Hi - I am interested in taking a 2 month honeymoon to greece starting in april, but am a bit concerned about saftey in light of the events of september. We would like to hop around the slands at a leisurely pace and maybe see some of italy. the itinerary will be fairly loose, but i want to be informed of any potentially questionable places before we go. many people advise me not to travel to that region - or anywhere out of the US. they believe that anti-american sentiment may put us in a bad situation. That americans may be targeted overseas. i was wondering if anyone would share with me their recent experiences (since september 2001) in the regions of greece and italy? <BR> <BR>thanks much and be safe! <BR>; j

I just got back from Rome, Siena and Florence in October and had a great time. I was never concerned about my safety, although I did keep reading about anthrax in the US, which made it all the more tempting to stay in Europe.

We went on a wonderful cruise thru the Greek islands from Istanbul to Athens, Sept. 29 to Oct.8 (Windstar). Also had a couple days in each city. We were received with kindness and hospitality, especially in Turkey. Regular folks went out of their way to express their sorrow about what had happened on 9/11. <BR> <BR>We flew back on Delta from Athens the day after US starting bombing in Afghanistan -- Athens airport security was impressive, we felt safer there than in many US airports! <BR> <BR>My daughter and son-in-law were in Italy at the same time, had the same reaction. <BR> <BR>And as Vita says, no anthrax reported there either...

My experience was very much like Sonia--cruised from Istanbul to Athens Oct. 13 - 27 with stops at several of the Greek Islands. Everyone we met was friendly and helpful and we always felt safe. I had some read some very negative remarks by others on this site about the taxi drivers in Athens, but we had good experiences there. We didn't even encounter anyone who was rude until we landed at JFK. My favorite islands were Rhodes and Santorini. Hope you have a wonderful time!

I was on my honeymoon in Turkey, Greece and Italy in September and never had a single concern or incident. I have to admit, I did not enjoy Athens due to a general dislike for Americans,but I knew that going there and never felt threatened. If you are going to Island hop, you will have a blast. We were on Paros on 9/11 and the people could not have been more simpathetic. Santorini was our next stop and we had a wonderful time. After Greece we spent 2wks in central Italy (Umbrian Region)and it was amazing. I would rate Umbria as a more beautiful place than Tuscany, mainly due to the unspoiled villages. Hope this helps.

I returned from a tour of Greece the end of October. We also had a brief stop in Turkey and never encountered any problems because we were Americans.<BR><BR>We were in Athens several days, then a day or 2 in Meteora, Corfu, Delphi, Olympia, Nefplion, Mykonos, Patmos, & Rhodes. There wasn't the slightest concern over the way we were treated. The Greeks are very hospitable, warm and friendly. <BR><BR>Go, relax and have a wonderful time!<BR><BR>Sue<BR><BR>