Greece trip!

[cael]

Hi guys! So DH and SIL and I are planning a trip to Greece for probably September next year (I seriously hope the Ebola thing doesn't scare SIL off from traveling.... grrr). I am definitely going to wait a bit longer before trying to book tickets, but I keep checking prices obsessively on travelocity, which is where I've always made my flight reservations.

So I have a few questions - first, is it accurate in anyone's experience that the best prices on plane tickets are usually available just a few months before the trip? Prices look like they're dropping, but the time frame we want isn't available yet on travelocity. I don't want to jump on something in a month or two if there's a good chance of cheaper fares in the spring or something. Also, any advice on other reliable places to look at pricing besides travelocity? Never booked tickets to Europe before so I don't know about when prices are best or any of that. I feel like if I find the dates we want for a grand or less I'll book them. I didn't start seriously price checking until this summer, and I was finding around $1200 and up.

any advice you well traveled folks could offer would be much appreciated! We are SO EXCITED to finally get to Greece, but it's a bummer that FIL isn't here to go with DH for his first time

[Bonny]

You've made a good choice to travel in the shoulder season vs the high summer season.

I find that in general the earlier you book the better. Yes, sometimes rates will briefly drop but don't forget that you are booking for three people, not one.

You are also going to need to book hotel/room accommodations and therefore a package deal. I wouldn't stress about trying to save $100 on plane fare and risk not being able to stay where you want.

I've found Tues-Thurs the best days to actually buy airline tickets. We like Kayak. But a word to wise don't keep checking the flights. They have a counter that detects how many people are looking and will start raising prices in response.

Good luck and have fun!

[cael]

Thanks for the advice! Yeah, summer is expensive and spring my SIL has too much going on with the kids, September will work great for her schedule and for prices. I'm glad to hear that earlier is better, I'll check out Kayak (and try to limit my searching! lol) I'd obv like to go with the cheapest I can find, but I'm also going to look at the price different for a non-stop... I think the less plane stress DH has to deal with the better he'll handle long flights. Longest flight he's been on ever was Cleveland-LAX and he went a little stir crazy, I've warned him he's gonna have to suck it up & walk the aisles if he gets antsy, lol.

Re: where we're staying - that's going to be tougher to figure out. We are going to stay with family for at least part of the trip, but it's going to be difficult (language barriers and all..) to arrange that until SIL can get in touch with cousins who speak English. We definitely want to stay in Athens for at least a night or two to see the touristy stuff, and their aunt lives on Crete and SIL says she would very likely love to put us up for a few days too, so I have to have her reach out to people asap so we have some idea what we're gonna do. Once I get the plane tickets and we have set-in-stone dates it might be easier to schedule things with the family.

[Peace77]

They say that Tuesday afternoon is the best time to get the best price for tickets.

[simser]

I buy my tickets on big international trips when they come out. I'm a dork. I've seen them go down by $100 or so (out of $1500) but the benefit of planning a trip that far out is more than enough for me. They say you get as much pleasure out of planning a trip as actually going.

[cael]

Another thing on this - what have you all found with travel agencies vs. booking yourself online? I have asked a friend who works for a travel agency for some help/advice and I'm not certain I want to book through an agency, but if she finds a good deal I'd be happy to do it. The flights she found me actually look good and a little cheaper than what I saw when I looked myself several weeks ago. I figure she may be able to find us a good flight/hotel deal since we will likely spend a few days in Athens when we get there.

[Bonny]

If you're dealing with a reputable travel agency and using different airlines I would go with the travel company. If you run into problems then the travel company will make it right. They may also be able to do much better than you on hotels and usually have very good relationships with tour guides.

When we did the Egypt trip in spring of 2009 the travel agent got us a much better "package" than I could have coordinated for ourselves. When there are a lot of pieces and doing a "Once in a life time trip" it probably makes sense to use a professional who knows what s/he is doing.

[cael]

Thanks Bonny, that's kind of what I thought. I planned our multi-destination-multi-flight trip to Cali/AZ just fine, but this is probably a *little* different! It is a reputable agency my friend works with. She could also probably help us out with flights to Mykonos if we end up doing that, and transport to Crete, since I have no idea and last time SIL went, she had FIL who knew what to do/where to go obviously being from there.

[b2r]

  Not sure if this helps, but just heard this in a news report...

     WOW Indeed! Budget Airline Launches $99 Flights to Europe

     This week, the airline’s U.S. site went live, advertising specials as low as $99 each way, taxes and fees included, on routes between the U.S. and Europe.  wowair.us/    

[whoisjohngalt]

Oct 24, 2014 7:11:24 GMT -5 cael said:

Thanks Bonny, that's kind of what I thought. I planned our multi-destination-multi-flight trip to Cali/AZ just fine, but this is probably a *little* different! It is a reputable agency my friend works with. She could also probably help us out with flights to Mykonos if we end up doing that, and transport to Crete, since I have no idea and last time SIL went, she had FIL who knew what to do/where to go obviously being from there.

Two things:

1. I need to stop reading this thread bc I am insanely jealous that you are going to Greece
2.  Before I stop reading this thread, can you PM the name of the travel agency, in case, some time 10 yrs from now, I do get a chance to ever travel again

[Bonny]

Oct 24, 2014 12:36:48 GMT -5 b2r said:

  Not sure if this helps, but just heard this in a news report...

     WOW Indeed! Budget Airline Launches $99 Flights to Europe

     This week, the airline’s U.S. site went live, advertising specials as low as $99 each way, taxes and fees included, on routes between the U.S. and Europe.  wowair.us/    

Now I want to go to Iceland!

After playing around the site I think a more realistic RT cost from SFO to Iceland would be

$500-$800 during the summer...which is probably the best time to go.

[b2r]

Forgot to link to the story... time.com/money/3536625/cheap-flights-europe-wow-air/

more from the article...

 WOW’s venture into the transatlantic market comes a little over a year after another northern European upstart, Norwegian Air, emerged on the scene with sub-$500 flights between the U.S. and Europe. The world’s largest airlines seem to have successfully thwarted Norwegian Air’s plans to expand its transatlantic presence, but the carrier is still flying a handful of U.S.-Europe routes and is still advertising fares far cheaper than any of the industry’s big players—as low as $169 each way between New York-JFK and Oslo and $189 for nonstop flights all the way from Oakland, Calif., to Stockholm, Sweden.

[Deleted]

Go Iceland air and stopover on your way back! Seriously, just did 2 1/2 days, it's spectacular. I'll go again.  

[Deleted]

Both nights we stayed were cloudy, so no Northern Lights Next time! 

We we did the Golden Circle tour with Iceland Horizons and Blue Lagoon and just walking the city, awesome food. 

I usually do touristy stuff the first time as an overview, next time we would probably try to do more local stuff... Blue Lagoon was fine, but I'd love to try natural hot springs.

Really unique history, Iceland...

[Value Buy]

Oct 7, 2014 12:06:12 GMT -5 Peace77 said:

They say that Tuesday afternoon is the best time to get the best price for tickets.

Not any more.

Now it is Sunday afternoon.

Businesses are not booking then, and most people are busy doing things, rather then when they are working and booking personal reservations on the company time.

[Apple]

I used kayak.com to find my tickets.  I liked it because it gave you several options.  I wasn't picky about what airport/country I flew into, or the specific dates, I just wanted to find the best deals.  I was able to search several airports at once by putting in multiple airport codes into the search bar.  Then, they give you an easy way to look up other dates to fly out.  For me, it turned out the cheapest flights were Wednesday morning (fly there) and Tuesday morning (fly back). 

The dates I needed weren't available when I started looking, since it was over a year out, so what I did was start checking prices for the same timeframe THIS year, to get an idea of what tickets would cost if I waited for a month or two out.  I figured I'd end up paying around $1400 a ticket as a base price if I flew into France, but $1600 if I flew into Amsterdam (which everyone had told me would be the cheapest place to fly into).  When the tickets finally went on, I got them for $1200 (so I threw in upgraded seats on the five hour portion for $30 or so, to get aisle seats with more leg room, may as well be comfortable!)  There was a site that does trending (wish I could remember what it was), and it said "buy", so I got confirmation it was a good deal.  I looked at Expedia for the same flight before I purchased through United, and they were a few hundred more expensive.  Unfortunately, we'll be traveling peak season this year, which is unavoidable--my son has too many AP classes/tests to leave during the school year, and for some reason they won't get out until mid-June (used to get out first week of June)

So, in my experience, after a few international flights...  If you have more than one person to pay for, and have a specific date range you need to aim for, book early for the best deal.  If you can be completely flexible, booking last minute can get you some great deals, but there may only be one ticket, or the flight may be to a different airport...

[Apple]

Oh--one more thing...

Someone mentioned not to check too often because they start raising prices.  I've also heard that if you look more than once, they'll start raising prices, but they do it because they know you're interested, based on the cookies in your computer.  So, to get around that, look with a "private window"/"incognito" so the info isn't stored.

[cael]

Ughhhhh I've wanted to go to Iceland for years! Was thinking this winter, but if Greece is happening next fall I should probably cool my jets on that for another year It's a direct flight from Boston! I know a few people who have gone and loved it. Lena I will PM you!

Friend got a quote together for the "dream" itinerary for me (Athens for several nights, transportation to/from Crete, then a few nights in Mykonos with transportation) and it's like... $9000. That is for 3 adults though. We're gonna have to cut something, SIL may have to wait on Mykonos because I think that's the pricey bit, I have to read over the info again. The flights still sound good... $3000pp for all that is probably not bad but we're paying for SIL's flight, so I'd be paying more like $3500pp and that doesn't even include spending money or food.

Let me go read over that again....

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I went to Greece awhile ago, also in September.  As I was flying on miles, what I paid for my plane ticket was negligible but I called and got it as soon as the schedule opened up (360 days in advance).  The only hotel reservation I had was in Athens, for a couple nights.  The rest of the time, I played it by ear.

I really didn't care that much for Athens.....it's another big city and not very charming.  I only spent a little over a day there, then headed to Pireaus and to the ferry terminal.  I was in the city long enough to see all the sites, but if I ever went back, I'd be inclined to avoid the city altogether.

The island I chose (at the last minute) was Paros.  It was close enough to the mainland that I didn't need to spend all day on the ferry traveling.  I had originally planned on hitting another island (I had hit Chios on the way to Athens), but the hotel owner gave me a weekly rate that was too good to turn down (I didn't have any reservation here either).  The hotel wasn't much, but it was close to town and a place to shower and sleep.  I had a small room with balcony that overlooked the sea.

I really didn't do much, other than swim in the sea, sun myself (some do sun themselves topless), read and relax.  I found a small beach where I had to take a boat to reach it, and I'd take my bag with a lunch, a bottle of water and reading material and hang out there until I ran out of water to drink.  Then I would take the boat back into town, shower, take a nap, clean up and walk to town for dinner.  After dinner, I'd just wander through the town and check out the stores, go looking for more reading material (they had a lot of bookshops, but it became challenging to find English books), and just talk to people.

I really wasn't into partying, as when I went I was thisclose to being burnt out from work.  That week I spent on Paros was probably the most rejuvenating week I ever spent on vacation.  I don't think I spent that much money either, as this island isn't one of the bigger tourist destinations.
 
I'd go back in a heartbeat.

[justme]

Can I piggy back this thread? I'm looking at France and/or Italy about the same time as cael.

At the moment it looks like I'm going solo so if there's any additional thoughts/tips for solo traveler. First time to Europe. Some people I know mentioned tour groups.

[tcu2003]

I thinking $3k pp including flights is a great deal. I think we spent at least that on our honeymoon a few years ago, not including flights since I used ff miles for those

I agree with mich about Athens. We spent 2-1/2 days, which gave us time to see what we wanted to see, and were then happy to head out on our cruise of the islands. I loved Mykonos - I had always heard so much about Santorini, but Mykonos is the place I wanted to spend more time. I also really liked Crete - whatever itinerary you end up with will be fabulous.

[tcu2003]

Nov 29, 2014 17:20:20 GMT -5 justme said:

Can I piggy back this thread? I'm looking at France and/or Italy about the same time as cael.

At the moment it looks like I'm going solo so if there's any additional thoughts/tips for solo traveler. First time to Europe. Some people I know mentioned tour groups.

What's your general age? There is a huge tour group company that specializes in a younger crowd - I'm thinking mid-to-late twenties. I'm sure I can think of it if that fits. I've heard decent things about it, and seen the groups in some of the places I've traveled, and everyone seems to be having a great time. I also have friends who have gone on Rick Steves' tours, and they had a great time.

I've only been to Italy for a few days, so I'm not much help, but I do have Paris suggestions if you go there. But then again, debt haven lived there, so I bet she has great suggestions.

[justme]

Nov 29, 2014 17:44:41 GMT -5 tcu2003 said:

Nov 29, 2014 17:20:20 GMT -5 justme said:

Can I piggy back this thread? I'm looking at France and/or Italy about the same time as cael.

At the moment it looks like I'm going solo so if there's any additional thoughts/tips for solo traveler. First time to Europe. Some people I know mentioned tour groups.

What's your general age? There is a huge tour group company that specializes in a younger crowd - I'm thinking mid-to-late twenties. I'm sure I can think of it if that fits. I've heard decent things about it, and seen the groups in some of the places I've traveled, and everyone seems to be having a great time. I also have friends who have gone on Rick Steves' tours, and they had a great time.

I've only been to Italy for a few days, so I'm not much help, but I do have Paris suggestions if you go there. But then again, debt haven lived there, so I bet she has great suggestions.

That would fit! Thanks! I turn 29 at the end of February.

I want to see more of Europe, but I figure my first trip and by myself I should have a narrowed area.

[Bonny]

Nov 29, 2014 17:48:30 GMT -5 justme said:

Nov 29, 2014 17:44:41 GMT -5 tcu2003 said:

What's your general age? There is a huge tour group company that specializes in a younger crowd - I'm thinking mid-to-late twenties. I'm sure I can think of it if that fits. I've heard decent things about it, and seen the groups in some of the places I've traveled, and everyone seems to be having a great time. I also have friends who have gone on Rick Steves' tours, and they had a great time.

I've only been to Italy for a few days, so I'm not much help, but I do have Paris suggestions if you go there. But then again, debt haven lived there, so I bet she has great suggestions.

That would fit! Thanks! I turn 29 at the end of February.

I want to see more of Europe, but I figure my first trip and by myself I should have a narrowed area.

How much time will you spend? Do you have any special interests?

FWIW you could easily spend a month in either country.

I think I'm up to nine trips to France. We spent two weeks in Italy in 2011 for DH's Birthday Foodie Trip.

I really like the Lonely Planet Guide Books. They also have some good suggested itineraries. I'll double-check hotels and restaurant recommendations via Trip Advisor because often the guides are pushing two years by the time they are printed.

ETA: You probably should start a new thread. You'll get lots of help on this subject!

[cael]

Hey again guys! SIL and I sat down and discussed, we even came up with a tentative itinerary. We are going in June instead of September (better for her with the kids getting out of school), and her Greek friend's travel agent suggested we wait to see what rates look like next month, because sometimes rates can go down in January after the holidays. Found a good fare with a Russian airline, but the layovers and flight times suck so we're going to look at Turkish airlines, which was the next best we saw plus allows you apparently to check 2 bags instead of 1. So that's for the flights, they'll be booked next month. We're going to do Santorini instead of Mykonos! Already found a place we reserved for 2 nights... saw the pics on tripadvisor and just about died so we booked it, we took the slightly higher rate so we can cancel in case we need to change plans lol.

Trip will look roughly like this:
Fly into Athens, spend 2 nights to see sights (I've heard similar things about Athens not being super fantastic except for the history)
Take the ferry to Crete to stay with family for 2 nights (overnight ferry trip)
Take ferry to Santorini for 2 nights (about a 5 hour ferry trip)
Ferry back to Athens, stay overnight (can get a fast ferry from Santorini to Athens, 6ish hours)
Next day rent a car, drive up to village where their dad was from (hopefully stop to see Delphi on the way!), stay in the village 4ish nights
Drive back to Athens and fly home from there

So once we get flights we can start to get everything else set up. SIL is going to get in touch with their English-speaking cousins to get any help we need. Looked at what a car rental would cost and she thought it was going to be a grand or more, but it looks like it may only be $300-$400 for the time we need it (we need to get international driving permits from AAA I guess for that - there isn't any kind of bus or train up to the village)

Justme - that sounds like an awesome trip! Do you know anyone over  there who could put you up or help you at any spots? Maybe if this is your first time (and you're alone) look into a group to go with, that might be what I'd do. Keep us up to date! Yay travel!

[Bonny]

We flew Turkish Air a few times while we lived in Germany. We liked them.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Dec 12, 2014 19:37:09 GMT -5 Bonny said:

We flew Turkish Air a few times while we lived in Germany. We liked them.

TD and I flew Turkish Air all over Turkey, I think our 5 flights for both of us ran about $600 total.  They feed you on the flight and there is room!

This is the only airline my Turkish friend flies.

[cael]

We've booked our flights! Delta had a great rate for a nonstop to Athens from JFK, so we jumped on it. If these rates hadn't come up I was going to go Turkish Airlines. So excited, now we can start real planning!

We already have a 2 night stay planned on Santorini and we'll be on Crete for 3 days. Anyone have any suggestions for things to do/not do or see/not see?

Oh and any advice on international car rentals/international drivers permit would be appreciated too!

(sorry to bump this, mods, didn't think a new thread was warranted.)

[simser]

I have never had a problem renting a car in another country with just a US drivers license. (Argentina, Ireland, Cayman Islands, Australia).

I am paranoid though and usually overbuy insurance. I did everywhere but australia (that was very similar culturally to the U.S. so I felt comfortable).

[cael]

Oh yeah, we'd probably get a lot of insurance too. It's only $15 for an international driver's permit from AAA, we might just do that to be on the safe side. My SIL apparently was under the impression that it would be several grand to rent a car for a week, but we looked at rates and it looks like several hundred is closer to what we'll pay, I think it was Hertz we looked at. We'll need a car for about one week of the two week trip - not feasible/practical to bus or train their father's village in Volos.