ISTANBUL Turkey

Istanbul Turkey is only 450 kilometers from Eleftheres, and it´s easy to combine a stay at Kairos garden with a visit to one of the most beautiful and exotic cities in the world.

Buses leave from Kavala and Istanbul Turkey every evening. Tickets costs only 25 euros one way/45 euros return (October 2011).

Traveling from Greece, you´ll arrive at the main bus station in Istanbul, which is situated on the outskirts of this huge city, early in the morning, and a minibus will take you to the center, free of charge.

When going back you´ll need to take a taxi from the city to the bus station (ask at your hotel to call you one, to be sure you´ll get a taxi driver who won´t cheat you). From Istanbul old town (Sultanahmed/Sircici neighborhood) it will cost approximately 35 Turkish lira.

(It´s also possible to go by tram or bus and metro).

Traveling from Turkey, you´ll arrive very early morning in Kavala and from there you can take a taxi to Eleftheres, which costs approximately 30 euros.

The Turkey Greece tour buses are clean and comfortable. There´s enough leg room for someone my size (six feet) - I slept most of the journey. There are a few stops along the way, so you can get something to eat or drink, or go to the toilet.

At the border you need to get out of the bus twice to show your passport - leaving Greece and entering Turkey (and vice versa). You will have to buy a visa to Turkey at the border. It costs 15 euro..

Remember that Turkey is not in the EU, so you risk paying a rather huge import tax on stuff you shop in Turkey when/if returning to Greece. One woman I traveled with paid 100 euros for four tracking pants that she had bought for her kids. Get a receipt for things you buy in Turkey, so at least the tax fee won´t be random (and higher than necessary!). (If your luggage is controlled, that is.)

I traveled to Istanbul Turkey with a company called Alpar. Their buses go between Thessaloniki and Istanbul with stops in Kavala, Xanthi and Komotini.
You should buy a tickets and get a seat reservation in advance, as the bus can get pretty full.
In Kavala, you can buy tickets at Magiopoulos travel agency, right next to Oceanis hotel.
In Istanbul, you can call (--) 90212 658 35 40.
The Alpar company is situated at Büyük Istanbul Otogar No 95-96 (main bus station).

Contact me for more info on Turkey Greece tours.

Return from Istanbul Turkey to KAIROS homepage

KAIROS garden - WHERE TIME AND DESTINY MEETS

The ancient Greeks had two words for time:
Chronos is the strict scheduled time. Kairos is the transient time.
Often described as the moment when time and destiny meets.

SBI!