Hi all, looking for recommendations! Basically I am spending 23 days in Europe this summer. My trip must end in Turkey where i am meeting family. Before that, I’d like to visit a friend in Berlin with my 12 year old son and see a few places on the way. We live close to IAD so i thought it would make sense to fly into Berlin OR London where ever is cheaper and start in Western Europe, and then we’d basically need to fly to Istanbul by day 12. Anyone done a similar route and absolutely recommend a certain country or countries to stop on our way?
Posted by
Washington DC
28247 posts
The worthwhile possibilities are virtually infinite. What are you and your son interested in seeing and doing?
You'll almost certainly have to fly to Istanbul. I don't like dealing with airports in the middle of a trip, but the geography is against you. Istanbul is a very busy airport with flights from hundreds of cities, so you should be able to get there from any major city you'd want to visit. You can check flight options on skyscanner.com.
I'd try hard not to create an itinerary that requires any other mid-trip flights--but that's really just my personal bias. Since you want to go to Berlin, I'd try to fly into that city (this will almost certainly require a connection). The Deutsche Bahn website will be a good resource for exploring how far you can reasonably travel by train. Germany has many wonderful cities and towns. If you decide to focus on Germany, we have several people on the forum who are highly knowledgeable about that country.
Prague is very popular, and I see that there's at least one train taking just over 4-1/2 hours for the Berlin-Prague trip.
Posted by
8322 posts
After Berlin, you could head for Vienna and Budapest. Check for Danube cruises that end in Romania, if you find one that fits your schedule, then Istanbul.
For inexpensive Danube cruises check Gate 1 and Viking.
If you don't do the cruise, then add more time to central Europe, visiting Prague and perhaps Dresden.
Check flights for open jaw, flying into Berlin and back from Istanbul.
Recommend five days in Istanbul, there is a lot to see. It was once Constantinople, capitol of the Easter Roman Empire (Byzantine). Hagia Sophia was an ancient Basilica built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th Century. Also, the Blue Mosque, Bazaar and Chora church are great to see. Don't miss the Topkapi Palace and the amazing Archaeological Museum.
Posted by
DFW TX, USA
457 posts
You didn't mention if this was your first time to Europe or, if not, where you have been ... I like Geo's thoughts, start in Berlin then work your way down by train to Dresden, Prague, Vienna and Budapest, then fly to Istanbul ... flights from IAD to LHR will be cheaper than Berlin (quick peek at google flights for next July show Berlin about $100 more than London, but it's way early and hopefully there will be some better prices early next year) ... you could always just do the biggies ... London then Paris (via Eurostar), then head west (maybe stopping for a few days somewhere in Switzerland or Munich or Vienna, etc...) before flying to Istanbul ... lots of possibilities, just depends on your interests ... be sure to keep in mind the time needed to travel between cities and getting to/from hotel to train station/airport.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
thank you all! very helpful.
Posted by
San Francisco
15020 posts
Do you intend to spend the entire trip in Germany, especially eastern and in North Germany , after Berlin before departing for Turkey? How long are you staying in Berlin?