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Taking a baby to Greece in 2 weeks - am I crazy/ tips please!

Taking a baby to Greece in 2 weeks - am I crazy/ tips please!

Old Aug 13th, 2009, 07:33 PM
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Taking a baby to Greece in 2 weeks - am I crazy/ tips please!

Hello everyone,

I am currently planning a 10day trip to Greece to begin on Aug 30 and end on September 9. This being a last minute thing, I have yet to push the button on anything and hope that you all can help. My baby is 18months old and toddling everywhere. My husband is nervous about taking her on a long plane ride and the jet lag once we arrive. I feel we should go with the flow and not let our baby inhibit our travelling, otherwise we'll be home bound for years.

Right now, I've got us arriving the first day and onto Paros for 3 nights. then to Santorini for 3 nights. then to Athens for 4 nights. the reason we are doing it like this, is that the hotel in Santorini is only available for Sept 3-5 and I'm pretty set on that part of the trip. My questions are - is 4 nights too long for Athens? should i cut Santorini to 2 nights and spend 2 nights on another island? I'm somewhat concerned about all the stairs in Santorini, but as i've never been to Greece before, I feel its a must do. (but i have been to the Amalfi Coast, so I hope I'm not let down.)

Anyway, I look forward to your comments and suggestions.

Thank you in advance.
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Old Aug 13th, 2009, 10:45 PM
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Greeks love small children, so your baby will be the center of attention wherever you go. Many hotels on the clifftop in Santorini (with good reason) will not accept children, so check out that aspect first.

I travelled back and forth to Europe several times with my young child, but that was many years ago. No doubt you will get many tips from other parents.
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 04:27 AM
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Answers to your questions depend entirely on your interests, tolerance for meltdowns (child's and your own), and upon information y ou have not shared with us:

ARRIVAL: When u say you are "arriving" you don't say from WHERE, and TIME of DAY. From Europe/UK with 3-hour flight? Or from USA west coast with 15-18 hours??? Nonstop or with changes? If from USA -- you probably will be exhausted with trying to entertain the tot on the prolonged flight (also dodging brickbats from annoyed seatmates who are trying to sleep!! 18-month-olds don't sleep for 10 hours, at least 5 hours babble, wiggle, cry).
... it is possible to go to Paros first day if (1) u have nonstop to Athens and (2) arrive in Morning, so you can make a 1 pm flight or so.

TRANSPORT: U don't say how u plan to get from Santorini to Athens -- I'm assuming u will fly again... otherwise it's a 8+ hour ferry trip, another exhaust-athon for u AND child.

HOTEL LOCATIONS:
(1) In Santorini, if u are staying at Cliffside yes, I would say, do only 2 days. It's almost impossible to use stroller on that side of the island, and as heimdall says, many hotels won't take child because of the hazards.
(2) PAROS -- I would spend more time here, AND recommend geting a place right ON the beach. Otherwise u will be spending time inside your unit, because tot will need to nap. If you have a patio directly on beach... at least u can sun outside while child sleeeps; also u can take him/her inside for quick clean-ups and for food on his/her schedule. Im saying this from experience, going to lovely St. Croix & spending too much time inside with tot.
(3) ATHENS -- You MUST have hotel right in Midst of Plaka, so u can get back readily on foot, when child has had it. I suggest Airotel Parthenon, on pedestrianized walkway, near to Acropolis, new Acropolis museum etc.

Realize that Mark Twain said, there are 2 classes of travel, First Class and with Children. You will be weighed down with tons of stuff... take the smallest possible folding "cane" stroller. Even so, a real "schlep" as they say in NYC.


You do not share how you plan to get from Santorini back to Athens. I am assuming

SANTORINI - Yes, I would cut it to
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 04:28 AM
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PS: The last 2 incomplete sentences should have been cut off... I wrote them, then went back to beginning & failed to edit them off.
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 05:12 AM
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In addition to the comments and questions above, I have a couple of things to add at this point.

Frankly, our daughter traveled better at 18 months than at 5 yrs. Regular naps, didn't require as much entertainment, etc (altho the longest flight at the time was 3 hrs) so if you're overnighting from US you'll have to prepare accordingly.

We stayed cliffside in Oia, Santorini and our room was at the "top", meaning we were level with the street and pedestrian pathway that winds through town. We had very few stairs to deal with. As Jan and Heimdall noted, parts of town can indeed require lots of steps. My point is that you might try and find a hotel which has rooms near the top or at street level to minimize the potential stair issue.

IMO 4 nights is definitely NOT too long for Athens. It's a wonderful vibrant city, lots to see and do, and great for families. Plus, I'd want to minimize my moving around with a toddler. If you do cut Santorini to 2 nights, I would not try and add another island - just add the time to a place already on your list.
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 05:27 AM
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The latter was exactly my point dfr4848, I agree, another island NO, that's why I suggested more time on Paros as an alternative. The handiest beach that's decent is Krios beach, here's the type of accommodation that might suit:
http://www.studiosannaparos.com/
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 05:55 AM
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Having traveled extensively with small children, I pass along one and only one suggestion before that flight: practice!

If your child has not been exposed to car rides and the enforced confinement of a car for more than an hour at a time, then do yourself and all the folks around you in that plane for 7+ hours, a favour...do a few practice runs.

This will give you a chance to try out what distractions work and which simply cause howls of frustration...yours and your fellow passengers!

Apart from the sheer misery of initially watching your little one squirm and gripe for hours on end, there is NOTHING that can compare with the cloud you will carry with you on vacation thinking about what a miserable time awaits you on the return flight.

Practice, making it exciting and fun for your child to travel, and then enjoy the grief free flights and vacation as a result.
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 08:04 AM
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Thank you so so much for your replies. To answer travelerjan's questions - we are arriving from New York, so it's a 10 hour overnight journey. We currently plan to take a ferry to Paros that same day. Do you recommend we take a plane instead? We will take a ferry from Paros to Santorini and then currently we plan to fly from Santorini to Athens. AFter I wrote the post, my husband suggested we add a day to each island, making it 4 nights on each and spend 2 nights in Athens.

I'm apprehensive about 2 things - one is the climbing of stairs in Santorini, the other is that I've read that Athens is dirty (which is why my husband wants to cut time down there)? For Santorini, I'm afraid that we'll get there and be turned off and tired by all the climbing. And for Athens, I'm afraid if we spend more than a couple of days there, we will be "done" and wish we spent the time on the islands. I do agree that going to another island with the baby would be very tiring (plus at this point, my husband would never agree to it).

Would love further comments and suggestions.

Thank you again. The comments are greatly appreciated!
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 08:10 AM
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Travelerjan - another question for you. I just saw that you have written quite a bit about the island I'm interested in. For that first island in our trip, I wanted to stay in a hotel near a beach and near a village so we could walk to both easily. I'm choosing between the Stelia Mare in Naoussa, Paros and the Nissaki on St George beach in Naxos. Which do you think is better? I'm concerned that the St George beach will be too crowded... and the pool is very small at that hotel...

thanks!!
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 08:14 AM
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With a child that age, the fewer the changes from place to place the better. I would be way less concerned about the dinginess of Athens than trying to squeeze in one more change of routine for your child.

"If baby ain't happy, ain't NOBODY happy..."
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 09:33 AM
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I don't know the source of your husband's comment about Athens being dirty, but dirtier than what? We wouldn't call it that and it certainly is no "dirtier" than most European or US big cities I can think of (except maybe a few in Germany) - and it certainly doesn't have the graffiti that, for ex, Rome does. It's metro and stations are extremely clean, almost spotless. IMO NYC is dirtier than Athens, and NYC isn't THAT bad. I wouldn't cut the time I spent in Athens for that reason at all. We spent over a week in Athens and still didn't get to see/do everything we wanted.

I also wouldn't be overly concerned about the stairs in Santorini. We were there for 4 days, stayed in Oia, rented a car one day and explored the island including Fira and never encountered what I would even begin to call an inordinate number of stairs - and I would have noticed since I had had major back surgery on 4 vertebrae a few months before we went. The island is so beautiful and enjoyable with amazing views and wonderful people that I wouldn't let that govern my approach to a visit.
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 10:11 AM
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Oops, you just leaked a little more info... we suggest & suggest, and THEN people add another requirement. You never mentioned that a pool was a must. Nor did you mention Naxos. Ah well, mind-reading is our specialty!

Of the 2 you mentioned, Stella Mare looks more posh, and the pool looks more luxe. Myself, I never relaxed for a minute at poolside with an 18-month-old!! BTW, NO lifeguards. Not a Greek thing. That is why I suggested that Krios beach hotel, right on the sand, you can sun bathe while tot digs happily in sand, can't "fall in". Not crowded in Sept either -- but of course, it's a modest price place, not posh, no spas etc.

I stay in a small hotel next to Nissaki Beach HOtel ... advantage to N.B. is beach is a few steps away. Yes, a bit crowdy, but the European families will be gone (school has started). And that Beach shown in the Stella Mare website looks pretty lame, and not as close to hotel front as they want u to think... It's up to you.

Regarding Athens "Dirt" report -- I lived in Manhattan 30+ years, and I can testify that the Central Athens area is a LOT tidier than most of Manhattan ... In athens, No Garbage bags out in front of every apt building all day long! Of course if you go to some industrial areas, such as around the (remotely located) KTEL bus station, there are auto repair shops & junkyards ... but do you judge NYC by the outskirts of the Bronx or Queens??? I don't. I would be interested to know where you read that information... please share.
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 10:14 AM
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Almost forgot -- do I recommend a plane to Paros?? Of Course! Taking a ferry will add 6+ hours to your journey (1 hour to get to PIraeus, at least 30 minutes to wait for it & board, and 20 minutes to disembark, plus 4.5 hour journey).
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 10:43 AM
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Hi chumpzilla,

I travel to Paros/Antiparos twice a year, sometimes spending a few days on Naxos. If you are arriving at Athens on Aug 30th, you probably won't be able to get a flight to either Paros or Naxos that day. You can check http://www.olympicairlines.com/ yourself (no other airlines serve those islands), but I think you will find all but the 0530 flight to Paros is sold out already.

If you are arriving in Athens too late to make the 7:30am ferries from Piraeus, your other options are a 4:30pm Hellenic Seaways highspeed, and a 5:30pm Blue Star, both leaving Piraeus and stopping at Paros and Naxos.

Do I understand correctly you are trying to choose between Stelia Mare in Naoussa and Nissaki on St George Beach? You will probably find it easier to get around with a small child in the St George Beach area. The beach does get crowded in high season, but the end of August won't be too bad. Rent a car, and you can drive to other less crowded beaches.

Both Stelia Mare and Nissaki are high end hotels. If it weren't for that, I would suggest you consider Antiparos. It's a perfect island for families with small children, with it's gently sloping beaches and pedestrian-only main street. There aren't any hotels to compare with the ones you are considering, though. Most of the accommodation on Antiparos is rooms, studios, and apartments, e.g. http://www.gto.gr/eng/accomm/hotel/detail.php?id=5146
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 11:12 AM
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"I feel we should go with the flow and not let our baby inhibit our travelling"

I think your child must be quite a "good" child if you are even considering this trip. Has she never "inhibited" any other part of your life? I have to say that I am quite stunned by people who think having a baby will not change their lives or "inhibit their travelling". I know that sounds kind of like I'm an old grouch, but then maybe I am.
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 11:31 AM
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Kristinelaine, I work with U.S. military families in Europe, and a 10 hour flight from NY is a walk in the park compared with what some of them go through. Just yesterday a father I know put his 9 year old son on an airplane to travel alone back to the States to rejoin his mother. Single mothers have to find someone to look after their children when they are deployed to the desert for six months.

Sorry for the rant, but I wanted to put things in perspective.
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 12:12 PM
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My under two years grand-daughter loves to watch video of herself on my Flip video camera. It holds 2 hours of video and has entertained and kept her quiet on long car trips and in restaurants and distracted her from missing Mommy when I take care of her.

There's lots of great information and tips on this forum for folks traveling with children. Check them out and have a great trip!
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 01:06 PM
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Kristinelaine - please reserve judgement for a mom's board or even better, your own immediate family. Of course I know that having a child changes one's life. What I don't understand is why people stop their living their lives the way they want to just because they have a baby? I love to travel and spent one month in Paris last year when the baby was 3 months old. Happy parent = happy baby. My baby is exceedingly happy and well behaved, already says hello, goodbye and thank you and an assortment of other words in two languages. Your post, unlike the others, was not helpful at all.

Anyway, to everyone else, thanks again for all the great advice and support. travelerjan - we do feel like a pool would be good for all the times when the baby is napping. Sorry I didn't mention it sooner. Heimdall, thanks for your advice on Paros/Naxos. The other hotel I was looking at is the Archipelagos on Paros - new hotel who is giving us a fantastic rate. I'm just torn and having a hard time making up my mind on the importance of having the beach at the hotel's doorstep or having to drive to the beach. I happily turn to other parents for advice on that one. This is the first vacation I've taken in a while, and boy do I need one!

As for Athens being dirty, I think I read it somewhere on this board in an old post. travelerjan- I live in Manhattan too, so if it's like here, I'm completely fine with it. Obviously NYC is not too dirty for me. Maybe that was written by someone who is not from a city.

If there are any must do's that anyone can think of (esp for baby?), I'm all ears. And thanks again.
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 01:09 PM
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hi saige - we have a flip camera and that's a great idea. thank you!
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Old Aug 14th, 2009, 02:01 PM
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I'm emailing you from a small village outside of Greece now. It's 12:42 am and my wife and family (I have family that lives here) have taken off for dinner. I stayed back to take care of our son, who is 7 months old. First thing I will tell you is that you can eat at 7 or at 8, but most restaurants don't get going until like 9 here. Then again, I'm on the mainland, in a small village. There is no way my kid could make it past 9 pm, and thus, I stayed back to watch him.

I flew in from the States. I've done this trip a lot. What you are planning is my favorite type of trip to Greece. Land in ATH, then find a way to the southern most island you can go to, and then find your way back to Athens. This was great when we were dating. Not so great with a kid. Thats why we skipped islands this time. My kid barely cries and he is still an infant so he isn't mobile, so our circumstances are different. But the time change messed him up. Sleeping in strange beds messed him up. And that flight is just too damn long. That said, I thought he did great. But he is just a baby. I would imagine your 2 year old is going to want to toddle around the airplane. Good luck with boredom too. That was tough for the kid next to us. Anyway:

Don't take the ferry to the islands. Fly Aegean and then bounce your way back if you like. You can ferry back, but it probably will be tough for the kid.
Santorini is not kid friendly. Sorry to break the news to you. It just isn't. Love the island, its a second home, but I won't go there with the boy until he is at least 5. Naxos is a bit better. Paros is great. You won't have problems on either of those islands. If you do go to Santorini, I recommend staying in a village outside of Fira.

Strollers, in Greece, at least the ones I have seen are rugged. Big wheel types. The terrain is rough. Plan accordingly. As for Athens. Athens is great. It used to be a pain, but I'm telling you: Athens is great. You can spend 2 days there no problem. 4 days, might be a stretch. Check out the new museum. Buy tickets online before you go. It's closed Monday (I found that out the hard way) Visit the plaka. Go out at night. But again - nightlife starts LATE. And that no worky with a baby. I'm off to Kalamata tomorrow. Good luck on your plans. Its not impossible, because I'm living the dream as we speak - but I have to tell you, the vacation you have planned is better suited for you and your husband - ALONE. If it wasn't for family that I have scattered every few 100 kms, we would have never made this trip. We needed all the help we could get with the baby. It's rough on them. No joke. But hey, its beautiful and the food is great and people are welcoming. You know your kid better than I do. Just don't push him too hard.
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