Itinerarry Help
 

Hello,

We're retired Americans planning (hoping) to spend 4-6 weeks in Europe this year. We're vaccinated so we can travel safely, just hoping that hotels, restaurants, etc will be open and ready for us.

We want to go to several places we've never been before and I'm struggling with the sequence and finding dates that will likely have good weather. I'd appreciate if some kind, knowledgable travelers can make suggestions.

We'd like to start our trip as early as possible in August but, of course, picking a place that isn't too hot. And finnish our trip in October at a place that isn't too cold.

The places we want to see are:

Ahtens/Mykanos/Santorini estimating 11 days

Istanbul with an excursion to Cappadocia estimating 11 days

Lisbon and Portugal estimating 19 days

Thanks in Advance
Jeff

All those countries are likely to be hot in August. I don’t know how to fit this into your overall plan, but would hold off going to the Greek Islands until September, when the weather is milder and summer crowds have gone home. Why Mykonos and Santorini? Santorini I can understand, but Mykonos is a small island noted for high prices and a summer party scene. I’ve been there a couple of times, mainly to see the archaeological site at Delos, but apart from that, unless you want to spend your money in high end hotels and restaurants, there are better islands from which to choose.

Naxos and Paros are on the same ferry route as Santorini, and either would be a good choice. Naxos retains much of traditional Greek life, with pretty mountain villages reliant upon agriculture. It also has excellent beaches if that is of interest. I like Paros and Antiparos, the latter a small island only a few minutes from Paros by local ferry.

thank you, good suggestions

I wrote several trip reports that cover Portugal and Turkey. You might want to take a look at them; click on my name to find them.

https://flic.kr/p/7pUK4R
https://flic.kr/p/JKWjGS
https://flic.kr/p/2gws85B
https://flic.kr/p/2gx7gLz
Click on the right or left arrow and you will see more pictures of that album.

Very nice photos. You said you 'wrote trip reports' but I only see the photos.

Click on my name and then trip reports.

I'd first scope out if anywhere will not be scorching in August--northern Portugal would be my only guess--and determine how much of a limiting factor that is (crowds are an issue in August as well).
Then, try all of the airport combinations in a multi-city itinerary on a flight search (I like Kayak, there are plenty of options). You could try Porto first, then fly from Lisbon to Athens or Istanbul. I'd try to do Greece in the middle and finish with Turkey.
Sounds fantastic if you can get the full six weeks!

I'd first scope out if anywhere will not be scorching in August--northern Portugal would be my only guess--and determine how much of a limiting factor that is (crowds are an issue in August as well).
Then, try all of the airport combinations in a multi-city itinerary on a flight search (I like Kayak, there are plenty of options). You could try Porto first, then fly from Lisbon to Athens or Istanbul. I'd try to do Greece in the middle and finish with Turkey.
Sounds fantastic if you can get the full six weeks!

Yes I've been blessed in many ways these last few years. I'm 78 so I need to do my travelling now.
After reading your comment and the others I'm thinking of maybe.......
9/1 - 9/6 London
9/7 - 9/8 Porto
9/9 - 9/12 Lisbon, Sintra etc.
9/13 - 9/18 Lagos and the Algarve
9/19 - 9/21 Athens
9/22 - 9/25 Mykanos
9/26 - 9/29 Another Island
9/30 - 10/3 Istanbul
10/4 - 10/7 Cappadocia, Ephesus
10/8 - 10/9 Istanbul
10/10 London
10/12 Home

How does that look?

I think that for a first time in Portugal the area between Porto and Lisbon is more interesting than the Algarve.

Question: how do yo9u plan to visit the areas that are close to the large cities you mention but are not part of it? Or do you intend to visit only the cities?

We visited Lagos in the Algarve two years ago at the end of our vacation and liked it a lot.
I only listed the major cities in my post. We do want to visit other cities and places of interest. Usually when we want to go outside of the main city, we hire a car and driver or take a Viator tour.

Your timing for Greece in late September is perfect. Shifting your holiday from August to September will make all the difference. Weather will be milder, Greek Islands less crowded, and prices for accommodation cheaper.

You haven’t answered my question of why, specifically, you want to go to Mykonos. The island has a beautiful chora (main town) but apart from that there isn’t much to see on the island. There is only one other village on the island, Ano Mera. I am also 78 years old, and the nightlife for which Mykonos is famous holds no attraction for me.

If you are interested in archaeology it’s worth going to Mykonos as a jumping off point for the site on the nearby island of Delos. If you’ve watched the Shirley Valentine film, the beach where it was based (Agios Ioannis) is barely recognisable these days.

Thanks. I looked at Naxos and Paros but haven't decided on which islands yet.

You might consider a combination of Greek islands that you can make your way toward Turkey and take a ferry to Kusadasi for Ephesus. Then on to Istanbul after. For example Samos is only 1.5 hour ferry but there are perhaps others. Here is some explanation I found. But of course important to confirm all information more directly. https://www.ferryhopper.com/en/blog/...-greece-turkey

I had no idea this was possible. Thanks

I had a fantastic time partying on Mykonos, and Delos is amazing - but I agree that Mykonos doesn't offer much beyond that.

The combination Samos to Kuşadası (for Selçuk & Efesus) to Göreme (for Cappadocia) is relatively easy & is a great route. There are a fair number of ferries from Greek islands to the Turkish coast, this is only one possible combination. The overnight busses in Turkey are much more comfortable than most American domestic plane flights, so I wouldn't fear them.

Also, I just noticed that you group Ephesus (on the coast) and Cappadocia (in central Anatolia, 8 hours away by bus) as one segment. That won't work!

You'd have to knock out days somewhere else, but you could consider this:

2-3 days Samos (a perfectly nice island, maybe not an A-list destination though)
2-3 days Selçuk / Ephesus
3-5 days Cappadocia (one of the most amazing places in the world)
5 days Istanbul (one of the most amazing cities in the world)

JSSSArgie
 

I've been to Athens & Cofu. See the acropolis in Athens. The food in greece isn't too appealing I'm afraid (very greasy).

Lisbon is a nice city but I highly suggest going to the algarve in Portugal. Theres high cliffs overlooking the ocean & quaint cobble stone streets.


Lynn

Good grief, Idatt22, what were you eating in Greece? The country has among the healthiest diets in the world! If you were eating gyros and souvlaki I can understand why you have the impression that Greek food is greasy, but that is street food. I’m not a vegetarian, but those who are have no problem finding healthy vegetable dishes on the menu. I love fresh fish, caught in the sea in the morning, and put on the grill that evening.

Heimball
 

I guess there wasmt any good food where I went or I ordered the wrong thing. I had moussaka (greasy on the bottom) pasta, etc. Everything else was grest, like the beaches, activities, nightlife, the views!


Lynn

I think 11 days is totally realistic for Athens/Mykonos/Santorini, especially to get an overview of the three places. Every time I go to Greece, I always wish I had more time, but I am always thankful for the time I was willing to spend. Greece is supposed to be open and ready to receive tourists, especially those who have been vaccinated, and it should be safe travel. The country relies on tourism for its economy.

While there, I would spend some time visiting the major landmarks, and balancing that with some beach time and eating plenty of delicious Greek meals. Athens, definitely spend time at the Ancient Agora, including the Parthenon. There are also some great places to shop and even some beaches. I also recommend the Temple of Poseidon, particularly around sunset. You can hire a taxi - negotiate a rate and have the driver wait for you. Tell him or her you want to go to get the best sunset photos.

Mykonos - I really just remember doing a lot of lounging at the beach. This is fun! There are beaches for every mood, from party-going to relaxing. Santorini, I loved the unique way the island is arranged and there are some food specialties to try - particularly the unique cucumbers, tomatoes, and wines. The volcanic soil really makes the produce stand out. Best sunset on Santorini is in Oia.