Greece Itinerary

This will help you with the ferry from Italy to Greece:[INVALID] http://www.greekferries.gr [INVALID] Once you arrive you'll have to take a bus the rest of the way to Athens. When figuring out your passage into Turkey from the Greek islands be advised that there are 5 Greek island from which to cross into Turkey, Lesvos, Chios, Samos (Vathi), Kos and Rhodes. Which of these you enter from will be determined by which island comes before. The first thing you should do is go find a copy of T. Cook's "Greek Island Hopping" so you can narrow down your choices. Otherwise there are just too many for good recommendations. Keep in mind that ferries are not as frequent in October because the demand has slowed way down. Check ferry schedules here: http://www.gtp.gr Greece to Turkey ferry schedules here: http://www.feribot.net/feribot/?lang=en Here's a good map for figuring out ferry routes: http://www.greeceathensaegeaninfo.com/ferry-info-greece/greek-islands-ferry-chart.htm

See Katie, didn't I tell you he knew his stuff. Thanks. Lee, I know you could assist her. I even make a copy for myself. We will be back next year.

On a very basic level, you will have about enough time to do Athens and maybe two islands (three if two are very close together) and all in a relatively continuous path from Patras to a point in Turkey. Some possible routes might be Athens-Mykonos(or Naxos or Paros), Santorini, then on to Rhodes and Turkey, or on to Samos and Turkey after Mykonos/Naxos/Paros. As Lee mentioned, there is also a more northernly route (I am not so familiar with it). The key being finding islands along an established ferry route, or an island where routes cross so you can pick up another ferry. Otherwise you may find yourself having to go back to Athens, wasting time, to get to the next island. As for your Flexipass, it is pretty much useless in Greece and Turkey, use your days elsewhere. It does get you deck passage on the Italy/Greece ferry, but an inside seat or cabin will cost you extra. It is also good for the Patras/Athens train, but both the train and express buses are much cheaper than a pass day. There is a chance that at the end of the season (October maybe not, November for sure) ferry schedules will be less frequent, some hotels or restaurants may be closing, so being flexible and checking ahead may be valuable. You could even see a travel agent in Athens and get everything set up before you head to the islands.

Thanks for the replies. It now gives me somewhere to start. Is there a way to get into Greece from Italy via train, that would allow us to make better use of our pass? Will do some reading on the stuff that you have suggested. Thanks

As our rail pass is not valid in Turkey, can anyone recommend the best place to hit the Turkish shore. The main things we are wanting to see/ do in Turkey is spend a bit of time in Istanbul and visit Gallipoli. I see that there are many points at which the ferry connects, so any tip would be helpful.

Katie- there are ways to get to Greece from Italy via train, but it is basically not practical, unless you want to add a significant chunk of time in the former Yugoslavia (which is maybe not a bad idea, if that interests you). Even in that case, I don't think your rail passes would be valid, unless you added the optional Serbia/ Montenegro pass.

Since you've expressed no interest in seeing Ephesus or any of So. Turkey I think your best option would be to take the ferry from Athens to Lesvos, which is the northernmost of the islands I mentioned, so you can get across to Ayvalik in Turkey (this would also give you the opportunity to stop on another Greek island if time permits). From Ayvalik it's just an easy bus ride further north to Canakkale where you need to go to take a tour of Gallipoli. Then from Canakkale you can catch a bus to Istanbul. This would be the most efficient use of your time. Ferries from Athens/Piraeus to Lesvos are frequent but you might look into seeing if there are any Aegean Airlines saver fares left for October. Aegean Airlines: http://en.aegeanair.com/Default.aspx

If you decide to accept Lee's advice, I can highly recommend a place to stay on Lesvos, if you're there before mid-October (I think that's when they close). It's just outside the main town of Mytilene and is called Hotel Votsala. You can read reviews on Trip Advisor. If you take the ferry from Lesvos to Ayvalik, you can also see the ruins of Pergamon, which are near Ayvalik and really interesting. Not quite as spectacular as Ephesus, but worth seeing.

Well after reading all the advice on here we have opted for the Lesvos option. Seems going that way will give us more time to chill out and less time chasing ferrys. Thanks for all the help.

Katie, if you're interested Aegean Airlines just announced €49 airfare to all the Greek islands for October. This price includes all taxes. http://en.aegeanair.com/Default.aspx The cheapest economy class ferry ticket costs around €40 and the trip can take up to 15 hours depending on the ship.