mollyann40

My husband and I (sans 2 year old daughter) are planning a trip to Greece June 26- July 2 flying out of Frankfurt, Germany. We would like to see some of the highlights in Athens but don't want to spend much time there, maybe a day or 2, we would also like to see 2 islands, and also see Istanbul. Can you please recommend 2 islands that are not to be missed? We aren't much into the night life, we just want to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery, go for walks and enjoy the food! Also, would you fly from Athens to the islands or take a ferry? Also any hotel recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

amanda_liu

We were in Greece 3 years ago and we toured the majority of the islands, Lefkada and Zakynthos/Zante are the largest ones, out of the two I would recommend the latter, there are some spectacular places to see around.
However our favorite was a smaller island, Ithaca, so I would say that if you are looking into something more off track, you might enjoy this one.

BarbaraMH

We went in the other direction... Naxos and Paros, which we loved. This was a couple of years ago, but worth checking out. Smaller and more intimate than party-loving Santorini.

markrosy

We sailed the Ionian last May, this was our first visit to Greece for over 20 years. We forgot how warm the people are and about the stunning coastline.

From Fiscardo you can organise ferry trips to Lefkada and Ithaca. We loved the whole area but particularly the people.

yiassas

With your timescale Athens, 2 islands & Istanbul just isn't going to happen! In that time you could just about travel between them, but not spend any time at any of them to see anything. Athens & one island would be the best, 2 islands is possible as long as they are in the same island group.
As there are so many to choose from I would suggest you take a look at some guide books to get some ideas then ask for the practicalities here. Possibly focus on the Cyclades islands as there are so many with a lot of combination choice & many transport connections. eg: Naxos/Santorini (2 very different islands). Because of your short timeframe I would say flights rather than ferry wherever possible.

mollyann40

I agree, I think I might cut out Athens (is that dumb?), we'd rather go to 2 islands and Turkey. We are thinking of going to Santorini and Naxos. Now for advise on hotels! We are hoping to find something with a great view, close to the shops/resturants, 100-150 euro a night. Thanks in advance!

travelerjan

Just wondering why you prefer Istanbul to Athens ... Is your cultural background near-eastern rather than European?

I think your transportation will get complicated .. perhaps you can find a way to fly directly from Germany to Santorini , then ferry to Naxos, but how you would get from there to Istanbul without going to Athens airport, I can't figure out.

katenaki_1949

I agree with travelerjan re Istanbul - takes too much time out of a relatively short holiday. I would fly in to Athens, spend one day there staying in an inner city hotel so that you can walk to most of the ancient sites, then fly out to and island for relaxation and getting to know the real Greece. We did this two years ago and chose Ithaca in the Ionian group of islands - geographically amazing, clearest seas, friendly warm people, and all without the tourist hoards. We stayed in the north of the island on quite an up market organic farm, fab for the kids and soul-recharging for us. Fondest memory - looking across the infinity pool to the bay and hearing............nothing