Family Trip Summer 2015 -- Advice Needed, Please!

KN, what a great idea for a family trip! One caveat: check ferry schedules for Greek/Turkish islands. Not all of them run every day, and you aren't allowing a lot of time in those two countries. Two or three weeks disappear fast when you are covering long distances.

I like the idea of flying open-jaw/multi-city because your proposed destinations don't make a convenient circle.

Personally, with 14-21 days, I would spend them all in Greece/Turkey. Summer means crowds, though, but that will be true everywhere.

Round trip, direct, non-stop air fare from Turkey to Budapest can be had for about $325 most times of the year. I say round trip because the one way tickets generally cost a little more.

In three weeks you should be able to do Prague then on to Krakow and them maybe Budapest where you can get a cheap flight to Istanbul and finally Greece. It would be an active trip but not overly strenuous.

Prague can be somewhat crowded in the Summer and late June is not the worst nor the best when it comes to crowds. If you think you can keep all the kids corralled in the large public spaces jam packed with tourists then go for it. http://www.travelingsolemates.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/06_Crowds-waiting-for-chime-of-Astronomical-Clock-Old-Town-Square-Stare-Mesto-Prague-Czech-Republic-copy.jpg and http://holeinthedonut.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Prague-Czech-Republic-Crowd-Old-Town-Square.jpg

Early this year we made a trip where we flew to Sofia, Bulgaria then drove across Bulgaria and ended up in Istanbul then flew on to Budapest. It was a great trip but I wouldn't repeat it. It was our second trip to Bulgaria and it was everything I had hopped for. But I cant bring myself around to spending money in Turkey again given their place in the current world events. While there I was surprised how much seeing the women in the burkas affected me so I don't want to experience that again http://www.crisispapers.org/images/turkey3.jpg . Also, the aggressive sales techniques in Istanbul gave me a migraine. All in all, glad I went; it was an informative life experience, but doubt I would do it again or recommend it to anyone. And while I am going to get enough criticism for my comments thus far I will get even more criticism for saying that there is no way I would bring my 10 year old to Istanbul. But that's just me.

From Greece and Turkey, the Dalmatian Coast, particularly Croatia, makes sense. I like to see how the cultures blend from the edge of Europe, Turkey, toward the West. The choice of religions, alphabets, art, roots of language and history of the area will all be educational - all while staying close to beaches. You will have to map it out to see how much you can actually cover this trip. Conceivably you could fly into Istanbul, then fly home from the other end, Venice might be easiest.

KN

$$$$ will be your limiting factor. So i would look or seekout places where you $$$ goes further or the exchange rate is in your favor.

Imo germany is more expensive than prague. Prague was my 2nd stop on my current trip and really enjoyed it and thought my $$$ went further.

Since you are more than a party os one or two, that will eat up alot too.

I would ve looking four inexpensive places to stay. Transportation will provably be your a big expebse too.

Goid luck and happy trails

You can eat a lot of time up travelling between Greek islands. . ferry between mainland and Santorini can be 8 hours! Four or five to Mykonos or Paros.. ( but remember even time to get to port from Athens.. so even a "close"island is more then half a days travel.. then from island port to hotel.. you get the picture) .. so I would allow min of four nights per island,, which is only three full days there.. I would make Athens a max of two days.. sorry, antiquities aside.. Athens is my least favorite city in Europe.. all of Europe that I have been to anyways..

Thank you for the help...I really appreciate it!

It seems that Istanbul is still safe, despite current events. James, I tend to be overprotective and cautious, and my husband is the opposite. I'm curious as to why you would advise against taking our 10 year old daughter to Istanbul...was there anything in particular that concerns you? I am open to taking Turkey off the list, but it seems silly to go all the way to Greece and not see Istanbul at the very least.

It will be quite challenging to pull it off financially, and if we can't do it all it's okay. We plan to do a combo of award hotel stays and flat rentals, and we are pretty good at eating economically. I want to make my husband's Prague dream come true, and we'd really like the kids to see a concentration camp. A few of them have already on a previous trip to Germany, but if we can see Auschwitz, I think we should. And Krakow sounds lovely to me. I agree with you Pat, and plan to only give Athens a day or two during this trip. We'll probably hire a guide like we did in Rome to maximize our time there.

With all this being said, I am open to completely changing the trip if the general opinion is that the Greek islands are tough to navigate with a group of 7. I've heard from several friends that it might be a better location for my husband and I after we've put our little darlings through college.:) When we were in Italy, we drove from Rome through Tuscany and onto Venice with much success. Would we be better off seeing Germany, France, or Austria along with Prague by rental car? I'm sorry I'm all over the map here, so to speak, but I am very flexible and appreciative of your advice.

Thank you so much!

My husband and I are teachers as well and I completely understand about limited $$$. One of the things you might consider is home exchange. With the number of places you are visiting I don't think it's possible for the trip you are currently planning but maybe for the future? We spend 6-8 weeks in Europe or some other place almost every summer and can do it relatively cheaply! We also swap cars with our home exchange partners, reducing the cost even further. Since we are staying in a home we have access to a kitchen so we don't have to eat out unless we want to - even cheaper! We've had great experiences and highly recommend it.
Here's the website we use to exchange...you can browse for free!
HomeExchange.com

" I will get even more criticism for saying that there is no way I would bring my 10 year old to Istanbul. But that's just me."

James, a statement like that deserves some kind of explanation - why? Lots of people take their kids to Istanbul (safely) and I think kids that age would be intrigued with the different culture.

First of all, understand that I loved our Greece trip. We did go in May as opposed to June, but it has a manageable airport , the Athens metro was pretty easy and felt safe, accommodations are reasonable and you can eat well inexpensively. In Athens ( which I love, but I'd do first before you get the charm of the islands), your kids will be looking at all they have learned or will learn in history classes. They can see the statues at the Acropolis Museum sporting the same braids they see on Pinterest ( any girls in your group?). Plus, Greece has fabulous french fries. Two islands, max.

As for how much you fit in your trip - you know your kids and how much your group can handle. Even crowded, Prague is an amazing city.

Have a great trip!

Thanks, Anita! We've looked at the site a few times, and it's great to hear from someone who has used it successfully. I'm actually going to look at it to see if it would be possible next summer. Though Greece is on the top of everyone's list, we are flexible and willing to change if it makes the most sense.

James, thanks for the clarification. Our youngest would be overwhelmed and very uncomfortable if caught unawares by aggressive salespeople, so we'll come up with a plan if we do visit Istanbul.

Patty...you had me at french fries!:) Seeing their books come to life is the reason we don't have cable or eat out often...we save as much as we can so we are able to travel. One of our favorite tips: we save every $5 bill we get. It adds up very quickly. :)

KN:

After many years of renting a car and driving as far as our car could make in 2 weeks and 3 weekends, the price of European gasoline ($8.50ish per U.S. gallon) has made us see the vision--to slow down and take in the great cities the right way.

We now fly open jaw into one city at the far end of our trip--and fly home from the last city visited. I prefer to fly out of a city that has non-stop flights to the U.S. gateway cities.

On a 2 week trip, we're visiting three great cities that are in close proximity to each other. In 3 weeks, we could do four cities.

I would suggest visiting Budapest, Vienna and Prague. Then if time allows, take in Krakow or Dresden/Berlin. These are all immensely enjoyable cities full of museums, art and even nightlife. The cities are more reasonably priced than Paris and London, too. Inexpensive and frequent trains go between these cities which makes travel easy.

I took my 10 year old grandson to Istanbul and he loved it. I had never been before and was a bit apprehensive, but I had no reason to be. One of our best memories was seeing him 'bargain' for his chess set at the grand bazaar. I guess I expected the salesmen so it was actually less than I thought... Or maybe we looked like paupers:). Just say no or look away... I can't imagine not going somewhere that is so amazing. The Turkish people were so friendly and we loved it. We also went to Greece from there..2. Days in Athens then on to Nafplio for a few quiet days...it was spectacular. If you send me a pm I can send you to a site where you can see my pictures...
Maybe James' experience would have been different if he had a child with him.

@Terry kathryn, I would defend the decision of the parents of your 12 year old grandchild to allow you to take him to Istanbul. So I have no bone to pick there. But, at least in my decision making process, a lot has changed since you were there in June of 2011. Turkey has gone from forward looking progressive leadership to a leadership that I feel to be less certain in dedication to western values. You are correct about the amazing. Some of the amazing was very positive; some less much, much less so. Which being an adult I was able to experience, process and learn from; wouldn’t be as true for a child of 12.

Would I have enjoyed it more with a child? No, I take the care of my children very, very seriously and my impression of the environment would not have left me with one calm moment. As I respect your position and that of the child’s parents I am certain you respect my position. Did I "enjoy" Istanbul? I am better for having made the trip, everything went well and I learned a lot. So, I guess I did "enjoy" it and I am glad I went.

EVEN WORSE is any thought of mixing Greece and Turkey! Talk about being dangerous!! WOW!!!

CLICK THIS LINK and HEED THIS WARNING

Krakow was one of the cities we were in last year. We found it the friendliest because of all of the university students. (I think there are in the neighborhood of 21 universities and colleges there) They wanted to speak English (and they did very well!) and they wanted to be helpful. They all seem to work and you meet them in their jobs, They were interested in where we were from and why we were there. We are retired folk and they seemed to be interested in everyone and were interested in hearing about the rest of the world. Many of them had travelled or were saving for travels. It seems like it would be a city that your kids would enjoy.

Have a great trip

So James..... You think kids should not travel to Greece either?

Edit
I was kidding. Should have put smiley face. :))

I thought the link was hilarious! Thanks for everyone's help! We are planning away...I'm sure I'll have many more questions over the next months.:)

In 21 days it will be doable. But after greek islands beaches Istanbul, Krakow, Prague? Most kids would not like it. So I would rather do it this way: Fly to Krakow, visit Auschwitz (Oswiecim in Polish language), go by train to Prague (or by shuttle), then fly to Istanbul, then Athens and then greek islands and their beaches. Fly back from Athens. Open jaw: fly to Krakow (or Prague if it fits better in your price and connection /I don't know where in California you will be flying from but as I quickly checked it seemed better this way: US - Krakow - Prague - Istanbul - Athens/) then back from Athens to US. Istanbul and Greece are quite hot in June and July but if you live inland in south California you will be used to it. You can of course do it the other way (Greece, Istanbul, Krakow, Prague /or Prague, Krakow/) but I would leave the beaches to the last as a cherry on the top of a cake. Historic towns, concentration camp (learning history) first, fun (greek islands beaches) last.

Smiley Face Accepted. Thank you.

Greece, especially Athens was extremely hot and humid. We were at acropolis as early as possible and were still sweltering by 10. Even when we went to Nafplio is was hot, but being less hectic and crowded, as well as on the sea it was tolerable. We had beautiful weather in Istanbul...maybe just luck.

Greece and Turkey would be a good match along with Prague assuming airlines points allow. I agree with pat's comments about Athens. While not indicated in the initial posting, Budapest enters the discussion. Frankly, like Athens, it is one of my less favorite major cities despite relentless promotion by James.

I think I have been falsely accused of shamelessly promoting Athens. Not true!! Some one that understands sentence structure better than I do would need to confirm this. Still, having been given the prompt: I’ve only been to Athens a couple of times so my perspective is pretty limited, but …. If you are well read and understand and appreciate the contribution that Athens has made to the world then Athens could be 6 square feet of desert and you might still find being there rewarding. I would at least. For those that appreciate architectural history it’s pretty hard to beat. For those that need immediate sensory stimulus of any type in order to find enjoyment will do fine as long as they stay on the acropolis. The city it’s self was not the most remarkable place I had ever been, but then I didn’t go for the city. I did check the weather. Since you are talking the end of June, if you average June and July the average high is about 86F, low humidity (50% to 55%) and little rain. A little warm for a corner of the world with not much air conditioning but not bad.

For the islands I think the kids will appreciate Delphi more and the adults Santorini. But like I said, my experiences were pretty limited. Speaking of kids, rent a few old “B Movies” featuring Greek warriors, Oracles of Delphi, etc. before you go. Then when you get there compare the movie to what you find. Could be fun.

And the OP’s statement “We are open to any suggestions and welcome your feedback. ……… Where should we go?” one would think leaves the subject open to all sorts of ideas. So, what if I told you that your entire family could be transported in a nice Mercedes van from Istanbul to Budapest over the course of 3 to 6 days during which you could see some of the most amazing sights that few have ever seen; for a couple of hundred dollars a day plus maybe $50 per hotel room. The same trip could be scheduled out of Athens for that matter. From Budapest you could take a night train to Prague.

BULGARIA
http://ds-lands.com/plovdiv.html
http://ds-lands.com/sofia.html
http://www.velikoturnovo.info/en/#
http://bulgariatravel.org/en/object/205/Varna_grad
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/217
Oh, and the kids would love it. Especially when they discover their first Turkish Toilet. http://gobackpacking.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/squat-toilet-middle-east.jpg

Hello KN. Your husband desires to go to Prague. I recommend : fly to Prague. And ride in trains from Prague to Germany. And fly from an airport in Germany to California.
You and your husband could go to islands of Greece later, in an other year. I liked being at islands of Greece, but children might think there is not enough for them to do on an island of Greece. An island of Greece (Naxos, or Sifnos, or Crete, ...) is a place for relaxing and seeing olive trees and goats and donkeys, and drinking white wine while seeing the sun set. I think children would like being tourists at Prague, and Germany (Dresden, Berlin, Potsdam). And, you said "It will be quite challenging to pull it off financially". Transportation, in a railroad train, from Prague to Dresden, does not cost much money. And Berlin is not far from Dresden. I enjoyed travelling in Germany. The cities that I mentioned have good museums. And at Potsdam you could walk through the palace of Frederick the Great.

Hi,

About going to Germany from Calif, you can fly from LAX to Berlin direct on Air Berlin or on the flight back Frankfurt or Munich to SFO both direct, aside from the Berlin to LAX option.