epley5

We are planning a trip in May, 2025 and plan to visit Croatia and go by bus for a day or 2 to Kotor Montenegro. Does anyone have advice on the best airport to fly out of to get to Corfu? Would it be cheaper to bus back up the coast to Dubrovnik and fly out of that airport or go to Podgorica, Montenegro and fly to Corfu from there? Thanks, Laura

neckervd

There is no need to open a new thread.
Flights from Dubrovnik via Athens to Corfu cost around 50 per cent more than a direct flight from Tirana to Istanbul (cf my response in your former thread).
Flights from Podgorica to Corfu (via Beograd - Athens) cost about twice that amoount. Aegean has twice weekly direct flights from Podgorica to Athens.

epley5

Thanks!

epley5

I was just trying to narrow things down from the original post. It's starting to look like if I want to go to Istanbul from Croatia I should just do that this trip instead of going down to Corfu as I don't want to fly into Athens twice ( Once from Croatia on the way to Istanbul and then again to Corfu) I was hoping there was a more direct route from Montenegro or Croatia to Corfu.

Travel_Nerd

Are you actually going to tour Istanbul or are you just using it as a "landing" point to other islands?

Maybe providing your full set of plans from start to finish might help here. There might be an option you aren't thinking of, and we can't know about because your travel plans still remain a mystery.

And yes, perhaps ask the mods to merge your threads.

epley5

Thanks again for all of the helpful input!

This is our new itinerary for Mid May 2025-

Croatia, Montenegro, Athens, Istanbul, Rhodes, Crete

Someone in an earlier thread, gave me some good tips on traveling from Istanbul down south to get to Rhodes with some nice stops along the way.

As much as I had wanted to go to Corfu on this trip, logistically, it’s just not gonna work out this time. It’s a shame there are no direct flights or ferries from Croatia or Montenegro.

We hope to travel to Italy again, and in a few years and take the ferry from Bari. That would be much more straightforward and easier.

neckervd

"It’s a shame there are no direct flights or ferries from Croatia or Montenegro"
Nobody would be interested in such an itinerary.There are direct flights to Corfu from many hubs in Western Europe, but certainly not from Dalmacia or Montenegro. What should that be good for?

BTW there are 3 ferries weekly from Dubrovnik to Bari ar 19.00. In May, the daily Igoumenitsa bound ferry leaves Bari just at the same time. Good connections only from July 1st onwards.
But even that solution would last longer than a flight via Athens.

neckervd

TO TRAVEL NERD
The full itinerary of the OP can bde found under in his thread

Croatia, Corfu, Istanbul, Rhodes to Santorini- Logistics Help

Travel_Nerd

I'm aware of that thread. Have been trying to get a sense for other points besides just Dubrovnik and Corfu the OP is going to in the region. How they are getting into Europe (such as, is Dub threir starting point), how long they are in Dubrovnik, and even (like you may have pointed out) if they are using Istanbul for just a landing point for islands only. Perhaps they could fly to Istanbul from Sarajevo if they first fly into Corfu instead, especially since so many tourists go to Mostar as a day trip from Dubrovnik. But since OP has not provided that detail, I assume they are flying all the way to Croatia just for Dub and nothing else.

I was attempting to know more to help OP on their somewhat convoluted itinerary. Alas, it's their trip and I'm of no help.

neckervd

As you obvviously don't want to fly from Tirana airport (70 miles from the Montenegrinian border) to Istanbul (for 80 EUR/pax) you could also be interested in the direct Istanbul bound flights from Tivat airport (Montenegro). There, fares start at 130 EUR/pax.