Greek island hopping with kids

[BrunoMars]

Anyone done it free-style? (ie not part of a package). Kids are early teens so they could easily be responsible for own bags etc. We fancy organising ourselves but slightly worried about transfers and booking suitable accommodation in high season - not the boats themselves. Anyone done it, or is package really the best way?

Cyclades - easy peasy and great fun! Naxos/Paros/Anti Paros/Amorgos/Santorini/Mykonos all very close together. Travel light would be my top tip!

Just choose the number of nights in each place, check the ferry timetables and book both ferries and accommodation independently. You can get your accommodation to collect you or just get a taxi. We often just walked from the ferry as our accommodation was very central.

I've been watching My Greek Odyssey and I really want to do this too, it's on Amazon Prime, there really are some beautiful islands

Oh brill, it definitely sounds doable then! Did you fly into one airport and out another?
We are thinking of 3 islands, one of which MUST be Santorini according to my eldest with 3/4 nights in each

Thanks for tip re Greek Odyssey, we have Prime so will check it out later!!

One year we flew in and out of Athens and ferried. The other year into Mykonos out of Santorini.

Great adventure well done for going with it.
Daughter has done over 40 countries, its the best way to see the world

Sounds good. Remember to haggle with accommodation if you feel like it, although in the current economic climate might be kinder not to if you can afford it.

No don’t haggle! The poor Greeks have been on their knees for a while. We just booked direct online and paid the going rate.

Amazing experience. We just took backpacks. The kids bags were literally 5kg each.

I am gutted we can’t go this year.

If you want to see the Acropolis (jaw dropping) then you could fly into Athens and stay one or two nights. We had to get up at 6am - it was still 33C!

@doorornottodoor

Cyclades - easy peasy and great fun! Naxos/Paros/Anti Paros/Amorgos/Santorini/Mykonos all very close together. Travel light would be my top tip!

Exactly what I was going to suggest.

@BrunoMars

Oh brill, it definitely sounds doable then! Did you fly into one airport and out another? We are thinking of 3 islands, one of which MUST be Santorini according to my eldest with 3/4 nights in each

Thanks for tip re Greek Odyssey, we have Prime so will check it out later!!

Fly into Santorini. Ferry to Naxos (my personal favourite). Ferry to Mykonos and fly out from there. Other islands in the Cyclades don't have direct flights from the UK.

We've done it - book the accommodation in advance if you're going in school holidays. The children loved it until we had a couple of very rough ferry trips!

I did this holiday as a child and loved it. We stayed in Athens for the middle weekend. I can still taste and smell the chicken, rice and the stuffed peppers I ate in the tavernas.

I am soooo watching this thread.

Has I anybody done this at October half term?!

We did it in October, about 9yrs ago. Flew into Athens, return ferry to/from Santorini, and then a bus down the Peloponnese to a town called Nafplio, which was gorgeous. Weather was perfect, warm but not too hot, and the food was amazing. A genuinely good trip.
Although we arrived in the middle of ongoing strikes and demonstrations in Athens, some tourist stuff closed when we arrived but it had reopened by the time we got back from Santorini.
We’ve also planned out a trip from Athens-Naxos-Paros- Milos -Athens, but don’t want to book anything while travel is still so uncertain.

Hopefully doing this in summer; santorini, Ios and folegandros. Done pre children and now taking 4 with us. Still wondering about Ios

@hollypocks Naxos/Paros will be more child friendly. All of those three are quite adult choices.

I’d love to go to Milos. Naxos is our favourite so far but I’ve loved them all!

@doorornottodoor they are a bit older now the children though (18,18,14,10) so think that these should be fine, only one I hesitate with is Ios but maybe fewer parties this year!

Seconded about not haggling. If they cannot make enough money then their tourism industy will fall apart.

[quote hollypocks]@doorornottodoor they are a bit older now the children though (18,18,14,10) so think that these should be fine, only one I hesitate with is Ios but maybe fewer parties this year![/quote]
Sounds like a great trip then. I’d love to hear about it if you go. I’m hoping we can do an island hopping trip next year. This year we’re going to just stick to one, maybe Corfu, if we are able to...

Oooo, I fancy this too

Easy to organise - we flew in to Santorini, ferry to Paros (my favourite), ferry to Mykonos, flew back from there.

Booked EasyJet flights, hotels and ferries. As I recall, we organised transfers to/from ferries/airports through our hotels. Or maybe just googled and booked a transfer. None of the islands are big, so taxis weren't expensive. We didn't stay in the 'main' town on any of the islands - but were still in places with plenty to do.

To whoever was asking about Oct half term - research carefully before you go. We went last week in Sept/first week in Oct, and the beach restaurants where we stayed on Mykonos were all closed. You'd be OK in the main towns, but outside that, lots of things may well be closed.

I agree with reviewing. I was going to say lots of the Greek islands start closing down in October. September would be better if you don’t have school age children.

I would really recommend visiting kefalonia. Absolutely beautiful island. We did the whole island on a quad over a few days with our DD when she was 4 and it was absolutely incredible.