keriandpaulinva

I posted about a trip to Italy and Greece but an rethinking that now. Maybe just Greece would be better.

We're planning a trip with my husband's family to celebrate his parents' 70th birthdays and 40th anniversary. They met in Greece (on the ferry to Hydra). There will be 8 people traveling: Mom and Dad (70), sister (30s), brother (30s), me and husband (30s), son (4), and daughter (1 1/2). Everyone is a seasoned traveler (except the kids - and they have traveled more than most adults). The challenge is to organize a trip that works for everyone. We had originally planned a trip for October that was through a tour company including 3 nights in Athens, a 4 night island cruise, and a 3 night extension in Rome. We had to postpone that due to MILs hip replacment. It looks like we should be ok to go in May 2007 but I'm rethinking the tour, etc. We have 2 weeks to travel (from D.C. area).

Would a cruise make sense for the Greek Islands with so many different people or could we just visit two islands and have enough to do? Which islands would be the best for our group? We'd need something easy to get around on and to. The city is nice because if someone wants to head back for a nap, it's easy enough for the group to split up and regroup again. I've read posts about renting apartments and was thinking that may work better than a small European hotel room with two kids. Suggestions for Athens or the islands?

Also, what about logistics for moving from place to place? We don't travel very light with two kids. I'd like to avoid renting cars. Is it easy to get from AThens to the islands, etc? That was one thing I liked about the tour - they arranged the transportation.

I'm in the beginning of planning this trip and would really appreciate your advice. Our budget is ~$3500-4000 per person.

Thanks,
Keri

travelerjan

I posted an answer to your first query, which addressed these very concerns... and the answer is NAXOS, at St. George (Ag. Giorgios) beach.
You DON'T have to rent a car, except for a day or two driving around the island for its scenic wonders .. with a St. George beach apt., it's easy to split up and regroup (and retreat to the room for a nap). There are diversions for every age group (clubs for the 30somethings, beach pals for the kiddies, dance concerts for the culture minded, a fab museum, and even a "jazz bar" for folks who can remember Sarah Vaughn and the 1950s bands.
Oh, and I forgot to say, it's madly affordable -- our room at Hotel Galini/Sofia in mid-may this year was 32E for twin-bed room with balcony and sea view including huge breakfast buffet
If you want specific recommendations, just ask.

sactomama

I think a cruise might be the best fit for the range of age and interests in your group. Then everything is easy (sites, transportation, meals, etc.) If everyone is relaxed, everyone will have a good time. If you try to do the islands on your own, you will have to coordinate ferry passages and often the seas are too rough to make the trip that day which would further complicate the travel of 8 people. Personally, our family of five LOVED Santorini the best and didn't care that much for Naxos. With two small children in tow, my best advice is to take the easy way out!!

Heimdall

I think it boils down to whether your priority is to take a cruise or to enjoy the islands. I've seen posts on this board such as "We only have six hours on Mykonos - what can we see during that time?" That is enough to put me off the idea of a cruise. I would much rather spend all of the day on an island, sightseeing or going to the beach during the day, then having a leisurely meal at a taverna in the evening, without worrying about when I need to be back aboard ship.

Regarding the weather, it is true that ferries are occasionally cancelled due to high winds, but they are mostly the small passenger-only catamarans, not the big ferries which carry cars and trucks as well as people. At any rate, if the weather were bad enough to stop the big ferries, I wouldn't want to be stuck on a cruise ship either. What happens when the sea is too rough to bring passengers ashore in the tenders?

I agree with travelerjan that Naxos would be a perfect island for your stay. It has beautiful beaches, charming inland villages, and a chora (main town) filled with wonderful shops and restaurants. You could easily spend a week there without being tempted to move on to another island. Ferry connections are very good, with the Hellenic Seaways Highspeed taking about 3½ hrs and the Blue Star about 5 hrs from Piraeus.

travelerjan

Thank you, Heimdall, for agreeing with my common-sense suggestion. IMHO, people who suggest cruises are those who have ONLY done it this way, and who are not familiar with the big-island major ferries ... they are the size of small ocean liners. PLUS, May & June are hands-down the calmest months for the Mediterranean. In 5 may trips, I've NEVER had a rough voyage on large ferries, or even small ones for that matter. PLUS, i only suggest ferrying back not out. As regards arrangements (sites, meals transport), I explained how easy it is in Naxos... and if you didn't want to rent a car for a day-tour of island, there is a daily bus tour.
I respect that Sactomama, says her family of 5 Loved Santorini, but I wonder if they were traveling with a child under 2 and parents over 70. I myself had a very successful vacation when my daughter was 2, mainly because we had a unit right on the beach, where we could run in for diapering & naps, and feed her on HER schedule (note: all these beach places have fridges even if not apts).
Again, please consider Naxos as an option. I would be happy to address any specific concerns; I just want you to have an enjoyable unstressed time.

Heimdall

travelerjan, you said "PLUS, i only suggest ferrying back not out." Do you mean fly into Naxos, then? I thought of that too, but with a family of eight and only, as I recall, one flight per day into Naxos, decided not to mention it. Flying in and out of Naxos would certainly save the hassle of getting to Piraeus, boarding the ferry, etc. Those who have read some of my other posts know that I prefer flying to the islands myself. The last time I flew to Naxos, though, I had a long layover at the airport and the flight arrived on the island about the same time as the highspeed ferry.

travelerjan

Yes, I did suggest fllying to Naxos. I realize there is only one flight a day, but Post-er is planning a full 11 monhs ahead... and I don't sense that there is a super super budget concern that could have them holding out for a transatlantic air bargain. Thus, they could make their flight plans FAR in advance, and assure those 8 seats on the airplane. Worst-case scenario, there aren't 8 seats available, then give priority to the elders, and to family with 2 kids, and let the 2 childless 30-somethings taxi to Piraeus & catch a ferry (they're grown-ups; they should be able to handle that). The naxos hotelier will meet them at the Quay.

Heimdall

Those are good arguments, travelerjan. keriandpaulinva, you can book your flights on http://www.olympicairlines.com/.

keriandpaulinva

Thanks so much for the great info! I really like the idea of flying directly to an island instead of staying in Athens right away.

I'm not really into cruises (have only been once). While I like the idea of taking all the decision making away (i.e. where and when to eat dinner, etc.), I'd like to experience the local culture (and food!) a bit more.

Naxos sounds great for our family, especially the more mobility impaired. I was thinking of renting a villa or apartment, do you have recommendations in that area? I can also check out the slowtravel website that I read about here.

The recommendations travelerjan made on my other post were great. I think I'll forward that on to the rest of the family. Thanks!

So, if we stay on Naxos first for about a week, where should we go next? Would you recommend staying on Paros for a few days before AThens or just day tripping there from Naxos? I was thinking maybe we would do 4 days in Athens at the end of the trip (maybe with 1 day to Hydra for the sentimental reason) Would that be sufficient time in Athens(noting that museums are not much of an option for the kids)? I think we could handle two moves during the 2 weeks, but don't want to do more than that.

Thanks so much to everyone for their helpful replies!

Heimdall

Paros is a good choice for a second island, being only 30 min by highspeed from Naxos, but may I suggest my personal favourite, Antiparos? It's only a short bus or taxi ride and 10 min ferry from Parikia, the Paros port. Nearly everything on Antiparos is concentrated in a small area, making it easy to walk to beaches and restaurants. It is popular among families with small children, and I have a wheelchair-bound friend who goes there every year because it is so easy to get around.

A good private website on Antiparos and other islands is http://www.islandstrolling.com. It has excellent photos, and even Greek music on some of the pages. Enjoy!

travelerjan

Again, Heimdall has a good suggestion.. Antiparos. The beauty part here is that for those who want to party (the 30-something singles), Paros is just a 10 minute ride across the water.
I would say, after a week in Naxos, do 2-3 nights in Paros/Antiparos. This has the advantage of shortening your ride to the Athens port of Piraeus. The Blue Star Ferry leaves Naxos @9:45 but Paros @ 10:45... gets in about 2:45. I suggest this ferry as it is big, has decks, you can wander about with the kiddies etc. As for Athens, the adults could spend many days, but with kids --- 3 days is enough. Stay in Plaka, convenient & walkable (many streets/lanes are pedestrian-only, you don't have so much worry over traffic). Plus, it's near the National Gardens, which has nice play areas for children. You probably could do with a hotel that has extensive desk services like that Electra Palace, but is still in Plaka, not surrounded by huge roaring streets.

optroy

I am hoping to visit Greece this October -- bringing my spouse and 3-year-old son. Last year we traveled to Athens together and had a great time -- everyone was so friendly and hospitable and made us feel so comfortable traveling with a toddler. This year, after spending a few days in Athens with family who live there, we're hoping to visit the islands (probably just one). I've been to Santorini, Mykonos, Hydra, Corfu, etc.; but either as a kid or as a single 20/30-something. My husband has never been to the islands at all. I see your postings regarding Naxos. Unfortunately, I can't remember anything about the island as the last time I was there was ... 20+ years ago!!! (YIKES) Do you recommend a trip there in late Sept or October? If so, can you recommend any hotels w/ nice (or better) facilities and either beach access or a pool? Any ideas???!
THANKS!

travelerjan

This is to optrov -- It might help attract more Greek-savvy responders if you start a new thread saying "Greek Isles in Sept/October?"

You queried about good isles for you, spouse & 3 year old for those times. I would still go with Naxos (as we advised keriandpaulinva). It is not overly "touristized" as are Santorini & Mykonos and retains its flavor of Greek life, particularly if you go just a few Km into the countryside, or even into the "native-Naxian" neighborhoods of Naxos town.

Naxos is also big enough with enough permanent residents that it doesn't "close down" after high seaon the way many isles do. I've been in Naxos in mid-sept and everything was still going strong -- including evening dance/concer performances in the high "castle" courtyard. And I still advocate St. George (Ag. Giorgios) beach lodging, because the beach is good for toddlers, you can have a apt. directly on the beach for naptimes, and you can easily walk to the town attractions, using a stroller.

You can find a full listing of hotels, with pools and without, at a noncommercial Island website, naxos-island-greece.com/naxos-hotels/naxos-hotels.html -- click on St George, and each hotel shows interiors, exteriors, features, prices, e-mail address etc. I liked Galini, but most rooms are up a fllight... also a "studio-plus" arrangement would be best for you (includes a kitchenette so you can feed the tot when he's hungry). Check Hotel GLaros and ask about their Studios -- also many others right on the beach. BTW, the water is still wondefully warm in Late Sept, tho nights cool off.

Listen, if you're serious about this trip, just invest a little time in reading some guidebooks at your local library about Naxos' attractions -- there are so many you can't sample them all even in a week ... and since most hotels are family-run, with their share of teenagers, you probably even can get babysitters for evenings out (PLUS, using a stroller with pillows, you can bring your son along to dinner and let him fall asleep by the table -- you see that everywhere in Naxos!
Enjoy your trip -- and please post a report!

stanbr

This is also to Optrov. Once again travellerjan demonstrates her wealth of knowledge of Greece and Naxos in particular.
I second the choice of St George beach area. The beach is fine white sand and the water is very shallow and calm. There are many families with toddlers on St George Beach.
We have stayed at Glaros Studios several times and they have kitchenette with one two or three bedroom units. It is a 3 minute walk to the beach ( it was a 30 second walk until Naxos Royal cut off the path to the beach.)
It is not fancy but it is clean, quiet and as a bonus is located in a real Greek neighbourhood and is well priced.

While in Naxos this summer we thought we should investigate some different hotels as options and we visited Hotel Spiros. It is adjacent to Naxos Royal and only a minute walk to St George Beach.
The unit we looked at was a one bedroom with kitchen but was nicely appointed and quite affordable. Around 40 euros in May.
It also has a pool which may be a bonus for a family with a small one.
You can check them out at www.hotel-spiros-naxos.gr