Athens to Turkey
May 24th, 2004, 07:57 AM
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Athens to Turkey
We are planning a backpacking trip this summer to include Greece, Turkey, Croatia, and Slovenia. Any advice on getting from Athens to Turkey? Anyone know of or taken a ferry? I assume it may dock in Izmir, not sure. We have tickets to the Olympic games and will be leaving Athens right away (to avoid the crowds) to go to Turkey for 2 weeks. Thanks for your help on transportation. Since we have the time, I figure a ferry would be cheaper than flying?
Tara
Tara
May 24th, 2004, 08:15 AM
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tarapitt2000... When we visited Turkey, we flew into Istambul and spent4 or 5 days, then rented a car and drove over to Bursa, Izmer, Kushadasi, Bodrum, and dropped it off in Marmaris. To get back to Greece we took a short ferry ride from Marmaris to Rhodes Greece where we spent the night before flying Olympic Air back to Athens. I'd recommend you fly from Athens to Rhodes and spend 2 or 3 days there in the city. From there you can catch a ferry back over to Marmaris ortake another ferry that stops at a couple of the Greek Islands enroute to Kushadasi. Effasis is a short drive from Kushadasi and well worth visiting. Izmir is like going back to a crowded, more modern Athens. I like Bodrum as well. Ferry tickets aren't all that expensive and are kind of fun.. Good luck
May 24th, 2004, 01:15 PM
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The Greek Ferry system can take you to one of the 3 islands from which you can enter Turkey--Chios, Samos or Rhodes.
http://www.gtp.gr/
The ferries are cheaper than flying, but a lot more time-consuming if you're going to travel all the way across the Aegean to reach Turkey from Athens. Allow 2 days to reach Turkey, longer if you want to stop along the way. Flying to Istanbul might be better if you have a time consideration. Booking flights in August will be difficult because of the Peak Season demand, so make your choices soon and book ASAP.
http://www.gtp.gr/
The ferries are cheaper than flying, but a lot more time-consuming if you're going to travel all the way across the Aegean to reach Turkey from Athens. Allow 2 days to reach Turkey, longer if you want to stop along the way. Flying to Istanbul might be better if you have a time consideration. Booking flights in August will be difficult because of the Peak Season demand, so make your choices soon and book ASAP.
May 24th, 2004, 08:50 PM
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Yes, you can take a bus from Athens to Istanbul, but all reports I've read say it's the worst trip you could ever take, too long and uncomfortable. Perhaps a bus to Thessaloniki and the train the rest of the way wouldn't be so bad.
May 24th, 2004, 09:02 PM
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There are several ways, but after Istanbul and central Turkey (Anatolia, Cappadocia etc, staying several nights at Urgup - not Goreme) we bussed over-night to Izmir and down to Ephesus, overnighting at Celcuk, then took ferry from Kusadasi to Samos, overnighted there, ferry again to Naxos for a few nights, then ferry again to Athens. It was great, and we could have stretched it out longer by overnighting on Paros as well (after Naxos) if we hadn't had a plane to catch at Athens.
