Starting to plan next trip June 2020 Eastern Europe

You don't travel the way I do, so I doubt that my comments will be helpful, but here goes:

Poland is a fascinating country with many wonderful sightseeing opportunities accessible to English-speakers. It is also a very large country. I wouldn't go there for just one week, especially with a family connection.

Assuming you want to see one or more Greek islands, I think you'll find it a challenge to accomplish what you want within one week. Transportation in Greece is not rapid. To reach the islands you must either fly (which means the usual airport time) or take ferries. For the mainland highlights, you'll probably need to rent a car or take a bus. There is very little train service.

I'm not clear on your plans for Eastern Europe. It sounds as if you are thinking of traveling overland between Greece and Poland. That is not something I would recommend, and certainly not if you only had a week.

I'm not sure if I would add Greece to a trip that's supposedly focused on "Eastern Europe" - it doesn't sounds like you have a focus here. One week in Poland will cover two cities/bases (say Krakow and Warsaw, 2 hours apart by train) plus side trips from each base, that's about it. Poland is a large country. You can also easily spend more time there or combine it with the adjacent Czech Republic or any of the Baltic countries. Personally, I like to visit common regions instead of bouncing all over the place (especially if the places are so far apart as to necessitate flying), so I would narrow the geographic focus if Eastern/Central Europe is truly what you're interested in.

When you say you spend 1 week in a country does that mean you travel around that country for a week? Or do you stay in one city or area of that country for a week? If a week in Greece means a week in Athens exploring from there and a week in Poland means a week in Krakow and exploring from there, then a third week in another country would certainly be possible. There's nothing wrong with spending a week in one area then flying or training to another area if that's the way you want to travel. I have done that myself and don't find it too hectic as long as there isn't a lot of long distance travel during the week.

My suggestion between Greece and Poland would be to spend a week in Budapest, Hungary and exploring from there. Actually there is enough in Budapest itself to keep you very busy and active for a week.

"We consider our trips adventures rather than relaxing vacations." True...fact finding adventures.

If you intend to fly to Athens (I won't advise on that option), I would suggest doing it from Budapest. Take the night train Krakow to Budapest, then fly. All in all, you are setting aside two weeks for Poland? One before Greece and one after? It can be done, just fine tune the logistical details.

Budapest is close to halfway between Athens and Warsaw. Wizz and/or Ryan make the trip nonstop for about $75 each leg. You can also fly out or into Thessalonki or Krakow on the same airlines, nonstop for under $75.

Budapest is great, then fly to Greece. Consider a Greek Island cruise if you can afford it.

Been to Hawaii, it is beautiful, but with the hype about Maui, I was a little disappointed. We did the Road to Hana and once in Hana, we saw some beautiful scenery, but also drove there a section of the town that looked like a slum. Most of the houses were rundown and the yards loaded with junk, broken down cars, etc.

Also, don't waste your time at the Dole Plantation on Oahu. Do take a tour that goes to the North Rim and around the eastern side of the Island.

I'm going to be the outsider here, you can get a very good taste of a Greece, Hungary and Poland in 3 weeks. The concept of 2 weeks in one country is great if you are a frequent traveler, but if this is once every few years, what if you squander the trip on a country you end up not enjoying? With 3 along the way, one of them is sure to speak to you.

As for flying. At most the preflight time and the travel time to the airport is 3 hours more than a similar trip by train; and I spend an hour of that eating breakfast so I don't counting that hour is subjective. So a 1.5 hour flight is no more time than 4 or 5 boring hours on a train. Luggage handles are about equal. I fly Wizz out of Budapest frequently and it's really very easy and convenient.

Budapest seems logical, right in the middle. But, then there is Prague, a slight detour, but IMO, worth it.
What about Croatia and Plitvice?

We are open to ideas. Nothing firm yet, just floating ideas. Thanks for the suggestions so far.
We want to 100% visit Visit Greece and Poland for about a week each. No firm plans want we are doing or staying there either at this point. Also not sure if going to Poland or Greece first.

My thought was maybe take train from Greece to Poland and stopping at 2 or 3 locations and staying a couple nights at each.

Last year when we did our last Europe trip to France, Italy and Germany.
After we where in France for a week we flew from Paris to Naples. Stayed in Naples 3 nights, then took train to Rome for 3 nights then took train to Florence for 3 nights after that Flew from Florence to Munich rented a car for a week and explored.

Is train travel feasible/doable for stopping at 2 or 3 countries in Eastern Europe? The pictures I've seen of Eastern Europe are very scenic

Other option I am floating in my head is make 2020 trip two country . Poland and Greece and stay approx 10 days in each.

In Poland we are planning to rent car for a week and explore on our own. Greece not sure best way to explore. We are independent travelers, but don't mind an organized day tour or two

The wife wants to see Greece and we are planning a week there also.

So, you better see Greece!

I would fly to Greece from home first and decide what places you want to visit and how long you want to be in Greece. Then fly to either Warsaw or Krakow depending on whichever has direct flights. I would recommend locking down ALL your flights first (including your flight home) and then choose cities in Eastern Europe to visit.

Just to chime in, one could easily spend two weeks in Poland alone. Since you will have a car, you will have a much easier time exploring and doing day trips. For example, here's a roughly 2 week "Best of Poland" itinerary I put together recently, just to give a bit of an idea:

Fly in to Warsaw
-Warsaw (3 nights)

-Torun (2 nights)

-Malbork (2 nights): With a day trip through the Masurian lakes district to the Grunwald Battlefield/Museum.

-Gdansk (2 nights)

-Gniezno "Birthplace of Poland" (2 nights): With a day trip to the Iron Age fortified settlement of Biskupin

-Wroclaw (3 nights): With a day trip to the Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica

-Kraków (4 nights): With a day trip to Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains and family-roots trip

Fly out of Kraków

There is, as far as I can determine, no all-train service that will get you from Greece to Poland. I have traveled through the Balkans several times, most recently in 2015. I spent a great deal of time on buses and some time on slow trains. Transportation speed in that area is nothing like what you have experienced between major cities in the west. I figured I covered about 30 mph.

Athens and Krakow are over 1100 miles apart, so my back-of-the-envelope calculation is that you would spend roughly 37 hours sitting on buses and trains, not including connection times, etc. And the most efficient route wouldn't necessarily take you through the most interesting cities. For example, I don't think Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, is as engaging a tourist destination as Plovdiv or Veliko Tarnovo, and there are many cities in Romania I like better than Bucharest. The train runs from Sofia to Bucharest. Or at least it did in 2015. A lot of trains seemed to have gone missing that summer.

Hi,

Since you are still in the process of brainstorming, just floating ideas, you have 3 viable options, 1... keep it as is.

1. ten days in Poland and ten in Greece, (most logical by train and/or air), depending on your travel style, luxury comfort level, and so on, all individual. I would have no problems doing an eight to ten hour train ride, day or night.

2. skip Greece, spend the two weeks in Poland (I could envision that easily for myself).

If you take the train on the return, how about the historic route Sofia to Krakow. I would prefer this option, you can do both.
If you decide on dropping Greece, if the Mrs agrees, then I would choose #3.

I did once drive from Sofia to Istanbul over a six day period; sight seeing and fishing along the way. An amazing country.

AND, I once met a tourist in Budapest who took a train from Istanbul to Budapest. It was not an experience he would want to repeat. But it did sound like a great adventure.