Leave the milk bottles, diapers, PlayStation and the nanny at home – family resorts have everything you will need. Knowing that the holidays with children have their own know how, here is a mini guide for the ideal family holidays in Greece.
A trip for all ages
Up to 3 years old: Choose a family resort with special benefits where your baby will not bother you and you will have special benefits. Specify the age of your child when you make a reservation and ask for baby-sitting. When your children are infants, it is advisable to choose places where they can run freely, but without risk – for example, a family resort with a great beach, gardens with soft grass, and mini club for employed creatively.
4-6 years old: Book a rental house with a kitchen and a garden on an island or in a resort with playgrounds and available activities for them. A large organized camping is another good suggestion if you like this style of holiday.
7-13 years old: Depending on your style, you can choose longer trips, vacations close to nature or alternative resorts with activities and sports.
14-16 years old: This is the most difficult period of coexistence for children and parents on holidays. You want peace, they want a night out. You want a siesta; they want to go down to the beach at 3 pm to meet with their friends. You want a family vacation, they want to bring along their friends, which naturally come together with their families. The situation demands some negotiation: exchange museums with beaches and clubbing with a family dinner in a good restaurant. Exchange five days with their friends, with seven days spent with family. A weekend in Mykonos, one week in resort with sports facilities. Arrange group holidays with families who have children at the same age. Ideal proposal: an island with entertainment or a sailing tour that will give you hours with the kids in the morning and
give them a little time of their own at the harbor at night.
How to choose a destination for your family holidays in Greece
Try to balance your needs with those of your children. Most likely you will have to make some concessions in order to avoid later trouble. Leave for example, trekking, post the age of six in order not to be forced to carry your kid around. Consult your teenager son on any choice, because you will be the ones to suffer the nagging … and so on.
The age of children is one of the key factors that will determine your choice. There is no right age to start a child traveling. However, things that should be taken into consideration by parents change accordingly.
When traveling with babies, whose behavior is often unpredictable (suddenly cries in the night), avoid public transportation – imagine having to suddenly stop … the train in the middle of nowhere!
Be sure to select a family family hotel which has autonomous family rooms, apartments and bungalows It is not right to keep awake all night the occupant of the adjacent room as your baby cries all night.
Family hotel or house rental? Again, it depends on the age of the children, but also your mood. If you have a baby, the hotel is preferable, as it provides peace of mind, while the solution of the house is equally attractive if it has a kitchen and some basic amenities. The hotel will make you feel more relaxed, but the house will feel like your cottage, making you able to enjoy a different kind of intimacy and usually at a lower cost.
Family friendly summer holiday destinations in Greece
The large islands with good infrastructure (hotels, shops, clinics, etc.) such as Rhodes, Crete or Mytilene are always advised for family vacations. Easy access is important. You should prefer for example Lefkada to Symi. Avoid barren islands that are more suitable to couples as they are not family destinations, but romantic ones. Walking after swimming in the alleys hand in hand with your three year old child is not so romantic. You will not find facilities that require family holidays and you might feel you disturb others as well.
Beaches for Families in Greece
Pick a sandy family beach with shallow waters, easy access and all necessary facilities to have a nice time with your kids. Some suggestions are Cassandra of Halkidiki, with beaches full of families, local homes and organized beaches. Acharavi in Corfu, where over the sand there is an entire family resort family hotels, restaurants and a water park. Other suggestions are Vlycha and Agathe at Rhodes as well as Afandou, a huge and popular beach for families, full of taverns and sunbeds. Note the coast of Messenia as well: Charoupia, Mavrovouni, Peroulia, Kyparissia, Sani are just some of the Messinian beaches filled every summer with local families
The standards of a good family hotel
o Location next to the sea in order not to need a car to get around.
o Sandy beaches for children to play without moaning and risks.
o The children’s pool should be adjacent to the swimming pool for adults.
o A family cottage should have two bedrooms and verandas that lead directly into a garden
o An organized playroom with qualified personnel.
o Space for sports.
o Baby-sitting available.
o Water-sports instructors for children.
o A children’s menu in the restaurant / tavern.
o Comics and children’s literature available at the shop selling newspapers and magazines.
o Many family hotels have nowadays their own water park.
o Extra services such as a PlayStation in the room appreciated.
