Information to Greece with youngsters

With 227 inhabited islands to discover and one of many world’s most historical cities (only for starters), you would fortunately spend a lifetime discovering Greece with youngsters.

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Massively family-friendly, with great coast, unspoiled countryside, implausible meals and the possibility to pack a number of locations into one simple journey, I’ve been again over and over with my daughter.

So in case you’re questioning the place to start your loved ones journey to the nation, this information to Greece with youngsters provides you concepts on planning a household vacation in Greece, concepts for a metropolis break or an island hop, when to go, the place to remain and extra.

Sensible information

Attending to Greece

There are 15 worldwide airports in Greece. Solely 5 of those are on the mainland, whereas the remaining are positioned on the Greek Islands. An extra 20 regional airports assist join the lesser-visited areas and smaller islands.

Many low-cost carriers fly immediately from European locations to Greece and the Greek Islands.

When you’re coming from outdoors of Europe, most nationwide airways solely fly to Athens airport (ATH). Flights to different areas and the islands will embody a connection in a bigger metropolis equivalent to Athens, London, or Paris.

When to go 

Greece has its deserves it doesn’t matter what time of 12 months you resolve to go to. One of the best climate in Greece is from April to November. Wherever you go to within the nation throughout this time, you’ll be able to count on to get pleasure from sunny days and little or no rain. 

Throughout peak summer season, temperatures in Greece can soar to 35C+. That is nice in case you’re enjoyable on a seashore on a Greek island (simply keep in mind to use loads of sunscreen) – however not preferrred for exploring cities and wandering round historical ruins.

Keep away from visiting Athens in August except you get pleasure from heatstroke… and large crowds.

The shoulder months of April, Could, September, and October are the most effective instances to go to Greece for heat however bearable climate and smaller vacationer crowds.

Nevertheless, the Easter weekend can get significantly busy, and costs undergo the roof over this era – keep in mind that that is celebrated in accordance with the Greek Orthodox calendar, and is often barely later than in the remainder of western Europe.

Through the winter, you’ll be able to discover the historical websites of Athens with out the crowds (preferrred in case you’re visiting Athens with a child or youthful youngsters. Or head right down to the extra southerly Greek islands equivalent to Crete, Kos or Rhodes for a few of the mildest winter climates within the Mediterranean.

It gained’t fairly be sunbathing and swimming climate, however it will likely be heat sufficient for sightseeing. There’s additionally extra open on these bigger islands in the course of the low season than on the smaller islands that shut down after most vacationers depart.

What to see

From the world-famous archaeological websites, together with Unesco World Heritage websites and historical ruins of Athens to the gorgeous white sand seashores and luxurious vacation resorts of the Greek islands, there’s actually no scarcity of implausible issues to see and do all throughout Greece.

And whereas Greece is finest identified for its historical cities and exquisite seashores, 80% of the nation is roofed in mountains so it’s even an important vacation spot for mountain climbing holidays.

Fancy an island break? The nation contains 6,000 islands and islets, though solely 227 of those are inhabited.

Plus in fact, extra historical past than you’ll be able to shake an historical artefact at: not simply the Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens, you could find extra at Knossos on Crete, on Delos close to Mykonos, on Kos, in addition to elsewhere on the mainland equivalent to Sparta (though discovering historical Spartans is simply one of many issues to do in Sparta, Greece).

To start out you off, beneath is a quick introduction to the most important cities, areas, and island teams, and their highlights.

Detailed articles 

For extra journey tips about visiting Greece with youngsters, take a look at a few of my posts:

Island hopping in Greece – itineraries for the Ionian islands and Cyclades

13 causes to go island hopping in Greece with youngsters

Athens

One of the best issues to do in Athens with youngsters

Visiting Athens with a child – a 2-day Athens itinerary

Overview – an Acropolis tour with youngsters

Overview – a avenue artwork tour of Athens with youngsters

Overview – Athens4 lodge with youngsters

Overview – Acro City Suites aparthotel

Thessaloniki & Halkidiki

One of the best issues to do in Thessaloniki with youngsters together with concepts in case you’re planning a day journey from town

The place to remain in Halkidiki – my Cora Resort evaluate with youngsters

Ionian islands

One of the best issues to do in Kefalonia with youngsters

Visiting Kefalonia’s Melissani Cave with youngsters

The finest seashores in Kefalonia with youngsters

One of the best issues to do in Corfu City with youngsters

Sooner or later in Corfu – misplaced and located

Sporades

One of the best issues to do in Skiathos with youngsters

Dodecanese

One of the best issues to do in Kos with youngsters

One of the best issues to do in Rhodes with youngsters

Suggestions for visiting the Acropolis of Lindos with youngsters

Gennadi Grand Resort – my evaluate

Crete

One of the best issues to do in Crete with youngsters

Visiting Knossos with youngsters – tips about exploring the traditional Minoan palace

One of the best issues to do in Heraklion with youngsters

North Aegean islands

Sooner or later in Chios

Travelling inside Greece

One of the best ways to journey across the Greek mainland is by street. Greece’s rail community is extraordinarily restricted and can solely take you between the principle cities. 

The nation’s in depth bus community is operated by KTEL and connects most cities, cities, and main points of interest. Buses in Greece are fashionable, comfy, and reasonably priced. You should buy tickets on the stations or on board.

Alternatively, hiring a automotive for your loved ones journey provides you extra freedom to journey at your personal tempo and go to off-the-beaten-path places. Automobile rent is pretty low cost and roads are simple sufficient to navigate in case you’re planning day journeys. UK license holders don’t want an Worldwide Drivers Allow to drive in Greece.

When you’re planning to rent a automotive to discover Greece with youngsters, certainly one of my favorite websites is Zest Automobile Rental which I used for our journey to Rhodes

When you’re simply searching for an airport switch to one of many main Greek cities, or don’t want a automotive for day by day, take a look at Welcome Pickups which we’ve utilized in Athens.

For hopping across the Greek Islands, boat is the preferred solution to journey – there’s all the time someplace new to find only a ferry journey away. The Ferryhopper web site is an effective solution to evaluate routes and costs.

Pedestrian and automotive ferries join the mainland with lots of the islands, and recurrently run between the islands. The farther away islands may be reached by in a single day ferry or regional planes.

Flight assets 

Skyscanner is the web site I have a tendency to start out with to check charges for my flights.

Cash-saving tip: Don’t enter any dates to scan the most effective accessible instances to go OR merely enter ‘Greece’ as a substitute of a particular airport – you could get a less expensive flight!

For extra methods to avoid wasting on a metropolis break with youngsters, take a look at my prime ideas

Lodging assets

Once I journey, I usually favor to guide a villa to provide me loads of house whereas exploring Greece with youngsters, in addition to all of the services together with a kitchen which makes life simpler on household holidays (though you’re lacking out in case you don’t go to a number of native tavernas).

Take a look at Plumguide, which has a spread of lodging that’s been individually vetted, and which you’ll filter in case you’re travelling with infants or youngsters, together with some nice locations to remain in Athens with youngsters.

For a luxurious villa keep, firms like High Villas.has properties throughout Greece, together with the mainland in addition to the islands.

There are some nice inns to decide on in Greece with youngsters too – we’ve stayed on the pretty all-inclusive Ikos Dassia in Corfu in addition to the luxurious Elivi Skiathos and Lagas Aegean Village in Kos, plus Cora Resort in Halkidiki.

Or take a look at a few of the large bundle vacation operators like TUI which has a mixture of self-catering flats in Greece proper as much as all-inclusive inns.

Jet2Holidays additionally has a spread of locations to remain in Greece with youngsters, together with lodging on a number of completely different islands and flights included.

For traditional lodge stays, Reserving.com often gives some good offers, together with free cancellation, or take a look at inns.com.

Security ideas

Greece is usually a really protected vacation spot to go to. Crimes in opposition to vacationers are extraordinarily low and the nation is welcoming in direction of households.

Petty crimes equivalent to pickpocketing generally happen in busier locations like Athens. Take fundamental precautions and take care of your belongings, particularly when strolling by crowded areas, visiting touristy landmarks, and travelling on the metro.

There have been some current stories of minor scams in opposition to vacationers at seashore resorts on the Greek Islands, equivalent to overcharging at eating places.

To keep away from scams, do your analysis upfront, search for menu costs earlier than sitting down, and verify the invoice earlier than paying.

Cash saving ideas

Greece has shifted from a finances backpacking spot to a luxurious vacation vacation spot over the previous few many years. However there are nonetheless methods it can save you cash in your journey.

• Go to throughout low season to avoid wasting on flights and lodging.
• Get off-the-beaten-path slightly than heading to fashionable vacationer locations.
• Usually, the mainland is cheaper than the Greek Islands.
• When island-hopping, guide the older, slower (generally in a single day) ferries slightly than the high-speed catamarans and hydrofoils.
• Go for Gyros and different tasty avenue meals slightly than consuming at costly eating places.
• Discover free actions to do, equivalent to enjoyable on the string of household pleasant seashores or mountain climbing.

For extra tips about methods to avoid wasting on a metropolis break with youngsters, together with metropolis passes and discovering low cost (or free) excursions, take a look at this publish.

Packing for Greece

When you’re visiting Greece in the course of the scorching summer season months, be certain to pack sunscreen, aftersun, solar hats, and water bottles. Except you need to return dwelling with a household of lobsters that’s!

Unfastened, light-weight clothes can be your finest buddy on sticky, humid days, though in case you’re visiting in shoulder season, it’s value together with a light-weight umbrella.

When swapping between the mountains and seashores in some areas of Greece, layers are a should. Temperatures can change considerably relying on the terrain and time of day.

And undoubtedly don’t neglect your digicam. The traditional ruins and exquisite whitewashed island cities make implausible backdrops for household photographs. 

Take a look at my full household vacation journey planner right here, together with packing lists and extra

E-book checklist

Lonely Planet guides are all the time my favorite place to begin – the Lonely Planet Information to Greece & the Greek Islands covers the entire nation or strive the Pocket Athens information in case you’re visiting the capital.

When you’re prone to be exploring historic websites, there are additionally some nice books for teenagers on Historical Greece to deliver the traditional stones to life, together with So You Suppose You’ve Received It Unhealthy? A Child’s Life in Historical Greece, whereas the Horrible Histories vary contains Groovy Greeks.

My daughter additionally has this beautiful Usborne E-book of Greek Myths, good for teenagers who love tales of gods, heroes and monsters.

For extra concepts of the finest youngsters’ books about Greece, take a look at my prime picks

Disclosure: This publish accommodates affiliate hyperlinks – any purchases you make are unaffected however I could obtain a small fee

Boat at Skiathos/Symi/Lagas Aegean Village/Issos seashore copyright MummyTravels, all different Iiages courtesy of Depositphotos

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