One week from Heraklion (Crete), there and back

1. Heraklion (Crete)

   Greece, Start, Mon 30 Nov

2. HER→IST Mon 30 Nov leaves 12:25, lands 15:0012:25–15:00Aegean Airlines, about 1½ hours, cabin bag usually included€82seen yesterday Check price
   • you leave Istanbul from a different airport (SAW, Sabiha Gokcen International Airport)

3. Istanbul

   Türkiye, 4 nights, 30 Nov – 4 Dec

   Turkey's largest city, spread across Europe and Asia on the Bosphorus, with Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace, the Grand Bazaar and ferry rides.

   Typical November: highs of 15°C, wet

   • Old town

   Swap this stop

4. SAW→AMS Fri 4 Dec leaves 13:40, lands 15:3513:40–15:35Leaves from Sabiha Gokcen International Airport. Ajet, about 4 hours, check the airline's cabin bag rules€66seen yesterday Check price

5. Amsterdam

   Netherlands, 3 nights, 4–7 Dec

   The Dutch capital, built around rings of 17th-century canals, with the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, narrow gabled houses and a city made for cycling.

   Typical December: highs of 7°C, some rain

   • Capital
   • Old town

   Swap this stop

6. AMS→HER Mon 7 Dec leaves 06:35, lands 11:0506:35–11:05Transavia, about 3½ hours, check the airline's cabin bag rules€91seen 2 days ago Check price

7. Heraklion (Crete)

   Greece, Home, Mon 7 Dec

We count €60 a bag on 2 flights; check the airlines' prices.

We check the onward non-stop fares from each stop, for each number of nights you allow, and string the cheapest we find into a trip through several countries.

1. Heraklion (Crete)

   Greece, Start, Mon 14 Dec

2. HER→IST Mon 14 Dec leaves 12:25, lands 15:0012:25–15:00Aegean Airlines, about 1½ hours, cabin bag usually included€53 Check price
   • you leave Istanbul from a different airport (SAW, Sabiha Gokcen International Airport)
   • a price seen 6 days ago: it may be higher now or sold out

3. Istanbul

   Türkiye, 3 nights, 14–17 Dec

   Turkey's largest city, spread across Europe and Asia on the Bosphorus, with Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace, the Grand Bazaar and ferry rides.

   Typical December: highs of 11°C, wet

   • Old town

   Swap this stop

4. SAW→RMO Thu 17 Dec leaves 08:30, lands 09:0008:30–09:00Leaves from Sabiha Gokcen International Airport. Pegasus Airlines, about 1½ hours, check the airline's cabin bag rules€64seen 2 days ago Check price

5. Chisinau

   Moldova, 2 nights, 17–19 Dec

   Moldova's capital, a green city of parks and Soviet-era boulevards. Visitors come for the wine: the vast underground cellars at Cricova and Mileștii Mici are a short drive away.

   Typical December: highs of 3°C, some rain

   • Capital

   Swap this stop

6. RMO→LCA Sat 19 Dec leaves 19:35, lands 22:1019:35–22:10Wizz Air Malta, about 2½ hours, cabin bag about €37€41seen 2 days ago Check price

7. Larnaca

   Cyprus, 2 nights, 19–21 Dec

   A seaside town on Cyprus's south coast, with a palm-lined beachfront, the Byzantine church of St Lazarus and a salt lake visited by flamingos in winter. A calm base for the island.

   Typical December: highs of 19°C, wet

   • Island
   • Beach

   Swap this stop

8. LCA→HER Mon 21 Dec leaves 12:30, lands 14:1012:30–14:10Cyprus Airways, about 1½ hours, check the airline's cabin bag rules€122 Check price
   • a price seen 6 days ago: it may be higher now or sold out

9. Heraklion (Crete)

   Greece, Home, Mon 21 Dec

We count €60 a bag on 2 flights; check the airlines' prices.

We check the onward non-stop fares from each stop, for each number of nights you allow, and string the cheapest we find into a trip through several countries.