Suggested itinerary? Travelling to Turkey / Greece in Apr/May.
 

Appreciate if I could have some suggestions on an intinerary for travelling to Turkey and Greece for about 2-3 weeks. Tips on where to stay and ferry schedules also appreciated.

Open to any suggestions.

Thanks all.

That's a lot of ground, so you might want to tell us where your interests lie. You're probably going to want to fly into Athens, out of Istanbul (or vice-versa) and confine your island hopping to the Dodecanese and/or Northern Aegean groups. That said, Rhodes is fantastic with lots of history, nightlife, and beaches. Symi is very nice, but much smaller. Samos is right across from Kusadasi and Ephesus, but nearly all the islands have ferries to the Turkish mainland. I've hopped over from Rhodes to Marmaris, then traveled up the Turkish coast to end in Istanbul.

There's so much to see in both countries, you might want to consider just seeing one. Turkey has a lot of ancient Greek sites and nice beaches, so it may fit the bill by itself (but there's no substitute for Greece).

Make sure you leave 3-4 days in Istanbul - it's one of the most fantastic cities in the world and this is coming from someone who likes them best in the rear view mirror. Been 3 times and look forward to returning to see more.

Regards, Bruce
Greece Travel Photos -- http://www.brucegcollier.com/galleri...level2_all.htm
Turkey Travel Photos -- http://www.brucegcollier.com/galleri...el2_sample.htm

Bruce

Many thanks. I have hoping to start at Istanbul and work my way through the a few greek islands and then on to Athens.

I am into photography so Istanbul, Santorini and Mykonos are stops that I would like to make. I would rather

Bruce

Many thanks. I have hoping to start at Istanbul and work my way through the a few greek islands and then on to Athens.

I am into photography so Istanbul, Santorini and Mykonos are stops that I would like to make. I would rather spend more time in Greece. If that means that I only get to visit Istanbul (ie fly out to greece from there) and no where else, I think I can live with that.

Brandon

We've got a similar itinerary planned in July. If it helps at all, here it is:

Istanbul

Fly to Izmir

Visit Ephesus, drive to:

Bodrum (Aegean coast)- 5 days with two-day gulet cruise

Drive to Marmaris, ferry from Marmaris to Rhodes

Rhodes- Athens

Last summer, we visited Rhodes, Crete, Santorini, Mykonos, and Athens.

From Rhodes, you could fly to Heraklion,Crete, then go on to Santorini by boat. ( Boat ride from Heraklion to Santorini by fast boat is just over 2 hours.

Or, you could fly back to Athens, then connect back down on another flight to Santorini.

From Santorini there is boat service ( we took the hydrofoil) to Myknonos.

Weadles- Excellent suggestion.

Anyone have anymore suggestions/tips?

Can I jump in here? We're planning on flying into Athens, getting the overnight ferry to Rhodes (we like boats), spending 4 days or so in Rhodes then getting the ferry to Marmaris. End of the line is meeting people in Dalyan. Unfortunately this has to be in August, not the best time for travelling.
Anyone know what time the ferries Rhodes/Marmaris leave? How long is the trip?

Gertie,

We are booked on an AM ferry from Marmaris-Rhodes in July. There's also boat service in the afternoon. I'm guessing that Rhodes-Marmaris is a similar schedule.

The boat takes an hour between Marmaris and Rhodes. I think it's a hydrofoil.

Thanks Weadles, just what I needed to know. Funnily enough, I was about to plan this on my own but my husband saw the details and decided it was too good to miss!
bg collier, we loved your pictures!