First Trip to Greece and Turkey

We did Turkey for 3 weeks last year. We found RS Istanbul and Lonely Planet's Turkey guide books very helpful in our planning.

Assuming that you're planning to split your time evenly between Turkey and Greece - I suggest the following in Turkey: 1). Istanbul - must see and worth at least 4 days 2). Western/Southwestern coast - lots of interesting hisotrical sites/ruins and nice beaches. It's also close to some of the Greek islands. 3). Cappadocia - requires the most walking/hiking, but has some of the most unique sites in the country. I think its worth it if you can fit it into your itinerary. In two weeks you could easily see all three areas. You may need to pare back a bit if you only spend a week and a half. I suggest flying between the three areas to save time. Turkish carriers are usually have pretty reasonable fares. I'll let those with more experience give advice on Greece. Good luck.

Greece and Turkey are beautiful and memorable, and great places to visit. But mainland Greece and Turkey each have dozens of worthwhile sights, plus there are about 100 populated Greek islands. So it's hard to know where to start on giving you suggestions. I suggest you do some research, and then come back to the Helpline with some specific questions. It would also be helpful to know what time of year you are planning to visit. For research, you can do a search of the Helpline archives; go to the library and check out travel books on Greece and Turkey, as well as the Rick Steves DVDs. Visit some Greek and Turkey websites. Make a list of places that look or sound especially appealing. If you do two countries in three weeks, that will give you just a taste of each and will likely require you to fly from one destination to another. A better option may be to pick just one (either Greece or Turkey) and then make a day trip or two to the other country (i.e. you can visit Ephesus from Samos). Then you can travel by bus in Turkey or mainland Greece, or do some island-hopping in Greece by ferry. The key is to figure out what appeals to you, start building an itinerary, and then come back here for help and advice.

Agree with the previous poster. Last year we started planning the same trip. After researching what we wanted to see we realized it would take more than six weeks. We decided to cut the trip to Turkey only and will be there for 22 nights in late September. Definitely read RS Istanbul and Greece books and maybe one other on Turkey to help you decide what you want to see and do. Also check out RS tours. They give you a good starting point for areas of interest.

Thank you all for the good advises. I am going to pick up the guide books and do the research to see what part of Greece and Turkey I like to see. And then, I will plan out the time schedule, the route and work out all the details. Again, thank you all for the advises. It is a good start.
Have a good day!

We went to Greece a couple of times and we are seniors also. Along with the aforementioned books, you'll also find a lot of information on Matt Barrett's website: www.greektravel.com He gives information on moderately priced hotels in Athens and a lot of information on the islands, how to get around, etc., a very informative website. Have a great time. The Greek people are very helpful and hospitable.

For additional help on Turkey you might want to check out srmtravel.com. In Athens the subway system is great, just remember to validate your ticket.

Thanks, Have anyone use the www.Greeka.com to book room, ferry in Greece? Look like a big travel company. Any experience with them?
Appreciated!

Greeka is reliable, so is www.danae.gr for ferry bookings. The individual ferry company websites also have booking functions. Before booking through a middleman take a look at the prices stated on the various hotel websites for the sake of comparison.

No, I've never used a travel agent. We find it very easy to book online directly with the hotels. Once you have settled on your destinations, your can check Trip Advisor for hotel recommendations or post questions on this site. You need to familiarize yourself with the Greek ferry system (a good site is http://www.gtp.gr/ or http://www.openseas.gr/OPENSEAS/index_en.vm). Be aware that schedules change from season to season, and are generally available only for a few months in advance. Still, by checking the schedules now it will give you a good idea of what to expect next year, and which islands are easily connected. You can purchase ferry tickets once you arrive in Greece. I would think the only time you would need advance reservations for a ferry is if it's an overnighter and you want to book a cabin. And in those cases, I would recommend that you fly instead, as prices are similar and overnight trains and ferries don't give a very good night's sleep once you get to be our age. If you are combining Greece and Turkey, you might want to look at visiting the Dodecanese and Northeastern Aegean island chains. Several of these islands (Rhodes, Kos, Samos, Lesvos) are just a short ferry ride to the Turkish coast. We've spent a lot of time on Lesvos, and this September we will have 18 days in Rhodes>Kastellorizo>Nisyros>Tilos, so I will be able to give some feedback afterward. The latter two are tiny, with population around 500, and very inexpensive -- our favorite kind of place. We've not spent much time in Turkey except for day trips to Pergamon and Ephesus, which are both worthwhile. Have fun with your planning!

Charlene, Thank you for your reply and info. Look forward to hear from you about your trip in Sept.
Have a good day and a good trip in Sept!