Hello guys! I'm really hoping I can get some answers to my "Istanbul-Cappadocia- Athens-Mykonos-Santorini" trip! Here are some facts about my upcoming trip: will be traveling with my boyfriend we arrive to Istanbul on July 4th- we head home on July 23rd(round trip from Istanbul is so cheap!) we are planing to spend 2 nights in Istanbul and flight out to Cappadocia on July 6th. in Cappadocia we are looking on staying 2 nights 3 days(coming back some time on the 8th). (Yes! we are looking forward to the hot air balloon ride!). *coming back from Cappadocia, we are wanting to go to Greece. So we are hoping to save money by taking a ferry. And spending the rest and most of our trip in Greece. Here are my problems! 1)which way is cheaper? should I book my flight to Cappadocia on my own or talk to a Turkish travel agency from here and have them book it.? 2)should I book a flight round trip from Istanbul that will take me to Cappadocia? and then take a ferry to Greece.(is my ferry idea crazy?!) 3)would it be better if I book a flight from Istanbul-Cappadocia-Cappadocia-Athens? 4) is there a ferry that will take me to Athens? or I would have to first go to my other destinations in Greece (Mykonos-Santorini)
5) is there something totally wrong with my trip!?!! that I am not seeing. Yes, this is the first time that I am taking a trip to Europe and I am having a hard time! I really want to use the ferry system to travel from Istanbul to my destinations in Greece because I really want to save some money! Thanks guys, I hope someone can help me out!
Posted by
Pico Rivera, CA
594 posts
Fret not! I did this exact trip two years ago. However, from Cappadocia I went to Selcuk and stayed a couple of days there. Let me tell you how I did this trip easily and inexpensively. First off, if I recall there is no ferry from Istanbul to Greece, or at least not an easy one from what I remember. Pick up a Lonely Planet Guidebook, which has lots of info. From Istanbul, I took a flight on Turkish airlines to Cappadocia (Kayseri). From there I flew Pegasus to Izmir (Selcuk). And from there I took a flight back to Istanbul on Pegasus. Getting to Greece from Turkey is tricky in that no matter which flight you take you will always have to connect in Istanbul. For flying between Istanbul and Athens or Greece in general, you'll want to use Aegean Airlines. So, going back to what I did, I flew into Istanbul and then went on to Mykonos from there (connecting in Athens). You can certainly begin your trip in Athens and then ferry to Mykonos and Santorini. What I did was I flew Olympic Air from Athens to Mykonos (30 minute flight), stayed in Mykonos for a couple of nights and then did the hydrofoil (fast ferry) to Santorini and stayed there a couple of nights as well. Then flew back to Athens (Olympic Air) and finished the trip there. Really try looking into flying. Get on it quick because the inexpensive fairs are probably on offer now. If you wait, you'll miss out. Same with the ferries. Look up the schedules now to see if you can book ahead at a cheaper price. Given that you'll be traveling in high season, prices will probably be a bit higher in general. Book flights on your own, it's really easy. Your question about Istanbul-Cappadocia-Cappadocia-Athens seems doable if you do a little online research via the airlines I suggested. If you need more advice, don't hesitate to ask.
Posted by
Laguna Beach, CA, USA
272 posts
i think gabriel's reply has you covered. i second looking into the flying options. been to all thep places you said and i think it's most practical to fly to athens from turkey then you can ferry from there if you must. but i think you can even fly to mykonos. then you can get your ferry experience from mykonos to santorini and even santorini back to athens if you want. in addition to olympic airlines, check out aegean airlines. used them numerous times and always a good travel experience. serefe and opa!
Posted by
Camarillo, California
3122 posts
In July there will be flights available from Istanbul to Mykonos. Check Atlas Jet and Pegasus Air.