Trip planning is an artform. And once you weave in mid-air crying fits, weaning feeding frenzies, and mid-swim poo changes, it takes extra guts and grit. So how do you go from barely surviving to actually enjoying the holidays with kids? At the risk of overgeneralising, we’ve whittled down six years of hard-fought wisdom into eight tips to get you started:
1. Get a beach house
Could anything be better than a villa meters from the shore for families with kids under two? Perhaps only if that seaside location also happens to be in the vicinity of a mid-sized village (e.g. Platis Gialos in Sifnos). When baby takes a snooze, snag a chance to take a swim, stand-up paddle board, wander village shops, and even linger for a Greek coffee. And because it stays bright out until eight-ish in summer, an early bedtime means there’s still evening strolls, sunset yoga and sundown drinks you can still look forward to. You might have to compromise on the beach’s dreamy factor, but the convenience of doorstep proximity is priceless.
And when you’re looking at beach houses, don’t downplay the need for the shore to really be at your doorstep. Because a 200-meter walk with bub and beach toys in the blazing summer sun is also not fun.
2. When selecting an island, small is beautiful
Unless your kids love lengthy car rides, anywhere you can drive from one end of the island to the other in 30 to 40 minutes is ideal (e.g. Milos, Paros, Skiathos, Alonissos, but not Mykonos). Too large (e.g. Crete, Kefalonia, Evia), and you might have to suffer hour-long road trips to get to key attractions (and back). Small is simple, and simple, oftentimes less stressful. Just remember that small islands also have fewer accommodation options, so it’s critical to book early (more than nine months ahead, ideally) to secure the star finds.
3. Research your beaches (for summer and shoulder season travellers)
Even lazy beach days require pro-planning prowess. A good dose of foresight and a little research goes a long way: Are the waters calm and shallow? Where should you go on windy days (check wind direction for the day here)? Is it organised (i.e. with sunbeds and umbrellas) or without shade? Where will you go for food and drink? Is parking right behind or do you have to descend 300 steps to get there? And then, there’s what to bring. If you like to pack light, make sure you select an island with enough organised beach options for you.
4. Choose an apartment rental over hotels for stays over 3 days
With kids, we appreciate all the space we can get. Including that patio set in an olive grove embellished with a flower garden and lemon and pomegranate fruit trees. And while Airbnbs in some countries are not always the best idea, in Greece, many are run as professionally as hotels. Some even provide a daily cleaning service (although twice-weekly housekeeping is more usual). Better equipped, breakfasts, snacks and the occasional home-cooked meal are just easier to prepare in a full kitchen.
We also lookout for air-conditioning (not a standard) and a washing machine in the amenities list. And of course, there’s the benefit of having additional bedrooms so we don’t have to tiptoe around the kids in the dark after bedtime. It’s the home away from home parents need on their holidays.
While apartment rentals more prevalent on Airbnb, increasingly, you can also find them (and more) on Booking.com (sometimes at a better deal).
Why might you consider a hotel for shorter stays? We can’t deny the conveniences of hotel breakfasts and daily cleaning services to clear the constant trail of crumbs that get left on the floor. Generally more predictable in terms of what you’re going to get, you also don’t have to worry about boring details like taking out the trash, or stocking up on toilet paper.
5. Pack light (especially if you’re travelling by ferry)
As first-time parents, we took flight with all our best arsenal – travel cot, portable high chairs, inflatable bath tub, towels and linen, feeding equipment, a week’s supply of frozen purees in a cooler bag … We now drop the cot and portable feeding chair thanks to well-equipped holiday rentals. Don’t forget to check the amenities section (a washing machine and air-conditioning are usually non-negotiables for us) in Airbnb listings and contact your host for requests and clarifications. Linen for baby cots was never needed (strangely absent in US and UK Airbnb rentals in our experience). An inflatable tub is low on the list. Instead, we ask our hosts for a plastic wash basin (“lakani”) if you need a baby bath tub (or get one from a mini mart for €5), also useful for quick swimsuit washes. We go light on pampers, wipes, and snacks since the supermarket is always a first stop for bottled water (tap water on most islands is not drinkable). So what do we bring aside from the obvious? The stroller (and/or baby carrier). And perhaps a travel potty for road trips.
6. Rent a car
Greece is for exploring. Secret beach paradises down dirt tracks, tranquil tavernas perched by the sea, untouched mountain villages, the precious ruins of ancient monuments strewn along the way … With or without kids, without a car your destination would be limited to bus terminals (smaller islands may not even offer bus services). But if you must travel without a car, find accommodation within the chora (town center) or a seaside village, and pick an island with established bus routes.
7. Take it slow
Island hopping with kids is more like a laboured leapfrog crawl. With luggage spilling over with assortments of packing cubes, and new spaces to adapt to with little ones, spend at least five to eight days on a small to medium-sized island.
8. Skip the Athens stopover
Athens is a beautiful, hot mess. Unmissable, but probably best left until they can walk without whining, see beauty in ancient ruins, and enjoy the stillness of museums. Stopovers in general tend to be stressful for families (mine at least), so we suggest skipping it entirely unless you’re using Athens as a starting point for a road trip. Trading in flights or ferry transfers for a continuous car journey, an advantage of the road trip is that once you’ve filled your boot, you’re set until your final stop. From Athens, you can still experience island living on the glorious shores of southwest Peloponnese (e.g. Voidokilia and Elafonisos island near Mani), or Lefkada, an Ionian island with stellar beaches, connected to the mainland by bridge.
