Traveling with Children in Greece
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Getting to Greece with Children: A Great Flight We once flew Air France from NY to Paris and I am now converted. Not that the seats were any more comfortable, the food was any better or the staff were any nicer, but for the simple reason that every seat in economy had a TV. Its true. Mounted on the seat in front of you is a television with half a dozen movie channels and various other programs including a continuous cartoon channel which kept our daughter occupied every waking hour of the flight. It was the best flight I have ever been on with her, in fact there were times I wished we could have taken that seat with us to use in Greece. If you are not so lucky as to have a TV in the seat in front of you then bring plenty of stuff for your child to do. Coloring books are essential. Now, many other airlines have these TV's so ask. If your flight is a Boeing 777 or an Airbus there is a good chance you will have your own TV in economy. Now with mini DVDs and iPods that have video, keeping kids occupied is not as hard as it used to be and you are not at the mercy of whoever chooses the movies they show on the flight.
With the time change you may completely beat after your long flight but that does not mean your child will be. In fact you may take your first walking tour of the Plaka completely against your will only because your child will not let you do otherwise. Don't worry about it. There will be time for relaxation and if you and your mate can work in shifts during these first few brutal hours things will come together smoothly. Otherwise make sure you get a hotel in Athens with a TV or a baby-sitting service. The great thing about children is that they can sit for hours watching cartoons even if they are in Greek and they can't understand a word. Traveling with A Baby in Greece |
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The more time you spend on the beach the less pampers you will need. That is if you are far from the crowds and are able to let things fall as they may, as they say. If you let your child run free and naked by the sea you won't spend as much money on pampers and nobody really cares if kids (and in some places adults) are running around naked. If you are the type who believes that a child should be in pampers either to shield them from unscrupulous eyes or to keep the stuff which the pampers are meant to contain, contained, you should be aware that when pampers get wet they expand and get heavy and the baby falls down a lot. You can bring cloth diapers if you don't believe in pampers for ecological reasons or if you are a masochist. Keep in mind that you will have to wash them in your hotel sink. Some of the luxury hotels have laundry service but it is expensive. It would be cheaper to mail your dirty diapers home and deal with them later. But that would be pretty disgusting. |
Andrea
and I feel like we are experts at bringing
children to Greece because by time our daughter
Amarandi was 5 years old she had been to Greece
seven times including once in the womb. People
can be apprehensive about taking children on long
journeys, far from their support system that makes
raising a child seem almost routine at times. In
that sense Greece was an awakening for us because
we realized many of our needs as parents were not
essential. In fact there were only three
essentials when you bring your child to Greece: Pampers (which became unnecessary
after the first couple trips), our McLaren
stroller of which my exploits are chronicled
in
After a
grueling 10 hour flight from America, the wait at
passport control and the chaos of the baggage
carousel, the last thing in the world we want to
do is deal with standing on line to get a taxi. I
am a firm believer in transfers rather then trying
your luck with the masses outside the terminal.
For thirty dollars
We
brought our pampers with us but realized that a 3
month supply leaves no room in our bags for
anything else. They are available in what the
Greeks call Supermarkets, which are on every
island and might be compared to a convenience
store packed with everything you would find in a
supermarket only fewer and smaller items (though
the pampers are normal sized and take up a lot of
shelf space). The American made pampers were more
expensive then the Greek pampers so to save money
we made a switch, only to discover that the Greek
version of the miracle adhering strip was not up
to the rigors of being attached to an active
American child and the pampers would fall off
frequently. This was easily remedied by duct tape
which may be a little harder to find in Greece but
can be brought from America without sacrificing
too much luggage space.
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What Children think is Cool in Greece and what you think is cool in Greece may not be the same thing
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Kids on the Beach in Greece
If you are traveling with your family then a family beach is where you want to be. Forget about staying in the village and taking a bus to the beach. Find a place where the beach and the village are the same thing. Vatera in Lesvos and Kamares in Sifnos are both great, Kamares maybe better because it is a bay and the sea is generally calmer even on windy days. In Vatera if the wind is blowing in there can be waves because it is open sea though generally it is calm too. Both have cafes on the beach, restaurants on the beach and even rooms or hotels on the beach. What this means is that even if you don't feel like being on the beach all day your child can. You can still be a few feet away from them, doing your own thing. Both beaches have beach chairs and umbrellas for rent which seems to make kids more comfortable, like having a home. But the most important thing is that both beaches have other kids. Here's a great beach tip from a reader: Freeze 3/4 bottle of water overnight and take it to the beach, you get a slow melting cool sip for quite some time. without the need for freezer bag etc.... great for when the kids were small and needed a quick refresh. The Greeks and Kids
Maybe it's the
partitioning of ages in our culture. Old people
don't have that much contact with the young in
America, but in Greece its all one big happy
family. You don't have to worry about your child
bothering the old people at the next table because
it is no bother at all. They take pleasure in your
child in a kind and loving way. Even if they don't
speak your language they will find a way to
entertain with pictures drawn on napkins, folded
figures, or cutting, peeling and feeding them the
same fruit that the child refuses to eat when you
give it to her. Kids and Restaurants in Greece
For older kids,
a village like Kamares, Sifnos or Eressos Lesvos
is great because while you eat a leisurely meal
and then relax and converse with your neighbors or
friends you have made, the kids can run wild with
the children of other travelers or with the
locals. There are really very few dangers. The
same goes for the Plaka in Athens since it is
closed to automobile traffic.
Food for Kids who hate Greek food
Reward Systems for Good Behavior in Greece
In the town squares and in various locations around Athens are rides where you put a few eurocents in the slot and your child can go around in circles on a train, ride a lightly bucking bronco or whirl in a stationary helicopter. Combined with ice-cream this makes a fulfilling evening activity for a child.
An excellent
good behavior reward or bad behavior remedy in
Athens is the
National Gardens
at Syntagma
square. It's a square mile or two of semi tropical
plants, trees and flowers and a variety of
wildlife which could be described as predominantly
winged, feathered and quacking. There is a nice
pond full of these creatures and you can bring
leftover bread from lunch, or buy some from a
woman stationed nearby for your children to feed
them. In fact you may be worried that they will
eat your children for at times they will disappear
from sight as the ducks surround them like they
have not eaten in days, but generally they are
harmless. Watch out for the geese though. They are
bigger, braver and meaner, though thankfully
fewer.
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When Amarandi
outgrew her stroller it was bad news for us. The
stroller was an all purpose vehicle used for
carrying luggage through the airport, from the
ferry boats to the hotel and of course the purpose
for which it was intended, carrying her. But where
it was really missed was in the restaurants at
night when it became a mobile bed that we could
put her in when she fell asleep, or walk her in
until she was asleep and we could continue the
evening indefinitely. Our nights out got much
shorter when she outgrew our faithful McLaren and
we had to take her back to the hotel to put her to
bed because she was getting to heavy to carry. In
fact if they come up with a stroller for wives and
teenagers I will definitely buy one.
A holiday with a baby in Greece gave us ample opportunity to watch her grow and play with her much more then we would have in the states where work, TV, computers and the day to day maintenance of our lifestyle leaves a lot less time for child interaction. In Greece all we had was time, beautiful weather and a spectacular background where we were able watch our new daughter. To her there is no difference between Greece and a Seven-Eleven, it's all colors and newness, but to us watching her gave us a stronger awareness of ourselves as a family. Wait a couple years and I will tell you about traveling to Greece with a teenager. |
As
children get older be prepared for the possibility
that they may not find the beauty of Greece as
stimulating as you do. They may think it's boring
and never be happy until they are in the hotel
room, jumping on the bed. The key is staying in
one place. This sounds strange to us because we
keep things interesting by moving on, visiting the
next island, the next beach and changing our
surroundings. Have you ever noticed how dogs only
notice other dogs. When I am driving in my car
with Byron in the front seat he stares out
the windshield at the highway. I don't know
if he has any idea what he is looking at or what
is happening or that we are moving. But if he
catches a glimpse of another dog he gets very
excited and jumps up, looking through each window
for the best view until the dog is out of sight
and even then I can tell he is still thinking
about it. Kids are the same way. You can take them
to the rim of the volcano in Santorini and point
to the ships below, the sunset, the other islands
of lava bubbling from the depths and be totally
impressed yourself at the magnificence of the
scene, but if there is another child playing
nearby or listening to the same boring lecture
from his or her parent, that is all your child is
interested in. You can go to the most beautiful
beach in the world with sparkling azure seas and
fish leaping from the sea to greet you, but if
there are no other kids on the beach don't expect
the fascination to last. For all your surroundings
you may as well be taking a 10 hour car trip on
I-95 with your child asking “are we there yet?”
every two minutes. A remote secluded beach is
great for couples with a new born baby but not for
a child who knows what it is like to play with
other kids. The irony is that if you want peace of
mind then go with your kids to the crowded family
beach because without other kids to bounce off of
they will probably torture you. Quiet secluded
paradises are boring to some little people. Same
goes for the Parthenon. In the words of my 6 year
old brother when we came upon the temple of Apollo
in Aegina:
When we
live in Lesvos we have a choice of a few beaches.
There is the nearby beaches of Campo Antissa and
Gavatha which are long stretches of sand where
many times we are the only people there. There
is also Skala Eressos, a mile long beach, a
third of it lined with cafes where young
Scandinavian's watch their kids play in the sand
and sea a few feet away. It's an easy choice for
us which beach to go to and we find a spot in the
vicinity of the largest group of kids. Within
minutes our daughter is playing like she has known
them for years, in fact when they leave for lunch
she follows them and we follow her. Getting her
into the car to leave is the only problem but
compared to being on beautiful quiet Campo Antissa
with her screaming it's a breeze. Vatera Beach is
a great place for kids and we stay at the Canadian
owned
Greece
is the land of a million baby-sitters. It's not
like in America where if someone talks to
your child in the park or the super-market your
first thought may be that he is a pervert or a
kidnapper. The Greeks love children and even the
most grumpy old guy will light up if a child takes
an interest in him. When we put Amarandi in the
backpack she would love it because when we stopped
to wait for the light to change so we could cross
the street there would always be someone next to
us or behind us talking to her, making faces,
smiling at her and making her laugh. Kids
generally attract attention from older people in
Greece and when they are at eye level even more.
Women will pinch her cheeks affectionately and
call her a ‘koukla’ a word meaning doll and one of
the few Greek words she knows. In the tavernas
someone from the next table would adopt her and
she would sit in their lap and they would
entertain each other while we watched with
enjoyment. When she would cry people would come
over and play with her so she would stop. “Don't
cry my little koukla” they would smile and pay
such attention that whatever was bothering her
would be forgotten. Sometimes Greek women would
pick her up and dance with her around the room,
swaying with exaggerated movement until they were
both laughing. This is stuff that if it happened
in the states you might feel nervous about. But in
Greece it is totally innocent and unthreatening
and it makes me wonder what is wrong with us? How
come we don't enjoy kids the way they do. Sure we
enjoy our own but can you imagine going up to a
child at the next table who is crying, and trying
to cheer him up? Most people's reaction is “if you
cannot keep your kid quiet can you get him out of
here so I can enjoy my meal?”
If you
are traveling with one child or with two that are
not getting along, your method of choosing a
restaurants should be the same as choosing a
beach. If there are two restaurants and one is a
traditional Greek taverna filled with locals and a
scattering of seasoned, and the other is a Greek
fast food souvlaki joint but full of families and
kids running wild, guess which one you will find
the most peace. The second of course because no
matter how much running around your child does
with the Scandinavian kids from the next table,
and no matter how many times you have to grab her
as she races by chasing someone and tell her to
behave, nothing is as bad as having the only
unhappy child in the quaint traditional Greek
Taverna. Anyway even in the crappiest fast
food joint you can find something you will enjoy
eating. Have a snack and wait until she runs out
of steam and passes out in the stroller and you
can go to the quiet traditional taverna and eat in
peace. A good thing about Greece is the
restaurants are open late. You just have to
outlast your kids.
When all
else fails you can always get eggs. Fried or
scrambled. Omelets with cheese, ham or bacon, or
my favorite, with feta, tomatoes, potatoes and
onions. Breakfast, lunch or dinner. In
restaurants, fast food joints or cafeneons, eggs
can save the day. You can get spaghetti in just
about any restaurant, with meat sauce, tomato
sauce or just cheese. Pizza is available in many
places too. The key is to get them interested in
souvlaki because then life becomes a breeze. You
can sit down to a quiet dinner and send them next
door on their own to buy a souvlaki like it's a
big cultural adventure. When we were kids that's
all we ate. Cheese pies (tiropita) and spinach
pies (spanakopita) are also easy to find and make
great snacks. Hamburgers are generally awful, not
that there is anything wrong with the meat but
they have not mastered the ketchup thing yet.
Keftedes are little fried meatballs and they are
usually a big hit. Chicken tastes like chicken
anywhere only better and it's the least expensive
meat on the menu. It comes with roast or fried
potatoes. Get them to try the roasted ones first
and if they don't like them switch to fries.
French fries are amazing. Kids love them and in
many places they are cooked in olive oil so you
can enjoy them too. In places like Lesvos where
fish are cheap you can get marides which are tiny
deep fried fish that can be eaten whole. My
daughter loves them and yours may too. 
Ice-cream
is a key ingredient for a successful
vacation. There are several Greek ice-cream
companies and every café, restaurant or peripeto
is the representative of one. You will see a
brightly colored freezer box with doors on the top
and large colored posters of each variety,
expertly made to capture the attention of kids
from any country. Names like ,Status, Boss,
Overdose, and Choco-magnum will become
familiar to you as you use them as a reward or a
threat to keep your child behaving or eating what
is on his plate. My daughter's favorite variety is
a cup with a hollow bottom that contains a small
toy. Some of the toys she really enjoyed and spent
time playing with them which was really a bonus
for us but sometimes they backfired and we were
forced to spend hours trying to figure out what
they were supposed to do or how to put them
together. Another potential disaster was getting
the same toy she had gotten before and it got to
the point where we were holding our breath while
she opened the secret flap underneath the plastic
container.
The
Stroller: An Essential Tool in Greece
The Best reason to bring a child to Greece|
Kid Friendly Greece! Kamares, Sifnos is one of the best beaches for families if not the best. A long sandy beach in a sheltered bay makes the beach wave free 99% of the time. The bay is shallow and there are restaurants and cafes so you can sit in the shade and watch your children play. The Stavros Hotel overlooks the beach and there are others just a short walk away. If you have teens there are a few bars and clubs but they are pretty tame. See www.greektravel.com/sifnos If you are looking for a beautiful resort hotel with a swimming pool and a large shallow pool for your children check out the Elies Resort in Vathi, Sifnos. The rooms are actually set up like small individual village houses so you have plenty of privacy and the beach village of Vathi has no cars! There is a parking lot at the entrance of the village and that's as far as you can drive. What could be more safe? Aegean Thesaurus Travel the local agency in Sifnos has the best rates for this hotel. The Elies is one of the best and beautiful resorts in Greece, similar in quality to world-reknown resorts like Porto Elounda but in a much nicer setting. Vatera Beach in Lesvos is 7km long. The Hotel Aphrodite is a great hotel for families. It is right on the beach, has it's own taverna and there are lots of kids including the children of the Canadian owners. It also has a trampoline which will keep kids occupied for hours while you sit in the restaurant, eating dinner, drinking wine and watching them bounce. See www.lesvos.com/aphrodite The village of Sigri in Lesvos is way off the beaten path but has a beautiful sheltered beach with shallow water that is perfect for children. See www.lesvos.com/sigri.html (Sigrion Villas is owned by a very friendly Greek-American family, has a pool, and is inexpensive.) There are small hotels in the Plaka and now many other streets in downtown Athens are being converted to pedestrian walkways. Finding a hotel with rooms that have 4 beds is not easy. Most hotels have doubles and triples (which means 2 and 3 beds). The Hotel Attalos only has a couple rooms for four so if you need one book early. They also have free wireless, a computer room with free computers, and you can walk to all the archaeological sites, restaurants, shops, cafes, museums and it is on the metro line, all of which are important factors when you are traveling with kids of any age. Some hotels have suites which are really 2 separate rooms with a common door. See www.athensguide.com/hotels.html for hotels in Athens. The Island of Hydra only has a couple small beaches but it is car-free! See www.greektravel.com/greekislands/hydra
For a whole lot more hotels in Santorini see
www.hotelsofgreece.com/cyclades/santorini There are many hotels that are geared towards families. They have children's pools, activities and even baby-sitters. You can find many of them at www.hotelsofgreece.com or Booking.com's Greece Page but the best way is by working directly with a Greek travel agency that knows the hotels and has experience booking families and can find you exactly what you need on the island you want to visit. Contact Fantasy Travel at www. fantasytravelofgreece.com or Dolphin Hellas Travel at www.greecetravel.com/dolphinhellas . Want a kids perspective to traveling in Greece? Take a look at Amarandi's website: Greece 4 Kids at www.greece4kids.com See also Traveling in Greece While Pregnant Hyphenology is an academic and travel summer program designed for high school students between the ages of 14-18.
It combines academic excellence with cultural enrichment, an exclusive teaching faculty and a diverse student
body, to provide participants with a unique and unforgettable summer experience. Helpful Books
“This short guide for children, written by Aliki Ammerman, is a must for families or teachers who want to visit the Acropolis. It’s packed with historical information and includes more than 18 activities to hold any child’s interest during his visit. A time line, Who’s Who, and bibliography complete the book. We used this guide as a textbook for our fieldtrip to the Acropolis for many years. Our students learned the basic facts, and enjoyed the activities. We became scholars and not just “tourists.” This revised edition continues to be child-friendly, comfortable and accessible.” Cheryl Makris, former fifth grade teacher, American Community Schools of Athens, Greece. For ordering as an E-book go to www.nostosbooks.com
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What if there was a guide to the Acropolis of Athens, specifically written for children of the upper elementary grades? There is. Now you can prepare your children for their trip to the Acropolis of Athens, before you get there. Give them a copy of Let’s go to the Acropolis, the only workbook guide available in the English language. Let’s go
to the Acropolis
is a quick guide that answers many questions, and gives meaning to the site. Here the kids can read all they need to know about the myths and history of the Acropolis. 
Athens 4 Kids: Hundreds of things to do and see in the city and beyond!
Got Kids?.........Get This!!!
There must be hundreds of great places to take your kids in Athens. So where are they ? This is the question Mark Ritchie has answered in his new book - Athens 4 Kids. This is the ultimate insider's guide to all the very best children-friendly places, activities, and events on offer in Athens and the Attica region. Residents and visitors alike will discover a huge variety of ways in which to celebrate family life here regardless of the weather, or their available time or budget. It really does have
something for everyone!
The book thinks practically about what parents (aunts, uncles, and grandparents), and, more specifically, children up to the age of 12 really need. Each careful selection is described and evaluated, in order to learn in advance what to expect upon arrival and at which age children might best appreciate the experience.
The colourful illustrations and simple information-at-a-glance format makes choosing a venue fun, quick and easy.
Athens 4 Kids is on sale in bookshops, selected stores, and in outlets at many of the venues that appear in the book. You can also order it directly from the author by e-mailing |
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