DH and I have booked a last minute trip to Greece. We leave Jan 27 and return Feb 7. We had been eyeing up the Caribbean, but with Zika still a thing and us in the middle of IVF, we changed course and are headed to Europe.
Can anyone share some favorite restaurants, sites, museums, hotels, activities? We'll have DD (23 months) in tow. We are big foodies, history buffs and love the less touristy stuff.
nectarine / 2054 posts
@yellowbeach: We went to Athens last February (with our then-1 and 5 year old) and absolutely loved it! Great choice. Here is a list of recommendations I sent a friend last year, highlights of the things we did and restaurants we went to:
- the Acropolis (a must-see, of course), and the Acropolis museum across the way is great - nice museum shop and bookstore too, and the restaurant in the museum was really nice
- Ancient Agora - I loved this, it was so peaceful in there
- Temple of Zeus
- Archaeological Museum - this is in a bit of a random neighborhood, up by the university, but we found a great restaurant nearby, Giantes (or Yiantes), which has a lovely courtyard to dine in
- Piraeus - we spent our last full day by the sea, exploring the Piraeus neighborhood (which has beautiful views if you climb the hilly streets), visiting the Maritime Museum and dining along the water
Favorite restaurants (we went to all of them with our kids):
- Cherchez La Femme
- Tzizikas and Merimas
- Saita Taverna
- Dioskouri (near the Agora)
- Kuzina (more modern, also near Agora)
- Cookoovaya (quite trendy, nice restaurant - not as kid-friendly, but still fine)
- Hytra Apla (the regular menu/bar area, not the gourmet tasting menu - the food is very modern)
- Varoulko (for fish - in Piraeus)
Have a wonderful time!
nectarine / 2648 posts
@Beehive: Thanks so much! How did you find February for a time to go? I'm looking at all these beach and pool photos online and semi-wishing we were there in warmer weather... but still seems like plenty to do.
nectarine / 2054 posts
@yellowbeach: We went in the third week of February, so it might have been slightly warmer, but it was good weather for what we wanted to do - wander around, explore the city. It was too cool for beaches, but it was warm enough to sit outside at a lot of the restaurants (many have heat lamps), so that was a very nice change from NY winter weather.
nectarine / 2243 posts
We lived in Greece for a few months last year. We lived just outside of Athens near voula/Glyfada. Where in Athens are you staying? It’s not going to be beachy warm there BUT Greece is fantastic for travel with a kid in tow. They LOVE children. Greeks will treat
Feb like the dead of winter; it’s hilarious they are in full down jackets; meanwhile is like 65-72 out.
I’d def do all of the touristy things. But also loook for the local laiki agora; its the farmers market. They are bonkers amazing
Crete will be warmer but not hot. Pack long sleeve rash guards and layers for your LO. But it should be sunny and overall fantastic weather.
I have a recc for a guy with a car service and car seats should you need one. Bring a locking clip
For your car seat if you bring your own. Wall me
If you have Greece specific questions.
nectarine / 2648 posts
@Littlebit7: I've seen a few online posts reference hiring a car vs renting one. Is renting not feasible, or is the driving too stressful? Just curious bc getting a driver seems to be the trend.
nectarine / 2243 posts
@yellowbeach: well we were there for more than three months so we rented a car the entire time. I drove sometimes when my husband was
working; it was stressful and I wouldn’t recommend it. Most affordable rental cars are manual transmission; we had an automatic and it was still stressful. Ha. . In Athens, I wouldn’t reccomend a rental. I’d get a car service to and from the airport. There are often taxi, bus and subway strikes so make sure you check before you plan to travel anywhere (like the airport). Perhaps in Crete’s rental car is doable. Uber in Athens doesn’t exist right now, you can download the app Beat which is reliable and works just as well. (It is pretty much the same thing.).
Crete won’t be “warm” but it will be fine to be outside. We had to go to the beach with hoodies that time of year
nectarine / 2243 posts
Also, you will really love dining out with your kid there. Everyone does it. People eat late...like 8-9 pm but with the time difference your kiddo should be good. They love kids at dinner; you see kids of all ages out til midnight so don’t hesitate to do it.
nectarine / 2243 posts
@Beehive: your Piraeus recc for fish is spot on.
Quiet amazing drink off the beaten path: rooftop of The New Hotel (seems cheesy but it’s not). Amazing views
The zoo is good in Athens as well. There is a trolley system that can take you from Athens south and then south east along the sea to Glyfada. Glyfada is walkable with some nice playgrounds, shops and restaurants.
Also: the strikes I mentioned above are preplanned. So they won’t come as any surpise. They have a schedule online. It’s laughable how many there are there. The economy is far from
recovered there. We speak of our recession in past tense; they speak in present tense. BUT it is a great place to visit and spend tourist dollars!!!
pomelo / 5257 posts
If you want to do a splurge dinner, we went to Spondi in Athens, and it was amazing! We stayed at the AVA Hotel, and I was very happy with it. Great location, we pretty much walked everywhere.
nectarine / 2054 posts
@Littlebit7: Oh nice, I'm glad you liked the fish restaurant! And we actually stayed in the New Hotel - it was great. The bar is lovely.
kiwi / 705 posts
Haven't read the other comments but I highly recommend a day trip from Athens to Delphi! My absolute favorite spot in Greece! So beautiful and so much history (everywhere in Greece is seeped in history though!)
nectarine / 2648 posts
Thanks for all the recommendations ladies. Turns out this is a great time of year to go because everything is super cheap compared to high season. I'm in awe over this adorable AirBnB I just booked. Whole house! I can't even believe it. We are going to feel like celebrities. 
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/19924656?guests=1&adults=1
DH is British and therefore likes crazy driving adventures. We are doing a car hire for Athens, but plan to rent a car and drive Crete.
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