Traveling long-term isn’t nearly as expensive as most people seem to think, but of course still costs money. How excited was I, then, to find an opportunity to take a handful of tours as I was passing through Istanbul and Athens that would not only get me into some of the big tourist sites but also rebuild the bank account a bit as I was doing it.

The best of these? Perhaps cruising the Saronic Gulf for a day visiting different islands and lounging in the times between in beach chairs on the foredeck as the waves passed by.

Not only was I accompanied by good folks, three other Americans who were staying in my hostel and decided to join for the day, but we also met an… interesting cast of characters in the islands.

All told, though, a great day trip and of course exciting opportunity.

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I was working as a photographer for GetYourGuide while in Athens, so I have no idea how easy a cruise like this would be to organize independently. I do wish we’d had the time allocated a bit differently for each island, and the boat we were on seemed geared more towards elderly Brits and Germans than young backpacker types. That being said, if the idea appeals to you I went with this Athens Saronic Islands Cruise.