my daughter will be studying in Paros for fall semester. My husband, my 15 y/o son & I would like to visit her at the end of the semester. (December) I have several questions: 1) she will have 2 wks between end of semester and our arrival. We have a friend in Bodrum, Turkey...how easy could she take ferries that far and would it be cost effective? Or, she has a friend in Germany, would she be better off to fly there and fly back to Paros to meet us? 2) We would like to see our friends in Bodrum as well. Any suggestions on a good travel route? (should we fly to Turkey, get her then depart Bodrum to Paros so we can see where she spent her semester... then on to either mainland Greece or to Italy? depending on political climate in Greece) 3) will ferries even be running at the end of December? 4) with it being off-season, will we get all the way to Paros, Bodrum and that general area and find that everything is closed and we can't see or do anything?
Thanks for any help you can provide!
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Camarillo, California
3122 posts
1) There should be no problem for her to get from Paros to Kos or Rhodes. It might require going to Santorini or Syros first to catch the right ferry, but both islands can be reached from Paros even in the winter months. The real challenge will be for her to get from Kos or Rhodes to Bodrum. I'm not sure if there's a ferry after the tourist season ends in October/November. I'm inclined to think not. If that ferry isn't operating you're going to have the same challenge from inside Turkey. As far as I've ever known the only flights in the off-season from Turkey to Greece originate in Istanbul and only go to Athens. 2) Fly to Istanbul and take a domestic flight to Bodrum. They're inexpensive. If the ferry option is not available it would be necessary for her to do the same, from Paros to Athens to Istanbul to Bodrum. You could meet up in Istanbul. It's a fascinating city with lots to offer. 3) Yes, Greek ferries will still be operating in December, although not as often. As stated, I'm not so sure about the Greece>Turkey ones. You can see the Greek ferry schedules here but they're not yet complete for December: http://www.gtp.gr The two companies that travel to Rhodes and Kos are Blue Star Ferries and Anek Lines. 4) Much of what draws tourists to the islands is the ambience, and that doesn't change no matter when you go. What does change is the access to shops, galleries, hotels and restaurants. Most close in late-October and don't re-open until April. You should still be able to visit museums and archaeological sites, but on an off-season, limited schedule. Paros is a large island with a sizeable permanent population so there will still be lots of activity there. The same goes for Bodrum.