Traveling through Greece and Croatia with kids might sound ambitious, as these aren’t your usual family-friendly picks, but our family of five loved our recent spring break trip to these countries. I often get asked how I choose kid-friendly destinations, and the truth is, I don’t. I plan trips around where Tim and I want to go, and then layer in the kid-friendly things where they fit in. For us, traveling is about spending time as a family, without all the distractions of home, and no matter where we’re going, we create our own kind of magic along the way. 

Greece has been high on my bucket list ever since I saw the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie 20 years ago, and Croatia holds a special place in my heart because my great-grandfather came to the U.S. from there. Croatia was also the first place I ever traveled internationally, at the age of 18, and it was my first-ever flight. Going back to Croatia with Tim and the girls was incredibly special.

So if you’re curious about what a nine-day Spring Break through Greece and Croatia with kids actually looks like, keep reading for our itinerary, favorite stops, surprises, and a few things we’d do differently next time.

This post will cover Greece, and tomorrow’s post will cover Croatia.

 

Greece and Croatia with Kids Spring Break: Itinerary

• Travel Day to Greece
• 2 Nights Santorini, Greece
• 1 Day Athens, Greece
• 2 Days Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Day trip to Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina
• 2 Days Split, Croatia
• Day trip to Zadar and Plitvice Lakes National Park
• 1 Night Zagreb
• Travel Day Home

 

Getting to Greece

We kicked off our family adventure to Greece and Croatia by flying out of Toronto, making the most of our Priority Pass lounge access with a quick stop at the KLM Crowne Lounge before boarding. Our Air France flights were booked through the Flying Blue program. Our economy flights for all five of us (two adults, and three kids under 12) came to 85,000 points + $508. Flying Blue offers a 25% discount for children ages 2 to 11, which helps to stretch our points further.

With the recent devaluation, this exact itinerary would now cost over 106,250 points, so we were fortunate with the timing. Unlike our last flight to Europe, where we were able to upgrade from economy to premium economy at check-in, no upgrade options were available.

I also make sure to preorder the kids’ meals in advance on the KLM or Air France app, depending on which airline we’re flying. Both Air France and KLM also offer the kids some surprisingly fun kid packs. They came with little wooden figures and a game—just enough to keep them busy in the little bit of time that they were awake on an overnight flight.

 

Layover in Paris

We had a two-hour layover in Paris. I was worried it wouldn’t be enough time, but it was. We were able to get some snacks, a bathroom break, and a walk through the airport to Terminal 2F. Because we were traveling carry-on only, security was a breeze. Bonus: they ushered us into a family lane at immigration, saving time.

 

Arriving in Athens

The final leg on this ticket was to Athens, on a three-hour flight. This was all booked on a single itinerary through Air France. We touched down in Athens around 2 p.m., and with a few hours to kill before our 5 p.m. flight to Santorini, we spent time in the GoldAir Handling VIP Lounge using our Priority Pass lounge access again. This lounge was so worth it. The food was excellent and just what we needed for a break on this very long travel day.

 

Athens to Santorini on Aegean Air

Our Santorini leg was on Aegean Air, which is part of the Star Alliance. We could have used United points to book this (only 8k per ticket), but by the time I remembered to book these flights, there weren’t any good award tickets left, so we went with the family cash fare. It still worked in our favor as this family rate gave us 40% off the girls’ tickets, free seat selection, and priority boarding.

Our Airbnb host had arranged for a driver to meet us at the airport, and a porter walked us directly to our stay for €45 (paid directly to the driver). We made it to our Airbnb, just in time for the sunset over Santorini’s iconic blue domes.

 

 

Santorini with Kids

After nearly 18 hours of travel, landing in Santorini felt like stepping into a dream. I’m so glad I planned a few slow days to start our trip. I intentionally didn’t schedule anything for our time on the island. We just wandered through narrow alleys, past whitewashed walls, following all the mules, dogs, and stray cats. 

 

Santorini Airbnb

Our Airbnb was a gem, and I genuinely can’t recommend it enough. If you have Capital One Venture Miles, this is the kind of travel purchase you could erase with your points.

The Airbnb was a traditional cave house that slept up to six, with a full kitchen, two bathrooms, and even a washer (a must when traveling carry-on only like us). All the beds were on the main level, but to get to the upstairs living room and balcony, you had to climb what was basically a ladder. This would not be ideal for anyone with mobility issues or very young kids, but otherwise, it was full of charm and perfectly comfortable for our family.

 

 

How Long to Spend in Santorini

We stayed in Santorini for two nights, which felt like the perfect amount of time for us. April is still shoulder season, and it was very quiet. Our driver mentioned tourism had been slower this spring due to earlier earthquakes and the timing of Orthodox Easter week.

For us, it was ideal weather. Each day was 65 degrees and sunny, with just enough activity to feel lively without being crowded. 

On checkout day, everything went just as smoothly. Our porter returned to walk us back to the car, and our driver had us at the airport with time to spare. 

 

 

Athens with Kids

We took a short flight from Santorini to Athens on Aegean Air again. I will note that this was the only time that our backpacks were asked to be put into the sizer and weighed. They made several people check their bags to ensure they were not overweight. Thankfully, ours fit in with no problem.

After only 25 minutes in the air, we landed around 12:30 p.m. back in Athens.  I didn’t research how to get to our hotel ahead of time, so I thought a taxi would be the easiest option. Unfortunately for our family of five, most taxis we saw in Athens were standard sedans that only fit four people. Luckily, we found a taxi driver who was willing to take us into the city.

 

Family Room in Athens Hotels

We checked into the Sweet Home Hotel, where I had booked a family room through Booking.com. I also earned eight percent cash back using Rakuten. The room included breakfast and was great for our family. The family suite had one king bed and three single beds in our room. The location was also wonderful! We were able to walk to all of the major tourist sites on our list for the afternoon.

 

 

Sightseeing in Athens

After dropping off our bags, we headed out toward the Acropolis, which was just a 14-minute walk from the hotel. I didn’t buy tickets in advance because I was unsure of our arrival time, but that turned out to be fine since we were visiting during the off-season.

We arrived around 3:40 p.m. and were able to obtain tickets for a 4:00 p.m. entry. I wouldn’t risk doing this in summer, but in April it was easy. Tickets were 30 euros per adult, and children were admitted free of charge.

We spent about an hour and a half exploring, with Rose leading the way as our self-appointed Greek mythology guide. She’s really into it, and we’ve all enjoyed listening to the National Geographic podcast “Greeking Out,” which helped make the stories and sites feel familiar and fun.

 

 

After the Acropolis, we walked over to the Acropolis Museum for a bit more history. We spent about two hours inside the museum.

 

Athens Notes and Back to the Airport

I do wish we had had another full day in Athens, giving us 1.5 to 2 full days. Unfortunately, the flight schedule didn’t allow for it because there is only one direct flight per week to Dubrovnik, departing on Mondays.

Getting back to the Athens airport was easy. We took the metro from the hotel, and although I was a little nervous about finding the right train, it was simple to follow other travelers with luggage. When the train arrived, it clearly said “Airport” in English on the display. I wish we had just taken the metro to our hotel when we first arrived instead of stressing over the taxi situation.

 

Bottom Line

After Athens, we flew to Dubrovnik, Croatia. Be sure and check that experience out tomorrow! Greece with kids on points and miles was a major thumbs up for us!

 

Related Posts

• Podcast 88. Adventures in Greece and Beyond: Alex & Pam’s European Escapades
• Athens on Points & Miles
• Back to Greece on Points and Miles
• Family Trip to Italy and the Paris Olympics