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Must go to places in Rome, Naples, Athens, and Istanbul - Page 2

post #16 of 27
3/25/10 at 10:52am
Bump. In planning stages for a trip this summer to Istanbul and Athens.

Is 2 weeks enough time for both cities? Ideally, I would prefer to spend the entire 2 weeks in Turkey, with a week or so in Istanbul and then spend the other week traveling around Turkey. However, got some buddies coming with me and they want to do Athens as well.

I am thinking of doing mid-July to first week of August, and am expecting the weather to be very hot. Please advice.
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post #17 of 27
3/25/10 at 12:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by feynmix View Post
Bump. In planning stages for a trip this summer to Istanbul and Athens.

Is 2 weeks enough time for both cities? Ideally, I would prefer to spend the entire 2 weeks in Turkey, with a week or so in Istanbul and then spend the other week traveling around Turkey. However, got some buddies coming with me and they want to do Athens as well.

I am thinking of doing mid-July to first week of August, and am expecting the weather to be very hot. Please advice.

yeah, 3 days is pretty good for athens. so, 3-5 days in istanbul, 3-5 days in turkey, 3 days in athens. 2 weeks pretty good
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post #18 of 27
3/25/10 at 12:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by globetrotter View Post
yeah, 3 days is pretty good for athens. so, 3-5 days in istanbul, 3-5 days in turkey, 3 days in athens. 2 weeks pretty good

Thanks Globe. Was hoping you would chime in. Any suggestions for a particular time to go in the next few months? I am not too worried about scorching heat, as I can handle that. Just worried that some parts of the summer might be too packed with tourists and all the prices will be hiked up.
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post #19 of 27
3/25/10 at 1:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gomestar View Post
and don't forget the jewish artichokes!!



For what it's worth, I'm staying at the Hotel Trastevere when I return to Rome. Solid rooms at excellent prices. But, the main draw for me is the Trastevere neighborhood (my GF lived on Via Dandelo). Awesome place to just stroll at night and to pick up a gelato or a beer or a little wine or a cappuccino as the night winds down.

Ditto. I was in Rome about a week and a half ago staying in Trastevere, and it was great. Ate at Pizza ai Marmi, great rec. Also, if you're around there, check out Ai Spaghettari on Piazza San Cosimato. It's made its way into the guidebooks, but it wasn't very tourist-filled (except for my friends and me, that night anyway )


In Athens, I can't remember much except a great meal I had at a taverna called "Ta Skalakia" (The Steps). I think it's back by the Holiday Inn on Michalakopoulou.
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post #20 of 27
3/25/10 at 1:46pm
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Originally Posted by samus View Post
Ditto. I was in Rome about a week and a half ago staying in Trastevere, and it was great. Ate at Pizza ai Marmi, great rec. Also, if you're around there, check out Ai Spaghettari on Piazza San Cosimato. It's made its way into the guidebooks, but it wasn't very tourist-filled (except for my friends and me, that night anyway )

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post #21 of 27
3/26/10 at 12:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by globetrotter View Post
yeah, 3 days is pretty good for athens. so, 3-5 days in istanbul, 3-5 days in turkey, 3 days in athens. 2 weeks pretty good

I concur.

I've been to Athens a few times, and would only go back again to visit a good friend who lives there. If you do go to Athens, the newly opened Acropolis Museum is worth visiting.

I may go back to Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey this summer. I highly recommend. I spent a week in Turkey some years back: Fethiye, Antalya, and Istanbul; and barely scratched the surface.

It will be super hot and humid in July and August.
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post #22 of 27
3/26/10 at 1:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by feynmix View Post
Thanks Globe. Was hoping you would chime in. Any suggestions for a particular time to go in the next few months? I am not too worried about scorching heat, as I can handle that. Just worried that some parts of the summer might be too packed with tourists and all the prices will be hiked up.

you know, I am really not good at that - I go to most of these places based on my business, not on the season, so I coudn't really tell you about when the season is thicker or not. I'd say taht they winter is the best time to avoid crowds, but it shouldn't be the main thing if you have a specifc time in mind.

I know istanbul and athens pretty well, so if you have specific quesitons let me know.
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post #23 of 27
3/26/10 at 2:04am
It's been my experience that often the prices are better in the high season than in the dead of winter. Sure, you might score good deals on the shoulders, but outside of high-season many hotels close down or seriously reduce capacity/staff, especially in summer-tourist areas.

I've run into a few cases where hotel prices are much higher in the off-season because the assumption is that the people traveling there that time of year are primarily on business accounts and not tourists; thus the prices are higher. YMMV of course.
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post #24 of 27
3/26/10 at 11:35am
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Originally Posted by binge View Post
I concur.

I've been to Athens a few times, and would only go back again to visit a good friend who lives there. If you do go to Athens, the newly opened Acropolis Museum is worth visiting.

I may go back to Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey this summer. I highly recommend. I spent a week in Turkey some years back: Fethiye, Antalya, and Istanbul; and barely scratched the surface.

It will be super hot and humid in July and August.

Binge, did you fly to Antalya from Istanbul? Any other places besides the 3 mentioned above? Trying to make a solid 8-10 day itinerary and looks like there are plenty of places to visit: Cappadocia, Ephesus, Taksim, Izmir, etc etc.

Quote:
Originally Posted by globetrotter View Post
you know, I am really not good at that - I go to most of these places based on my business, not on the season, so I coudn't really tell you about when the season is thicker or not. I'd say taht they winter is the best time to avoid crowds, but it shouldn't be the main thing if you have a specifc time in mind.

I know istanbul and athens pretty well, so if you have specific quesitons let me know.

Absolutely. Will pm you eventually.
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post #25 of 27
3/26/10 at 6:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by feynmix View Post
Binge, did you fly to Antalya from Istanbul? Any other places besides the 3 mentioned above? Trying to make a solid 8-10 day itinerary and looks like there are plenty of places to visit: Cappadocia, Ephesus, Taksim, Izmir, etc etc.

I did. The whole trip started in Athens for my friend's wedding; then a few days in Santorini and eventually to Turkey by ferry from Rhodes to Marmaris. From Marmaris, it was a short bus coach to Fethiye for a few days, then again by bus coach to Antalya for another few days. Then I flew from Antalya to Istanbul.

This was back in 2005, so some of the precise travel options at that time may have changed. But, I was strongly advised to avoid the trains in Turkey and use privately-run coach services (nice bus service) for inter-city travel. Antalya to Istanbul was far enough it made sense to fly. IIRC, I flew Onur Air, which was one of the few, and at that time fairly new, private small carriers doing flights within Turkey; sort of like RyanAir for Turkey. I dunno if they, or anything similar, exists anymore.

If I do go back to Turkey this summer, I'll be going with a friend who spent some time in Izmir as a child, so we'd probably do an Instabul-Ephesus-Izmir tour. Dunno yet.
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post #26 of 27
3/27/10 at 3:18pm
The flight between Istanbul and Antalya is very short and easy.

Five days in Istanbul sounds about right to me. Do check out the modern parts of the city as well as the old. And prepare to eat yourself silly. The food is just wonderful.

Antalya is a funny place. The old city is quite charming, and there are some interesting archeological sites. When I was there, the city was preparing for hordes of Russian tourists, for whom it was just a cheap beach vacation. To avoid them, do anything cultural, archeological, or ecological. Sailing in the Med is glorious.

On my next trip, I will visit Istanbul again, and then go to Izmir and/or Ephesus.
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post #27 of 27
3/27/10 at 5:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by philosophe View Post
Five days in Istanbul sounds about right to me. Do check out the modern parts of the city as well as the old. And prepare to eat yourself silly. The food is just wonderful.

+lots

Quote:
Antalya is a funny place. The old city is quite charming, and there are some interesting archeological sites. When I was there, the city was preparing for hordes of Russian tourists, for whom it was just a cheap beach vacation. To avoid them, do anything cultural, archeological, or ecological. Sailing in the Med is glorious.

Agreed. Unless there is something specific you want to see/do there -- such as sailing -- I wouldn't recommend anyone go out of their way to visit Antalya. Exactly as you say, it has its charms, but is also has a lot of high-rise concrete-block hotels stuffed full of package tourists.
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