Greek Islands Family
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| Fun For Everyone ! |
How do you make sure that your Greek islands holiday destination is going to be fun for everyone ; adults and children alike?
It can be quite a stressful time, but it needn't be ; it's all in the planning of course. You might find our handy checklist helpful in planning your holiday away!
Family Friendly Holiday Checklist
| Child-Safety Features | You're not going to relax if you don't feel your Greek islands holiday venue ticks all the basic safety boxes. Check for locks on the windows, no balconies with low railings, and a child-proof kitchen and enclosed garden if you're going self-catering. |
| Convenient Travel | It can be hard work ferrying children and all their gear around. Look for a short flight time, a day time flight and a quick transfer from the airport. And in the resort you'll want a working lift or better still, a ground-floor room. |
| Shops and Medical Facilities | Easy access to a supermarket, a pharmacy and a health centre will all add to your holiday peace of mindand most Greek islands provide these facilities, but do check before you go there, especially if you are not going to have transport. |
| Stuff For The Older Kids | Make sure there's plenty for them too ! lots of sports facilities, discos, space to do their own thing and the chance to meet other kids their age? |
| Sensible Sleeping Arrangements | If you're bringing a travel cot with you, check it'll actually fit in the room you want to put it. And if possible, look for a layout that allows you to stay up and enjoy yourselves without cramping your style or disturbing the little ones' sleep. |
| Worry-Free Water | Your kids are bound to spend lots of time around the pool. Look for a place with separate pools, one shallow enough for the little ones and preferably heated in low season. And make sure there's some shade: you don't want to have to spend all your time chasing your kids with the suncream! |
| Space For The Adults | Baby-sitting services, kids' clubs and monitors all give you the freedom to enjoy yourselves and know your kids are being looked after safely. |
| Entertainment Everyone Can Enjoy | Hula competitions, karaoke, Starlight Express recreated? look for a place that offers a wide range of age-appropriate entertainment that everyone can enjoy. A place where you can be having a drink at the bar while your kids are up on stage strutting their stuff. |
| Buffet-Style Food | Ordering off the menu can be hard work with kids. Kids love buffet-style meals - they can go up and choose what they want, mix and match, have a bit of everything and if they don't finish one thing, they can always try something else. |
| English-Language TV | Not always possible but when it is available it's a must for when only some quality screen time will do to calm those fractious moods. |
| Travel Insurance | Your own travel insurance is essential, even if you have an EHIC card. Travel insurance policies start at just £5.50 - and kids go free! It's your peace of mind in case your luggage gets lost, or someone in your family becomes ill. |
If you are the kind of family who are not keen on spending the whole day on the beach and would prefer to get out and about, you might want to consider renting a car. And, if you are going in the high season, quite often the car rental fleets are fully utilised, so it might be a good idea to sort out the car before you leave home.
Exploring the astonishing Greek island can be more than half the fun. But you'll need the very best of island maps. Yes...
You could also be bumping around the back roads exploring the "unknown to tourists" parts of the Greek islands.
The Greek islands probably have many more miles of dirt roads, than paved roads...
There is normally one major paved road in good condition that goes all around most of the islands, with minor spurs off to wherever they are required. And often there can be several smaller paved ones in 'less than good, but OK' shape. And there are tons of dirt roads, all the way down to 'for mountain goats only.'
Sure, these off-the-off-roads are all rocks and bumps, but you don't need an expensive SUV. An average rental car can handle it, if you're careful -- I know, because we do it all the time!
And do not worry about safety! The Greek islands are very safe! There is no abject poverty here, and there is very little crime. No matter where you go, you'll find only warm, friendly people.
What should you take with you? Your curiosity, a good pair of hiking shoes... and an extremely detailed map of whichever islands you are visiting!
Sure, the tourist maps that you'll get (at the airport or a thousand other places around the islands) are good. But they are not detailed enough to give you the confidence to explore the poor-to-bad condition roads and tracks.
One last peace of advice we would offer, is don't leave things until the last minute, if you can. I know we have all done it, and it easier said than done, but if you can get yourself sufficiently organised to do things in advance (especially mums), then you should arrive at the airport feeling a little calmer than you would if you leave things to the last minute.
Finally, have you checked out our pre-travel tips just to make sure you haven't forgotten anything in the run-up to your overseas adventure?
