HELP! santorini to istanbul!!!

[daisy]

This seems to be a difficult route to find. I know there are several options
I am leaving from Santorini in the morning and have to be in Istanbul by that night. Here are the option i found

1. flight from Santorini to Istanbul (stop in Athens) - too expensive, around $200 CND
2. ferry from Santorini to Mykonos to Samos to Kusadasi, then bus to Izmir, then flight to istanbul
3. ferry from Santorini to Mykonos to Samos to Kusadasi, train or bus to Istanbul

My major issue is time. I only have a day to get to istanbul and I don't want to arrive too late as I have family picking me up in istanbul. Also, money is a factor but I am willing to pay a bit more for a shorter and easier trip. If anyone as better options PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!

The flight I found was on kayak, if anyone knows of a cheaper flight for august let me know. Thanks GFE

[Eagle]

daisy,

Given the fact that you have to be in Istanbul that night, IMO using a flight is about the only option. That's the method I'd use.

Hopefully one of the others will have some suggestions.

Good luck!

[daisy]

I think you're right, I wish more budget european airlines flew to turkey though!
Thanks eagle

[madamtrashheap]

daisy, as Eagle has pointed out, if time is an issue then flying is your only option. And the flight you've found will be the cheapest one on that route (US$200 isn't bad, but if you're on a budget then it isn't good I guess). All of the other methods will take far too long for your timeframe and are the only routes I can see that you can take (ie, there are no other secret routes I know of).

The good thing is, if you book your flight at US$200 now it will still be cheaper than if you try in June. Gotta find something good about it! ;D Have you tried looking directly on websites like Olympic Airways (Greece), Aegean Air (Greece) or Turkish Airways (Turkey). Sometimes they have better deals if you go direct, plus Aegean flies Santorini-Athens (which I'm sure you know) and would connect for your Istanbul flight.

[daisy]

I bought a ticket with olympic airways who had the best deal for $215 CDN. Very expensive but i think i'll be worth the amount of time and hassle that Ill save. Thanks for the comments!

[Eagle]

daisy,

You're very welcome!

I'll also be in Santorini later this spring, and will also be departing by air. I think you got a good deal, as my tickets to Milan (via Athens) were considerably more than that.

Hope you have a wonderful trip!

[daisy]

Thanks Eagle,
I also hope you have an incredible time in Santorini. Be sure to post about your travels once you return. I'd love to hear about the places you visited / things you enjoyed

[Eagle]

daisy,

Although it's typically billed as a "honeymoon location", I'm looking forward to visiting Santorini from a photographic perspective.

Be sure to post about your travels once you return. I'd love to hear about the places you visited / things you enjoyed

Rather than post about my travels once I return, I'm considering starting a Blog this year so the entries will be somewhat more "timely". I've been taking an unofficial Poll of my family and friends, and so far they seem to be somewhat "lukewarm" to the idea of reading my Blog. One of my Sons considers them "presumptuous".

Some of my relatives are not too "computer savvy" and not sure what a Blog is. In some ways it would be easier than sending different E-mails out to everyone, and since I'll be travelling with a Netbook this year a Blog would be a more efficient method. However, I also don't want to be stuck pounding away on a Keyboard for hours when I should be touring and enjoying the locations that I've come to see. There are pros & cons either way.

An alternative would be to just start a Trip Report here, and add to it every few days. However, having photos (or perhaps even short videos) as part of the "story" would make it so much more interesting for the reader.

Some Blogs I've seen have been very well done. A girl that I know is travelling in Australia at the moment, and I've really enjoyed reading about her adventures.

Decisions, decisions......

Cheers!

[WillTravel]

Eagle, I'd have to disagree that a blog is presumptuous. I admit I have seen a few blogs that are rather stupid, but I'm sure yours would not be in that category!

Another possibility: are you on Facebook? If you are just sending updates to friends and family, you can post notes, photos, and videos to Facebook, and then they can read about it there.

With a blog, people who don't want to go to the web can sign up for automatic updates by email, if your software is set up to handle that.

Anyway, I am following someone's blog right now about his travels in southeast Asia, and I find it an easy way to keep up with what is going on.

[Eagle]

W.T.,

Thanks for the feedback. I'm really having a difficult time making a decision on the Blog. Most of my family seems a bit indifferent, while some colleagues and friends think it's a great idea.

Whether using a Blog or E-mail, I don't want to feel obligated to sit down at the computer every night generating "updates" of my travels. That seems like a waste of valuable travel time (which is one of the reasons I've avoided travelling with a computer until now). However, if it's something I can do in a half hour or so, that would be acceptable.

Another concern is making sure that my "writing style" is interesting enough to keep readers interested. I've been thinking of taking some kind of travel writing course, but haven't got to that yet. One that I've looked at is offered by www.davethefox.com and they look really good. I'll have to add that to my list of "things to do" after taking an Italian language course in Italy.

I'm not on Facebook as I just don't have time for it (even though I'm retired now), and I also have some concerns about "privacy" with most of the social networking sites. I also have a photo web site that I have to maintain, so that takes time also.

I'll have to make a decision on the Blog soon though......

[WillTravel]

Eagle, I think it's unrealistic to expect top-quality travel writing from blog posts, especially those done on the road. It takes a long time to write a concise, evocative piece like one you might see in a Bill Bryson book or a high-quality travel magazine. So I would take the course if you are interested, and read as much travel writing as you can in the interim, but I wouldn't expect the blog posts to match that level of quality on a first cut.

[Eagle]

W.T.,

You made some good points on the subject of writing Blogs. Perhaps I should just strive to do my best, and not worry about whether it's perfect.

I won't have time to take a writing course, as I leave in about two weeks. I'm starting to go into "panic mode" as I feel like I've got a million things to do before I'll be ready to leave. The next week or so is going to be VERY busy!

[daisy]

Eagle,
I think a travel blog is a great idea!
Although a writing class may be useful, it might end up making you think more about the way you write rather than what you write. I think the beauty of blogging is that anyone can express their opinions and share them with whoever cares to read it. It also allows you to capture the essence of your travels while your still on the road. I think the best kind of writing is often the raw stuff, before any editing and planning.
If not on this upcoming trip, i think you should definitely do it, Im sure GFE members would at least love to read it!
Also, I wish that university professors also appreciated raw, unedited writing as well haha

Have a wonderful trip