mvlasiuk

Fellow Fodoreans,
Please advise on a 7-10 day trip to Greece with 5 and 3 year old in August. What island to choose, where to stay, what to see? We would probably fly to Athens and stay for a few days after that we would like to head to an island or two. Or should we skip Athens all together and just head to the beach.

Thank you in advance!

travelerjan

We can be most helpful if you would share some key details:
• WHEN in August? Makes a difference! Aug 15, next to Easter, is Greece's BIGGEST holiday -- therefore the week containing this (Fri Aug11 thru Sun Aug 20) will be Super-Congested because not only Tourists, but also Greeks will be flocking to mainland and island "holiday spots." After Aug 20, lots of Europeans must start getting kids in school, so the crowds thins somewhat. Thus, EXACT dates will help us

• WHERE will you come from? Not just "US" or "Canada" but what area? This affects how long it takes u to reach Greece (12 hrs vs 18-20 PLUS 7-10 hrs "clocktime change"). This in turn affects level of exhaustion for kids AND grown-ups...AND arrival time, which affects connections to Islands. We always can advise better, knowing Dates AND times of day of your arrival and departure flights.

•ATHENS FIRST or Not? Factors in Decision:
(1) w. such a short stay, 10 days or less, you don't have time to Waste. And since its always prudent to be on mainland the night before homebound flight, do u want to be in Athens twice? Going into central Athens (1 hr+)and checking in/out of hotel 2x eats up precious hours.
(2) island-connection - is one available and make-able upon arrival
(3) Exhaustion level --see above; your starting point, duration of trip
(4) Interest! Do u care much about world-famous ancient landmarks or are you mostly thinking about beaches and island sunsets.

When u answer above questions for yourself and share with us, we can help you strategize.

travelerjan

Whoops! After all that thinking I noticed that your screen name ends in UK -- thus u are in Britain. Whole new ballgame (as we yanks say). (1) Shortish flight, thus less exhaustion (2) less Athens sightseeing motive, since unlike N. Americans, you can easily return to Greece when kids are older and (3) you can probably even find DIRECT flight to an island & even save £ — check local airport(s) to see what destinatations are on offer. You can then ask Fodors which of those work best for young families.

Still, it does help to specify arrival/departure dates to elicit the best advice.

Heimdall

In the OP's other threads the $ sign was used, so that hints they are from North America, or possibly Australia/NZ. In either case I wouldn't travel all that distance to Greece just to go to beaches, because there are much nicer ones closer to home.

What Greece does offer is culture, both ancient and modern. Ancient ruins, pretty seaside villages with sidewalk cafes, old mountain villages where tourism has barely reached, and of course the friendly, welcoming Greek people.

Mvlasiuk, if you are from the UK, beaches in Greece are as good as anywhere else in the Mediterranean. You will find there are direct flights to the islands from most major UK airports, and package deals that include flights, transfers, and hotels. You could also make independent arrangements, and include the mainland where most of the historic sites can be found.

travelerjan

So,mv, end our suspense; reveal where u are coming from -- unless of course you are in the Witness Protection Program, in which case it is a clever disguise to travel with children!

OverIt

I haven't yet traveled to Greece, but like you am planning to go there with kids who are currently 5 and 3. Based on the recommendation of a Fodorite, we are flying into Santorini, taking a ferry to Naxos, then flying to Athens, spending one night there, and flying home (to Boston).

We chose to spend one day and night in Athens to soak up some of the culture - sightseeing will be impossible but I'd like their little brains to be exposed to the history and energy of the Greek capital. We are doing it at the end because the flights worked out well that way and because we'll be rested after six days on the beach.

FWIW we live within a few hours' flight from the entire Caribbean but have never really wanted to go, although we love the beach! What interested me about Greece is the mix of culture and beach that you get.

Rlarner

I traveled to Greece a long time ago with my parents. Next summer (August 12-26) my husband and I and our two kids (ages 4 and 11) are going. We have decided on 4 nights Santorini, 8 nights Paros, 2 nights Athens. We will fly directly to Santorini... it will be a loooong day of traveling, but at least the next morning we will just be able to wake up and "be there" as opposed to waking up and traveling again! We are so excited!

We really wanted to stay a long period of time somewhere so that we can really try to take it all in. Last year we took a family trip to Italy and every few days we were moving and it was exhausting. We plan to do a couple day trips from Paros - Antiparos and Mykonos, perhaps.

I have been doing a lot of research - I can't speak from experience but I'd be happy to share ideas!

mvlasiuk

Thank you all for your input.

We are Americans and will be traveling from NYC. As you guys mentioned it makes sense to travel to one of the islands first and then perhaps on the way back to stop over for a day or two at Athens to get a taste of the culture and history (as at that point we hope to be relaxed and ready for some site seeing). We are still unsure which islands are best suited for families and offer activities for toddlers. We are not familiar with Greece nor Greek islands thus any advise is greatly appreciated.

In regards to travel dates we are looking at the end of
August ( after August 20th).
Once again thank you for your input!!

Lastly, do you think Greece (and Greek islands) would be enjoyed more as an adult only vacation? We do have the option of leaving the kids home

justineparis

The BEST beach for children is on NAXOS.. St Georges.. warm water, shallow gradual entry with no drop off.. and it stays shallow for a long long way out.. soft sand.. perfect family atmosphere ( as opposed to a few islands that seem to have more of a young adults atmosphere).
Naxos is a lovely island.. rent a car for a day or two and explore.. easy, and so many beaches and sites to discover on your way.
The people are so amazing.. heres an example .

First we asked our hotel owner about renting a car,, he suggested a few companies, we chose one.. the rental agency picked us up. Hotel owners wife came out of the kitchen and gave us a wrapped package.. she said "some snacks for your adventure today ".. how sweet.

Car broke down in mountains.. in middle of nowhere.. So.. what to do. There are five of us, my hubby, myself, our daughter and her boyfriend, and a family friend.

We recalled we had just passed a man working outside and walked up hill. Man was so nice, we thought he was a construction worker ( he was working on paving a driveway ) .but it turns out he and his mother owned the restaurant he was working on.. it was still closed for the season ( this was mid May) and they were renovating.. themselves!
The man came to our car and tried to fix it.. he couldn't so he phoned the rental car agency for us.. and spoke to them in greek.. and told us they would come and get us and would be there in about 45 minutes.
He then invited us into his place, introduced us to his mother who was gardening..
He went into restaurant and came out with 5 cold beers,, and spent the next hour chatting with us in broken English, his mom disappeared and reappeared,, with a plate of hot fresh made donut like sweets, insisting we all eat..

Eventually rental car agencies car appeared and took us back to town.
The owner of the restaurant refused all offers of money for his help, beer, food.. he was just being NICE for no other reason than Greek hospitality!!

We love the greek people!

We visited Mykonos too. It was not the same. At All. Pretty, but super commercial. Naxos has residents and life all year long.. Mykonos is mostly a tourist island..

Visit Naxos , its such a nice introduction to Greece and the people.

We stayed at the Kymata Hotel.. and had an amazing room with a huge deck and 180 degree views.. its the top floor suite ( no elevator, warning) but its perfect for a family, main room has big bed in it tv mini fridge. .then theres a small room off it with two single beds and another tv.. great for kids . Was so cheap compared to Mykonos.. but the problem is that there are only two of these amazing rooms and they book months in advance.. if you can snag them grab them. The beach is literally 3 minutes away,, and main part of town is about 5 minute walk.

geeze, I should be employed by Naxos as I am such a cheerleader for them, but we were just blown away.. I had been to Greece decades ago, my hubby had never been.. and I sort of twisted his arm to get there, its not close or convenient for us at all ( west coast Canadians) but it was so worth it and hubby is a total convert.. we will be back!

mvlasiuk

Wow thank you for your input. Such amazing people live in Naxos, definitely a change from what we are accustomed to here in US. I will definitely look into Naxos!

travelerjan

justine said it all ... in late may/early june every year, I watch scores of toddlers spending contented hours at the water's edge, waddling around with sandpails, while parents loll on sunbeds & relax. There are tavernas right on the sand for dining, or you can bring a "cane" stroller and walk 15 minutes to the restaurants at Naxos Town harborside. Feed kids early, then they can eat ice cream & fall asleep in strollers while u enjoy dinner.

your only problem is that families know & love St. George (Ag Giorgios) Beach so well, that for august the family-size units that are NEAR the beach may already be snapped up. If Kymat's 2 "family units" already are booked, there are some other lodgings to check on Booking.com (NOTE: stick to those with reviews of "8" or better & you'll be fine!)

NOTE: Booking.com, tells whether units for 4 are still available for your EXACT Dates. Sometimes places have a few rooms not listed with an online agency (altho usually not family units). If booking.com says "booking not available at this hotel" -- that can mean the place charges such modest rates, they don't need agencies in order to fill up. Then-mail them direct. (The advantage of using booking.com is that you learn instantly if there is availability. If you contact places direct, if they are busy (or full for your dates), sometimes they procrastinate in answering.) Below are URLs of modest places on or near beach, to check out on their websites before going to booking.com Not all may have 2-room units:

STUDIOS THOMAIS - http://www.naxos-saintgeorgebeach.co...ais/index.html
VILLA NAXIA - http://www.villa-naxia.gr
AKROGIALI - http://www.akrogiali-naxos.gr/
APTS GLAROS - http://www.naxosstudiosglaros.com/studios-for-2--3
DIOGENiS - http://www.studiosdiogenis.com/
PANOS STUDIOS - http://www.studiospanos.com/index.php?lang=en
SUN BEACH - http://www.thegreektravel.com/naxos/sunbeach/index.html
HOTEL ELIZABETH - http://www.hotel-elizabeth.com/index-en.htm (much of this website is in German but they DO answer book ing in English!)
GALAZIA - http://galaziastudios.com/en/studios-naxos
... BTW, I just did a "dummy search" for Aug 20-26 and Galazie had a 2rm apt for $2000 for 6 nights PANOS STUDIOS a 2 BR for $1000 (!!) ... so you can see -- there is no time to DITHER!

Final NOte: The lowest rate is non-refundable & requires advance deposit; if you book a slightly higher rate, you can pay for accommodation when youare there-- and you can cancel w.o. penalty until July or so. Worth It!

travelerjan

Just an add-on to your comment: "We are not familiar with Greece nor Greek islands thus any advise is greatly appreciated."

-- if you have NO familiarity with Greece/Greek islands, please do not attempt to learn everything on your smart-phone ... internet-only (75% of which is promotional) cannot give you the specific and CANDID info you need when you start with zero knowledge. Actual guidebooks (gasp! paper!) "filter" out the hype, and tell you downsides as well as highlights, help you choose how to spend your time, as long as you're spending your money. After all this trip (plane fare X 4) is going to cost many thousands of $$$... so do spend a few bucks on a good guide. I always recommend ROUGH GUIDE because it's so detailed -- doesn't squander too many pages on photos (THAT is what the internet is for) -- and u can get a used copy of RG for $7-8 bucks online... doesn't matter if its a 2010-12 edition; you're not using it to find restaurant prices. And you can just pull out relevant sections -- Athens, Cyclades, Food, Language -- Make a Duct-tape "spine" and voila! little pocket-size "guidettes" to read on plane, beach or ferry.

Heimdall

I agree with Jan about the value of paper guidebooks. Too bad Freewin Poffley's <i>Greek Island Hopping</i> guide isn't published anymore, although second-hand copies are available on Amazon. The most recent edition, 2013, is commanding higher than new prices, but older editions are just as good at a fraction of the price.

<i>Rough Guides</i> is certainly good, but its spelling of place names in English is often not the commonly accepted version. Transliteration of Greek to English is confusing enough for the newbie without that added handicap. Whagtever its shortcomings, I've always been more comfortable with <i>Lonely Planet</i>.

travelerjan

I liked Lonely Planet for a long time, Heimdall, I remember relying on earlier editions in my first few trips. However, they began cutting out all kinds of useful background information. I talked to an insider - an ex-editor - who (on conditions of anyonymity) told me publishers wanted to go "upmarket" so they wanted to put in a lot of color photoes...so to keep page count down, LP slashed text .. also went to cheaper maps to cut costs. More focus purely on logistics, not descripts of places, sights. He told me for Crete I should get the earlier edition, before text was pruned.

Also, LP doesn't pay much if anything these days ... a lot of its writers trips are "comps" & u know what happens then. There was a bit of a scandal 5 years ago or so -- re its Columbia SA new edition updated w. nobody going there. By contrast, I remember so well a bit of RG advice about public transport in/around Corinth -- How you get off one bus, walk down a certain street, buy ticket for next bus at a certain pastry shop-- that a writer needed to be there to know about.

Heimdall

It's been so long since I've bought a guidebook, I will take your word for that, Jan. When I did buy them I noticed they weren't updated very much from year to year, hence my "older editions are just as good at a fraction of the price" comment.

travelerjan

Newest one of mine is a 2014 RG, gifted by a grateful newbie ... also got a Blue Guide from a travel companion ... some of my favorites, Cadogan guides, are 10+ years old... but I don't consult them for hotel & taverna prices, and the basics -- ancient sites, landmarks, history -- don't change.

OverIt

DK published a new Greek island guide for 2015... It's really interesting and informative. I got mine from the library, as it probably won't be helpful once I get there.

travelerjan

I do like DK's "Eyewitness: the Greek Islands" because it has VERY insightful & visualgraphics of ancient sites -- Like Knossos, Acropolis, Rhodes Old Town, the "Volcano" origins of Santorini -- that makes them very understandable. Not much text, a very good overview. but you're right not m uch help on the scene - I alway recommend the DK guids to help you decide wher to go.

I also favor going to a library to just browse 5 or 6 guides, and borrow a couple -- especially if you are going on a short trip and to just 1-2 destinations. In that case, you can just sneak onto the office copier and photocopy a few pertinent pages.

Heimdall

Truth is, most of the information about hotels and restaurants in the guidebooks is completely useless, because the writers don't spend enough time on each island to scout out the best places.

I agree the guides are good for helping you decide where to go, and for showing the main attractions/places of interest on each island. For hotels and restaurants, no better place to get info is here on the Fodor's forum and on TripAdvisor.

stanbr

Well I am very late on this thread but Naxos will certainly be your best bet with ch8ildren. St George beach is part of Naxos town so you get a beach holiday with all the activities of town just a 10 minute stroll away.
Let pictures do the talking.

St George Beach Hotels Naxos http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632162394787/

St George Beach Naxos http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632113170279/


Naxos Town http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632094558042/


Ten Days in Naxos 2015 https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57656336387898

Naxos 2016 https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57671589993576