Heimdall

Having a beach at one's doorstep, with small children, is a great advantage. Children always seem to be happier on a sandy beach than around a pool. The Aegean Sea is crystal clear, and warm at the end of August. I don't know Archipelagos, but from what I can gather it is on a hill about 500km from Agia Irini beach: http://www.greeka.com/cyclades/paros...agia-irini.htm

Agia Irini is about 5km from the nearest town, Parikia, and would require a further walk to the road for the bus into town.

Pyrovolley

I'll be more specific - (sorry I left this out) I'm in a small village outside of Sparta! We rented a car this year to drive from Athens to Sparta, Tripoli, and Kalamata. Enjoy your trip!

Heimdall

LOL!!! I meant 500m from Agia Irini Beach, not 500km!

Heimdall

500m = 0.31 miles

BigRuss

More destinations means a lot of moving around with the little one and that's hard. Even though four nights is a LOT for Athens, don't change the itinerary to add another destination. We specifically set ourselves to one destination and did day trips this past year; next year, we may do two places for lodging in a 10-day trip.

As for not having the little one "inhibit" your travel -- there's no question you're going to have to adjust at times, but she'll probably have fun just wandering around all the places that are not-home. She'll like all the cats wandering around Santorini and playing in the sand.

As for jet lag and sleep: what you should do (or should have done) is get a flight that leaves around her bedtime and then she'll conk out for most of the trip to Europe. I did this when we crossed the pond and the little tacker was out for 6.5 hours of a 7.5 hour flight. Did he need a nap later, yes. Did he sleep not-so-well the first night, yes. Did it get far better thereafter, yes. On the way back, we had an early flight and he barely slept but he wiped out about two hours earlier than usual at home. Bring lots of toys, books, etc. to entertain the little one.

Note that being in the air for a transoceanic flight may meddle with the little one's equilibrium. When I flew to London at 17 months old, we landed and I puked on my mother. When we flew our 20-month old to London, we landed and soon thereafter he puked on his mother. That's my boy.

Perhaps that just runs in the family . . .

cathies

Our hotel room on Santorini had 100 steps from our room to reception and then another few to the street. It would have been torture with an 18 month old plus nappy bag etc. So, I think you should go, but let the hotel know that you will have a baby with you. There were other rooms closer to street level.

You can hire a car on Santorini and providing you can get a baby seat that would be a fun thing to do. On the other side of the island there are beaches that you may enjoy for a day trip.

brotherleelove2004

The Hotel Paros and Alexandra's Rooms, which are owned by the same people, are right across the street from the most child-safe/friendly beach in Parikia and you're only a short walk to restaurants and markets.

Sally30

I have never been to Greece so can't help you on that (although please write a trip report when you return because I am very interested in going!!) but I have traveled with a small child so maybe can help with that. I echo what others have said about making the fewest hotel changes possible. Unpacking and packing is a drag and, at least my child, needs a couple nights to adjust to a new place. 2 nights in each place is going to be rough.

The plane ride will not be fun. Frankly, it will likely be miserable for you so I would just go in with low expectations and maybe you will be pleasantly surprised. But...the flight is such a small part of the trip, don't let it be a deterrent. Just try to be well rested before you leave since you will likely but awake and unnerved for 10 straight hours. I'd bring a portable dvd player with some cartoons or make sure your seat has a video screen and hope your daughter gets some sleep along the way. Our little one stayed up for the 8 hour flight to paris and then fell asleep in the taxi from the airport!!

My experience traveling with a child has been great but it is tiring. I agree with the posters that suggested staying at the beach. Bring a small shovel and bucket and that should keep your daughter busy.

I wouldn't worry too much about the time change. Kids adjust or maybe you will just all be on a different schedule while you are there. As long as she gets enough sleep (by sleeping in late, naps, etc) it is fine. There is no reason you have to keep the exact same schedule as at home if your daughter is adaptable.

If you are interested, click on my name to see a couple of trip reports I wrote that start with specific ideas about things to pack etc.

Have fun!!

travelerjan

Everyone agrees with me, beach right outside the door is more important than a pool. And I AM speaking from knowledge of having traveled with infants and 2 year olds to beaches, back in the day -- and with 2 grandsons in recent times. Driving to a beach is such a DRAG -- car seat, all the gear, and what if the tot has a melt-down just as you get there? You can learn from your own experience... or learn from our experience, and save yourself a lot of grief.

tom_h

When I'm staying at a $300 hotel in Santorini and am out for a $100-150 dinner with wife, there's nothing I like to hear more than a whining or crying toddler-baby for 2 hours. Except maybe, being on a 10 hr plane flight, in coach, next to a colicky toddler.

Surely there are some doting grandparents who could take care of the Little Prince/Princess for 10 days?

And to answer your question, Yes, you are crazy.

chumpzilla

Thank you to everyone for all of the great advice. So, I'm doing the 3 islands (no more moving around) and hotel directly on the beach (so the little one can dig to her heart's content each day) in Naxos. We'll take a ferry to Naxos, ferry to Santorini and fly back to Athens. For the plane, we'll bring her favorite dvds and dvd player, books, flip camera, handheld electronic learning toy, puzzles, washable crayons and coloring books. We get on the plane at 530pm and land at 1030am in Athens. She's a pretty good sleeper so if I get 5 out of 10 hours, I'll be happy. And we'll get a sturdy backpack for carrying her around cobbled streets.

tom_h - the question i asked in my heading was rhetorical. I am mostly concerned with the country's terrain (specifically Santorini) than with the actual travelling. My husband and I do our very best to parent our child - we haven't had any complaints or even frowns and we take our daughter everywhere with us, including trains, planes, museums and every kind of restaurant, from fine dining on down. And no, there are no grandparents able to take care of her, so don't assume or judge without knowing the whole story. Your post was ignorant and rude.

Thanks again to everyone else. Your advice has been invaluable.

Cathinjoetown

One probably obvious piece of advice: Stay hydrated, all three of you. The islands and Athens can be hot, dusty and dry. You can be fine then quite suddenly realize you're not taking in nearly enough water to compensate for what you are losing. So push water.

jkbritt

If baby is still in diapers, and eating child food instead of people food, then I would let grandparents babysit for the trip. Child will remember nothing and if the child gets upset stomach (which it probably will) from the time changes, strange food, etc. then the trip will be miserable for all.

Hopefully one set if not both sets of grandparents would be more than willing to babysit if asked. I would ask.

Hauling all the extra stuff a child needs, makes trips tiring to say the least.

travelerjan

chumpzilla, do you listen when we give important advice? Or do we need to say it twice?
Waay early in this thread, I said NO don't ferry to an Island, it will add another 12 HOURS of travel in that loooong journey. If you arrive at 10:30, you have already MISSED the morning ferries. The next ferries are at about 5 pm. If you take a Blue Star (large) ferry, you will arrive in Naxos until a little before 10 pm. Why do you not consider flying??? Flying takes just 45 mins. Yes it will cost you 80€ per adult, but your hotel choices tell me you are not broke -- and ferry tix are more than half that.

There is only ONE flight per day to Naxos on a 40-passenger plane, at 12:30 and -- I don't know why u deserve to get this lucky --but I just checked the Olympic schedule for Aug. 31 and there are still seats remaining!! Yes it will be close, but u should clear customs AND baggage claim within 1 hour (alert cabin crew to let u off plane first) ... and send husband racing to Olympic ticket line -- its just at other end of same building --to check in. For domestic flights, they like u to check in 1 hr ahead, but will accept close to that.

I hope to see your next message be: have taken advice and booked Olympic to Naxos.

tod

For your toddlers sake please take:

An antibiotic for inner ear infection. The sand on the beach combined with swimming (splashing & paddling) can easily trap water & sand inside the ear. The pain is excrutiating - repeat, excrutiating for an adult never mind a small baby.

Take a very good diareaha (can't spell!) medication for all of you with some hydrate sachets.

Take infant eardrops that have a painkiller for the plane ride. That can be very sore and hard for a baby to explain. Something to suck on also helps.

Take a broad spectrum antibiotic for yourselves as well, accompanied by the original perscription by your doctor.
Greece is very strict about medicines and if I'm right, Codein is a big no no.

Armed with all that you should have a wonderful holiday!
Bon Voyage!

travelerjan

I beg your pardon for the above.... MY BAD! I misread the Olympic schedule, and instead of saying NO we are sold out on Aug. 31, it just moved ahead to the next available flight.

So all the above is inoperable. SOrry... I was just so surprised to see a flight pop up I didn't read the fine print that it was another day.

So .... you are stuck with an afternoon ferry. eeek.

I have an alternative which may save your sanity. There's a B & B only a 15-minute taxi ride away from the Airport ... adorable place just 3 suites, large enough to add baby cot ... PLUS a pool. St Thomas B & B. it's owned & run by 2 Brits It has a website
http://www.stay-in-athens.com/services.htm

but lately the contact e-mail didn't work doesn't work... . Here is a WORKING e-mail plus phone #s (I suggest u use the latter, and remember, 7 hours difference... so call at 1 am to reach them at 8 am):
Janet Wilkinson Email [email protected]
telephone 00-30-210- 6029367/ or 00 30 210 6646144
-- If u are lucky and they still have a room... you could be there within 90 minutes of landing. Enjoy an afternoon by the pool, go out to dinner (or by arrangement they will make dinner), and then early the next AM (9/1), get the 7:30 ferry from nearby Rafina port that arrive at Naxos at 10:20 AM! 3 hours only... and you'll be over jet lag as well. YOu won't really miss time on Naxos, because you'd be arriving after dark on 8/31 anyway.

Good Luck!

Heimdall

Jan, look a little closer at that Olympic website, and you will see there are no seats available on Aug 31st. I have that page on my computer right now, and it shows the nearest date with seats available as Sep 3rd.

Chumpzilla knows what she is doing. ;-)

Chumpzilla, have a good trip.

Heimdall

Oh, I see you already did!