"As a travel writer, I’ve had the privilege to visit many amazing places. Since having our son, Miles, three years ago, he’s come along on many adventures. He celebrated his 1st birthday in Costa Rica, jetted off to France and Italy for a summer, and spent the holidays bopping around Christmas markets in Belgium. In January, we welcomed our second son, Leo. Our newly minted status as a foursome has ushered in a new era of family travel. The little dude’s first flight was a whopping 14 hours and 50 minutes from New York to Tokyo. This past June, we embarked on a family trip that had been at the top of my bucket list for quite a while: Greece.
The sun-splashed southeastern European country is renowned for its family-focused culture, beautiful scenery—including beaches with soft sand and calm, azure waters—delicious food, and slower pace. On all those merits alone, Greece seemed like an ideal destination to bring our tiny travelers. Having spent three weeks visiting historical sites, eating fresh-caught fish, and falling asleep to the sound of the sea, I can attest travel to Greece with kids is even better for families than anticipated.
Considering whether to travel to Greece with your family? Here’s a guide with 10 tips to make the most of your Greece vacation with kids.
1. Slow down
Having kids forces you to slow down. Our toddler, for example, wants to be involved in everything, and that doesn’t align with rushing out the door (despite my best efforts on some days). Greece matches the more relaxed speed little kids need. Even in Athens—and especially in the Cyclades—you don’t get that sense of hustle and bustle. Instead, parents linger over espresso and glasses of Assirtyko at sidewalk cafés while kids play at the table or amble along the cobble lanes (staying within eye shot, of course). We delighted in leisurely meals, collecting rocks on the beach, and not worrying about sticking to such a rigid schedule.
2. Book a sitter
We’ve booked sitters for Miles in many countries—among them Costa Rica, Portugal, and Japan—and have had nothing but positive experiences. But I was truly blown away by the sitters in Greece. We found sitters in Paros and Naxos through Babysitting in Paros and couldn’t have been more thrilled. Each one came with toys and activities to occupy Miles for the four-hour block between nap and dinner. This allowed us to spend a little one-on-one time with Leo, go for a walk, or even sneak away to the spa solo. Then we all met back up for dinner and did bedtime together.
3. Do your research for settling on destinations
At one point, we were exploring the possibility of visiting Milos. I’ve heard it’s super beautiful and very cool, but upon further research, the rocky landscape and necessity of 4x4s to reach certain can’t-miss spots gave me pause. After looking into hotels and seeing so many were adults-only, it confirmed this was a destination to skip at this current life stage.
4. Seek out family-friendly hotels
A handful of the properties I looked at initially weren’t specifically adults only but did have age minimums for guests. You had to be around 15 years old to stay. Obviously, those places were out for us. Instead, we turned our attention to properties that accept kids and have some helpful amenities.
Obviously, anywhere you’re going to stay with LOs needs to be able to provide a portable crib—that’s pretty standard across the board. Some hotels take it a step further. Andronia Arcadia in Oia, Santorini is a five-star resort sanctuary for families. Our suite came equipped with a giant tub and an outdoor plunge pool, as well as a crib, baby bath, and pint-sized toiletries. There was also a fantastic kids club that provided babysitting service upon request.
On one particularly hot afternoon, my 3-year-old was having a meltdown (no pun intended) over ice cream. I managed to get him back to the property, which is about five minutes from town. The moment we arrived, he fell to the ground crying; seconds later, someone from the front desk came over to ask if everything was OK—which it was not. She immediately pulled a bear-shaped mini fan out of her pocket and handed it to my son, who instantly calmed down. That’s a level of kindness and understanding that sticks with you. Another family favorite hotel in Greece, the Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens boasts a giant sea-view swimming pool backed by al fresco restaurants, an incredible kids club, and a little ice cream stand for afternoon treats.
5. Accept help and the kindness of strangers
Greek culture is extremely family-oriented, and everyone absolutely loves kids. While I’m not prone to letting strangers hold my baby, I did have two out-of-character experiences. The first was at To Elliniko in Naxos. Moments after sitting down at our table on the terrace, the owner (who I immediately learned has a young daughter) took my son by the hand and brought him inside to pick out Moana coloring pages and markers. My husband trailed behind, and I could see his smile widening as our son’s eyes lit up. When they returned, the owner chatted with us more about her daughter and then offered to hold our baby when the appetizers arrived. The kindness of one mom to another touched me. And on cue, as the Greek salad and grape leaves arrived, she swayed back and forth so I could eat with both hands.
A similar thing happened at Irini’s Tavern & Grocery Store, a family-run restaurant in Folegandros. The granddaughter (grandma was cooking in the kitchen) had Bluey on for her tot. When he got picked up, she asked if we wanted her to leave it on for when our son woke up (Miles was fast asleep on my husband at the time). We chatted about motherhood for a while and she said she missed when her baby was small like Leo. When the food came out, she motioned to hold him. I said yes, and she cooed at him while I scarfed down a traditional pasta called matsata.
6. Go off the beaten path
The idea of going off the beaten path sounds sort of obvious, although when kids are concerned, something is reassuring about sticking to the familiar. But I urge you to explore beyond the places in every guidebook and travel forum. We visited Oia, Santorini, which is a tourism darling. And while it certainly has many charms—among them for our young family a playground in the heart of town and countless ice cream shops—we much preferred under-the-radar Folegandros for its authentic charm, frozen-in-time Chora (it’s small and car-free, so a great place for little kids to run around), sheltered cove beaches, and lack of crowds. We also really enjoyed the best-kept-secret vibe of Antiparos.
7. Don’t sleep on Naxos
When I started chatting with people who had visited Greece, everyone said Naxos was sleepy. Some versions of “you don’t need much time there” or “it’s fine to skip” were often said. But I was intrigued by its coastline and hilltop villages. And let me tell you: It’s the best family island in the Cyclades! Naxos brims with sandy beaches, almost all of which are serviced. On average, you can rent two lounge chairs and an umbrella for the day for about $20. The wallet-friendly rates extend to restaurants and hotels as well. Supermarkets sell sand toys, floats, goggles, and swim diapers—basically all the stuff kids need for the beach but don’t want to take up precious suitcase space.
8. Book ferries, but consider flying longer distances
Ferries are the most efficient (and in some cases only) way to get around the Cyclades. We took Seajets from Naxos to Paros. Also, for our day trip from Antiparos to Paros, there’s a ferry that takes about five minutes and costs $1 for passengers and $7 for cars (including anyone riding inside). With all that said, the water in the Cyclades is known for being rather rough. I was advised that some of the longer ferries (three hours or more) can get quite tumultuous. Rather than chance it, we structured our itinerary to be able to fly from Athens to Paros and Santorini to Athens. The flights were about 50 minutes and super easy.
9. Do more than one night in Athens
Athens doesn’t get the credit it deserves as a family destination. Beyond the ancient sites, namely the Acropolis, which depending on the age of your kiddos, they may either tolerate or even enjoy (Miles did), there’s heaps to do. We had a blast at the Athens National Garden Playground, explored Plaka, dined alfresco, stopped for ice cream, watched street performances in the squares, and were enchanted by Little Kook, a fairytale-themed café. For even more seaside family fun, head to the Athenian Riveria, a 30-minute drive out of the city.
10. Skip the stroller
OK, this might be controversial, but in my experience traveling to Europe with LOs, most places aren’t necessarily stroller-friendly. Think: cobblestones, narrow or nonexistent sidewalks, and hills. That’s particularly true of Greece. We brought our BabyBjorn Baby Carrier One Air for Leo. It’s super easy to adjust, so Mike and I shared shouldering (quite literally) that responsibility. Given that Miles is now 3 and has a proven track record of walking far distances, we gambled on leaving our wheels at home.
If you feel like a stroller is a must, reach out to the hotel in advance and inquire whether that’s something they can provide. Knowing our days in Athens would be quite sightseeing-heavy, I emailed Perianth Hotel, a member of Design Hotels, a few weeks before check-in and was told a stroller would be waiting for us. It made things so much easier for that leg of the trip.
Lindsay Cohn, Contributing Writer
Lindsay is a freelance writer and avid traveler who has visited 46 countries across six continents—and counting. She writes articles for The Everymom about all things travel, from the best family-friendly destinations to tips for traveling with kids and beyond. When she’s not writing, you can find her doing yoga, spending time with her sons, and planning the next trip on her bucket list.