Robbie back & forth forum postings can't get this done, lots of keyboarding that then proves irrelevant; your profile contains no contact info so if you want more input, click my name for my contact, perhaps we can untangle this more directly.

Hi Robbie,

I have the current Athens Airport timetable, and it shows ten daily flights to Rhodes (four with Aegean Airlines, and six with Olympic Air). The last leaves at 9:30 pm. Rhodes must be one of the easiest islands to get to by air from Athens, and next year won't be any different.

My concern was that the flights from Istanbul to Athens (at least on Olympic) leave around 10 am (so must be at the airport by 8? since international flight?) flight to Rhodes at 12:40 arrives at 1:40. That to me takes up the better part of the day. Sorry I did not mention that I get seasick on long ferry rides. I can do a fast cat for 2+ hours with Dramamine.
If you think I'm confusing you, try to imagine how confused I am. Thanks

suggest most of you take a ferry, but have fred swim...

europe can't compare to asia can it??

Hi Robbie,

No matter how you work it, you will spend the better part of a day getting from Istanbul to Rhodes. Leaving Istanbul at 10 am and arriving on Rhodes at 1:40 pm sounds pretty good to me -- that's less than fours hours! There's no quicker way, as far as I know, unless you have your own private jet. ;-)

The private jet sounds good. Where do I sign up for a trust fund? Yes, Bob I'll have Fred swim but he left his rubber ducky in Phuket.

To Kay, travelerjan, heimdall, brotherleelove, even rhkkmk (don't worry Greek helpers, I'm jut ribbing Bob who is spy from the Asia board) I really appreciate all your suggestions. Your encouragement helps me stay the course and continue to work my way through this maze.

Here is version #317 : after 4 days Istanbul, fly to Athens and on to Crete for 6-7 days, then fast boat to Santorini for 3 days, then fast boat/cat to Naxos for 4. We could just as well fly Athens to Naxos, then Santorini and Crete. We can easily reverse this order by flying Athens to Naxos first. Any advantage either way?

When our friends depart we can perhaps go to Paros, or Rhodes (still wish info on how it is distinctive from Naxos, Crete and Sanorini) if we feel we must see it or fly back to Athens and stay somewhere along the coast.

Glad to see you took my advice via hotmail. As to why this sequence instead of Naxos first, I would have suggested it if it were feasible. Check customary available flight schedules.

The only advantages I can think of would come from ferry timetables - what time the ferries leave and arrive and if they go on each of the days you want. Also flight timetables for your day of travel. Assuming you have checked all of that and either routing works, just go with the one you feel more comfortable with. I know on our last Greece island trip the ferries (even in high season) did not go every day and some timings were better on some days so that influenced our final decision on island sequence.

If you are asking if Rhodes is different from Naxos, Crete or Santorini, I think it's very different, with lots to see and quite a bit of history. If your question referred to Paros, we haven't been there. It may help to look at photos on the internet of each island and check out a few different guidebooks to see how the islands differ.

Kay

The one daily flight to Naxos leaves Athens at 9:00 am, so that is a non-starter. There is a second daily flight just on Saturdays leaving at 2 pm. Ferries leave either early in the morning (around 7:30 am) or late afternoon (around 5:30 pm) with nothing much in between.

"second <i>daily</i> flight just on Saturdays" Whoops!