Greece and (where?) advice

niehaubs

Level 2 Member
This is early planning but I know the start of what I want to do, so why not plan early.

November of 2016 I will be going to Athens to run the "Original" Marathon to Athens full Marathon, which will be my last full marathon (I hope) and part of my 40th birthday vacation. It is run on a Sunday and I am coming from Ohio, eastern time zone. So the part of the plan that will not change, is I will arrive in Athens ideally Thursday, but possibly Friday, giving me 2 or 3 days to adjust to the time and to see the sites or do a day trip somewhere. I have been told many times that 3 or 4 days is too many for Athens, so on Monday after the race, I will depart. When I say "I", I mean me, plus at least 2 others, probably 4 or 5 others. I will be ok to walk through cities but not ready to be hiking after a full marathon.

Here lies the question, where to go? I can spend 10-12 more days, or less in that part of the world if I choose. I will have 2 weeks worth of luggage and it will be November, so I have ruled out trips that start in that decent climate and go so far north or into the mountains that I need winter gear (While I would love to visit Copenhagen, that's not going to be an option on this trip :) ). That is too much to pack. Cool weather is ok and to be expected.

1.) Stay in the very immediate area, Greek island tour, end up in Turkey. I want to see Rhodes, Troy, and Istanbul. Other islands will also be cool, other parts of Turkey will be cool. But those are the 3 I know I want to see. Lots of cruises go to Rhodes and other islands and end in Istanbul. Getting to Troy looks like a day trip from there. It does look like not a lot of tour options are available in November though.

2.) Classical history tour. Go from Athens to Cairo and the Pyramids, and then over to Rome to cover Greek, Egyptian, and Roman history. This is pretty self explanatory and would require flights between cities. Aegean seems to have good coverage and ties for this.

3.) Balkan travel. Fly up to Budapest then train or bus around the sights in Serbia, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia, not in that order. This was my original plan but with a group of people it seems like a huge hassle getting to places, unloading for a day or so then repacking up for more travel. This seems more like a "do this alone or with 1 other person in a warmer season" kind of trip.

So what would you do? I am leaning towards #2 right now, but a I have friends who are suggesting Budapest and Istanbul, so I guess #4 could be fly to Budapest and train across to Istanbul which could be fun. Or a Viking River cruise to the Black Sea (assuming they run in November)...I realize I will see advice for basically every single thing I mentioned so even simple advice like "you only need 2 days in city X" is ok advice by me. Thanks.
 

Matt S NYC

Level 2 Member
I've spent a lot of time in that part of the world. My dad has a house in Montenegro and my wife has one on the Greek island of Lesbos. We've also spent a great deal of time in Athens.

People are right - 4 days is the max you should spend in Athens. That said, I think after your marathon you would be well suited to go sit on an island for a few days. Santorini is gorgeous and there is a high-speed ferry from Athens. There is also an airport. I highly recommend it. Crete is a flight away, but also a great historical and natural island. Istanbul is absolutely worth the trip. I've been twice and both times were fantastic. There is a great mix of culture and history.

I really think there is plenty in Greece and Turkey to fill up your time. There really isn't a need to go further north in the Balkans (it's a full trip in itself) and doing Egypt is dicey security-wise right now (at least for me). You don't have to go the cruise route to see the islands. It's easy and relatively inexpensive to just book flights/ferries between the major islands on your own allowing you to take as long as you want on each. Note, flights go through Athens for the most part, but everything is pretty close together. I'd leave at least a week for Turkey and base yourself in Istanbul. Catch a flight from the last island you are on, either directly to Istanbul if available, or transferring in Athens. If you spent the whole week in Istanbul you wouldn't be bored, but it also leaves open the possibility of doing several day trips. Troy is nice. Ephesus is worth it, although probably best done with an overnight.

If it were me I'd do:

Athens, Santorini, Crete, Rhodes and Istanbul with day trips.
 

niehaubs

Level 2 Member
My cousin informed me that she did not think Rhodes worth a whole day, so maybe Thursday-Sun in Athens and surrounds on the mainland, 2 days Santorini, , Crete for a day with a detour through Rhodes or not, then Istanbul (not Constantinople) and surrounds for 5-7 days. She also highly recommended Ephesus. I want to see Troy.

that would have me fly out of the US (CVG area) on a Wednesday night and out of Istanbul on a Tuesday which should avoid the peak travel times more than just travelling in November will, so hopefully award flights will be easy to come by.

Thanks for your tips and help. I'll check the ferries but I assume with the situation right now, there is no point in worrying until way close to next November. I also assume that in all cases Greece will be still ok to visit.
 

smittytabb

Moderator
Staff member
This is early planning but I know the start of what I want to do, so why not plan early.

November of 2016 I will be going to Athens to run the "Original" Marathon to Athens full Marathon, which will be my last full marathon (I hope) and part of my 40th birthday vacation. It is run on a Sunday and I am coming from Ohio, eastern time zone. So the part of the plan that will not change, is I will arrive in Athens ideally Thursday, but possibly Friday, giving me 2 or 3 days to adjust to the time and to see the sites or do a day trip somewhere. I have been told many times that 3 or 4 days is too many for Athens, so on Monday after the race, I will depart. When I say "I", I mean me, plus at least 2 others, probably 4 or 5 others. I will be ok to walk through cities but not ready to be hiking after a full marathon.

Here lies the question, where to go? I can spend 10-12 more days, or less in that part of the world if I choose. I will have 2 weeks worth of luggage and it will be November, so I have ruled out trips that start in that decent climate and go so far north or into the mountains that I need winter gear (While I would love to visit Copenhagen, that's not going to be an option on this trip :) ). That is too much to pack. Cool weather is ok and to be expected.

1.) Stay in the very immediate area, Greek island tour, end up in Turkey. I want to see Rhodes, Troy, and Istanbul. Other islands will also be cool, other parts of Turkey will be cool. But those are the 3 I know I want to see. Lots of cruises go to Rhodes and other islands and end in Istanbul. Getting to Troy looks like a day trip from there. It does look like not a lot of tour options are available in November though.

2.) Classical history tour. Go from Athens to Cairo and the Pyramids, and then over to Rome to cover Greek, Egyptian, and Roman history. This is pretty self explanatory and would require flights between cities. Aegean seems to have good coverage and ties for this.

3.) Balkan travel. Fly up to Budapest then train or bus around the sights in Serbia, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia, not in that order. This was my original plan but with a group of people it seems like a huge hassle getting to places, unloading for a day or so then repacking up for more travel. This seems more like a "do this alone or with 1 other person in a warmer season" kind of trip.

So what would you do? I am leaning towards #2 right now, but a I have friends who are suggesting Budapest and Istanbul, so I guess #4 could be fly to Budapest and train across to Istanbul which could be fun. Or a Viking River cruise to the Black Sea (assuming they run in November)...I realize I will see advice for basically every single thing I mentioned so even simple advice like "you only need 2 days in city X" is ok advice by me. Thanks.
OK, first of all congrats on your 40th and this last important marathon. Sounds like a great way to celebrate! Just want to offer that I have actually done all of the things in your numbers 1-3, but over the course of several trips. Balkans is its own trip and I actually have done more than one of those to get to all the things you mention. Egypt is its own trip and although it is very inexpensive right now, I would take a wait see approach there as well. Your number 2 is a great idea, but I think you are trying to pack too much in for the amount of time you have. I agree with @Matt S NYC that just Greece and Turkey or even just Greece is enough for this time around. I've been to Turkey quite a few times in the last couple of years and it is well worth it, but there is really a lot to see in Greece. Of course none of us know what the state of things will be in either country in several months and I suspect things are changing on the ground constantly. I have been to Rhodes once for a few days, but you could do it in a day. Crete is beautiful. I spent a couple of weeks there in my twenties hanging out on the beach, but have been back since a few years ago. My travels in Greece on the mainland have included a lot of the Peloponnese and if you are into ancient history, do consider the Mycenae/Tiryns area as well as the Minoan ruins in Crete. Nafplio is also very nice. You will have to figure out what pace you want and if sightseeing or just relaxing is more what you will be wanting to be involved in.
 

Matt S NYC

Level 2 Member
My cousin informed me that she did not think Rhodes worth a whole day, so maybe Thursday-Sun in Athens and surrounds on the mainland, 2 days Santorini, , Crete for a day with a detour through Rhodes or not, then Istanbul (not Constantinople) and surrounds for 5-7 days. She also highly recommended Ephesus. I want to see Troy.

that would have me fly out of the US (CVG area) on a Wednesday night and out of Istanbul on a Tuesday which should avoid the peak travel times more than just travelling in November will, so hopefully award flights will be easy to come by.

Thanks for your tips and help. I'll check the ferries but I assume with the situation right now, there is no point in worrying until way close to next November. I also assume that in all cases Greece will be still ok to visit.
That sounds like a solid plan. I am actually going to Greece tomorrow evening. Should be very interesting with all the political and economic crap going on. We are going to be on the island of Mytilene, which has the additional issue of now having thousands of Syrian Afghan refugees landing there from Turkey by sea. Oy, what a world we live in! By the time you get there, everything might be in Drachma!
 
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