Greek isles and Turkey--any help with info???
 

traveling in June to the Greek Isles and Turkey with a cruise line Marco Polo and will have 3 days in Athens. I am looking for information on suggestions of things off the beaten path, restaurants, and anything historical to visit. Thank you in advance for your assistance. Susan.

I don't know which islands you are going ot , but if you can, defintely visit Santorini - its pretty spectacular. Go to the red sand beaches. Rent motor scootors-- that is the best way to see all the islands. Santorini is spectacular -- but extremely windy at times ( at least it was when I was there). Athens is really a big polluted city - of course you must go climb up to the Parthenon. In the summer, at night they have ( or at least I think they still do) a laser light show atop the parthenon ( wierd, I know). There is a hotel with an outdoor resturant on the top of it that has great views of this at night. Unfortunately, I cannot remeber the name of it. Enjoy!

Where is the Marco Polo stopping? Crete & Rhodes both have history & beauty. Would be interested in rates on the M.Polo vs. other cruise lines...reasonable or pricey?
Let me know the ports so I can provide further info.

We went to Turkey last summer and had a great time. If I could reccomend one thing it would be to get a tour of the ruins of Ephesis(Near Izmir.) They are spectacular. You can skip the Virgin Mary house which is a hoax. The bird market in Izmir is supposed to be great also, though we never made it there. Bring sunscreen, a hat and always carry a bottle of water and small coins and tissues for the bathroom. The Turks are generally very nice. Have FUN.

see my article in L.A.Times travel section 10/4/92 on where to shop in istanbul. i go every year to do my christmas shopping in grand bazaar. i would love to hear how you like turkey. it's my favorite. sls

I agree with April's assessment of Ephesus. Also skip the vigin's house. Take a bus from Izmir, very comfortable and easier than renting a car.

In Athens, everything you want to see is accessible by foot from downtown. You can easily waste the better part of a day beating around the Plaka shops/artisan workshops at the foot of the Acropolis and touring the Parthenon. There is a lovely downtown park/zoo with the most fascinating assemblage of semi-feral cats living throughout the area, well worth relaxin in too. You must visit the art gallery and the museum of natural history. And the 1896 Olympic stadium, also downtown, is worth visiting and photographing yourself at the start/finish line in. If you are into embroidery, the shops on Evangelista street have the cheapest tapestry canvases in Europe -- manufactured in Greece then sold in France, Germany etc. at 10 times the Athens price. Be warned though Athens is horridly polluted. You will probably be glad to leave it.

On your cruise -- I did a 7 day Epirotiki Greek Islands/Turkey cruise three years ago -- the cruise line will probably have a number of shore tours for you to select from and purchase and I recommend doing this for things such as Ephesus, -- the most splendid ancient site you will see while cruising. They will bus you from Kusadasi and you won't even have time to visit the virgin's house, so don't worry. In Turkey, bring tons of U.S. dollar bills or $5 bills. Turkey has rampant inflation and hard currency such as the U.S. dollar is extremely valued. Don't buy anything for the first quoted price or even the second quoted price. Haggle, haggle, haggle and walk away if you don't get something for a price you consider reasonable and half what it would cost you at home. Haggle in U.S. dollars so you know what you are dealing with and remember, as the U.S. $ is highly prized, play hard ball and you will be quite surprised how far you can get with hardly any money. Gold items are far cheaper in Turkey than in Greece, but again the caution holds, purchase in U.S. dollars so you know what you are paying. Don't use credit cards -- they convert this to Turkish dinars and do a conversion only the pope would be able to figure out. The by word on your trip is enjoy, enjoy, as Greece and its islands, and Turkey are all fabulous!

You already have great advice above, I'll second Ephesus and add if shopping for goods in Turkey, we found prices better, and vendors more willing to drop prices, in any stop south of Istanbul. We travelled last September, and because we couldn't find a cruise meeting our date requirements, we ended travelling around the islands via ferry (easy and cheap - on Santorini see Io too), then up the west coast of Turkey (rental car). All people were friendly. Good luck and have fun.

I went to Turkey and Greece last September - great choice! The Cappadoccia region of Turkey was our favorite. We felt like we were closer to the way most Turks live and not in a tourist trap. The geological formations are really bizarre and the cave churches are really interesting. Be careful - they don't rope off treacherous areas like they do in the US. Also, the beach at Olu Deniz (seen in most Turkish tourist posters) is gorgeous - one side is a freshwater lagoon and the other side is the ocean. On the weekends, the beach is full of Turkish families, not just tourists. Skip Ankara. Regarding Greece, we went to Samos. Samos Town is nothing special but Pythagorian on the other side was really quaint and relaxing. We also went to Naxos which is also very scenic - if you go, be sure to go over to the other side of the island (bus or rental car). You will see hundreds of Greek Orthodox chapels built on seemingly unreachable peaks and small villages surrounded by ancient olive groves. HAVE FUN!!

Went to Santorini. A must see. Went on boat cruise in the middle of the caldera and walked on the volcano. Visited a little island across from Thira (island called Thirasia?) It is up about 300+ steps. Make sure you take bottled water or ride the donkey. I walked and nearly killed myself and my wife!
Thassos in the north is beautiful but you need a car or moped to get the full experience.