Q. Why is Crete great for families?
The biggest and most diverse of the Greek Islands, Crete has something for everybody. Great beaches, enchanting historical sites, activities galore, heaps of charm, and even that rarity on any Greek island: a legitimate city. Crete has the warmest winters of any Greek island making a visit in October and May still very attractive – though if swimming and hitting the beach are your highest priority June and September offer the best weather.
Q. What is the best website for booking hotels on Crete?
HotelsCombined.com/Crete is outstanding and consistently finds the best rates for hotels in Crete.
Q. What are the best attractions in Crete for families?
The Old Town of Chania (also spelled Hania)
This city of 60,000 on Crete’s northwest coast is a spellbinding mix of great restaurants (if a little touristy), charming hotels, and winding lanes and alleys that kids will love to explore. Chania’s harbor has enough boats, cafes and local bustle to keep everyone happy for a fewhours (or days).
Knossos
Perhaps the most accessible and attractive historical site for families on the Greek islands. Lose yourself – but not the kids – in this ancient world of cobblestones and crumbling walls. A tour guide is highly recommended – especially if you have older kids who’ll probably be enthralled by the well polished tails of the talented guides.Imbros and Samaria Gorges
These aren’t easy walks, but if you have older and very active kids they are certainly doable. The Imbros is shorter, easier and less visited than the Samaria, making it a good compromise for the family seeking some adventure and exercise. (Good information page on Samaria Gorge here with map of toilet and water breaks along the route.)AquaWorld Aquarium, Hersonnisos
Snakes, alligators, eels, stingrays, turtles, tortoise, fish and lizards. This small but well run aquarium is a must if your family spends any time in eastern Crete. Highly recommended if the mid-day heat of July and August prove too much for your children.Water Parks Around Crete
- Aqua Plus, Hersonissos
- Star Beach, Hersonissos
- Limnoupolis, Chania
- WaterCity, Anopolis, Heraklion (the largest in Crete)
Q. What are the best beaches for families in Crete?
- See Also: The Best Beaches in Crete
Elafonisi beach, southwestern Crete
An absolute jewel of a beach, with a small sand island you can wade out to with ease. The water is clear and blue and the swimming great. It definitely takes some effort to get to – about a 2 hour bus ride from Chania (leaves Chania about 9am and leaves Elafonisi at 4pm), or a 2 hour boat ride from Paleohora, but this is what keeps it so wonderful. That’s not to say it’s undiscovered. Day trippers arrive by the bus load but they never seem to overwhelm the area. A couple small hotels and a few beach restaurants are here so you need not pack your food if you want to keep it simple.Matala village, southern Crete
A popular tourist destination for families that still retains some of its original charm. In large part due to the wonderful beach and the caves that line the cliff above the beach.Marathi Beach, Akrotiri peninsula
The Perfect spot for families with children to swim and relax. Calm and beautiful with a shallow entrance to the water make Marathi a great option. A small collection of restaurants, cafes and tavernas spot the town. If you’re here during a particularly windy August this protected beach might give a reprieve from the Meltemi.
Q. What are the best hotels for families in Crete?
These hotels fill months in advance so book early.
- Ammos Hotel (Chania Town)
Great budget hotel near one of Crete’s most popular and expensive towns. A family friendly hotel set right on the beach and just 10 minutes from the Old Town in Chania. The friendly staff get raves, as does the kid friendly swimming pool. Kids are a common site at the Ammos and the warm staff go out of their way to make families feel welcome.
- King Minos Palace Hotel (Hersonissos)
A fantastic pool, good food, and central location for touring the island keep guests happy. A small beach is only 5 minutes away – though the sea here can be rough. A super market is just a short distance as well.- Candia Park Village (Agios Nikolaos)
Great breakfasts, free kids club, fantastic beach and big rooms with kitchenettes are the draw at the Candia Park. The taxi ride into Agios Nikolaos isn’t particularly cheap but this is made up for by crystal clear sea (great for snorkeling) and the pool side bar with ice cream and milkshakes.- Axos Hotel (near Rethymnon)
Friendly and inviting owners make a good hotel great. Fantastic breakfasts, delicious pizza, and a nearby strip of shops and eateries make for an inviting stay. The hotel is self catering and features a lovely pool with plenty of sun beds. Great online deals can be found outside of the high season of July and August.
What is the best way to get to Crete?
Ferry To Crete
Crete is a good distance from Pireaus, making a cheap flight from Athens — at least one way — an attractive option. If you do take the ferry be sure to arrive and depart from different ports thus avoiding the need to retrace your steps to catch your return ferry. The ferries that depart from Heraklion make a call in Santorini which allows you to see the islands stunning cliffs, even if you don’t have the time to spend a few days on the island. Reserving a sleeper cabin for the long trip from Athens is also highly recommended.
Flights To Crete
Crete has 3 main airports at Heraklion, Chania, and Sitia. There are flights from Athens and Thessaloniki to Crete with Olympic Air, Athens Airways and Aegean Airlines. The following budget airlines have cheap flights to Crete from many large and medium sized airports in Europe:
Further Reading
[Photos by: Wolfgang Staudt]
Hoping to make to Crete in May…can’t wait.
We went on a weeklong kayaking and hiking vacation in Crete in June 2009 with the support of a Chicago based tour company, The Northwest Passage (www.nwpassage.com). Even if you are not a tour kind of person, this is worth checking into. In fact, it was hands down the best vacation our family has ever taken. We hiked the Samaria Gorge and kayaked from inn to inn. NW Passage hauled our gear, made the hotel arrangements (simple places but all immaculate) and coached us on our technique. They also made sure we were safe. Our 10 year old did fine in the front of a double kayak. I think the age cut off is seven.
Could you recommend us any hotel? We are 2 adults traveling with 2 children (6 and 12 years). Two of us are arrivng by Chania airport, and the other 2 are arriving by Heraklion airport. But all of us are leaving by Chania at 7:00 am ! We are going to stay in Creta for 2 weeks in july.
Thank you in advance for your answers.
Hi Corali. Both places are great. Chania is much more beautiful and a top destination for travelers but Heraklion is not without its attractions. It doesn’t see nearly as many tourists and you feel like you’re in a truly Greek city.
They both make great bases for exploring the surrounding area too.
Good luck,
David
Hi David,
Thank you for your your answer. In fact,unfortunatly, we can not go to Heraklion area because it would be too far for the ones who will arrive at Chania airport. So we thaught in finding an area between both airports. What do you think about Rethymnon ? Or maybe one week in Rethymmon and another one in Chania aera ?
Somebody refered me the Odyssia Hotel. But the only information I could find is in german. I speak spanish and french, english more or less, but not german. Did you heard about this hotel?
Do you know personaly the Axos Hotel (it is refered on the website you recommended me)? how is the beach ? Is there any activity for kids at the hotel or nearby ?
Rethymno is a great town. Lots to do, great food and a very nice (but busy) town beach. Haven’t heard of Odyssia but Axos gets raves from some friends of mine and gets very good reviews from other travelers. It only takes a few hours by bus to get between Hania and Rethymno – I’d recommend 3 or 4 days in both and then do a little tour of southern Crete – Paleochora, Frangokastello, Elafonisi.
All the best!
Thank you very much for your usefull information. Finally we booked 1 week at Axos Hotel (Rethymno) and 1 week at Renieris Hotel (Kato Stalos, Chania area). We planned at least 1 day at Elafonisi as I read it is a beach we can not miss.
Do you know how is the road from Heraklion to Rethymno? Is it a wiggly road, a motorway ?
Great! Let us know how it works out. The highway along the north of the island is quite nice, no problems there. The roads that lead south from the north – including the one down to Elafonisi – are definitely twisty turny and on the narrow side in sections. Give yourself lots of time if you’re renting a car and driving yourself, so you’re not in a hurry. There are many buses that go from Hania in the morning and return at night so that might be a good option if you’re not into the drive. There’s also a boat from Paleohora with a similar schedule: to the beach in the morning, returning at night. Good luck!
The beach at Balos Bay is incredible too. Catch a boat from Kissamos. It’s a day trip tour of Gramvousa.
Flying to Crete very soon. Thanks for the beach suggestions, they sound very good. We’re renting a car and should be able to visit all of them.
Also, Kedrodasos (it means forest with cedars) beach is wonderful!
It is located at west of Chania and is full of cedars.
Drive the road to Elafonisi from Chania and turn left to the dirt road leading to Palaiochora (around 1.5 km before Elafonisi). Follow your way for around 1.5 km and turn right. Leave your car there and walk down to the beach…It worths a visit on the way to Elafonisi…really
You can have a look here
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?aid=162946&id=181900253601
Hi David,
First let me complement you on the wonderful site you maintain which is of tons of help to people like us !
I was planning a trip to Crete with my husband and 1 yr old baby around 12/ 13th Nov. I cant decide if we should base ourselves in Chania or in Heraklion. We will be flying from Athens and then proceed to Santorini. We want to be in Chania for one day and one night and in Heraklon we wanted to see only the Palace of Knossos.
In terms of transportation feasibility, could you suggest a plan? How long a drive would be Knossos from Chania by car and are there ferries from Chania to Santorini too?
There are definitely more ferries from Heraklion to Santorini than from Chania to Santorini. It’s quite likely you would have to bus from Chania to Heraklion to catch the ferry so best to start your trip with a flight to Chania. It’s about 2 or 3 hours from Chania to Heraklion (Rethymno is a great little town if you need a pit stop for lunch) and it’ll be about 10 or 20 minutes from Heraklion out to Knossos.
Hope that helps. Good luck.
Hi David, Is chania a nice place to visit with toddlers? Is there much to do? Waterparks? Beach? etc What are the prices like?
Many thanks
Chania has a very relaxed feel and is nice to stroll around (not great for a stroller, mind you, so have some other options) so it’s good in that regard. Lots of open air restaurants that are great for kids. But it’s not kid friendly in the sense of having lots to do. There are some great beaches around Chania but they’re not right in the city. It’s also the most expensive city in Crete. Not sure what months you’re planning to be there but it’s pretty pricey in July and August, with good deals before early June and as you get to late September.
There’s a waterpark a short drive from Chania: http://www.limnoupolis.gr/en/location.php
It’s 1 of 4 waterparks in Crete. The others are in eastern Crete near Heraklion: http://www.holidays2crete.com/waterparks.html
Good luck.
Hi! Your info is great! My sister and I are planning a trip w/ our combined 5 kids ages 4 to 12 (!) end of june. our goal is to relax with beauty around us while the kids can explore a new culture and have fun. crete sounds fun but while she will fly from london i will from from the middle east. do you think i should fly into turkey and take a ferry to Hania and she meets me there? that way the kids can see a couple of days of istanbul as well? i am not sure of the least expensive way to do this and dont have more than a week to do this either. what places 2-3 do you suggest with one beach, a ferry ride, cobblestone quaintness, very clean amenities etc..?Your help is much appreciated!
Hi Nargis. Your plan sounds great. The only problem is time. It will take 2 full days of travel — and probably more if you’re stopping to see some sights — to get from Istanbul to Crete. I’d probably either meet in Lesvos near the Turkish coast or just fly to Athens and then make your way together to one of the cyclades.
Dear David,
first let me tell you how I liked your website! it gives you a good feeling on how to travel with kids in Crete!
we are going there in few weeks, after easter, and are still trying to find the best solution for our stay… maybe you have some advice?
We have three kids aged 3,5 and 7 years, which is why we don’t know what the most practical solution would be to combine a nice relaxing holiday with some sightseeing… we have 8 full days at our disposal.
the idea was to stay somewhere on the north coast, and to travel to different places from there. one or two nights we will also have in Heraklion, that is already clear.
Would you rather advice us to stay in Chania town and travel to sites and beaches from there with a taxi when possible, or a rental car, or do you have a good recommendation about a nice beach between Chania and Retymno, cosy, not packed, not huge, not loud…. ?
I would be happy about any advice you have for us…
thanks very much!
Johanna
Hi Johanna.
I would suggest staying in Chania and taking a bus or taxi to some of the nearby beaches. There are some great ones to the west of Chania and then my favorite, Elafonisi, in the southwest corner of Crete. It’s about a 2 hour bus ride to Elafonisi. From there you could take a boat to the very cool town of Paleochora, spend a night or 2 there, and then loop back to Chania. I can’t speak about all the beach towns along the north coast but they tend to be either painfully quiet or very touristy and overrun with package tourists. The main towns of Chania, Rethymno, and Heraklion are all great. The south coast of Crete has more interesting towns and beaches but no major cities and, of course, it takes some time to get down there.
ive read through many of your posts – great advice! we’re coming from paris and returning to london – we have about 10 days and are visiting a friend for a couple in athens. i was considering the overnight train to rome (thought the kids would get a kick out of that) but im not terribly interested in going to rome. but easy to catch a flight to athens from there or maybe we could squeeze in corfu somehow. i see we can get a fairy from brandisi but then do we fly out of corfu to athens?
after athens we’re looking at crete for 4 days or 20 and if i could figure out how to read the ferry schedules maybe a day trip to santarini so the kids can see it. then fly to london from crete. so my question is from athen should i ferry to crete – i heard there’s an overnight ferry or fly (again) – i was really hoping to see more islands but it all sounds so complicated! thanks for your advice
Hi Lauren. It’s not complicated at all once you’re there. But yes, from a distance and trying to plan things it is very difficult. Schedules can’t be trusted much until just a few weeks before your date of sailing — and even then they can change because of heavy winds or no good reason at all. Tight, fixed schedules don’t work very well with island hopping through Greece.
That said, here’s a boat that’s been running for a few years so you can have some confidence in it’s schedule: http://www.ferries.gr/cruises/flying_cat_4.htm
It goes from Heraklion to Santorini in the morning and returns Santorini to Heraklion in the evening. When you account for the time to get from the port in Santorini up to the main town of Fira and the time it takes to get back to the port in the evening you’d have between 4 and 5 hours to tour the island. Not a lot but enough — maybe. You’d have to miss the sunset in Oia but that’s busy and chaotic, and not everyone’s cup of tea.
As for Corfu. It’s tough to make work with your hoped-for itinerary. The bus out to Brindisi (or Bari depending on the boat) and night ferry over to Corfu will take up a good chunk of time. From Corfu you could fly to Athens or take a bus through central Greece which is a long but very very beautiful drive. (Could also stop at the Meteora which are very impressive and kids seem to like them.)
If it was my trip I would probably do the train to Rome, fly to Athens, ferry to Santorini for a 1 or 2 night stay, then take the hydrofoil to Crete and fly directly back to London from there. (You shouldn’t have trouble finding a cheap flight from Heraklion to London on a budget airline.)
Good luck.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Hi David,
We’ll be visiting Crete with our 7 & 10 year old from a Cruise ship in a few weeks and we stop in Chania, would love to hit a nice beach for a few hours. Can you recommend one that is not too far. The ship has an “excursion” that goes to Agioi Apostolo Beach. We usually prefer to go somewhere other than where the cruise ship sends folks but we only have about 6-7 hours.
Thanks so much! Love your site and information!
Hi Amy. The beaches close to Chania are good but not great. Chania, however, is a wonderful town. The Old Town, harbour, and market are all great to wander around. I’d consider saving the beach for another island on your cruise. What other islands are you going to visit?
If you were set on a beach I’d try Platanias beach which is about 11km west of Chania. Agioi Apostoloi is just outside of Chania and gets very busy. Platanias is bigger and you should always be able to find some room for yourself.
If you had more time I’d recommend a visit to Balos or Elafonisi which are both wonderful. But you’d need 8 to 10 hours to visit them and not feel rushed.
Thank you so much David.
Really appreciate the advice. We are going to Athens, Ephesus and Sicily and only a day in each. So, the ruins in the first two seem mandatory. Crete is really our only beach option. I assume we can probably grab a taxi in the town of Chania and have them come back and get us at a specified time? Would they be reliable?We’ve had good luck doing that in other place.
Thanks again!
Hi David,
We’re also considering Kalathas or Stavros beaches which look like they are also nearby (per Fodors) Do you know how they compare to Platanias? Thank you!!
The beaches on the Akrotiri peninsula are great, and you’re starting to get a bit farther from Chania so not as many crowds. I think this would win out over Platanias.
Thank you David! And from the map it looks like they are not much further? We’ll throw them all out as options to a taxi driver. Appreciate your help. Will let you know how it goes. Thanks, Amy.
Hi, I wish to take my 12 year old daughter to Greece, and have no idea where to go. We would like sandy beaches close by and hopefully in a town to sit and have coffee. We are only going for 8 days, since we are starting our trip in England. Any suggestions?
Hi Jacqueline. You are spoiled for choice. As I often tell readers it can sometimes be best to look at the flight schedules and see what’s available for your timeframe and let that play a big role in where you decide to go. Most of the islands are great and with a couple of exceptions you could go to pretty much any island (especially with your liberal criteria) and be happy. There should be lots of flights from London to Rhodes, Crete, Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, and probably a half dozen more. There are many beautiful islands that don’t have direct international flights — for example Naxos, Paros, Karpathos, Milos, Ikaria — so for these you would have to take a ferry from a nearby island, or in some cases you could change planes in Athens and get a direct domestic flight. If you could find a flight to Crete that suited your schedule then I’d probably take that and split my time between Heraklion and Chania in the north and one of the beach towns along the south like Paleohora (a short boat trip from the fabulous Elafonisi beach), Frangokastelo, or Agia Galini. Try to fly in and out of different cities so you don’t retrace your steps. Good luck.
Hi David!
I’m not good in English.
My (1 yr old baby) and friend’s (3 yr old kid) families planning to have vacation (2 weeks) in Create. We will be arriving to Heraclion’s airport.
Could you recommend place (we will rent apartment) not far from airport (1-3 hours’ drive) with
beach for kid’s
market
chemist’s
Thank you for advice.
Rethymno is a great town. Lovely beach, good restaurants, not as expensive as Chania, and only 1.5 hours from Heraklion by bus. Here’s a link for hotels in Rethymno (http://www.booking.com/city/gr/rethymnon.html?aid=346426;label=cmtrethymno). Good luck.
Hi David,
I will be coming in on a cruise with my family early June. We wanted to take a break from the other historic ruin islands and try to go to a cave. When researching Crete is appears there are many to choose from however, we only have the day. We will be coming into Chania (Souda) from what our itinerary says. My kids are 12 and 14yrs old. Thank you for any recommendations.
What about the cave of Saint Sophia? How far is it from the port where the cruise ships dock, how much is a cab to and from, and is it OK for healthy kids ages 12 and 14?
Thank You!
It looks like it’s about 50kms from Souda and would likely take between 1 hour and 1.5hours each way and cost about 50 to 70 euros. I’m sure it’s fine for a 12 year old.
Hi David, Love your site! My husband and I (along with our 2 year old) are traveling Europe for a year. We are thinking about Crete for July….can you recommend an area where we could get by without a car? We are looking for a town where we can walk to a couple markets, a few restaurants, at least one good beach, and possibly a playground? We have spent some time in Paros, Santorini, and Mykonos before the kid, but none of these are really what we are looking for with him. We are leaning towards the Island of Crete because it seems large enough, but are open to another island. I guess we would love something similar to Paros, but a little bigger as our son would get bored easily there. Would Naxos be something to look into? Any suggestions would be amazing!! Thanks, Holly
Yes, Naxos is great, though similar to Paros. Rethymno is the first place that came to mind on Crete. A bigger town than either Paros or Naxos has to offer. Playgrounds, markets, a nice beach, quite walkable. Hania is also great though the best beaches are a little farther off and would require taking a bus to get to. Both Rethymno and Hania have very good bus connections to the rest of the island if you want to explore.
Paleochora is a great little town on the south side of Crete: http://www.west-crete.com/holidays-paleochora.htm.
Good luck.
Hi David,
We are planning a trip to Crete from Germany and will be staying at the Village heights Golf Resort. I have found some really great flights from Germany to Volos, Thes and Kos. However, I am unable to find ferries or reasonable flights to Herklion. Any suggestions?
Look for flights to Santorini and then take the fast ferry to Heraklion which shouldn’t take more than 2 hours (1h 45 minutes if you take the catamaran).
Thank you. I will check that out. Also, we are traveling with 3 children (5, 11 & 15). We will rent a car but don’t think we will have time to explore the entire island in one week. What towns would you recommend that have things for the children? Nice beach? Also for the big kids at heart….winery?
The best towns for kids are probably Rethymno and Chania. The best beach is Elafonisi on the southwest coast though Crete is loaded with fantastic beaches so maybe not worth the drive if your time is limited. The villages south of Heraklion are great and known for their wine and traditional Greek culture.
Hi David!
We are American expats who live permanently in Italy. My daughter attends a small community run school and her class is currently studying Crete. There are three kids in her class. In mid-April my husband and I will bring our daughter and her two classmates to Crete for 4 days. My question is if you know how and where we can find out what kind of documentation we will need to enter Greece with my daughter’s classmates – two children we are not related to? Our family are all legal residents of the EU and the two friends are Italian citizens.
Also, would you recommend basing ourselves in Chania, where we are flying into, and day tripping to Knossos? Or basing ourselves in the Heraklion area. We arrive in Chania late on a Monday evening and fly back to Italy late morning on Friday 4 days later. We have friends joining us from England who are also flying in and out of Chania, who are arriving on Tuesday and departing on Saturday.
Thanks for any advice you might share!
Best wishes,
Betsy
Hi Betsy.
You’ll definitely want to have a notarized letter from the parents stating that you’ve approved this trip. You might want to have it translated into Greek too, but certainly have it in English (not Italian). Here’s what to include in the letter: https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1254/kw/1254/sno/1/~/children—child-traveling-with-one-parent-or-someone-who-is-not-a-parent-or. Be sure it’s dated and have all the travel details on it. Be sure all the kids’ travel documents are completely in order and nothing missing, expired, has the wrong name on it, etc.
Sounds like Chania would make a lot more sense for what you have planned. Buses between Chania and Heraklion run regularly.
Good luck.
Hi David, just wanting to know what you think of Agios Nikolaos? Thinking of Candia Park Village with our 8 year old son. Is there enough to do around that part or would it make more sense to stay north somewhere near Chania? Thanks
Chania has way more character than Agios Nikolaos. Ag Nik is very touristy and resort/package tourism oriented – though still pleasant enough. Chania is a great town with lots to see in town and nearby. Chania will be a bit more expensive however for comparable accommodations. Good luck.
Thank you. Would you mind advising me on how Chania and Rethymno compare please? I’d love to stay in Chania but price wise and beach wise I’m trying to find somewhere slightly further along the coast. Agios marina beach area looks nice but sounds like it is a tourist resort lacking in character. Rethymno looks lovely, but Axos is booked up for end july/aug sadly. if you have any suggestions of nearby beach areas/hotels to either town I would be grateful. Thanks again for all your help
These 2 links should give you lots of choices: Chania hotels and Rethymno hotels.
Both are great little towns. Chania is a bit more enchanting – especially at night – it has a very nice little harbour. But Rethymno has a very cool Old Town section too. Chania has a few more upscale dining options.
Thanks very much for your wealth of advice. Have finally made a decision based on the information you have given me and have booked apartments near Chania. Thanks again, it’s a fantastic site. Best wishes
Hi David,
My husband and I are planning on travelling to crete with our nine month old for one week. We are thinking about flying to Khania. We would like to find a place nearby that is not too touristy, that has a nice beach nearby, and has a variety of resturants/cafes that we could go to at night (possibly on foot). Do you have any suggestions?
The towns of Platanias and Agia Marina come to mind. More info here: http://www.greeka.com/crete/chania/chania-beaches.htm.
For hotels try these links:
Hotels in Agia Marina, Greece
Hotels in Platanias, Greece
Good luck.
Hi there, I am going to Crete in July with my 2 children aged 15 and 12. We normally go the Balearics so this is a bit of a change and as ridiculous as it sounds, I am getting a wee bit nervous that we have made the right choice of destination. Chania sounds like my ideal town and I am now wishing we had booked nearer there. We have booked the Thomson Sensatori hotel in Lyttos Beach looks great for a chill out week but if I wanted to travel to Chania from there how long would it take? Also really fancy seeing Santorini – Thomson offer an organised trip – quite expensive but prepared to pay for it if you think it is worth the trip?
I’ve really enjoyed reading the comments on your website, wished I had read it before booking but have decided just to go with what we have booked as we really did want a chill out holiday however feel I may have underestimated the size of Crete.
It’s about 2 hours 45 minutes from Heraklion to Chania (and it looks like your hotel is about 25 minutes from Heraklion).
Santorini is great and definitely worth doing the day trip. Another option (admittedly expensive) is leave your luggage at the resort, catch the 9:45am from Heraklion to Santorini (full schedule here), stay the night, and then return the next evening leaving Santorini at 5:35pm. You’d have the added expense of one night on Santorini. You could just take 1 or 2 small backpacks for a change of clothes. You’d get more time on Santorini and it might not be a whole lot more money than the day trip booked through Thomson.
Just an idea.
Good luck.
hello,
great website!
next month we are going to Mochlos with 2 little children. We know the west of crete pretty good, but on your site i can not find lots of the east of crete. Can you give some advice to do with the children? ( boat trips, little walks,…)
thank you very much
Agios Nikolaos and Sitia will be where you find the most to do. I’m not very familiar with the area but you will find some great beaches. Check here for more info on Eastern Crete: http://www.greeka.com/crete/lassithi. Good luck.
Hey David,
Thanks for a great site.
A bit of a redundant questions but I have one shot at this and gotta get it right. Traveling with teens (17 boy,14 girl) and kids (twin 8 yr old boys) to Turkey and Greece in July. Could you please suggest island(s) that would satisfy all ages and if you know of a house rental website that is reliable as most hotels don’t accommodate 6 people. Not interested in crowds but have the time and money to do something cool, exciting and fun. Any thoughts on an itinerary of places for 7-10 days would also be appreciated.
Thanks much!
Of the islands close to Turkey, Rhodes has the most to do. Both touristy and historical/cultural. For rentals try: http://www.airbnb.com
Hi David,
Thanks so much for the time you take to advise people. I’m looking to travel to Greece with my 2 small kids (2 and 3.5) and my mom, who’s visiting from the US. Want to do a beach trip with my kids – hotel directly on the beach which accomodates families with small kids (i.e. kitchenette in the room or snacks available for kids, kids sleeping area separated by a door so we don’t have to go to bed by 8). But my mom is also looking to see some historical/culturally interesting sights – preferably during in the afternoons while the kids are taking their naps. Any suggestions for locations which have hotels directly on a good beach for small kids (i.e. shallow, relatively calm water) but not too far away from something that would be interesting for Gramma?
Thanks for any help.
Erica
Naxos town and St George’s beach would be perfect for you. Naxos has great beaches and lots to see and do away from the beach.
The Naxos Resort Beach Hotel has a great location (near both the town and the beach), nice pool, and family-friendly vibe.
Hope that helps.