acktom

I am an experienced solo traveller heading to Greece and a bit of Turkey for the entire month of November. First off, I know it is off-season but I am fine with that, in fact find it a bit more interesting. My plan is to likely arrive in Thessaloniki and then using as much public transportation (Greek rail pass, ferry and flights) snake my way down the coast and then through over through Meteora and Corfu and then down to the Peloponnese into Athens and then to the islands eventually making my way to Ephesus.

My two questions for the Fodorites are:
-comments on the itinerary?
-how much pre-planning should I do? Since it is way off-season can I more or less wing it?

Thanks!

Xenos

Your itinerary sounds ok in theory, but because it's off-season, I would do a bit of research to find out which hotels are open in November, since many of them close down in October. I wouldn't think it necessary to actually book them in advance for that time of year and you'll want to stay fairly flexible about where and when you're going to arrive. But at least if you know where there are hotels available it may save you time and a lot of foot-slogging when you get there. You would also be advised to research ferry schedules for Corfu and the other islands in advance, because there are a lot fewer ferries in winter and you could find yourself stuck in one place for longer than anticipated!

GeoffHamer

The Greek rail system is limited and fares are very low. I cannot believe it is likely to be worth buying a rail pass. A one-way ticket from Athens to Thessaloniki is 15.10 euros.
Ferries to Kerkira ("Corfu&quot go from Igoumenitsa which has no rail link, but can be reached easily by bus.
The main islands in the Aegean have daily services all year, but boats to Turkey are limited in winter.
For all transport, you should try to research routes and schedules in advance, though advance booking will be quite unnecessary.
Hotels won't be a problem. Towns on the mainland and the bigger islands have hotels that stay open all year. I've been to Greece in December and in March, and found hotels straight away. Beach resorts will, of course, be closed.

acktom

Thanks for your comments. I would certainly map out a tentative plan to take advantage of lapses in ferry schedules etc. And after some additional research, I agree with you onthe rail pass.

I am curious why you say "ok, in theory" Do you have a specific concern or just like the idea of mapping out a bit more of a plan better.

Thanks!

Xenos

No real specific concern, more a general forewarning that you need to be aware that transportation and accommodation may not always be available at exactly the time and place you happen to want it. Just didn't want you to have the idea that travelling around Greece in November would be the same as in summer, but with less tourists around

thursdaysd

You should look into buses as well as trains for Northern Greece and the Peloponnese. They go to many more places and seemed to be pretty reliable. Unfortunately the ktel.org website is still down, so you can't look up the timetables, but the Lonely Planet guide should give you a rough idea.