Greek Islands / Turkey Honeymoon - August 2011
 

Hello all,

I was wondering if I could get a little help planning my honeymoon in August. Since it is the high season, my fiance and I would like to stick to the Northeastern Aegean for the Greek Islands leg, and then move on to Turkey. How does this itinerary look :

August 10-11: Athens
August 12-14: Chios (flight from Athens to Chios on the 12th)
August 15-17: Lesvos (ferry from Chios to Lesvos on the 15th)
August 18-20: Ayvacik (Lila Hotel via Ayvalik)
August 21-23: Buscaada
August 24-25: Canakaale (ferry from Buscaada to Canakaale on the 24th)
August 26-28: Istanbul (flight from Canakaale to Istanbul on the 26th)

We are planning on probably renting a car in Ayvalik and dropping off in Canakaale - does that make sense? Would budgeting about 1000 TL just for the car for 6 days be an accurate estimate? Is there a more logical way to get from Lesvos to Canakaale while hitting some historic sights along the way? Is flying out of Canakaale the easiest/cheapest way to get to Istanbul?

We are not interested in night life, but mostly just getting a feel for the slower (read food and wine) aspects of Greek/Turkish culture.

Thanks for any insights!

A lot of time travelling, with very little time in each place, I would reduce the itinerary.
I'll leave someone else to advise on the Turkey part of your trip, but for Greece I would say that 2 days each for Lesvos & Chios is almost a waste of time, they both need & deserve more. They are both large islands with a lot to see, you say you want to get a feel for the slower aspects of the culture, that won't happen at this pace.
You are also only allowing a day & half at most for seeing each of 2 cities with years of history & masses of culture.
This itinerary is all about travel, not enough time for experiencing much. Try to choose your priorities. Maybe Greece this time & Turkey another, or vice versa. This is supposed to be a honeymoon, not a race!

I do not like to impose my values or priorities on especially young people. I remember how i hated to be told what to do and not to do about two thousand years ago.

18 days is a good amount of time. I think you have chosen wisely in terms of the Northern aegean because it should be cooler than points South.

If you think that Yiassas has good advice, you can actually leave Bozcaada and add those days to either of the Greek islands or one to each. You can also easily leave Canakkale out (since it sort of goes with Bozcaada on your itinerary, and use Lila Motel as a base for further explorations to both Troy and Pergamon and/or to the Kaz mountains. This way, you can return the car at Korfez airport, not far from Ayvalik and fly to Istanbul with Bora Jet.

You probably read my lila motel review. Have you also read my trip report on Fodors lounge? "A Trip in.....

otherchelebi, I was hoping you would chime in :) I did indeed read your review of the Lila Motel, and it sounds fantastic. I will also check out your posts on Fodors.

Great tip about Korfez airport - we originally picked Canakkale because it was large and likely had an airport.

Have you ever stayed on Bozcaada?

As for rental cars, what is a realistic cost for a week's rental? When we ferry from Lesvos to Ayvalik, would it make sense to bus to Korfez and pick up the car there, to avoid the penalty of returning the car to a different location?

Again, many thanks for your insights!

Hi DrWhom, your budget estimate seems quite realistic and may even include some of your petrol. I do not know the local agencies except for Miller Rent A Car which is Canakkale based but has an Istanbul office as well. A few months ago, when i had an accident my insurance company gave me a rental car for a week from Miller. They seemed efficient and friendly.

It may even be an option to return the car to istanbul with no extra charge, rather than fly back.

Unfortunately, i've never been to Bozcaada. I hear that it is can be quite crowded in mid-summer though. It is small, attracts a bohemian crowd and mostly local tourism. Has some good and some over-rated wine. I think you will find much more on the mainland especially after you've been to the Greek islands. The people and life are quite similar. Many Greeks ferry over to turkish mainland for fresh produce and supermarket shopping from both of your islands.

You will enjoy the flexibility of having a rental car.
Find out about the days of the weekly local markets in the small towns you will be visiting once you get there. These street markets are fun and will give you some interesting photography opportunities (sellers, goods, buyers and stalls)

Last year, i wrote a poem for my daughter and son-in-law and read it at their wedding after acting the comedian and taking out a wallmart receipt from my pocket first. The poem is on my many months abandoned blog, www.ahmetcafercelebiler.blogspot.com
i send you similar thoughts and wishes for your marriage.

otherchelebi, thanks so much for the well wishes! Perhaps one day we will run into each other, sitting in the shade at Lila.

Best wishes to you and yours from Toronto, Canada