Greece with a 4 yr old
Nov 27th, 2017, 02:16 PM
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Greece with a 4 yr old
We are planning a Greece vacation for approx 10 days end may . We do not want to make it too hectic so plan on doing Athens plus maybe another island or 2. How many days should we plan to spend in Athens? Which are the most kid friendly islands? Is it better to take the ferry to santorini or fly?
What kind of budget am I looking at if we plan to stay in decent hotels not overly lavish. We will be flying from Seattle , Washington.
What kind of budget am I looking at if we plan to stay in decent hotels not overly lavish. We will be flying from Seattle , Washington.
Nov 28th, 2017, 01:19 AM
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Everywhere in Greece is kid-friendly, and Greeks love young children. Santorini isn't the best place for small children, but there is no reason you shouldn't go there for a couple of nights for its beautiful scenery.
Some caldera-side hotels don't accept small children, but some do. The hotels on the beach side of Santorini attract many families, and are cheaper too. The island of Santorini is only about 10 miles long and 3 miles wide, so its easy to get from one place to another.
You could fly to Santorini to avoid the long ferry ride there, then take a ferry to Naxos or Paros, which are both excellent islands for families with young children. The ferry from Santorini takes 2hrs to Naxos and 3 hours to Paros. The beach at St George on Naxos is sandy and shallow, ideal for young children.
Some caldera-side hotels don't accept small children, but some do. The hotels on the beach side of Santorini attract many families, and are cheaper too. The island of Santorini is only about 10 miles long and 3 miles wide, so its easy to get from one place to another.
You could fly to Santorini to avoid the long ferry ride there, then take a ferry to Naxos or Paros, which are both excellent islands for families with young children. The ferry from Santorini takes 2hrs to Naxos and 3 hours to Paros. The beach at St George on Naxos is sandy and shallow, ideal for young children.
Nov 28th, 2017, 07:52 AM
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My son and DIL and their three little kids spent time on Rhodes last October. They rented a house on the beach and then took day trips from there to see the sights on Rhodes. This ended up being a good compromise for them because the kids could play on the beach, and no place they wanted to visit was more than an hour drive away.
Nov 28th, 2017, 08:03 AM
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Yes it is certainly a good idea to fly to Santorini. Its at least a 6 hour ferry trip. Seasoned travelers book a connecting flight immediately after arrival in Athens. I know how hard it is to get from the west coast to Athens but you still need to find that connecting flight on your day of arrival. You will need at least 2 hours to make that connection.
Two reasons for this. Getting over jet lag is much easier on an island than in hectic Athens. Particularly with kids who need to be acclimatized to Greece before getting into Athens.
Second reason for doing Athens last is that you are on the mainland with several different transportation options to get to the airport for your return flight. Athens needs 3 days to see the major sites.
There are several daily ferries to both Paros and Naxos from Santorini. Both islands are kid friendly. Choose one and spend your time there before heading to Athens for the end of your trip.
Some images of Naxos. Note St George beach is part of Naxos town so you get a beach vacation with all the benefits of town activities.
St George Beach Naxos http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632113170279/
Naxos Town http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632094558042/
Two reasons for this. Getting over jet lag is much easier on an island than in hectic Athens. Particularly with kids who need to be acclimatized to Greece before getting into Athens.
Second reason for doing Athens last is that you are on the mainland with several different transportation options to get to the airport for your return flight. Athens needs 3 days to see the major sites.
There are several daily ferries to both Paros and Naxos from Santorini. Both islands are kid friendly. Choose one and spend your time there before heading to Athens for the end of your trip.
Some images of Naxos. Note St George beach is part of Naxos town so you get a beach vacation with all the benefits of town activities.
St George Beach Naxos http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632113170279/
Naxos Town http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632094558042/
Dec 25th, 2017, 01:58 AM
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We took our four and six year old boys to Santorini, Naxos, and Athens, last year, and we are going to go again. Greeks love kids, and St George's beach was perfection. Listen to the folks on this thread - they know their stuff!! The
The quality for the price is much better than in the US (we spend $120 per night in Naxos, about $250 per night in Santorini and Athens). You can spend a fortune or next to nothing, Depends what you are looking for.
We flew Boston to Santorini, stayed in Santorini two nights at Laokasti Villas in Oia - it was affordable and right across the street from the gorgeous cliffside houses. Then we took the bus from Laokasti to the ferry slip and took a four hour ferry to Naxos. Stayed in Naxos four nights then flew to Athens, where we spent one night.
The quality for the price is much better than in the US (we spend $120 per night in Naxos, about $250 per night in Santorini and Athens). You can spend a fortune or next to nothing, Depends what you are looking for.
We flew Boston to Santorini, stayed in Santorini two nights at Laokasti Villas in Oia - it was affordable and right across the street from the gorgeous cliffside houses. Then we took the bus from Laokasti to the ferry slip and took a four hour ferry to Naxos. Stayed in Naxos four nights then flew to Athens, where we spent one night.
