Greece - where's best for fam hol?

mutley74

Thinking of booking out family holiday to Greece for Sept/oct time, instead of Turkey.

We want a family resort near shops, beach, resturants etc.

A TV travel show recommended Corfu.......

What areas do people recommend and any decent hotels that offer good facilities with HB...

thanks

Fortyfoot

Have a look at SANTORINI.

Fortyfoot

apt

Not sure Santorini is the best place for younger children. The black sand beaches get very hot and can burn their feet. On Corfu obviously steer clear of Kavos - 18-30 territory. Also try to avoid night flights if possible. North and West Corfu is quieter and has good beaches.

mutley74

apt wrote: »

Not sure Santorini is the best place for younger children. The black sand beaches get very hot and can burn their feet. On Corfu obviously steer clear of Kavos - 18-30 territory. Also try to avoid night flights if possible. North and West Corfu is quieter and has good beaches.

thanks for the tips...def want to say away from the 18-30 area....as i have a young child and old folks travelling with me:eek:

betterbargains4u

Zakinthos or Zante as it is more commonly called, is a lovely family friendly island. Much nicer than Corfu in my opinion.

davidlizard

One thing to bear in mind with the Ionian Islands (which includes Corfu, Zante/Zakynthos and Kefallonia) is that they can get some rain in September, with more rain the further north (eg Corfu) you go and later in the month you leave it - the climate pages have Corfu as wetter than London for September - its lush and green there for a good reason! Zante is the southern most of this group, and whilst you might get some rain, its more unlikely.

Sadly, you get the 18-30 (or similar) crowds on many islands. Laganas on Zante, Faliraki on Rhodes, Kardamena on Kos, Agious Nikolas on Crete as well as Kavos on Corfu all suffer. Suggest double checking on their website to see where they go this season, and avoid!!

Also agree with Santorini. Apart from being one of the more expensive islands, the beaches there are not the best. Lovely views, and a nice cosmopolitan atmosphere though!

If you are going late September/October then I seriously recommend looking at one of the Dodecanese Islands - Rhodes and Kos being the two main examples - you will stand a better chance of getting nice weather the further South and West you go (of course you get exceptions to this rule with people saying "we went to Kefalonia in October and it was lovely", and "we went to Kos and it rained all week" - but statistically thats where the better weather is at that time of year). Again, pick your resort carefully.

All the greek islands are family friendly. Personally, I think the best way to visit the Greek islands is to get a cheap flight and then get a boat to a quiet island, away from the package tourists and the "beer and chips brigade" - we have been doing exactly that for the last 15 years, and have visitied over 40 islands to date.

SaverSueG

Agree with the other posts. I would recommend Tingaki in Kos, lovely family resort. You can hire bicycles to get around which is fun for kids, and there is a good bus service in to Kos town. The local waterpark is nice too.

Wouldn't dream of going HB in Greece unless you go to a really top hotel with several restaurants to choose from. Contrary to some reports meals in local Tavernas are still affordable (or were last year when we went!) and you can choose a different one each night.

Have fun. :beer:

davetrousers

betterbargains4u wrote: »

Zakinthos or Zante as it is more commonly called, is a lovely family friendly island. Much nicer than Corfu in my opinion.

Steer clear of Laganas then.

Se LINK

And remember to check that the Hotel has plumbing capapble of flushing Toilet Paper. Otherwise you have to put used paper in a little bin!

pinkcandyflossprincess

beach wise...laganas to kalamaki, it is an amazing beach that shelves out so that you can walk in the middle of the water like an island. also see the turtles etc. although laganas has a repution for clubbers etc it is no way on a par with places such as ayai napa , ibiza etc falariki in rhodes? kavos in corfu was much worse:eek:
yes it is overrun with english, cheap breakfast etc but it is ideal for children due to the easy location of restaurants, excellent beach etc...trips into zante town etc.
although i presonally prefer vasilikos down the other end this may not be ideal unless you hire a car as its a bit out of the way
halkadiki is pants for kids, beachs are pants and not much going on, not the most scenic part of greece either despite what ive ever read
corfu i personally prefer the most of all, very green and more greek to me, you see women on donkeys still, i stopped in a hotel in agios gordios north and it was on the beach front so you could hear the sea every night very relaxing, this was with a 3 year old and a child under 2, we went by bus to corfu town etc but mostly they were happy just on the beach so ideal location as you stepped outside hotel so not far to have to travel, i recommend the local bakers too for lunch snacks!
some of the smaller islands may be beautifull and great for adults but for children i think you are best looking at beaches, places to visit etc, how close they are etc to the hotel as children tire very quickly in the sun and wont want to go far without tantrums.:rolleyes:


i

wept

If you are going to Rhodes I highly recommend Lindos. Although its a bit costlier than other resorts its beautiful and the bay is sheltered so ideal for kids.
The Acropolis is worth a visit...used to be free on a Sunday and if you are feeling adventorous you can get a donkey ride up.
Bus runs into Rhodes Town for a reasonable price.

louise3965

We loved Kos when ours were little - Kassiopi was a nice little townand the beach was lovely too. happy memories!