Istanbul and where? Athens?

There's no easy way to go except to fly. And honestly, Athens itself is not where I would choose to go for a few days in this region. I would think about going to Ephesus or to Cappadocia if you want a nice contrast to Istanbul within Turkey. Or you could go to one of the Aegean port cities from which you can ferry to one of the nearby Greek islands. Although Athens would not be my first choice - it's a large, not too interesting city, once you've seen the Acropolis - it does give you the advantage of being able to fly open jaw (into Istanbul, out of Athens) without having to back track.

Athens is a one-day, two-night event - - or arrive early in the morning and scram after supper if you can find a way to pull it off. Damascus will knock your socks off, is cheap, and is easy to get to (two hours and maybe a hundred bucks more than a r/t flight to Athens - - open jaw probably won't work unless you use multiple airlines). The people are as friendly as the Turks. You'll need to get a visa in advance. JER's idea is good too. A month poking around Turkey isn't enough.

Awesome! After reading the replies I think Athens is out. I liked the suggestions you had, Jer, as that would give us another experience. We have never been to Turkey so would like to see other areas. I have read some info about a visa...do we have to get that? Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

Turkey is a large country, with a wide variety of regions. You could easily use low-cost airlines to visit Cappadocia, the Aegean coast, Ephesus, or the Mediterranean coast. Spend some time browsing: www.fodors.com/world/europe/turkey and www.frommers.com/destinations/turkey and
www.lonelyplanet.com/turkey There are so many interesting destinations in Turkey, you could easily fill several days worth of activities.

You get the visa as you go in. It's more of a tourist tax, really. Pay is US dollars - - not much, maybe $25?

It's USD $20, actually. Pay just before you go through Passport Control. Be sure to have exact change for the both of you.

Cindy
Marmaris Turkey is a lovely place to visit. It's on the coast, it is beautiful. And great for shopping or just relaxing.