Need help with Greece/Turkey itinerary
 

Hi.
We're in the process of planning a trip to Greece and Turkey in May, and I could use a little advice.
We've done some research, and have a preliminary itinerary. Well, actually just a list of the places (listed below) that we consider must-see (with the exception of those few that are marked with an asterisk).

Here is the list:

GREECE
Mainland (probably driving rental car)
Athens
Delphi
Volos – The Meteora
Monemvassia
Nafplion
Kardamyli (small village on Peloponnese)
Vatheia (small village on Peloponnese)
Dimitsana
Islands (prefer cruise or ferries, ability to stay overnight where we want to)
Santorini
Mykonos
Delos
Rhodes
Corfu (maybe we can access this by ferry from mainland)
Patmos

TURKEY
Istanbul
Ephesus
Pamukkale
Bodrum*
Demre (Myra) - Lycean Tombs
Fethiye – Lycean Tombs
Anatalya
Tarsus*
Antioch (Anatakia)*
Cappadocia
Urgup
Goreme Valley
Guzelyurt
Uchisar
Kaymakli or Derinkuyu – (underground cities)
Ankara

My question is not WHAT places to see (we've already decided that), but rather HOW to see these places in a cohesive itinerary.

We plan to spend the entire month of May on this trip, and longer if absolutely necessary (we have no real time constraints, but have found from experience that a month makes for an ideal trip, while 6 weeks gets a bit long).

We plan to fly into Athens, and spend 3 or 4 nights seeing the city. Then, we'll rent a car and drive around mainland Greece (including the Peloponnese), allowing approximately 7 days for this (including 2 nights in Corfu, via ferry), returning to Athens.

From Athens, we'll cruise the islands listed above (in whatever order makes the most sense), with stays in Santorini (3 nights), Mykonos (3 nights, including a day trip to Delos), and Rhodes (3 nights), and just stopping for the day in Patmos.

We would then like to cruise into Istanbul (definitely cruise, NOT fly), Where we'll spend 4 or 5 nights.
From Istanbul, we'll see the other sites in Turkey, in whatever order seems logical, returning to Istanbul for our flight home. We're planning on 2 nights at Ephesus and 2 nights at Cappadocia, with the amount of time for the others as required.

So, many questions present themselves.
1. Is this schedule too ambitious for 1 month?
2. Are the number of days that we've alloted for each site sufficient, or too long? I'd appreciate recommendations based on your experience.
3. It's obvious that we can't arrange a single cruise to do what we're proposing for seeing the islands and ending at Istanbul. I'm pretty sure that most cruises won't allow for the extended stays we'd like on some of the islands. So, what is the most reasonable way to accomplish what we want to do (regarding the oceanic part of our trip)?
4. What would be the best way to see the Turkish sites. We would entertain small tours (less than 10 or 12 people), or flying between cities and getting a car and driver, or maybe taking buses between the sites and getting a guide at each location. Whatever. We're totally ignorant of the best way to see Turkey, and would welcome suggestions.

Sorry about the long post, but I think we need to finalize our plans pretty soon for a May trip, and your input will be very helpful.

Thanks, all.

I would say the answer to #1 is yes, too ambitious! You have approx the same number of places as you do days!
A couple of things to help you rearrange/adjust your list:
<<<<Then, we'll rent a car and drive around mainland Greece (including the Peloponnese), allowing approximately 7 days for this (including 2 nights in Corfu, via ferry), returning to Athens.>>>> That's impossible with the mainland/Peloponnese list you have, it's even too much without going to Corfu! For this part of the trip I would head north from Athens to Meteora, back down to Delphi, across the Rio bridge & on to Dimitsana area. From there head to the Mani to see Kardamyli & Vathi, then Monemvassia, finally Nafplion & back to Athens. Possible in 7 days, depends on whether you want to properly see these places or just pass through.
Regarding the islands Patmos is the one that doesn't fit so easily for such a short stop. Bear in mind that you can cross to Turkey from Rhodes & work your way up to Istanbul, absolutely pointless to aim for Instanbul, then return there to fly home.
Just a few pointers to start you off!

I agree that this is too much for one month. It took me six weeks to cover Greece doing the mainland (north and Peloponnese) and three islands (Crete, Rhodes and Kos). If it helps with the itinerary, my TR is at http://www.wilhelmswords.com/eur2006/index.html

Agree TOTALLY with the above. And when you say "cruise" you mean taking ferries.... because a Cruise ship will not permit overnights.. on some islands you are lucky to get 4 hours. You are best off you take so-called "Regular" ferries, these are very large car-carrying Ships, with 1100-1800 passenger capacity, with decks for the view; fast-ferries are large catamarans (400+passengers) but no outside decks -- take them only if required by scheduling. When you get "reserved economy" tickets on regular ferries, you're guaranteed a comfortable upholstered numbered seat indoors, but may spend as much time as you like in chairs out on the deck or in several onboard cafes. It can be a nice "mini-cruise" experience in May, which is one of the calmest months in which to sail.

Your Island sequence might more logically be (1) MYKONOS, maybe just 2 days, (not a "must" island unless you are into high-end shopping and nightclubbing which from your list I am guessing not). .. u could see Mykonos Town on day 1, Delos on 2nd Day. (2) SANTORINI -- you may not get a direct ferry in May, at least not a direct open-deck ferry. In that case stay overnight in PAROS... IMHO, a more interesting isle than Myk, at least less touristic... (3) From santorini, time your trip to get the OVERNIGHT sailing (on a modern new Blue STar Ferry) to RHODES --- and on to Turkey.

When we were planning our month in Greece we originally planned to include Turkey.In the end,we decided that both countries deserved their own trip and went to Greece. We can't wait to explore Turkey soon for another month.
One suggestion on your Greek itinerary is to spend time on Paros or Naxos for a better Greek island experience.

Happy Traveler, yes, you've been there, now you know... a "better Greek island experience" results from going to less-touristed islands like Paros/Naxos/Sifnos/Milos ... but the constant Mykonos-Santorini over-promotion keeps first-timers flocking there for the bulk of their time. And perhaps they'll never return to Greece and experience the best of it. Sigh.

Thanks for all the replies.
We're in the process of re-planning as a result of your comments.

yiassas, let me clarify something. I realize that we have (had?) as many places to see as days, but keep in mind that we're not planning to overnight in all those places. We feel that the driving part of the trip will be similar to the many drives we've taken around Europe and the States; i.e. drive until we see something of particular interest, stop and look around, continue driving until we're ready to quit for the day. Of course, some places (such as Meteora) may require an overnight, but surely not all on our list.

travelerjan, I understand that Santorini and Mykonos (and perhaps others) are over-promoted, but there must be a good reason. Would you go to Paris on a first visit and not go to the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower? As first-time travelers to Greece, it's reasonable (even mandatory)to see the "famous" sights, as well as the less traveled ones. Because we're getting on in age, and my travel preferences tend toward Asia, it might be a long time (if ever) before we get back to see these sights. We chose Santorini for its unique setting (and our reading and conversations with others that have been there), and Mykonos because I particularly want to see Delos, which is accessible via ferry from there.
As for the "Greek island experience", which is my wife's preference, she feels that a couple of island stays will satisfy that need. My preferences, on the other hand, lean toward the archaeological and historical. We both love cities, so Athens and Istanbul are non-negotiable.

So, back to the re-plan.
On the table are such options as limiting our Turkey travels to Istanbul and Ephesus, cutting back on some of the sights in Greece, and extending the length of the trip. We're considering any or all of these options.
In that regard, how long would you consider adequate to do our original itinerary? This will give us some idea of what we're dealing with.

Again, thanks for your replies, and any you might add.

Les, be advised that there are convenient daytrip excursions to Delos from both Naxos and Paros 3-4 times each week that also make a stop in Mykonos Town for a couple of hours. Naxos and Paros are easily reached from Santorini by ferry on a daily basis. There's a lot more to see and do on either of these islands as compared to Mykonos.

brotherleelove2004,
Great info! Nothing we've read mentioned this - it will definitely help us plan.
Thanks so much!

I see your wife is looking for a more authentic Greek Island to visit. I would second Naxos. It has a wonderful old town area, great beaches, mountain villages and a smattering of Antiquities. It has a lot to offer.
AS Brotherlee says, from Naxos there are two excursion boats MV Alexander and the Naxos Star. Both at about 80 feet in length and can carry up to Two hundred passengers. You get about 3 hours in Delos and an equal time on Mykonos. So you get a great historical visit plus a taste of Mykonos but you do not have to pay Mykonos prices, a real bonus in my mind.

Here are some Naxos pictures.
http://travel.webshots.com/album/552001505EYxVYT

Another vote for Naxos & doing Delos/Mykonos as a day trip!
Les, back to the mainland/Peloponnese part, I live on the Peloponnese so I can be very realistic about that part of the itinerary! The suggested route I gave you would need at least a night in or near each of Meteora, Delphi, the Mani, Monemvassia & Nafplion. Depending on arrival times at each place you may need 2 nights, arrive in the evening, see everything the next day, then leave early the following morning. Considering the vast amount of sites & history following that route this will give you a chance to sample some of it, although you could easily spend a month or more without running out of places to see!
It does look on a map as if you can fit it all in easily, but apart from a few stretches of decent road when the miles can be covered quickly, much of the route will be on mountainous single lane roads with a lot of hairpin bends where the travelling time is longer than you may have allowed for. That does usually mean spectacular scenery though!!

Let me be the Devil's advocate here - perhaps you <i>should</i> stay on Mykonos rather than Naxos or Paros. Since you are both city lovers, you may enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Mykonos. It takes only 30 minutes to get to Delos from Mykonos harbour, and the boats leave every day except Monday when the site is closed - you can walk around the island in the morning, and be back on Mykonos in time for lunch. On another day you could take a day trip from Mykonos to Tinos - a very different island, of special regious significance to Greeks, and a unique experience for you. :-)

I love Paros and Naxos, visiting the former twice a year. But the trip to Delos from Naxos or Paros leaves only on Tue, Thu, & Sun (weather permitting), and takes the entire day. You plan to spend only three days on one of those islands. If you were unlucky, and hit a bad-weather day, you could miss Delos completely. :-(

BTW, I have been to Delos twice, both times from Mykonos. My first visit was in May several years ago. It took me three days to get to Delos - the first day the boats were cancelled due to high winds, and the second day was Monday, when the site was closed - third day lucky! :-)

Les, please re-read my posts, I never recommended SKIPPING Santorini & Mykonos, I just don't feel you should spend the bulk of your limited time on these islands and thus miss all the others. Yes, in Paris one MUSt visit the Eiffel Tower but one doesn't set up a tent beneath it and spend 5 days there.

An ISLAND SCENARIO - I think you could start your Island-hopping by returning y our car to the airport of a morning, then getting a mid-day flight to Santorini (50 minutes).

SANTORINI -- Because you both don't strike me as the type to sit on your balcony for days on end, I would suggest that in May, you look for a place in Firostephani. This location is at the North edge of Fira Town, great Caldera Views, quiet at night, but you can easily walk to the town attractions (museum etc) -- AND you don't have to rent a car or pay a 25€ taxi fee to get to/from a hotel in Oia. You can explore the town in the afternoon, enjoy the famous Caldera View from your terrace, have a nice dinner. On day #2, take a bus early to Oia, and get those wonderful "postcard" photos before the cruise-ship throngs arrive at 10:30 or so ... then you can bus back to Fira Town, see the marvelous exhibits at Nokimos Conference Center (google it) with wall-size photos of the Akrotiri excavation (since the dig alas is still closed). And don't miss the wonderful Prehistoric Thira museum next to the cathedral-- only takes an hour, but presents the island story dramatically! For sunset, thre are dozens of cafes with great views, without the standing-room-only crowds in Oia. On day #3, there's a 3 p.m. Blue Star ferry sailing... open decks so you can stand and get that Famous View again, from below... and enjoy a "mini-cruise" for 2.5 hours to NAXOS.

NAXOS - In May, stay at St. George beach directly adjacent to Naxos Town; blissfully quiet in May (look around; you'll see ME there too!), yet a 5-10 minute stroll to town attractions: cafes, tavernas, winding agora "maze" to top of town, shops, ruins, towers, even concerts. If you rent a (cheap!) car one day, you can tootle around the entire island: mountain villages with shady squares for a snack or lunch; gorgeous mountain landscapes, ruins in orchards, a hilltop temple, marble quarries, amazing beaches. In Naxos if you go even 10 miles inland, you find authentic Greek farm life; once I spent half-an-hour in early may just watching a sheep shearing. Naxos will satisfy your historical/archeological thirsts, and your wife's interest in authentic island life -- it will steal your hearts

DELOS/MYKONOS - Those day excursions are VERY relialble in May... the month of the year with the calmest seas (Heimdall's trip must have been from July-Oct). The Alexander is the larger/preferable boat. The Delos visit is about 10 am - 1 pm, PLENTY of time there; wear a hat, take water, snacks, a good guide/map. You can lunch in Mykonos & enjoy the agora "maze" ... Naxos' mazey lanes are also picturesque. The Mykonos difference?? High-end "luxe" shops - DKNY, Hermes, Cartier, Calvin Klein, but wait! That's not very Greek! Right. The boat leaves around 5:30, you're back in Naxos for the sunset.

Since u are cutting back on your Turkey destinations, you will have time to relax on the Greek islands. 2 nights Santorini (the Eiffel Tower of Greece), at least 4 nights for Naxos & Excursion, then a ferry on to Samos (arrives 5:30 - 7 am). If you stay in Vathy I highly recommend Hotel Pythagoras, on the water, a short walk to the left of the pier, balcony on Gorgeous Vathy bay. You can get a DAY excursion to Ephesus (post a separate query for details), or just go to turkey and bus or plane to Istanbul for as long as you like.

How do I know this will work?? I have done this circuit more than once with newcomers, well-educated travel companions who all wanted scenery, authenticity, archeological high-lights AND great beaches -- and unanimously they expressed delight at the experience.

Travellerjan, please re-read my post. ;-) I said it was in <b>May</b> when it took three days to get to Delos.

Apologies, apologies, Heimdall! I always suggest that, the day BEFORE people take an excursion, they get a weather forecast ... I often stop in at the "Port Police" office because they have good info on marine conditions, (and those cute sailor uniforms).

Some of the worst weather I have experienced in Greece has been in late May, although it is true that Meltemi winds peak in Jul-Aug. I remember one day in particular, when I chose to take the bus to Apollonas on Naxos. While driving over the mountains, the rain was pouring down, and lightning bolts cracking down around us. Looking out the window of the bus, at times all I could see was the sheer drop beyond the edge of the road. That was an experience I will never forget! :))

My main concern was with Les spending only three days on Mykonos, Paros, or Naxos. It's not clear from his posts whether those are three full days, or they include days of arrival/departure. Since excursion boats from Naxos and Paros to Delos/Mykonos go only three days/week, getting there would be a gamble. If Delos is a priority, then Mykonos would be the best base.

BTW, there is a lot of nonsense written about Mykonos. The island is very popular with affluent Greeks - that's why there are so many ferries to there from Rafina. In May there are are two or three weekends when Greek university students flock to the island. Don't worry, though - it is nothing like Schoolies in Australia or spring break in the U.S. Greek teenagers are usually very well behaved! :-)

Jan, the best boat to use for the trip between Mykonos and Delos is the Orca. It’s an ex-Greek navy boat and known to be much more stable than the others. It may well have not been in use when you last visited.

Les, click on my name and read some of my messages about Mykonos. I see and describe the island very differently to Jan and consider it to one of the most beautiful in the Cyclades, for many reasons. Possibly, in the same way Jan feels about Naxos, but perhaps even more so.

Heimdall is a very good devil’s advocate and I completely agree with his itinerary and suggestions. Tinos should never be missed and a little further on is Syros, a quite magnificent example of ‘real’ Greece.

It is terrific on a board like this that you can benefit from opinions, likes and dislikes about 'our' favourite islands against others.

This summer I should have been exploring Naxos, Paros and Antiparos but for health reasons I was unable to do so. Never mind, hopefully next year I can then give my opinion about them, compared to my perfect island. That will be fun.

Hi Bill, it's nice to hear from you again! You are one of the true experts on Greece - one of us who can no longer remember how many times we have been there! :-)

Wow, all the information!

Heimdall, you say that the trip to Delos from Naxos or Paros takes the entire day. Is this for the round trip, including Mykonos? It's my understanding that there are no overnight accommodations on Delos, so we'd need several hours there, and travelerjan's suggestion of staying on Naxos and doing the day excursion to Mykonos and Delos sounds good to us.

travelerjan, thanks for the really good info. Do you know if it's possible to rent scooters on Naxos (as opposed to renting a car)? We own 4 scooters and are licensed for motorcycles, and ride through the mountains and canyons around Denver, so we'd feel comfortable riding scooters around the island, assuming traffic isn't chaotic.
We don't really plan to "relax" on the islands - we'll be spending much of our short stays there sightseeing, I imagine. "Beach time" in Greece is not important to us - if that was our goal, Greece would certainly not be our first choice (can you say "Hawaii" or "Phuket" or ...?).

As I said earlier, I will cut back on the Turkey part of our trip if that's what's necessary to trim the length of our itinerary. However, we're replanning the Greek part of the trip taking into account all of your suggestions, and we'll see what the timeline looks like. Since most of the comments here address the Greek part of our itinerary, I plan on posting our Turkey itinerary in the Turkey forum to see what can can be done there. Perhaps we can trim enough days between the two that we can still see what's most interesting within 4 or 5 weeks.

Regarding Istanbul, the reason we wanted to cruise into Istanbul is because friends of ours who have been there say that the approach from the water presents the most magnificent views of the city, as opposed to driving there from the airport. If at all possible, we'd still like to do that. Is it possible to hook up with a cruise from one of the islands?

OK, thanks to you all, we're back to the drawing board with some wonderful additional information. I'll post a revised itinerary for your comments, when it's ready.

Les, if you can extend your stay on Naxos to four or five days, then I agree it would be a good alternative. M/S Alexandros leaves Naxos at 0845, and returns at 1845, so that's a ten hour excursion. Out of those ten hours you will spend 2hrs 55min on Delos, and 3hrs 30 min on Mykonos. The other excursion boat, Naxos Star, is the same length as Alexandros, but narrower in beam, so would suffer more roll in rough weather.

I really do urge you to do a search on bill barr's posts, though. He brings out the magic of Mykonos, lost on those who know the island less well than he.

BTW, if there is one island over-hyped on this board, it is Naxos. ;-)

You don't have to cruise INTO Istanbul to see it from the water. There are plenty of ferry options when you get there - up the Bosphorus, up the Golden Horn, and to the Princes' Islands.

Of course Heimdall (AND Les), it's perfectly fine to do the 4 days on Naxos, then go on to Mykonos for a day and stay overnight. That way Les could stay on Delos longer than 3 hrs. He actually could stay longer than 3 hours anyway... just not take the excursion boat from Delos to Myk, but take one of the Regular ferries... they run until 3 pm, which would give him up to 5 hours on Delos. In my experience, that's certainly enough. Staying over,maybe take in one of those after-midnight club-fests, and go on the next day via ferry to Samos... it will all depend on the ferry schedules, which will be out in late Spring.

And BTW, Heimdall, I've been to Mykonos 3 times, I have an artist friend who has a B & B there, right behind Hotel Despotika ... Angela has kindly taken me to several art-oriented events, she's part of the community that developed there BEFORE Jackie O and the Euro-glam crowd discovred Mykonos ... Bill Barr has told me of some lovely events that take place there not having to do with tourists ... one of them takes place in late spring in the town's outdoor amphitheatre, not visited by tourists.The schoolchildren give a Traditional Dances Recital, as part of passing their (required) school classes in Greek Dances. Would that OUR kids had to master such things! I've also been in Mykonos on "holy Spirit" Pentecost weekend when all the Gilded Youth of Athens turn up to air-kiss and zoom around on motorbikes... was amusing to watch, anyway. And yes, I know that Bill Barr has found the magic of Mykonos more than most of us... but he's been going there for 30 years, has become part of a family there, sorta speaks greek by now -- doesn't have the same experiences as most people visiting only for 2-3 days. When one does not have the time to integrate deeply into island life, I feel that in Mykonos, for most of us, it's hard to get beyond the touristic "bubble" -- and all those richy-rich shops just bug me a little.

Les, yes on both Naxos and Mykonos, you can readily rent scooters OR motorcycles and with the latter, you could truly explore the mountains, and tiny villages up there. Mykonos is smaller and flatter and a scooter would take you most everywhere. I mentioned beaches because MOST travelers to the isles are Very interested in them, and you previously gave us no information about where you were from.

Bill B, I'd like to trade opinions on Syros... I went there this last June because I'd always meant to, and have a mixed feeling; yes it's Greek, and also very business-oriented .. I missed an artistic flair which I seem to have found on so many other isles. but that's for another thread - pardon my digression. About Tinos, hmm, depends on one's religion interests I think, and also interests in handicrafts. Well, my post is too long already... :P

Good morning Jan

Tinos is a wonderful island but you need to move away from its port. I actually enjoy the town but the island’s beauty, in my mind, is found when you travel up into the hills and then to its deserted northern beaches, in particular. This really is the island of dovecots.

‘Syros is not for tourists’ was said to me a long time ago and although I wish more folks would visit, it doesn’t cater well for them. That said, it is a real working island, the capital of the Cyclades and visitors seem hard to find. Perhaps that’s why I like it? I don’t know for sure. Ermoupoli I do enjoy very much especially the classical buildings and WW2 historical exhibits/information etc which greatly interest me. The folks on the island suffered hugely during the German occupation and there are reminders of that bad time. I was fortunate enough to be taken to the west and southern coast of the island which are very beautiful and, like Tinos, deserted. Maybe some time in the future when you have more time, think of adding a few extra days to explore.

Les, apologies for hijacking your thread.

Bill

Hi, again. Sorry I took so long to get back, but we went back to square 1 on the re-plan, based on the helpful comments received here.

So, here's our new (proposed) itinerary:

We decided to go to Turkey first, then on to Greece, and to extend our time in Greece by a week (total of 5 weeks for the trip).
We spoke with friends that have been to Turkey, and read a lot of books, and decided that the most practical way to see what we wanted to in a reasonable amount of time would be to go with a tour.
We found a nice two-week tour of Turkey that hits almost all of the spots that we want to see (ref. the itinerary in my first post). There are a couple of things that are not included, so we'll pick them up after the tour.

So here goes...

We fly into Istanbul from Denver on the 16th of April (arrive on the 17th), and hook up with the tour that evening. Since we're flying into Istanbul and returning from Athens 5 weeks later, we opted out of the air transportation normally included with the tour, and will handle that on our own. The tour operator had no problem with this, and deducted the cost of the air from the cost of the tour.
I won't go into the details of the tour; it seems pretty thorough, with adequate time and free time to see most of what we want. Eventually, it ends in Istanbul on April 30th, and we start the independent part of our trip.

From Istanbul, we plan to fly back down to the Fethiye area (Dalaman airport?), and spend a day or so touring the Lycian tombs. These were not well covered on the tour.
Flight info and hotel recommendations are solicited.

Then, we plan to take a ferry to Rhodes (from Marmaris?), where we'll begin the Greek Island part of our trip.
Which is as follows:
Rhodes: 3 nights
Santorini: 3 nights
Mykonos: 3 nights (including a day trip to Delos)
Patmos: 1 night
I realize that this choice of islands is not what many of you recommended, but my wife researched all of the potential islands, including those that were suggested here, and felt that these were the ones that would provide the most satisfying experience for her on a first visit.

So the obvious questions, once again:

Did we leave adequate time on these islands?

Best way to get between the islands (ferry, air?)

Given the time of year (early May), where, if at all, do we need to make advance hotel or ferry reservations?
We hope to remain pretty flexible on the Greece portion
of the trip, and would only reserve in advance if there would be a problem getting accommodations.

Hotel (or villa) suggestions? We prefer nice (but not exhorbitant) hotels (3-star or higher, if those ratings mean anything in Greece). On Santorini, we'd like to stay in the main town (Thira?), high, with a view of the crater.
On Mykonos, near the center of things (restaurants, etc.) We'll explore the outlying areas, but would prefer to stay in town.


Okay, moving on.
From Patmos, we go to Athens (best way to get there?).
We'll spend a few days in Athens, then rent a car and tour the mainland, including the Peloponnese, then return to Athens for a flight home. Our driving itinerary is totally flexible, but we'll heed yiassas' suggestions as much as possible. We're planning on 10 days for the Athens/driving portion of the trip. Is this reasonable?

Looking forward (once again) to your comments.
Thanks.

Be advised that the ferries between Rhodes and Santorini do not run on a daily basis, so you'll have to plan carefully if you don't want to digress from your itinerary.

Go to: Clik on http://www.bluestarferries.com/site/...?sel=624&loc=2 (Piraeus-Patmos-Leros-Kos-Rhodes & Syros-Santorini-Amorgos (Katapola)

Clik on "02/02/2010-14/06/2010" and you'll see which days are open for travel, Mon, Wed. & Fri.

Depending on what they're offering, you might also be able to fly direct to Santorini from Rhodes on http://www.skyexpress.gr but take note of their strict baggage allowances.

As far as Patmos is concerned you'd use the same ferry as the one going to Santorini, so it would be best if you go there right after Rhodes, just before going to Santorini. Again, look at the schedule and you'll see why.

After Santorini you can go to Mykonos on the Hellenic Seaways Highspeed Catamaran, the FC4, and then back to Athens from Mykonos either by another ferry or by plane.

Cheap domestic airfares can be found if you sign up for the Aegean Airlines email newsletter notification. For April you should be notified sometime in January or February. http://en.aegeanair.com/newslettersubscription.aspx

Thanks, brotherleelove, for the good (and practical) advice. Since this part of the itinerary is flexible, we won't have a problem making your suggested modifications. I'll check the links you provided tomorrow (getting a bit late here tonight).

One thing I still need info on; visas.
I know that the Turkish visa is best purchased upon arrival, but what about the Greek visa. Can that be gotten on arrival, or on the internet? Either would be preferable to sending our passports somewhere.

Thanks.

Be sure to bring USD $20 for each person for the Turkish Visa.

A visa is not required to enter Greece, just present your passport upon arrival and you'll get a stamp, simple as that.

ttt

hello Les

I'm happy to give you some Mykonos town hotel recommendations but it would help greatly if you could give me an idea of your lodging budget per night. I take it you'll want a twin/double room only?

Can you also give me the approximate date(s) you will be on the island? I can contact a friend there who may already know when the students that Heimdall helpfully mentioned are expected to arrive on Mykonos.

Bill

Bill, thanks for your offer.
Based upon brotherleelove2004's recommendation, assuming that we go from Rhodes to Patmos to Santorini to Mykonos (not at all cast in concrete yet - still examining the options), my best guess is that we'll be in Mykonos for May 8, 9, and 10. This is based upon the length of stay that I mentioned earlier, but since this part of the trip is flexible, and assuming that advance reservations won't be required at that time of year, these dates could shift slightly.
As for budget, I'm afraid that this trip has already blown any budget that I might have had in mind. Let's just say that anything reasonable will be given consideration.
As I mentioned earlier, we prefer nice (I'm guessing 3-star, without knowing what the ratings mean in Greece), clean accommodations, with some amenities such as air conditioning, TV, phone, some sort of restaurant/terrace bar where we can get breakfast or dinner, located near the town's offerings. Nothing extravagant.

So far, this is what we've finalized for the trip:

We've already booked the Turkey tour, starting in Istanbul on April 17, and returning there on April 30th. We're in the process of booking our flights from Denver to Istanbul (leaving 15 April), and from Athens to Denver (leaving 24 May). So from the beginning of May to the 24th of May, the trip will be only loosely structured (if at all), to provide us some flexibility.
As I mentioned earlier, from Istanbul we may fly back to Dalaman for a day or so and take in the Lycian tombs, but that's only if our tour doesn't give us time to see them adequately.
From there, to Rhodes, Patmos, Santorini, Mykonos (for the approximate times listed earlier), then on to Athens.
After 3 or so days in Athens (this should put us at approximately May 13), we'll rent a car and spend the rest of the time (approximately 10 days) driving around the mainland and Pelopponese, then back to Athens for the flight home.

Things are starting to come together. My main concern is that we get reservations where absolutely required, such as our hotel in Athens, our rental car, maybe hotels on Santorini and Mykonos if it's a normally busy time of year, and any ferries or flights that might be difficult to book at the time. I'm counting on the experience in this forum to tell us what reservations are required, and if our proposed time on each island needs to be modified.

Thanks again for your offer of assistance.

Hi Les

Here are some suggestions for town hotels. I worked to a budget of 100e per night and most of the rates include breakfast. Some have sea views some not.

Petasos Town Hotel (100e per night for double room).
The same owners of the Mykonos Grand, one of the best and most expensive hotels on the island. This small hotel will be quiet when you intend to the visit the island and well worth considering:

http://www.petasos.gr/petasos_town/home.htm

Rochari Hotel (90e per night for double room).
Owned by the Kousathanas family. That same family and their relatives own a good number of hotels on the island. At the beginning of May this is a very good place to lodge. Quiet and family orientated at that time of year (with some of the best town views) but crazy in mid-summer months.

http://www.rochari.com

Poseidon Hotel (99e per night for superior double room).
Like the first two, this hotel is in a very good town location with sea view rooms facing the windmills. Is known for many return visitors.

http://www.poseidonhotel-mykonos.com/

Hotel Carbonaki (66e per night per room)
A small and more traditional hotel in superb town location (but no sea views). It's a little gem of a place run by a husband and wife team (the Rousounelos's). Very much a family operation! The hotel is built into an old Mykonian town house and extended behind.

http://www.carbonaki.gr/

Matoyianni Hotel (100e per night for double room)
I've been in this hotel but not lodged there. It looked very nice and the rooms were not a bad size. You couldn’t get closer to the bars and restaurants but that may mean some noise. Mind, in May that is unlikely.

http://mykonos-accommodation.com/matogianni-hotel.htm

The beginning of May is a great time to visit the island. It is relaxed, no summer crowds, everything is fresh and the colours wonderful.

Bill

Les

I apologise but I should also have asked that you use Trip Advisor and read the reviews of each hotel. Personal recommendations are good but sometimes previous guest comments may give more of an insight and can be a bit more independent.

Bill

Bill, thank you for the hotel suggestions. I'll definitely check out all of them (including on Trip Advisor).
You mention that things are fairly quiet in early to mid May. Does this mean that advance reservations may not be necessary? That would be nice, as it allows us more flexibility, should we arrive earlier or later than planned.

Progress to date:
We have our Turkish tour booked, which will include all but a day or two of our accommodations in Turkey.
We've also booked our flights to and from Denver.

What remains is to book our Athens accommodations (which will obviously determine the end date for our island explorations), and our rental car. Any suggestions for these?

Also, since my wife is especially looking forward to Santorini, will it be necessary to book in advance to ensure a nice hotel overlooking the crater?

Thanks again to all of you for the suggestions - this is shaping up to be a fabulous trip (after which, I plan to retire to the poorhouse).

It is hard to know what you mean by "nice" ... it would be helpful if you gave a price range in Euros ... Brotherleelove usually requests this before giving his recommendations for Oia, and I second the motion. Here is the currency-conversion link, for you to track the rate. http://www.xe.com/ucc/ Right now, 1 € = $1.50 Please also give a budget range for what you are willing to spend in Athens. Otherwise people will take time and effort to suggest places that are not what you want.

Previously I had suggested staying in Firostephani, which is quiet, yet is in easy walking distance of attractions in Fira Town -- shopping, Prehistoric Museum, Nokimos Conference Center (latter has stunning exhibits on the closed Akrotiri excavation). Two with caldera views AND pools are Hotel Ilias, in Firostephani and Anteliz Hotel, which is just over the edge into Fira Town, but is NoRth of Nokimos, right on the rim path, and nicely quiet. Both have websites and TA reviews.

With the world economy in such a mess there will be a lot of empty hotel rooms on Santorini in May but if you find a hotel that strongly appeals to you I do suggest making a reservation to be sure you get what you want. The villages with a caldera view are Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia. I can help you narrow down the choices if I know what your maximum daily room budget will be.

travelerjan, it's difficult for me to give a price range when I have no idea what a given price buys in the way of hotel rooms. But a definition of "nice" is easier. For example, when I went to the website for the Petasos hotel (one of Bill's suggestions), the hotel looks very nice, with pleasant rooms, amenities, and location. However, when I followed up on Travel Advisor, several posters mentioned extremely small bathrooms (to the point of being almost unusable). This is a deal breaker for me.
But otherwise, that type/price range of hotel is fine.
By the way, I am not looking only at Bill's recommendations. I intend to follow up on your (and others') suggestions, and really appreciate your inputs.

brotherleelove2004, I agree that it would be best to reserve in advance on Santorini if I find a particularly appealing hotel. My problem is that I can't pin down the exact dates that I'll be there, but I'm working on it.

If and when you make that determination I suggest you create a new posting to ask for hotel recommendations for your chosen destinations on those dates.

brotherleelove2004, good idea - this thread is getting pretty long.
For now, it looks like I'll only need advance reservations in Santorini (maybe) and Athens (definitely). The response to my e-mail to the Petasos hotel on Mykonos indicated that there should be no problem getting a room without a reservation in May, but Santorini might be different.
In any case, I've already got a lot of good recommendations that I'm in the process of sorting through. But I'm going to New York City next week (just for 5 days, to visit my old home town during the holiday season), so it may be a while before I get through them all.

Les

I agree with what both jan and brotherleelove advise. It's worth mentioning too that the price range I chose i.e. 100e was simply because, taking into account your specifications, there's hardly anything else available for less!

You could be lucky in waiting until you arrive on the island as the beginning May is most certainly a quiet time. I'd caution you though not to expect a better deal from the hotels I mention. One young couple estimated they would save about 50% of their lodging budget on Mykonos in late April by just 'turning up' and not making a firm booking. They didn't and had to leave the island a few days earlier than planned. I’ve been looking for that thread for you but so far I can’t find it.

Of course, locals will be at the port trying to sell accommodation and that is a way to find places at a better rate. Your specs may not be met though.

Bill