The Greek Isles & Istanbul: A Voyage Through History & Culture

Greece and Turkey by land and sea in this RS program was educational and enjoyable. Loved the guides, the participants and the staffs— particularly the ship’s crew. As always I love being a Road Scholar.

Exceeded our expectations. Our guide Roula was amazing. Well informed, excellent communicator, and overall group leader. I'm afraid that maybe we peaked with our first trip. The next trip (and there will be more) will have a lot to live up to. The boat portion was excellent, with great crew, perfect size, and no packing/unpacking for the 7 days on the boat. The pace was just what I was looking for, though there were a few people that probably overreached on their abilities. It didn't cause a real problem with our particular group. The Athens hotel was nice, and dinner the first night was amazing (rooftop, parthenon view). The Istanbul hotel could be better. It was clean and comfortable enough, but had poor internet, and the staff didn't speak English much. The food was less than mediocre. Certainly no deal breaker. As a whole, the food on this trip was excellent. The busses used were top notch, with the exception of one that was just OK. The itinerary was excellent, and while the pace was brisk, there was plenty of free time to explore on your own (if you wanted to). We got to numerous places I'd have never found on my own, a little more off the beaten path. This was much appreciated with all the participants on this trip. Our travelmates really made this trip. Smart, curious, and interesting. The interaction with others is the key factor for me. I've been one to plan trips all on my own. This was a chance to try something completely different. I don't see going back for anything substantial. Road Scholar, and our guide made this trip stress free, so we could thouroughly enjoy the experience. It was obvious that they knew what they were doing, and made concious decisions to maximize the enjoyment for all. That in itself makes for a great value. We'll be planning our next trip in the coming days!