shoonye

We (me, wife and 1 yr daughter) are planning a trip to Greece and Turkey for 3 weeks in mid Sept. I'm looking for feedback on our tentative itinerary. Things you feel we are missing, destinations overstaying at / too short or rushed, suggestions for side trips and interesting sights we should visit near areas we are visiting. We are adventurous, love history and nature but cannot be too active since traveling with a 1 yr old.

Day 1 Arrive in Athens
Day 2 Athens
Day 3 Athens
Day 4 Ferry to Crete
Day 5 Crete
Day 6 Crete
Day 7 Ferry to Santorini
Day 8 Santorini
Day 9 Santorini
Day 10 Ferry to Athens. Rent Car. Drive to Corinth. Overnight Nafplion.
Day 11 Drive to Olympia
Day 12 Drive to Delphi
Day 13 Drive to Athens Airport. Fly to Izmir. Rent Car. Drive to Selcuk
Day 14 Ephesus. Overnight Selcuk.
Day 15 Day trip to Aphrodisias, Pammukale. Overnight Selcuk.
Day 16 Fly to Cappadocia. Rent Car. Overnight Goreme.
Day 17 Cappadocia. Overnight Goreme.
Day 18 Cappadocia. Overnight Goreme.
Day 19 Fly to Istanbul
Day 20 Istanbul
Day 21 Istanbul
Day 22 Istanbul
Day 23 Istanbul
Day 24 Fly to USA

Note: Thanks to ochelebi to helping with a part of the Turkey driving section.

otherchelebi

One warning:

Baby or Child seats are now a requirement in turkey, so make sure that your rental car comes supplies with one and properly attached (i can visualize them throwing one on the back seat and you struggling hours to attach it)

One suggestion:

If it is within your budget, check Bebek hotel, in istanbu, which is a terrific location for you and the baby. The rooms are 450 square feet or so, smack on the Bosphorus. there is a very nice park nearby and terrific walking, scenic fortress, excellent cafes and restaurants and the possibility of taking Bosphorus boat trips (the ring ferry) which crisscrosses the Bosphorus from a landing just 100 meters from the Hotel.

It is a good itinerary. The only difficult day will be to Pamukkale and back, but that is how you train a young traveler

also, except for the time on the motorway, there will be some lovely shady tea houses and country restaurants on your routes where you can all rest and get fresh air. These are the kind of place you would not find in America.

lynclarke

Gosh- that is a lot of packing and traveling for my tastes. When we arrived in Athens we were POOPED! I do not know what part of the USA you are coming from but we were up and at it for 22+ hours by the time we got to a bed. How flexible is your baby?
We stayed in Athens for a week and still only scratched the very surface. Visiting the Acropolis is a long, hot day of walking, climbing stairs, and jockeying for positions to take photos. By the time you visit all the places included on your Acropolis ticket, eat a meal in the Plaka, and shop for a few souvenirs day 1 will be shot. There is some shade after you walk down the hill from the Acropolis toward the agora where the baby can tottle around a bit and stretch her/his legs.

eastave

Are you planning on bringing a frontpack or backpack baby carrier? We took our daughter when she was just 3 to Ephesus and some of the other ruins in the area. It was July, it was hot, but she did an amazing job walking through the sites. Pushing a stroller would have been difficult I think. We have traveled quite a bit with her, but have taken a very different approach. We tend to base ourselves in a couple places, and do day trips. This limits how much you can see, but I really have enjoyed traveling more slowly. When we visited Ephesus we stayed at the Nisanyan house in Sirince, and had the most amazing time. I would love to go back there.

parosblue

shoonye, If just you and your wife were traveling I would say your ambitious itinerary is a bit unrealistic, but with a one year old in tow? Yikes. To me it looks like three or four vacations crammed into one. We traveled in Asia for a month when my son was 15 months - we stationed ourselves in a couple of places and took day trips. Other thoughts: I doubt you realize how far the distances are and how long the transport takes - first I suggest you make a choice between Greece and Turkey. If you choose Greece, save Crete for another trip when you can stay there longer. Also, the best places to stay in Santorini are with a view of the spectacular cauldron but I would be terrified keeping an eye on a toddler there. There are lovely islands with more toddler friendly beaches. I could say more - and I'm sure others will - but think about which places you really want to see on this trip. If it is Greece, let us know on this thread and we'll give you more tips on your selections.

shoonye

Thank you all for your suggestions. We are thinking of reducing one destination from the itinerary (perhaps Crete)

ochelebi - didnt realize car seats were mandatory in Turkey. Will definitely keep that in mind when booking the car. Thanks for the tip.

eastave - i've tried using carriers including ergo and dont find the comfortable to use. May end up just holding on to her when needed.

parosblue - if we were to choose between greece and turkey, it would overwhelmingly be the latter. We are not really beach people. Our consideration revolves more around natural beauty and cultural sights/activities.

WWanderer

I would definitely look again at carriers, for your back, one with a good weight-distribution system, and hip belt. At the age of 1, your daughter will be starting to run around, and with all those destinations with all those ruins, she's going to get awfully tired, and also be hard to control, and your arms are going to be very, very tired!

Plenty of natural beauty and cultural sights in Greece as well as Turkey, tough to choose between. You could do both, just shave the destinations down a bit. At least do Istanbul if you decide on mostly Greece.

joannyc

If you are not really beach people, I'd drop Santorini (yes, the photos are lovely) and add time to Athens with a day trip to Hydra and maybe Poros.

I'd also add time up by Delphi to go to Meteroa, the monestaries are truly spectacular!

joannyc

Sorry... meant to say drop Santorini or Crete

shoonye

Thank you all for your help. Due to logistical issues, we have altered our itinerary and will no longer be visiting Turkey in this visit. Instead we will be traveling through central europe and Greece.