cruise excursion or private driver for Istanbul, Kusadasi, and Olympia
 

Going on Crystal in June and will be on our own for Venice and Santorini, but don't know if we should go with the excursion or find a driver for Istanbul, Kusadasi, Olympia and Samos, Would appreciate any savy cruisers opinions.

I haven't cruised to those places, but have stayed in each. It's hard to make a recomendation without knowing how long you are in port, or what the official excurison is, but my initial take is:

ISTANBUL: My guess is that you will see the major sights in Sultanahmet [Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Roman Cistern]. It will be crowded anyway. Go with the group.

SAMOS: I love this island. For me part of the joy was exploring the small mountain villages. The hike to Pythagoras's cave was brilliant, but far off the beaten path. My rec: smaller is better. Hire a car. A large group would overwhelm Samos's charms.

KUSADASI: I assume this is your base for a trip to Ephesus. Ephesus is already crowded; go with the group. Whether with a group or private car, you will be taken to a carpet shop. There is no escaping it.

Thanks Hisurfer,
Sorry about thelack of details.
we will be in port from 8am to 6pm in Samos. The tour is from 8:30 to 12:30, and takes you to the archeological museum, Heraion and Pythogoria. So I am curious about what they expect you to do for the rest of the day? similar itinerary for Kotokolon, and Kusadasi but tour lasts 6 hours.

I will definitelay take your recommendation for Samos and travel at our own leisure. And for Ephesus and Istanbul will take the tour. We have 2 days in Istanbul.

Is there anything to see in Kotokolon besides the Olympia site and museum?

Do you recommend a tour for Athens? Does the Acropolis have long lines? Thinking of a driver to see the sites our first day there and on our own the second.

Any personal thoughts are welcome. we want to take advantage of the few hours we have in port, see the essentials, but hate to miss the little nooks and crannies that aren't listed in the tourist books.

There are two mountain villages in Samos - Vourliotes and Manolates- off of the northern coast, that were both beautiful. We rented a car, and I saw a small handful of folks who got upthere by scooter. We ate at the cafe at the crossroads in Vourliotes [it's a small town ... there is only one real intersection] and had some amazing rabbit that was slow cooked in a red wine sauce. We also had homemade sausages, stuffed zuchinni blossoms, fritters, homemade wine... we kind of pigged out there.

If you have two days in Istanbul, then ditch the group one night & head with a small group of friends down Istiklal Cadessi, from Galata Tower to Taksim Square. It's a 2km long pedestrian-only boulevard lined with shops, cafes, embassies, churches, and bars. The "Flower Passage" has the best restuarants. It's one of the world's great walks.

I absolutely loved Istanbul.

I didn't go to Athens or Olympia. Olympia was a big hang-out for the backpackers, & that's all I know about it.

Nancy,

You must be on one or two cruises before me. I've travelled with Crystal before to Istanbul and Kusadasi and they do do nice excursion. You should be OK with them. It should be pretty hot. In Athens there will probably be plenty of people everywhere but don't let that stop you from doing it all.