Tour versus on our own
 

We will be traveling by ship to Myknos, Kusadi, Santorini and Katokolon in October and were wondering if we can tour these places on our own by foot or need a ship tour. Places of interest, how to get around, food etc. most helpful.

Thanks
Berea

No one can answer that accurately without knowing your strengths and limitations. Have you done any research for these areas yet? What sort of things interest you and are you able to walk long distances on your own?

Have you been to Europe before? This is a first trip? Are you comfortable using the internet to make your own plane and hotel reservations?

(There's no right or wrong answer, is the point.)
:-)

It is fairly easy to see each of these port areas on your own, either by foot, taxi when you arrive, or doing a little pre-arranging from here. And that will save you considerable money vs what the cruise line charges

Mykonos - is a small and walkable. Our ship docked very close. I don't know if there are other docks or not. We took the optional tour of Delos and that required going on a boat. The day we went, the only way we could get there was on the ship's excursion. The local boats did not run that day. That said, I think a tour would be worthwhile so that you'd know what you were seeing.

Katakolon - Our ship also docked within walking distance of Katakolon. All that was really there were tourist shops. The real thing to see from that port was Ancient Olympia. You'd need an excursion or other transportation to get to it. Again the guide was very knowledgeable.

We didn't go to the other two ports.

Debbie

Tours are appropriate for some people.

Many others prefer independent travel.

I believe she is taking a cruise and is asking whether to take the ship's excursions or do the cities on foot.

The tours that she is talking about aren't multi-city tours - but the daily tours given through the ship.

In Mykonos and Santorini, we did self guided walking tours that I found in a guidebook.

We haven't been to Kusadasi, but I'd book a private guide, rather than doing it on my own or with a ship's tour because I find that I enjoy large archeoligical sites more if someone explains them to me, but I don't like being in a big group.

I've only been to two of them, but Mykonos is easy to do on your own. I don't even know if you need a tour of that, at least I didn't take one. It's just a popular tourist island, so you want around and see the shops, etc.

Kusadi is definitely where you'd need a tour, as it's so important historically and archeologically. At least I assume you really mean Ephesus, don't you? I took one my cruise ship arranged, so can't comment on how you'd get one on your own, but I would recommend a tour of that site. Of course you could do it on your own if you insist. I enjoyed the tour I took which was arrange by my tour company as the guide was very good. You do have to be careful if you are hiring a guide on your own, as you have no way of checking quality. Those tour companies often get some of the better guides, in my experience. Epheses is too far away to walk to from Kusadasi (25 km).

For example, the guide we had of the Cairo Museum was a art history major and native Egyptian. Some folks next to our group were do-it-yourself Americans who just hired some guy standing around outside the doors (you'll see a lot of that), and he didn't know anything. I overheard him in front of some of the art works, he didn't know anything about them, really and would just stand in front of them and say -- see that person, he is a king. Or something like that. SO you'll just hve to do a lot of work on your own to set that up and find someone good, if you do want your own guide.