Greek/Turkey honeymoon

Trying to book my honeymoon to athens/santorini/mykonos/crete/istambul

i'm flexible on the islands. i think crete is a big island that i can switch with a small one that maybe would be less $$$. I went to homeric tours in hicksville and costa was very helpful. he priced it at a little under $5000.

for athens i did two days @ the king george (splurge)

santorini/mykonos/crete/tstambul hotels i haven't decided yet. still trying to get info. but i was wondering if anyone knew of other islands that would have the same effect as crete etc.. i heard patmos, paradise beach, adiostosis, gaudos are good options but i need recommendations for hotels that aren't family spots or far from a beach etc...

The euro is so expensive that i am also open to chile, rio, australia and mexico but i think if i structure it right with the right accomodations it might not be so much just to stay. i do want to have $$ for some artwork. shopping, and extras.

We wanted to go to Europe but the Euro will eat our money quick...I've been to Crete 2 years ago I had an amazing time, the food is beyond phenomenal the tavernas were so pretty, the beaches clean, night life awesome, I have nothing bad to say! I dont remember where I stayed my friend set everything up...Then I went to Athens to see the Parthenon and shopping which was amazing! things that the US starting selling the following year! Maybe you can look into a Mediterranean cruise ?
Just see what country is worth going to, whatever you do Good Luck!

what hotel would you recommend in Crete? our TA recommended elounda bay, st nicholas bay, and slh ever heard of?

I thought the cruise was easy and pretty much all inclusive but FH hates cruises i luv pulling up somewhere beautiful in the morning, although the flexibility of non-cruise is great too.

What time of year are you planning to go?

Does the $5000 estimate include accomodations, international airfare and domestic airfare to the islands? If so, then that's a pretty good price!

You might also want to explore if there are any cruises around the islands...it might be cheaper than staying at hotels.

The dollar is SUPER weak right now...$1 is approximately equal to 0.50 Euro so everything will be expensive to buy.

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Posted by stephanienyc2002

what hotel would you recommend in Crete? our TA recommended elounda bay, st nicholas bay, and slh ever heard of?

I thought the cruise was easy and pretty much all inclusive but FH hates cruises i luv pulling up somewhere beautiful in the morning, although the flexibility of non-cruise is great too.

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You can look up reviews of hotels online and in guide books.

Also, keep in mind that you may have to rent a car at various islands (definitely in Crete) to get around unless the hotel you stay at is on the beach. But also, if you want to visit archeological sites or go to other places for food and/or nightlife, a car rental may be cheaper than paying for taxis all the time.

Yes, it includes everything except consumption & excursions. I thought cruise would be easiest but FH hates cruises. there's no way he'll do it.

I have changed it around a little and with the climbing euro it's alittle over 5K now.

athens/santorini/mykonos/naxos/isanbul

then i started looking at other islands besides crete like naxos, los, etc.. if you have any recommendations or should we stay a longer time in santorini & mykonos and nix the 3rd island altogether. i thought maybe if we wanted to get away we could take the ferry for the day. any recommendations on hotels?

in istanbul we're doing the four seasons. i just thought it was a nice change after a lot of R&R.

From Mykonos you can do a day trip to the island of Delos which has archeological remains (no one is allowed to live on the island anymore in order to protect the site). You should definitely do that.

How many days are you staying in Athens? You may want to nix a day on an island in favor of an extra day in Athens. Apart from the Acropolis and other touristy things (like Plaka, Monastiraki and museums) in the city itself, there are at least 2 worth-while day trips to explore from Athens:
1) catch a sunset at Cape Sounio ... it not too far from dowtown Athens, and it's a cliff that overlooks the Aegean; the sunset there is absolutely gorgeous.
2) the archeological site of Delphi is a few hours away from Athens, if you're at all interested

If islands is what you want, then stick to your original idea.

soo helpful. i'll def check all that out. I think i agree with FH that a lot of running around (although i don't mind) on the honeymoon kind of is a bit of a hassle. so it's athens/santorini/mykonos/istanbul

yey! (This is my favortite part of the whole wedding planning, and the one i've spent the most time on!)