Greece with 10yr old who wants to re-live Greek mythology
 

Hello Fodorites,

My 10yr old is enamored by Percy Jackson and Greek Mythology and so we want to ring in her 10th birthday in Greece. Before I book my flights I wanted to get a sense of which cities/ islands we should plan to see, sites that are not be missed & how many days would we need. We plan to do this trip end March/early April. Also advice/ recommendations for travel between cities/ islands would be greatly appreciated. We are family of 4 ( DH, 10 yr old and 5Yr old).

Thanks in advance

Rent a car in Athens and drive to Nafplion. From there you cam visit Tiryns (Hercules was born here), the amazing theatre at Epidaurus
and Mycenae... home of Agamemnon. One of the biggest thrills I've ever had travelling was walking through the Lion Gate... the same portal he would have used on his way to the Trojan war.

Nemea is also close (instead of the long drive to Olympia) as is Korinth. A drive to Delphi via Elefsina and Thebes (Thiva) is also easy... you pass the crossroads where Oedipus killed his father...

If you drive back to Athens a detour via Thermopylae (not that much to see but glad I have been) and Marathon might be in order.

Hope your 10 year old has fun!

Good information from ParisAmsterdam. A good circular route. Some friends of ours had a 10 year old who wanted to visit Ancient Greece in March and they had a great trip.
I might add that while Nafplion is a great place to do day trips it also has two Venetian era fortresses and a wonderful marble paved central square in the old town area where families come out to spend the evening(in summer anyway). Your kids may enjoy that experience as well.
Also at Corinth you can visit Ancient Corinth the Roman town and Ancient Nemia which had sister games to Olympia and still has a partially restored temple and a stadium.
Here are images of Nafplio and the surrounding area as well as images of Delphi (ignore Olympia and Meteora.
Nafplio and Peloponnese http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632094108982/
Olympia Delfi Meteora https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7645469717811/
have a great time

One other destination to keep in mind is Sicily--lots of Greek myths (Persephone, Arethusa) and temples, etc. there. I felt much closer to the myths there than in Greece, oddly enough.

Pelion is the land of the centaurs and the playground of the Olympian gods. Cyprus is the island of Aphrodite and you can visit her birthplace at Petra dou Romiou and her baths in near the Akamas.

Apollo and his twin sister Artemis were born on Delos, near Mykonos where you can board a boat for a day trip to Delos.
The Minotaur is from Crete.

Mount Olympus which was supposedly the home of the gods is a real place: http://www.olympusfd.gr/us/Default.asp

A couple of summers ago, extended family from US visited Greece and roamed around most of the usual archeological sites. Although the 8 year old son was fan of the movie and started the trip with enthousiasm, he seemed seriously disappointed and fed up when they reached Delphi, after 2 weeks of visiting ruin after ruin. He was very disapointed he could not find any figure of Perseas in any souvenir shop either. I feel no one had really prepared him for this trip.
Things improved somehow only when I lend his grandmother (of Greek origin who knows decent Greek, but rest of the family saddly not) some Greek children mythology books of mine and she would translate then to him.
He finally showd some interest on visiting Delphi oracle when I told him some myths/stories about its history, especially about Apollon killing Python , the cleverly put prophecies of Pythia and the death of Aesops. I tried to relate myths to the site, for example the Plistos river down the valley is rumored to be the spine of dragon Python, Faedriades rocks are where Aesops was kicked from etc.
They stayed several days in the area and he enjoyed taking it easy, visiting the near by Itea town for a swim, joining the local kids in the square kicking heir football around, been pampered by relatives and staing in taverns till late wiout having to wake up early and move every day. lol
I have see many children visiting who are in search of traces of the movies and sometimes they find them, sometimes they are not.

I am not saying here to burst your son's enthousiasm, I am saying to steer it to the right direction. Other than the movies, is he really familiar with Greek Mythology? Try to prepare him by watching some documents on specific places/sites and by reading him myths and history related to specific sites you decide to visit. The same applies to the younger son. Try to drow their attention on other activities and modern Greece too. I feel no matter how impressive, there are so much ruins, museums and sightseen a child can take. Check if some museums offer specific activities for kids and enjoy them as a family. Athens Acropolis museum offers some such projects and there might be others.
I can unearth you history and mythology even on places which are known for other reasons. Pelion with its nice sea side and mountain villages is the land of centaurs as said before. Meteora with its Byzantine monasteries was a battle field between Olympian gods and Giants. Thessaloniki, the second larger city in the country, with mostly Roman and Byzantine sites and a great ambiance was founded by people who had Hercules as an anchestor and has the same name as the mythical sister of Great Alexander. And so on... All of Greece and actually a large part of surrounding area is related to myths, but what is there to see and do and if it's attractive for a child is a different matter.

Please do note that March/early April is off season on most islands. You may really enjoy them without the crowds and heat, but there will be no beach activities and smaller islands with small pernament population will feel nearly deserted. Islands with larger population are a better bet, say Crete or Rhodes. A flight might be more advisable for a family than a loooong ferry ride.

Personaly I suggest you to have a look on a guidebook or two, form some ideas, then come back with more specific questions. I am sure this will be a great trip : )

Mariha2912 beat me to it.

I think you can have a fantastic trip with your 10 year old, with many atmospheric high points, but the way in which the Greek myths were tied to the landscape of Greece requires some large leaps of imagination to reconnect with today. You might be able to find a tour guide in some places who really specializes in this and it could be worthwhile to get in touch and see if their tours are geared toward kids.

Do you live near a museum with a solid collection of Greek artifacts (vases, etc)? That might be one way of getting a feel for what your daughter relates to.

Also, you know your daughter best, but I travel sometimes with a 9 year old and it has been pretty hard to keep up with his ever-changing enthusiasms. Many kids do have sustained interests over years (I certainly had a few growing up) but it can be something to keep in mind about such an expensive present. That said, even if your daughter becomes enthralled by Darwin after you've already bought tickets, you can still have a truly wonderful time in Greece and learn a lot about many important things.

Wise words, wise words from both above. Good planning can avoid disappointment ... and even bring unexpected thrills.

First, I'd suggest you celebrate that March birthday with a terrific movie, and birthday cake shaped like the Parthenon, then postpone the trip until early June ... an ideal time to visit Greece and the Greek islands! Sunny days, still lots of greenery from spring rain, everything's open, nothing's crowded, sea warm enough to swim ... and plenty of ruins & landscape to explore. The right choices can bring discovery excitement. Examples:

NAFPLIO & Argolid area -- Only 2+ hours away from Athens on modern highway... and it has more impressive ruins/historic sites per square mile than any other place except maybe Athens. If you stay in Nafplio, there are THREE "castles/forts" ... one in the bay, one on a GIbraltar-size rock behind town (999 steps up!) and one atop the town... the last one was mainly fortified in Medieval era, but at the high point of the peninsula, there are remnants of walls dating to 300 BC! And in the museum, the earliest suit of armor in the world (!). Nearby the fortresses of Mycenae (Iliad!), Tiryns, and stunning Epidaurus theatre, AND Nemea, site of ancient Sacred Games (children can parade thru the athletes' tunnel, race in the stadium). BTW, defeating the Nemean Lion was one of Hercules' famous feats. Plus of course lovely beaches ... a great introduction.

NAXOS -- An island with landscapes AND history... ancient statues lying where they fell ... in the Cathedral courtyard, an Iliad-era burial ground viewable thru a glass floor .. a Gigantic arch "doorway" on an islet, a tiny museum with marble "idols" over 4000 years old -- plus beaches of course. And this is the island where the slayer of the Minotaur, Theseus, took Ariadne.

If you choose Greek places that are named in Mythology AND afford places for active kids to climb, run and play, their imagination will do the rest.

Wow!! This is great advice!!While I have been researching myself I have been skeptical too if her enthusiasm does not sustain. In addition I also have a 5yr old son who is not going to be as interested. So Yes plan was to show them the movies, She is already reading and watching a lot of Greek mythology on her own and sharing it with her lil bro:-)
Will take into account all your above suggestions and come up with a tentative itinerary for your review. We actually prefer April weather ( lil cooler) than June. Coming from Singapore we are done with the heat:-)Thanks a ton folks...

There will be no heat.. and please note.. some of the islands really will be closed up still in March..

Greek Orthodox Easter is 12 April next year, a great time to visit.

asmama, I still believe May 15 - June 15 is ideal weather, I just think you haven't researched it. In fact, there's a Creation story about God going around giving every area of the world a different climate and vegetation etc, and then at the end someone said, well, you've given away all the climate options, and you forgot Greece. Oh, said God, well, then I'll just give Greece the weather I was saving for Paradise.

Weather in Greece May 15-June 15 is unbeatable. At breakfast it's about 19°C/66F, by midafternoon, it's warmed up to about 28°C/82F ... then toward sunset, it goes down to about 20-21°C (a light cardigan over the shoulders), and you sleep well under a cotton bedspread as temp goes down in wee hours to about 18. To me, that's not "heat."

I've been to Singapore (and Malaysia) a couple of times, and can assure you that late May and early June in Greece will seem quite cool in comparison to your year-round temperatures. You need a plan for when your 10 year old tires of looking at ruins, which will probably occur sooner rather than later. I see school Term II in Singapore ends on 29 May, and that would be a perfect time to go to Greece.

HI all,

Thanks so much for all your advice above. But Looks like Greece will be March end - early April for us.

So want to make the best of it with the understanding that a few places will be closed:-( and we will not be doing complete justice to the place at all. So based on what all my daughter really wants to see and some places we would like to touch upon I have planned as below.

Can you please help with the tentative schedule

Day 1 : Arrive Athens, Fly to Crete - Heraklion, relax and recover from jetlag, overnight @ Crete
Day 2 : Explore Heraklion - Minoan palace of Knossos & Musuem, overnight @ Crete
Day 3 : Explore Heraklion, ferry to Santorini, overnight@ Santorini
Day 4: HIke and sunset, Overnight @ Santorini
Day 5: Day @ Santorini, Fly to Athens, overnight @ Athens.

Day 6: Explore local Athens..Acropolis, Parthenon, Musuems theater of Dinoysus, temple of Zeus, overnight @ Athens
Day 7 : Day trip to Nafplion via Nemea and Corinth, overnight @ Athens
Day 8 : Day trip to Delphi, overnight@ AthensDay 9 : Depart from Athens


One place that she wants to visit is Cape Sounion which I don't seem to have time for. Can I / should trade it for something? Are there flights from Santorini to Cape Sounion so then we can fly directly to Sounion, spend sometime there and then drive to Athens?

Would appreciate your thoughts

Thanks

I think you've packed a 2-week trip into 1-week, with very little down time for a 10-year-old and a 5-year-old.

As mentioned above, the islands are not at their best at that time of year. I would take them out of the itinerary and focus on the mainland.

You could stay a few nights in Nafpion without having to subject your kids to a nearly 5-hour car ride back and forth to Athens the same day.


And/or you could visit Cape Sounion, which is only 1.5 hours from Athens. We've overnighted there a few times because The Temple of Poseidon is particularly beautiful at sunset. There's a nice hotel on site ( The Aegeon) which is within walking distance ( though maybe not for the five-year-old) to the Temple.

I'm not trying to be rude, but as a mom I know for sure my kids who are much older now would never have gotten through this itinerary without becoming insanely cranky.

Good luck!

Bookmarking

If you plan to be in Greece on 25th March, do note it is a public holiday, commemorating the Greek uprise in 1821 against the Ottoman rule (aka museums and sites will be closed and parades will take place all around disrupting traffic etc).

Hi asmama,

Be advised that ferries between Crete and Santorini are seasonal, and don't begin until April 9th this year. There is a once-per-week conventional ferry that runs on Sundays, but isn't shown on the ferry timetables for March-April at the moment. Earlier this year it was shown as departing Heraklion on Sunday at 10 pm and arriving on Santorini Monday at 4:40 am.

Your other alternative is to fly back from Crete to Athens and catching a connecting flight to Santorini.

Point noted! WWK nothing rude in what you said..I hear you! That's why I like Fodorites ..for being very honest and putting things in perspective. So no worries.

Heimdall..Yes I realized that last night and no don't want to do it via Athens. So Crete is out. I have to admit I am so enamored by Santorini that I cant go to Greece and not go to Santorini.

Mariha2912 and travelerjan...your input is valuable and I have read and re read it several times:-)

So this is what I am thinking

March 26th : Arrive Athens am, Fly to Santorini
March 27th : Santorini
March 28th : Santorini
March 29th : Fly to Athens am, Car rental, head to Nafplion , overnight @ Nafplion
March 30th : Nafplion and vicinity as per suggestions above, head back to Athens pm, night @ Athens
March 31st : Day trip to Delphi, night @ Athens
April 1st : Local Athens, night @ Athens
Aprils 2nd : Cape Sounion, night @ Athens
April 3rd : Depart from Athens

Inputs please!!
THANKS a TON

I still think this itinerary is wildly ambitious, but perhaps it's my own aversion to trying to do too much. In any event, I wouldn't return to Athens in between Nafplion and Delphi. Why not:

Mar 29 - Fly to Athens, rent car, drive to Delphi w/ overnight there
Mar 30 - finish touring Delphi in am, drive to Nafplion, perhaps stopping in Mycenae or Nemea en route
Mar 31 - Epidaurus, Corinth en route back to Athens

Just writing that makes me exhausted! I really suggest skipping Cape Sounion and spending that time in Athens instead. And if it were me, I'd put Santorini at the end instead of the beginning. So more like:

Mar 26 - 28 - Athens
Mar 28-29 - Delphi
Mar 29 -31 - Nafplion (Mycenae, Corinth, Nemea, Epidaurus)
March 31 - April 3 - Santorini

That way you can pick up the car in Athens on Mar 28 and drop at the airport on Apr 1 when you fly out to Santorini. And that way you'll have plenty of time for everyone to take a deep breath for three nights on Santorini!

I agree with txtree it is wise to allow a few more leisure days towards the end of the trip, but usually we advice people to visit islands first, then be back to mainland before one's flight home, it is less risky to be a few hours driving than having a sea to cross trying to get to the airport on departure date. I would feel more comfortable getting Santorini "out of the way" at the start of the trip.
That said, I agree this back and forth in Athens is not wise use of your time asmama. If you plan to hire a car, fly to/from Santorini, then hire a car and visit both Nafplion and Delphi, then save all your Athens days for the end of the trip.
If you arrive on Santorini around noon on your first day, I would consider dropping one night there and adding it on Nafplio. I don't think you can take all sites in Nafplion area in one overnight and have time for Nafplion itsself. And I wish you all the best for decent weather, otherwise Santorini on foggy or rainy days might be a waste of time.
I have some (unofficial right now) information that summer schedule on archeological sites and museums will aply as of April 1rst. Let's keep out fingers crossed this is the case, otherwise your itinerary is very hard to accomplish. In winter schedule museums and and archeological sites will close by 3PM or 4PM. On a summer schedule closure time will be around sunset time. One more reason to leave mainland towards the end of your trip.
If you have all your island and driving done, you may be a bit flexible planning your days in Athens. You may allow an evening doing nothing or taking it easy and you may decide last minute on Cape Sounion.

Great advice above, but don't leave Santorini for the end of your trip unless you are flying directly home from there. You run the risk of delays/cancellations flying into Athens from the islands, which could make you miss your flight home the next day.

About Cape Sounion: It's only about an hour or slightly less from Athens airport. If you decide to go there, it would be possible to overnight and leave from there for the airport the next morning.

My kids found Cape Sounion tantalizing when they were your kids ages. You could spend the morning in Athens, then leave for Cape Sounion in time for a late lunch and exploration. There's a pretty beach ( though March/April is not really beach weather) in front of The Aegeon Hotel, and a decent taverna for dinner only steps away.

In Athens can I suggest a visit to the old Olympic Stadium - not that old (1896), but the stadium where the modern olympic games were held. It's a short taxi ride from the centre of Athens and a fun place for kids - our 6 year old enjoyed it, especially the audio guide which makes it all very atmospheric and is fun for kids to operate. It doesn't require any leaps of imagination, so will make a nice change from the ruins

http://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attraction...ns_Attica.html

Thanks much all of you. Will take your advice and add another night at Napflio. Cape Sounion and Old Olympic stadium should be a good change for the kids so will keep that on our schedule. As much as DH too would like to keep Santorini for the last just the fear of flight delays etc have kept Santorini first.

I am scouting for hotels in Athens and Napflio...reasonably priced but close to the major attractions. Any recommendations?

Also in Santorini, it seems like Imerovigli has the best sunsets so debating between this town and Fira. Given that we are in the low season, will Imerovigli be deserted? again recos would help me.

asmama,

What is your budget for hotel rooms?

On an average $150/night would be good. Assuming Santorini will be on the higher side if we want to be overlooking the Caldera so Athens and Nafplion don't need anything fancy.

Imervogli is NOT the choice for low season... you should be at most, on fringe of FIra Town, or you'll hve to be hopping into a hire-car just for a cup of coffee. If you want a Santorini unit accommodating a family, with a caldera view, seomething like Agnadema Apts might be the best of both worlds for you http://www.booking.com/hotel/gr/agna...c2529d84a3eb6d --- caldera view, apt accom., 15 minute walk on rimside path to the lively center of Fira, And while rooms have caldera view, the "inland side" of the premises is just off FIrostephani "main street" the road the bus takes to Oia -- so u can just go out hat door & bus to Oia. Blue Dolphins Apts v. nearby has similar apts http://www.bluedolphins.gr/studios-4...tes-santorini/
--- and let me assure you --- having been to Santorini 4 or 5 times, having stayed all along the Western side, I can testify that the sunsets are equally lovely from balconies in Firosteplhani. The ballyhoo about which is the best sunset is just that.

Thanks Travelerjan!
Agnadema is sold out! Blue Dolphin does not have the bigger rooms.

Would you know about Splendour resort/Caldera Studios?
I had tentatively booked a couple in Imerovigli, but cancelling those:-)

Just curious ...How difficult is it reach these hotels on the cliff with luggage and kids etc

Asmama, when a hotel on the Greek Islands shows "no availability" on its website for the end of March it usually means it is still closed for the winter. What you need to do is find a list of hotels that are open all year round. Try this: https://www.santorini.com/hotels/allyear.htm

BTW, when using the all-year hotel link in my last post, it would be wise to confine your search to hotels in Fira, the only village on Santorini with much life that early in the year. It's also the most central location for visits to other parts of the island.

Look for a hotel with a caldera view, and don't worry about sunset (few hotels have both). If the weather is cloudy you won't see the sunset anyway, and if it is clear the sunset lasts only for a few minutes. You can easily find somewhere to view the sunset without having to stay in your hotel.

I would be surprised if any hotel is "sold out" at the beginning of April. Those that are open should have vacancies.

Agree with Heimdall ... "no availability" may just mean the owner is still on his own holiday ... 2 other places in Firostephani with family facility to try: Vallas Apts, Kafieris Apts,

I guessed...was wondering why they are sold out at this time of the year! Quite a bunch of these hotels from the list above (all year.htm)also show no availability on booking.com. So Assuming that they are not open at this time of the year:-(

What I have so far
Santorini:

Blue dolphins Firostephani
Splendour resort firostephani
Caldera studios - Fira
Looking for something better in FIRA ...so help me please


Athens

Best western Athens
Electra Palace

NApflio
Amalia Napflio

Any thoughts on these above pr other recos would help.

Just a suggestion: google the names of those hotels and go on their own websites. Booking(dot)com is generally allocated a few rooms by each hotel, and when those rooms are gone the booking website shows no availability on the "site". In that case "site" means the website, not the hotel itself. If you contact the hotel directly, you may find they still have rooms.

I sometimes use booking(dot)com for searches, but prefer to deal directly with the hotel whenever possible. The hotel appreciates it, because all your money will go to them, rather than a percentage to the booking website. Another advantage of finding the hotel's own website is that there is usually a telephone number and email address. If you use a low cost telephone service, e.g. Skype, it may be a good idea to ring the hotel during Greek business hours.

I have a feeling travelerjan's recommendations are coming from booking(dot)com and Trip Advisor reviews — you can do that yourself. Jan, if you have actually stayed in the hotels you are recommending, I apologise.

Asmama, I just saw this thread on Trip Advisor, which may be of interest to you:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop..._Cyclades.html

Post #2 is by Ingela, a Swede who lives on Santorini. I met her several years ago, and she really knows the island!

Asmama,

Take a look at AVA HOTEL and SUITES in Athens. We have stayed there many times, and it's one of our favorite hotels in Greece. Since you are going in March/April it may- just- fit your stated budget.

AVA is a small boutique hotel with great staff, and lovely big rooms with small kitchenettes. Some of them have large terraces with views of The Acropolis. I don't think they have connecting rooms, but there is a pullout in some of the larger suites, I think.

Location can't be beat. Right in the heart of The Plaka, and a very short walk to The Acropolis in one direction, Hadrian's Arch in the other.

Also look at: ATHEN'S GATE hotel ( a few streets away from AVA, so same central location) and THE PLAKA HOTEL.

Any of these will give you an excellent, central location for exploring Athens.

SANTORINI - to respond to Heimdall -- I have stayed in Kafieri, friends of mine have stayed in Blue Dolphins & I visited them there, I have suggested Vallas and Agnadema to people who were planning trips and got their feedback via e-mail after their trips, saying they liked their stays. I also know Ingela personally, and her advice is very savvy.


In ATHENs -- I like AVA, walk by it every day when in Athens, would stay there if it was in my budget, I like that area, just SOUTH of Acropolis, just off the Pedestrian Promenade, small streets not trafficky, right near Acropolis Museum. In same area: Hotel Airotel Parthenon many friends have stayed there and recommended it to me, just off walkway from Acropolis Museum ... Another friend liked Hotel Herodion, block next to Acrop. Mus. said ask for higher floor to get balcony w. view of Acropolis. Have been into Athens Gate, larger hotel, upmarket, faces on very busy (6-8 lane) Amalia avenue... a friend said ask for room at back.

NAFPLIO -- Amalia is v. nice v upscale hotel right off seaside promenade. I myself stay up high, looking down on town & sea, at Hotel Leto -- simple, balconies w. great views, but does not have family suites.

Fair enough, travelerjan! Personal experience is always best.

Thanks so much for the hotel recos...has been great help!
Also the links to Ingela's post have been extremely resourceful! Thanks much!

So I finally have the following hotels-

Blue Dolphin at Santorini, Amalia at Napflio and Athens Gate Hotel. Was tempted by Enigma suites since it was in Fira but given your reviews for Blue Dolphin and the price difference will keep BD.

1)For the last night I wanted something close to the airport for the early am flight. Looked at Holiday Inn and Sofitel. While the latter seems most convenient its pretty pricey given we will be there only to sleep.
HAs anyone stayed at the Holiday inn? How is their shuttle service to the airport?

2) Also, We will be in Athens on my daughter's Birthday. Anyone know a special place we can bring it in...she is not much of a foodie but enjoys good ambience wanted to make it special for a lifelong memory. Would spending the evening at Cape Sounion be a good idea? or Local Athens somewhere?