If you want to use an agent, by all means do so, but note that many of us have found an agent unnecessary. You can book everything on your own!

Oh, and I didn't mean that you should buy ALL those guidebooks -- I was just trying to give you some ideas! You might check them out at your local bookstore or library and see which one or ones best suit your needs.

I'm more comfortable with an agent picking us up at airports and transporting us to our hotels, etc. I'm willing to pay extra for that. He sent me an itinerary. So there are a few questions about it. First, I know I want to add a day to Istanbul, probably subtract one from Bodrum. Biggest issue I have- I can't tell by the itinerary if I will see everything I want. I want to be able to drive the entire area from Antalaya and Fethiye. As I am reading others' trip reports , that's the Lycian coast, right? We love doing that sort of thing on our own - going into towns - finding little places to eat - following guide books.

The other issue - my husband is meeting us (my kids and me) there and leaving a little early. So the kids and I (they are 19 and 16) will be in Kusashi alone. He will meet us in Bodrum. I will use a guide to see Ephesus since I'll be without him.

Can you look at this basic itinerary and tell me if it works (bare bones) for what we want? We can fill in what to do from there with help of the forum and guide books later - but we should book air.

The specific hotels are also flexible - I like to choose them myself and let him book them. I assume they're getting a decent commission - so long as it's not a fortune. This itinerary is 8600 euro including all transfers and flights for 4. THANKS so much!
Ellen


Jul 03: Arrival at Istanbul airport / Meet our representative-Delivery of all needed documents (hotel vouchers and tickets) / Flight tickets to Izmir airport / Arrival / Transfer to hotel in Kusadasi.
Jul 03-06: 3 night accommodation in Kusadasi at Lavista Hotel or similar with breakfast (triple room).
Jul 06: Pick up from the hotel and transfer to Bodrum / Meet with your husband.
Jul 06-09: 3 night accommodation in Bodrum at Hotel Marina Vista or similar with breakfast (double rooms).
Jul 09: Pick up car, outside your hotel, Ford Focus or similar / Drive to the Antalya.
Jul 09-10: 1 night accommodation in Kas at Medusa Hotel or similar with breakfast (double rooms).
Jul 10-12: 2 night accommodation in Antalya at Su Hotel or similar with breakfast (double rooms).
Jul 12: Drop off car at Antalya’s airport / Flight tickets to Cappadocia via Istanbul / Arrival / Transfer to your hotel.
Jul 12-15: 3 night accommodation in Cappadocia at Ccr Hotel or similar with breakfast (double rooms).
Jul 15: Transfer to Cappadocia airport / Flight tickets to Istanbul / Arrival / Transfer to your hotel.
Jul 15-18: 3 night accommodation in Istanbul at Nippon Hotel or similar with breakfast (double rooms).
Jul 18: Transfer to Istanbul airport for the flight to Greece.

I had 6 full and very busy days in Istanbul and did not see everything I wanted to see there. With only 3 days (or is that only 2?), you will need to be EXTREMELY selective.

No - I want 4 days in Istanbul. Travel agent suggested 3 but I told him 4. Someone on Tripadvisor said:

I would spend more time on the coast from Fethiye to Antalya, maybe skip Bodrum altogether. E.g. 2 nights Selcuk or Kusadasi for Ephesus, 1 night Pamukkale, meet husband in Fethiye, spend 7th-12th July 2 nights each in Fethiye, Kas and Cirali. Fly from Antalya to Kayseri direct with Pegasus or SunExpress (no need to go via Istanbul).

Well, the itinerary you listed above has you going to Istanbul on the 15th and leaving on the 18th. Thats 2 full days plus parts of 2 others.

I do not understand the 3 nights at Bodrum at all unless you are into the night life there and bar hopping.

You will be missing all the terrific antiquity on the way from Kusadasi to Antalya and even most of that around Kas with this itinerary.

Also, as KJA wrote above, Istanbul is getting very short shift.

It all looks like the itinerary of a travel agent who does not now the place or does not care whether you enjoy your trip or not. My initial reaction would be to get rid of this agent and if you do not want to handle it, make a short itinerary of days where you wish to be and give it to a new one to arrange the transportation and lodging.

By the way, Nippon hotel in Istanbul that your agent suggests does not have a view at all.

Check "House Hotel" at Ortakoy. We were at the vicinity with another Fodorite two nights ago and loved the location, although did not check the rooms.

This travel agent did a great job when we did Greece. He started with an itinerary and as I changed it based on tripadvisor and fodor help, he went with whatever I wanted. They were good at being there for us - picking us up - etc. But maybe you're right. Now I feel a little guilty getting him to do so much already and dumping him... Do you have another agency to suggest or should I just tell this guy what we want?

I AGREE about skipping Bodrum. If I tell him to change it so we spend lots more time Kusadasi to Antalya and Kas and 4 nights in Istanbul, think that's okay? Or get a new agent?

Oh - I will check out your idea of Istanbul hotel. I already know I like Hyatt Regency iwth the view and not his idea. Sadly 4 nights may be all I can do there because of my husband - he only has a certain amount of days he can get and he insists on joining in the end for Santorini. So I have to do all of this in 21 days.
I can leave the 1st arrive the2nd of July (can't go sooner because I'm a teacher and IF it snows in Phili, they can make me work through June 30th). He is joining us July 5 and staying through July 20 so he can return the 21st to work...

You might want to look at the turkeytravelplanner.com. It's a really complete site on the entire country.

Personally, I'd spend 5-7 days in Istanbul and go to Cappadocia. For 10 days that would be enough. There is a lot to see in Istanbul. To "do" the Topkapi Palace properly takes 5-6 hours. Also, take the day boat cruise from Istanbul to the Black Sea; nice day and you will welcome the chance to sit down.

I still have 5 or 6 more days after the 10 days . Is the cruise a day trip?

The cruise is a day trip. You go up to the Black Sea, eat lunch in one of the sea side restaurants and go back. Very nice day out.

Also, do not miss the Chora Church in Istanbul. So many people do. Frescos are amazing.

One thing that you must know going to Turkey in July is that it will be Ramadan (Ramazan in Turkish) for most of the month. That means that they bang drums at about 2:00am to tell everyone to get up and eat breakfast before the fast starts. On my 2011 trip I could have killed the drummer but you get used to it. At the end of Ramadan the drummers come around and ask for tips. I did not tip him. In fact I did not even know what he was talking about because my Turkish is very limited. Someone else told me.

I will be going to Istanbul in July myself because I just snagged a home exchange there. It is the second in 3 home exchanges. The trip includes Warsaw, Istanbul, and Northern Italy an hour from Venice. 2 1/2 months. I'm retired and home exchange makes it possible to do longer trips for very little money after airfare.

I plan to do a side trip to Ephesus this time. Last time I went to Cappadocia.

We will be travelling to Turkey end of May. A few years ago we spent 4-5 jam packed days in Istanbul in the heat of the summer. We really enjoyed an evening at Ala Turka cooking school which is located near the Blue Mosque. It may be a fun and delicious family activity.There is so much to see in Istanbul and a lot of the sites deserve a fair bit of time.

Thanks for the cooking school suggestion. Another really excellent activity is to take a walking tour with Istanbul Eats. You go when you get your home exchange if home exchange is your thing.

Another thing: the best site online dealing with Turkey is turkeytravelplanner.com. I am sure I am going to use it to plan which side trips to take while I am in Istanbul. The site is run by an American who has lived in Turkey.

Please be sure to buy your Turkish visa online before you try to board the plane. They are changing things there. The visa is, by the way, only $20.