This may be a bit much, but we were planning on going to Greece and Turkey for 2 weeks in late April, but some friends I work with have encouraged me to stop in Italy first, visiting Venice, Cinque Terra, and Florence (totaly 5 days), then ferry over (from one of those places) to Turkey, see Ephesis (1 day) , ferry over to Samos (3 nights) and Santorini (3 nights), then finish in Athens (2 nights)and fly home. Whew. For those of you experienced travelers, is that just too much in 2 weeks? What would be your suggestions on order of visiting? Thanks so so much ~ any help is appreciated! gina
Posted by
Camarillo, California
3149 posts
"A bit much?????"
Gina, you need to do some serious rethinking about your plan. First, 14 days isn't enough time to go to every place you've listed. At least 2 of the 5 days you've earmarked for Italy will be spent in transit from one location to another. Second, a ferry from Italy to Turkey would probably take at least 48 hours, IF one's available when you want it, but you'll waste another day getting to either Ancona or Brindisi to catch it. If you want to go directly to Ephesus from Italy you're better off to fly, either to Izmir (by way of Istanbul) and then a bus or taxi to Ephesus, or to Samos (by way of Athens) where you can take a ferry across to Kusadasi and then a bus to Ephesus. Third, your travel from one Greek island to another doesn't take into account the fact that there is no ferry from Samos to Santorini. You'd have to go to another island first to catch a connecting ferry to Santorini, and the chances are very good that you'd have to spend a night on that island to catch the ferry the next day since more than likely you wouldn't be able to catch one on the same day as your arrival. If you try to make this happen you will actually spend more time in transit than you will at your chosen destinations.
Either leave Italy for another trip or go to Italy and leave Greece and Turkey for another trip.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8130 posts
I agree with Lee, way to much spread over too much real estate. Even flying between points will eat up time. Resist the urge and just do Greece and Turkey, and if you are really only doing Ephesus, it is basically Greece. Consider this instead: Fly to Athens, spend one night to decompress, Fly to Samos (Aegean Air, about the same price as a ferry, but much more comfortable) spend your three nights, do Ephesus as a day trip, or add a night there. Ferry to Mykonos, spend a night, maybe two, visit Delos, hit Paradise Beach. Ferry to Santorini, do your three nights. Fly back to Athens (Aegean Air again) or maybe ferry, and spend two nights. At the long side, that is 12 nights, so one or two to spare that you can either spend along the way or expand Athens to include some daytrips (Delphi, Peloponnese sites such as Mycenae, Epidaurus, Olympia, or Nafplio.
Posted by
Lowell, AR, USA
7 posts
We just got back from 2 weeks in Turkey, This video might give you some ideas where to go and what to see.