have also booked our flight, and leave on Friday Sept 16th. I was shocked at the price of the airfare, but we want to see Greece! When we arrive in Athens we are connecting for a flight to Crete. Then from Crete to Santorini. Visit Athens last and home to New Jersey. Best wishes for a terrific vacation. September seems a long time from now.

We're going in late May. We thought the same thing about the ticket price....much higher than we've paid in the past for Greece!

We, too, are flying to Crete from Athens. Greece seems to be a popular destination this year. Maybe I'll finally do a trip report since it appears people will be following the same itinerary in the fall!

I agree with you both - it's been a destination I've wanted to go to for the last few years, and at a certain point, I just had to come to terms with the increased cost. But boy, completing that transaction was not easy. But it's done, and I'm glad. Now, at least, my planning will finally be for a trip that has an actual start date!
Paule

May will be my 10th trip to greece since 1999... and until now, every year around the holidays, the ticket prices t ook a big drop. No more. I waited and waited and waited, and US Air nonstop from Philly stayed the same for 4 months... finally took BA with a connection.

Progol, we must face facts. Airlines have suffered financially. And oil today went up to $104 per barrel. In no way could they cut fares, foreseeing this.

I agree, Travelerjan. I've been monitoring the airfares since last summer, and made the decision to buy when I did because I noticed the prices creeping up the last couple of weeks. I'd been monitoring both the June fares and the September fares, so I got a good feel for what the range was for both the discount fares as well as the direct flights.

I noticed that the discount rates, which had been under $1000 for the specific dates I wanted, were now over $1000 so I realized it was time to just do it and not wait for a price drop anymore. Of course, there will still be fluctuations, but in balance, I think that the cost was well within the norm for what I've seen over the last year.

Paule

Congrats!

www.greecetravel.com Matt Barrett's site great insider info.

www.betterbidding.com for GREAT 5* deals like Intercontinental

bidding Priceline or Hotel Attalos is a nice moderate

with great rooftop views for moderate if you do bid Priceline

Have fun!

www.santorini-hotels.biz/ikies/index.html

Magical home of legendary lost Atlantis

www.calderavillas.gr

nice there also little cheaper

stay in a cave unit with caldera views

sales off season from 100 euros or so.

Also traveling from Connecticut to Greece this summer. Would love to hear all about the plans you in depth planner comes up with ! I too will be obsessing over the trip. That is half the fun. Also planning on going to Istanbul. Anyone out there with suggestions on Turkey travel ? This has been a tricky planning trip as having never been to either, not sure how much I can fit in. Have about 11 full days. Happy travels. Also, has anyone flown Turkish Airlines ?

If that's 11 days for Turkey in ADDITION to time in Greece, fine. If it's 11 days total, PLEEESE don't attempt it! It will make your whole trip a constant transit experience... a "drive-by" or a "fly-by." This is like a European saying, I have 11 days in the US, want to see Boston, NY, Washington and oh yes, as long as I'm in that part of the world, the Grand Canyon. Suzie do look at some good maps.

Suziecc,
Please listen to travelerjan -- her comments about adding Istanbul to your Greek trip should be taken seriously. You'll barely have enough time to catch your breath and it won't do justice to your trip. Save Istanbul for another time. I was there and allocated 5 days - it just scratched the surface.

I'll be happy to share my Greek island itinerary, which I'll post shortly. I've got it pretty well worked out, just some minor tweaking that needs to be done. I really don't need to revise too much at this point, but, obsessive trip-planning individual that I am, it's too much fun to plan to stop.

The next phase is in the details - actual hotels, ferry crossings, how/where to rent cars & drop them off. I'll start a new thread when I post my itinerary.

Suziecc,
I just returned from a week in Istanbul. A fabulous city and I you need at least five days to see it. With only 11 days vacation you can't possibly combine Greece and Turkey and feel like you have a sense of place. Did you want to get to a Greek island? Or were you going from Athens to Istanbul? For summer travel, Athens and one island would be my recommendation to you - or just go to Istanbul and then take a tour of Ephesus or other site down the coast from there.