I'm planning a 20 day (+/-) trip to Crete with my husband and our three children (6-year-old and 16-month-old twins at the time of travel). We will be in Europe for almost two months, and Crete will be the first part of our vacation. At the moment, we're planning to fly into the Athens and spend five days there (second time visiting) and then taking the airplane to Chania. We will leave from Heraklion. I have come up with a couple of itineraries, but I keep second guessing every time I read more about the island. We will be renting a midsize car after Chania, so we can easily move around. I'm not looking to pack up every night with three kids or make long day trips either. Preferably, we would spend three or more days in an area to visit surrounding areas. Here is what I have right now:

Chania - 3 nights
Falasarna - 6 nights: Relax at the beach, visit Elafonissi and Balos lagoon Too long of a stay?
Rethymno - 2 nights old town area 11
South of Crete - 2 to 3 nights?
Agios Nikolaos - 5 nights to visit surrounding east coast. Too touristy?
Heraklion - 4 nights. Too long?

Is this amount of time in Crete too long? Possibly, cut down the time and concentrate on the Western side of Crete and Heraklion?

I'm having a hard time spacing out the vacation and would love some help. Pleas keep in mind that we have young children. We will not be doing hiking, so gorges are out and anything that requires us strapping the twins to us for too long. Otherwise, we're pretty adventurous and don't get easily overwhelmed carting three kids around

When will you be there: July, August or early September?
The choice of the best bases may be different in shoulder season or in top high season.

Where are you coming from? How long will you be flying before arriving in Athens.
Many of us here recommend leaving Athens to the end of the trip so you are there for your next flight. Sometimes ferries and flights can be delayed so being on the mainland is a good idea at the end of your Greece plan.

So if there is a connecting flight within two hours of arrival in Athens I would suggest you hop to Chania and get settled in. Jetlag in Chania is much easier to take than the hustle and bustle of Athens.

I would suggest that you extend your stay in Chania. We always stay in the old town area which gives you lots to do however you might be more interested in the Agia Marina area about 4km west of Chania. It is a resort area with long stretches of beach, There is regular bus transportation into Chania. I suspect this is a good place to hunker down and use as a base to explore the area.
Chania May 2016 https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57671465596275

The road to Balos is gravel and rough. If you damage your rental vehicle out there your insurance coverage is void. Even if you make the drive its a 20 minute walk down to Balos lagoon and then back up.

There is an excursion boat from Kissamos that takes you Gramovossa and Balos. It is inexpensive and you can book that trip at any travel agent. You can also do it by local KTEL bus. That means you can do that trip while staying in the Chania area.
You can also visit Elafonissi by the bus.

Personally I would cut way back on Falasarna and add it to Chania particularly if you stay out at one of the beach hotels.

As for the rest of the trip I would suggest you head south to the Libyan Sea.

Again using KTEL bus head south to Paleochora. The drive through the mountains is spectacular and its best to let a professional do that drive. Plaochora is a town with water on three sides. It is very nice. Of course you could substitute Paleochora with Sougia. It is a village just east of Paleochora.
Sougia https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54
/sets/72157653311291723

It is quiet relaxed and has a decent beach. Both are connected by a coastal ferry. Spend as long as you like in either one then take the ferry to Agia Romeuli. This is where the Samaria Gorge hike terminates. It is a quiet village accessible only by ferry. The mountain and seascape view are unbelievable.

From Ag Romeuli these is a second ferry that goes to Loutro and on to Chora Sfakion. It is possible to do this whole trip in a day but if you can, consider spending at least a couple of nights in Loutro. It is beautiful. From Chora Sfakion you can take the KTEL bus back to Chania or transfer at Vrissia and go to Rethymnon.
If you chose to do this route no car rental is required.
Ferry trip Libyan Sea https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57653434073393
Crete Libyan Sea villages https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7645487373222/

Four nights in Heraklion sounds like a prison sentence. It is hot dusty busy and noisy. The center area old town is great for a wander around and the Venetian port and castello is great but other than Knossos and the archeological museum one night is enough. You will need to be in Heraklion for the ferry? or will you be flying out.

We have spent over 40 nights on Crete over the past few years and have not managed to get out of the West. You can easily spend your whole time there and not be bored for a second.
Photos
Western Crete http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632115757899/

Rethymnon https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57654700502270
Heraklion https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57655935354556

Another Libyan Sea village is Plakias south of Rethymnon. It doesn't have the charm of the other villages but it has a two kilometer blue flag beach. We always try to spend three or four nights here before returning to Heraklion for our ferry trip.
Plakias Crete https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57665045541263

I have suggested that you do this without a car rental but if the car works better for you you can do it by car except for the coastal ferry trip. You cant take the car on the ferry ( insurance issues) so you would have to do that as a day trip with a return from Ag Romeuli. You can drive from Paleochora to Rethymnon then south to Plakias.

Whew! I'm so GLAD the first half of the Cretan Tag-Team (stanbr) preceded me, so I can just mop up the details. All of his suggestions are really SPOT on, and I can just tweak and add "mom-tips." First, the big 3 questions, 2 of which are already mentioned:

(1) WHEN?? May-June Waaay different from HOT & CROWDED July August
(2) WHERE (do u come from)?? As Stanbr says -- if you have relatively short nonstop flight from Eastern N. America, VERY different from exhausting journey from West Coast.
(3) HOW MUCH? (budget constraints) - if u plan to travel w 3 preschoolers u are probably resigned to major spending. But it sure would help to know your hoped-for budget range for Crete at least NOTE: many areas have

Now re CRETE:
• CAR RENTAL - since u are 5, u cannot take taxis (only insured for 4). So you need to plan ahead WELL to get car w 3 safety seats. Start NOW; look at quality agencies, not "bargain" outfits. Autoway is v. reliable crete-based agency. You can pick up at one town, drop at another w.o. extra charge.
•BABY-LUGGING - Face facts. Those toddlers every single day will whine to be picked up, and they will be too heavy for these back-carriers. I ache just thinking about it!. Bring along 2 of the lightest-weight foldable "cane" strollers you can find (not a double one)... even if it costs an extra luggage fee. Don't count on locating them when you arrive.
• LODGINGS - You may fantasize about lovely roomy villas right on the beach, but these mainly do not exist -- any like this are usually far inland & not convenient to beach or town. The kind of accoms that may work best for your family & are widely available are 1-BR apt units. U can put the 3 kids in BR, the main room can have 2 daybeds, kitchenette, table/chairs, & balcony or patio. This way u can feed kids on THEIR skeds, not be tied to restaurant schedules. Lots of parents feed kids dinner at 5 or 6 as usual, then walk to a taverna... buy the kids desserts to enjoy while grown-ups have adult beverages and relax at sunset. I see it working every May.
• CAR RENTAL - since u are 5, u cannot take taxis (only insured for 4). So you need to plan ahead WELL to get car w safety seats. Start NOW, and look at quality agencies, not "bargain" outfits. Autoway is v. reliable crete-based agency. You can pick up at one town, drop at another w.o. extra charge.

• CHANIA - Agree w. Stanbr's sage advice. There are 2 fine places at diff.
budget levels just west of Chania, both have LOCAl bus stop outside to get you into Chania Old Town in 15 minutes. #1 - Hotel AMMOS, is right on beach PLUS has pool... 5 * experiences at 3* prices. #2 is a great budget find nearby - http://www.lefka-apartments.gr - just 5 min walk to beach, lovely pool. Both are very family-friendly, both have Fab reviews on TA.
• FALASSARNA - I love that beach but would advise only 1-2 nite stay. It is isolated, and lodgings are at top of high bluff overlooking the sands; steep path down/back carrying Heavy Twins (groan). I love Hotel Petalida - they have separate units 1-story w. patios overlooking sunset...also their own (well-known) taverna serving catch of the day from their fishing boat!
•RETHYMNON - I wouldn't advise staying here unless you have some special reason; its Old Town much smaller than Chania, VERY crowded lanes, no big thrill. If u want to see Fortezza, it's a 1-hour stop. Only other reason would be to stay at one of its Modrun hotels right on the beach.
• AG NIK - Formerly a UK magnet, fell out of favor, not notable as family place, hotels not right on great beaches. My question would be: why?
• HERAKLION - Totally agree with Stanbr. 1 night in town is Enuff. U can drive bypass around town to see Knossos (preferably before 11, then drop car at handy hotel (Kronos is one). See Museum if you're up to it, otherwise just have nice meze dinner.
• WHERE NEXT?? if you cut your 20 days in Crete short, you could enjoy a relaxing 5 days or so right ON a beach, and explore interesting smaller island - I'd suggest either Naxos (St. George beach adjacent to town) or Antiparos (entire island is walkable). In early June, there is a daily ferry to either one, leaving 8:30- 9, takes about 3 hours. These both are the most family-friendly islands I know. to Return to mainland, daily fllights (45 mins) or large comfortable ferries (4-5 hours).

ATHENS - AirBnB often has good apartments BUT! you must be very knowledgable about WHERE. With 3 youngsters, you need to be VERY near to Main sightseeing, so when there's a melt-down, you can walk easily back to Home Base. So this means PLAKA area (and its southern end, called MAKROGIANNI) or KOUKAKI, or MONASTIRAKI. the OMNIA area is grungy, THISSIO is fairly far, so is KOLONAKI except right by National Gardens.If you're checking possibilities examine google map carefully! If apts are in desired central area, u can then ask Forum opinion on choices.

Sorry for car-info repetition; this forum has no "edit" function, darnit.

Car :
At that age a car is great for kids, they can sleep and catch up on lack of sleep.
Check with your airline you might be allowed to take the seat on top of your luggage - we did that severeal times, the big carseat, confortable and clean. Unlike what you may get at the rental, for a fortune.
Itineray :
It is been too long to remember where exactly we went but we loved the south and we moved faster than you do : we never stayed more tha 2 nights, except one week at Malia, to cool down. We loved the south, Lassithi is for me overrated, and the gorge of Samaria is fantastic but probably not doable with kids.
Kids :
Cretans are lovely with kids, they would dance with our daughter of 1,5 every time we went to a restaurant, for example.
Enjoy your trip.

Wow, what a wealth of information from everyone! I will be reading through everything tonight when I have some free time I'm sure I will have lots of questions! We plan to fly from Montreal, Canada to Athens. We will be in Crete the end of June and July. We fly out of Heraklion to Catania, Sicily. We plan to end our trip in Rome, Italy. I'm looking for budget places because we're staying so long. We will be renting a car.

We spent two weeks in Chania and concur with the others recommendations.Stay there longer. Just a few more observations:
Falasaarna is beautiful with a nice beach and full surf but we found Elafonisi to be more tropical, with shallow warm turquoise water, pink sand so better for small children.
We drove south through the White Mts.to Chora Skafion on the Lybian Sea, parked our car and took the ferry to Luotro for several days. Warmer water, a real get away spot. We stayed at Hotel Porto Loutro, very inexpensive for a waterfront experience. Wonderful restaurants by the water.
A short distance east of Chora Skafion is Frangokastello with nice beaches and vacation rentals. This might be a better location for a family with young children than Loutro although we loved Loutro. My Greek friends vacation in Frangokastello with their young kids.

Reading through all the responses and wondering something I should have asked from the start. Is Crete a good island for a young family or would you suggest another? I love ancient Greek mythology and history, so historical sites. We're open to other islands, especially if easier with kids.

Since you will be in Crete END of June and in July (which is High season) I do think Crete is best for you, because the smaller islands get SO jampacked with European Package-holiday crowds. Because Crete so large, and the biggest package-holiday mobs are in purpose-built resorts on N. coast, you'll be OK. However, your timing does mean that you'll need to book ahead to get what you need, in locations you want, at a price you'll like.

I still maintain, as does Stanbr (a canadian) that Athens is best done at the LAST of your trip... by then you'll be hip to the ways of Greece and will be readier to cope with the buzz & activity of a major capital.

The key thing is to get your Transport logistics locked in, and only THEN do your lodgings. When your Itinerary dates are firm, and you've figured out transport, and have located a few lodging possibilities you cannot choose between, open a new thread, and some of us can advise. NOTE: when doing so, PLEASE repeat info about family, ages, exact dates etc ... do not count on someone having read this thread.

We were very underwhelmed with Ag Nik; very touristy, blaring music coming from bars, etc. Unless you have a good reason for going there, I would skip it.

You wrote: <i>"I love ancient Greek mythology and history, so historical sites."</i>

With that in mind, the only two places from which to choose are mainland Greece or Crete. The other islands, for the most part, have small archaeological sites too, but nothing to go out of your way for. Exceptions: Delos, near Mykonos, and Akrotiri on Santorini.

End of June-early July isn't really high season, but some islands get lots of Scandinavian visitors, whose schools start their summer breaks in June. Crete won't be excessively at that time.

Rethymno is a wonderful with a very charming and well renovated old City, it is not as big as Chania, but i find it equally nice.
It is not a competition after all, otherwise you would spend all your nights in Chania without seeing any other city !!

There are nice small boutique hotels in the old city of Rethymno and i would recommend spending 2-3 nights there.

Heraklion is an interesting city to walk around and visit the local market, the Loggia and of course the Archaeological Museum. It is a vibrating city and some nice spots, i couldn't imagine spending 20 days on Crete without seeing the city.

Agios Nikolaos is a modern city, many like it . i personally like it less, but i always enjoy a nice lunch in one of the tavernas on the lake!

20 days are more than enough to see Crete, there is plenty to see, all you need is to connect the places that interest you geographically, so there won't be any backtracking ( which in certain cases might be inevitable)

I have visited Athens before, so I don't think we will be overwhelmed by the big city at the start of the trip. We mostly plan to stay 5 days in Athens to adjust to the change of time etc. We've been to Mykonos before and done the whole beach vacation. As of now, we plan to land in Athens on June 24 and spend five days there. We will take Aegean Airlines to Chania - June 29. I like to pick out all the hotels and determine a complete budget before actually booking the airline tickets.

I have decided to eliminate the east coast of Crete from our trip.

Chania - 4 nights - Possibly at Casa Veneta. We will rent a car when we leave the city.

Kissamos area on the beach - 2- 3 nights - We will visit Balos via excursion during this time.

Falassarna beach - 2 nights - Visit Elafonissi

Palaiochora - 3 nights - Visit Loutro by ferry and surrounding areas.

Rethymno - possibly 2 nights

Also, thinking of heading to Frangokastello for a couple of days

Heraklion or surrounding area - Take wine trail

Heraklion - 3 days? Visit Palace of Knossos, Archelogy Museaum, Cretaquarium Fly to Catania, Italy from Heraklion

Ancient sites:
Don't forget Phaistos/Aghia Triada (can be visited from the beach resorts of Agia Galini, Timbaki, Kalamaki, Matala....) and Malia.

Ancient sites around Catania airport: Taormina and Siracusa for sure, but don't forget the roman villa del Tellaro, between Noto and the Vendicari National Park (unspoilt sandy beaches).

Keep in mind for that ferry trip to Loutro you will not be able to bring your car. You will have to leave it in Paleochora and then return to pick it up for the drive to Rethymnon.
I fully agree with neckevrd. While in the Heraklion area head south Phaistos but also make a stop in Gortez. If you wander around the olive groves near the archeological site you will discover a buried Roman city. It is partially excavated but there are still columns lying in the grove and the occasional statue.
Crete Archeological sites https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7645085297380/

Okay, thanks for all the suggestions. I believe I have come up with our official itinerary:

1. Athens - 4 nights (mainly to relax. I have already done Acropolis)

2. Chania - 4nights - May stay in Anastasia Apartment, but the hotel has yet to confirm if they can provide a crib. Having a hard time finding a place big enough for all of us and not a lot of stairs. We plan to do a day trip to Balos with a tour company.

3. Palaiochora - 3 nights - Will visit Loutro by ferry for the day (no need for a car). Visit Ellafonisi beach.

4. Kalamaki / Matala - 6 nights - Beach and visit Phaistos and other ancient ruins. Maybe, wine trail.

5. Heraklion - 3 nights

Do these areas sound good?

I am not a big fan of Heraklion. I would drop one day there and add it somewhere else.

<i>Four nights in Heraklion sounds like a prison sentence.</i>

I just wanted to thank stanbr for the best chuckle of my day.

We were happy to visit Knossos from there, and the archeological museum is very interesting as well. Aside from that, yeah... no. Not worth 3 full days.

Where should I add a night if I take away one in Heraklion?