We were in Greece for a little over two weeks and I enjoyed the food and wine so much I gained 7 pounds while we were there. Oops. Now I’m hitting the gym multiple times a week. It always amazes me how easy it is to gain weight and how hard it is to lose. It’s so unfair.

One great thing about Greek food is no matter what part of Greece you visit the Greek Islands or the mainland, it is easy to find something you like to eat, even if you have dietary restrictions. If you are vegetarian you will be in heaven.

Now, I left out some obvious foods, like olives and tzatziki. The olives in Greece are phenomenal, and I think we ate them with at least one meal today. The same goes for tzatziki. It is served with lots of food and should be enjoyed as much as possible!

16 Greek Foods and Drinks in Greece You Must Try

1. Gyros

Okay, maybe I shouldn’t put it at the top of the list, but they are just so good. I could have eaten a gyro every day we were in Greece. And they are so cheap! In Greece, you can have them add French Fries inside your gyro. Also, many times they offer a gyro plate or a gyro, be careful when you order or you will end up with the plate which tends to cost double.

2. Greek Salad (Choriatiki)

When in doubt, you cannot go wrong with a Greek Salad. Everywhere you go, these salads will be available and they are always good.

3. Souvlaki

One of the most popular things to eat in Greece is Souvlaki. It’s always some type of grilled meat cut into small pieces and served on a skewer.

4. Kebabs

Kebabs is another popular dish that can be served in several ways. When we tried it the meat kebabs were topped with tzatziki and served over pita bread.

5. Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmadakia)

Stuffed grape leaves are not my favorite, but if you are in Greece you have to give them a try. They are certainly much tastier in Greece than in the places in America where I have had them. They are grapevine leaves stuffed with a mixture of rice, meat, and spices.

6. Moussaka

Moussaka is an eggplant- or potato-based dish popular in Greece. Some refer to it as eggplant casserole. Greek Moussaka is layers of minced beef or lamb cooked in a tomato-based sauce, layered with eggplants and béchamel sauce, and baked together.

7. Halloumi

Halloumi is a type of white Greek cheese and in my opinion the best cheese I have ever had. I’m obsessed with it after our last trip to Greece. It’s a mixture of goat and sheep cheese, except I think it tastes nothing like goat cheese. I hate goat cheese.

Fun Fact: In ancient Greece, they believed that the son of Apollo, Aristaios, was the god that brought cheese-making to Greece.

8. Tirokafteri

Tirokafteri also sometimes referred to as Ktipiti is a warm cheese dip.  Ingredients most commonly include feta and sometimes other types of soft white cheese, red cherry pepper, roasted peppers, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, and yogurt. It is commonly eaten as part of a  platter, or by itself, with slices of bread.

9. Stuffed Aubergine

Aubergine means eggplant, so this is usually a vegetarian dish. The eggplant is stuffed with things like cheese, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and baked. Sometimes, it is stuffed with meat. This was one of the best things I ate while in Greece.

10. Pastitsio

Pastitsio is a Greek baked pasta dish that contains ground lamb and béchamel sauce. Many people refer to it as Greek lasagna or a Greek casserole.

11. Gemista

Gemista is a stuffed pepper dish that is usually vegetarian but sometimes stuffed with meat.

12. Loukoumades

Loukoumades are like Greek donut holes. Loukoumades are little fried dough balls that are sometimes sprinkled with sweet syrup or honey, nuts, and cinnamon. We found these being served as dessert on a dinner buffet and as breakfast on a breakfast buffet.

13. Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is a staple for breakfast in Greece. Drizzle some honey over it and add a bit of granola and enjoy.

14. Greek Wines

When in Greece you must experience some of their wines. They have wines I had never heard of before. Try Agiorgitiko the Merlot of Greece, an Assyrtiko, usually from Santorini, a Malagousia, a Moschofilero, and a Xinomavro.

The most popular wine is Restina. Retsina is a Greek white resinated wine, which has been made for over 2,000 years.

15. Ouzo

Ouzo is a dry anise-flavored aperitif that is widely consumed in Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon and Israel. Its taste is similar to other anise liquors like pastis and sambuca. I think it tastes like black licorice. It’s strong, up to 90 proof, so only drink a little!

16. Tsipouro

Tsipouro is a pomace (the residue of the wine press) brandy from Greece and in particular Thessaly, Epirus, Macedonia, and the island of Crete. Tsipouro is a pure grape distillate, similar to Italian Grappa.  Tsipouro is a strong distilled spirit containing 40-45% alcohol by volume.

Take a walking food tour in Athens, Greece.

Have you experienced the fantastic drinks and food in Greece? What is your favorite Greek food?

We would love suggestions for more things to try in the comments below!

Read Next:

Top 10 Best Things to Do in Santorini, Greece

Mykonos with Kids

Thessaloniki on a Budget

How to island hop in Greece with Blue Star Ferries

The post 16 Must Try Greek Foods and Drinks in Greece appeared first on Mommy Travels.

Find out why I think taking kids to Mykonos is completely fine and fun. 

I know what you are thinking, do not take kids to Mykonos. Well, I disagree. I think taking kids to Mykonos is perfectly fine. Now I am not going to take them to go party at the Toy Room or down to Paradise Beach, but there is still plenty for us to see and do.

One or two nights in Mykonos is all you need!

I recommend spending one night in Mykonos, maybe two nights. We stayed two night and if my kids hadn’t been completely beached out from our previous visit to Halkidiki then we would have just hit another beach and two nights would have been perfect. As it was, two nights was one too many for us. We arrived around 4 PM by ferry from Santorini allowing us plenty of time to get checked into our hotel, rent a car, and walk around Mykonos City. Mykonos is a tiny island, so you can do a lot in a short amount of time.

Where to eat in Mykonos

There are lots of great places to eat in Mykonos. I based where we ate on my budget. You could easily spend several hundred dollars on just one meal feeding a family at some of the restaurants on the island. I recommend always checking out the prices before sitting down at the table.

D’Angelos – D’ Angelos is a fantastic Italian food restaurant in Mykonos City. It was the best meal we had in Mykonos.

Souvlaki Story -Souvlaki Story is a good option when trying to eat cheap. I highly recommend their gyros. Noah ordered the hamburger and does not recommend it. You can see why in the photo. 

Sakis – Sakis is another cheap place to eat in Mykonos with excellent gyros.

Trio Bambini – Trio Bambini is a gelato shop and creperie. Here’s a photo of the Coconut Dream Crepe, which was absolutely delicious. Further down you can see a picture of their American waffle.

Things to do in Mykonos, Greece

There are lots of things to do in Mykonos besides party.

Visit Mykonos City

Mykonos City is a must see. You cannot visit here and not spend a fairly good amount of time getting lost in their winding pathways. If the nighttime is too crazy for you, come back during the day, when all those people that were out all night are still sleeping their night off.

As you walk around it may seem like an expensive place to eat, but I can assure there are some super affordable ones sprinkled in. Our first night there we ate at Soulvaki Story. They have two locations in Mykonos City and they have cheap gyros. Another cheap place to eat is Sakis. Our favorite place to eat is the Trio Bambini a creperie and gelato shop. Just look at our crepe above and this over the top waffle creation named the American!

Little Venice

Little Venice is a fantastic little area inside of Mykonos City and is a must see when you are visiting Mykonos. Plan to take pictures and do some strolling.

Whatever you do, Do Not wear high heels!

Visit the Windmills

For whatever reason the windmills in Mykonos are famous. So, you must visit them and take a photo.

Go to the beach

You must plan for time at the beach. Mykonos has wonderful beaches. Unlike Santorini, where the beaches are made up of rocks, Mykonos has lovely sandy beaches.

• Plati Gialos – Our favorite beach is Plati Gialos. You can rent beach chairs at Mykonos Dove Beach for 10 euros a chair, so two loungers and an umbrella for 20 euros. My favorite thing out renting at this place is the umbrellas. They have solar panels on them and two USB ports so you can stay charged. If you are traveling with teens this is a big deal. Anytime you rent beach chairs there is usually drink and food service too. I found the drinks to be too expensive, but the solution was easy. Plati Gialos beach has a little store in between all of the beach bars. Here you can buy alcoholic drinks and ice cream bars for less than 3 euros. The water is cold, but on a hot day it will not matter. They have a fun floating dock that kids like to climb on and jump off, but be careful. It is bolted together and Jonah cut his foot pretty bad on one of them. I ended up having to carry him off the dock and back to where we were seated. He said my “mom power” must have kicked in and I guess it did, because I was surprised how easily I managed him even though he is not so little anymore.

  

• Ornos – Ornos seems to always be the recommended beach for families by the locals, but for us there were just too many people. It was jam packed with people and the vibe didn’t feel as family friendly as Plati Gialos did.

• Agia Anna is another low key beach we liked. It’s tiny and not near as popular, which with kids is a good thing. You can rent two chairs and an umbrella for 18 euros. There’s a free parking lot here. This is also where you will find Pinky beach. They have a swing down in the beach, which is a perfect photo opportunity.

• Paradise Beach – I only go here when I do not have the kids with me, but it is a nice beach and I have seen kids there. They beach restaurants are basically clubs so don’t be surprised when people start dancing and drinking. And by dancing I mean bumping and grinding.

  

Go Karts

There is a super fun go kart place in the middle of the island. For 15 euros a person you can zip around for 10-15 minutes on their course. Their go karts go fast! I was worried that it was too hot of a day for go karting, but their track is on a hill and there’s a nice breeze up there.

Parent’s Night Out – Go Clubbing

On the off chance you can ditch the kids and go out Mykonos is jam packed with bars and clubs. Apparently Lindsey Lohan has a club somewhere on the island that’s really good. I have not experienced it first hand, I have experienced two good clubs.

• Toy Room – They have excellent security. My sister had a guy bothering her and they made him leave, much to our relief.
• Hakkasan – Yes, like the Hakkasan in Vegas.
• Lohan Beach Club – Now, the locals kept telling me that I should take the kids to Lindsey Lohna’s Beach Club, but I was a little unsure. They offer breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and refreshments throughout the day. And of course there’s dancing. It’s down south not far from the Super Paradise beach. The address is: Kalo Livadi, 84600, Kikladhes

Day Trips

There are of course a number of day trips you take while you are here, but to me the point of coming to Mykonos is to experience the beaches and Mykonos city, so why leave. If you have a day to kill and your kids do not want to visit another beach, take them on a day trip tour of Delos.

Where to Stay in Mykonos

There are several places that will be obvious that you do not want to stay at with children. What can be super fun as a single adult can quickly become a nightmare for kids and parents that didn’t sleep good all night. Originally when I began planning our trip I wanted to stay in the city. I wanted to be right there where all the action was, but the more I thought about this, the less this seemed like a good idea. My kids are well traveled and have seen a lot of things good and bad. But I really do not think they need to be exposed to young singles totally and completely raging out. Which lets face it, that’s why most people visit Mykonos. It’s definitely one of the biggest party destinations in the world. And it is fun, my sister and I got to experience this side of it once.

In fact, if you have followed along with me for a long time you may recall that on my last visit to Mykonos I ended up staying in a complete dump. (Here’s a review I wrote titled: Junkyard Living.) Lucky for me, the kids happen to not be with me. It was just my sister and I, and the two of us just sucked it up and powered through it. This time I was way more careful. I decided to avoid all booking sites to find a hotel, since it was the deceitful listing on booking.com that landed my sister in a gross hotel last time. This time I contacted a blogger in Santorini, Olga from https://santorinitraveltots.com. We randomly connected online and I ask her if she could help me find somewhere to stay.

Terra Maltese Mykonos Hotel

Sure enough, she ask around and got us in contact with Terra Maltese Mykonos. This is the perfect place to stay if you are needing to spend less than $200 per night and stay somewhere nice. We stayed in one of their triple rooms and they brought in an extra bed for us. The room also included a decent breakfast buffet every morning for 180.00 euros a night. It was a thousand times better than the last place I stayed. Oh, and it had a pool too. Another plus of staying here, they were the middle man for my car rental. In Greece, it is always better to let the locals help you with these things.

Random Tips for Visiting Mykonos with Kids

• Eat Cheap: It is always cheaper to order a gyro than it is to get a gyro plate. I swear it’s the same amount of food at half the cost.
• Order Smart: Younger kids can have a hard time holding a gyro together and eating it. It may be better to order them a “small size” of the restaurants gyro or soulvaki plate.
• Lots of Ice Cream: If you are visiting in the summer plan to get your kids ice cream at least once a day. Everyone stays happier this way.
• Always carry water with you. Do not drink their water, instead pop into a grocery store and by each member of the family a few bottles of water.
• Sunscreen, sunglasses and hats: Never leave the hotel room without both and wear all the time.
• Rent a car: Getting around Mykonos can become difficult quickly if you are relying on taxis. Last I heard, they have less than 50 taxis on the island. It only costs 60 euros a day to rent a car in Mykonos. 

How to get to Mykonos

Mykonos has a ferry port and an airport. Easy Jet flies into this airport and they are always offering cheap fares. We used Sea Jet to ferry from Santorini to Mykonos and then flew out on Easy Jet to Paris for 37 euros a person.

Santorini on a Budget

Thessaloniki on a Budget

How to island hop in Greece with Blue Star Ferries

What to eat in Greece

Should You Get Travel Insurance?

Don’t forget travel insurance! I’m a fan of Travelex insurance, because of the variety of options. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. I have gotten extremely sick twice now out of the country, one of the times was in Greece. Plus, Noah has had seizures in other countries, so I always recommend getting some sort of coverage. Read more about why you should always carry travel insurance here.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. To find out more, check out our Privacy Policy.

The post Mykonos with Kids: Everything You Need to Know appeared first on Mommy Travels.

Over the years I have been constantly asked where my favorite place is. My answer is always the same: Greece. Greece is unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been and probably unlike anywhere, you’ve been as well, especially the Greek Islands. Currently, my favorite islands are Mykonos and Santorini. Today, I’m sharing tips for having the best experience possible on both of these islands.

How to Get to Santorini and Mykonos

Depending on where you are coming from, the islands are not the easiest place to get to. If you are flying in from somewhere in Europe you can likely get a direct flight to one of the islands on a cheap airline. We flew from Mykonos to Paris once for $37 per person.

If you are flying in from the United States you are most likely going to have to go through Athens. If you end up going through Athens you have two choices. You can take another flight or you can catch a ferry. Greece has an excellent ferry system that allows you to get around quite easily. Keep in mind that the main ferry port is nowhere near the airport, but the smaller port is. If you are taking a ferry, I recommend getting a private cabin room on Blue Star Ferries. This is an easy way to sleep off jet lag. From Athens to Santorini the ferry takes 8 hours. 

Where to Stay

Your lodging should be based on the island.

Santorini

In Santorini, staying in a cave is a fun experience. There are hundreds of little whitewashed caves tucked into the side of the mountain and staying at one is a one-of-a-kind experience. If staying in a cave is too expensive, consider staying one night in a cave and then moving to a cheaper hotel for the other nights. Here are the best towns to stay in Santorini. 

Mykonos

In Mykonos, you should stay in Mykonos City or at a beach. If you prefer the beach, I recommend staying down at Plati Gialos. Plati Gialos is a fun little area. 

How to Get Around

It can be extremely difficult to get around both islands, but not impossible. Oftentimes, the hotel you have arranged to stay at will also take care of arranging a car or ATV for you. This may seem odd but this is common practice on the islands. 

Santorini

In Santorini rent an ATV. You must have an international license to rent an ATV. In Santorini, there are areas that are borderline impossible to park in, which is why a smaller ATV is a better choice. For example, if you are staying on the side of the cliff, you cannot drive all the way down to the cave area you are staying in. Instead, you will have to find somewhere to park nearby and then walk down to find your lodging. If you have an ATV, it will be much easier to find a little space to park in. I’ve had to rent a car in Santorini as well, so if you have to, be sure and get the smallest car available. 

Mykonos

In Mykonos rent a car. Mykonos typically has parking lots near the most popular areas, allowing you to easily park and then walk to where you want to go. Mykonos also has a bus system, which allows you to easily get from Mykonos City to other parts of the island. There are around 50 taxis on the island, which means if you need a taxi, it might be a long wait.

Must-See Spots on the Islands

There are certain things on both islands that you must see. Instead of diving deep into all the things, there are to do on each island, I am going to share some of the things that cannot be missed.

Santorini

Santorini has world-renowned beaches due to a volcano explosion many years ago. Down south is the striking Red Beach, and on the east side is the compelling Black Beach. Both are worth seeing and both are rocky, bring water shoes. Oia is world-famous for having the most incredible sunsets and is obviously a must-see during sunset. The brilliant caldera during the daylight is also a sight to behold.

10 Best Things to do in Oia, Santorini

Top 10 Best Things to Do in Santorini, Greece

Mykonos

Mykonos City is spectacular, and you should plan to spend at least half a day there. Spend your time meandering down their iconic little walkways paved in stones winding your way through the whitewashed buildings shopping and eating along the way. At one end of Mykonos City, you will find the famous windmills.

Mykonos with Kids: Everything You Need to Know

Where to Party

Mykonos is a legendary place to party. But Santorini has excellent party areas as well. Both islands offer two unique nightlife options: beach and city. Keep in mind, you do have to be at least 18 years old to drink in Greece.

Santorini

Head to Fira for the city experience or over Kamari Beach for beach. Both of these towns offer a vibrant nightlife, with plenty of nightclubs.

Mykonos

Hakkasan or the Toy Room are two popular clubs in Mykonos City. Down south Paradise Beach turns into a party around 4 p.m. with wild dancers leading the charge to get the crowds mingling and dancing. Not too far from Paradise Beach. There are a lot of beach clubs in Mykonos. You will have a good time at any of them.

The islands may be small, but in Greece size doesn’t count, there’s something for everyone. Whether you want to spend all your time at the beach, take in some culture, or party all night, Santorini and Mykonos will not disappoint.

Read Next:

3 Days in Santorini Greece on a Budget

4-Day Athens Itinerary to See it All

16 Must Try Greek Foods and Drinks in Greece

The post Mykonos versus Santorini appeared first on Mommy Travels.

As I type this, the kids and I are on our way to Greece. This will be my second time in Greece and the kids first.

Greece is absolutely amazing and I am so excited to show it to them. The entire time I was in Greece two years ago, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I wanted the kids to see everything too. So, when I say this trip is a dream come true for me, it’s no exaggeration!

We are covering many different destinations across Greece, including the mainland and the islands. In order to accomplish this, we are utilizing every mode of transportation possible, including flying, trains, ferries, taxis, quads, and rental cars.

Daily Journal

We’ve decided that this trip is a great way to kick off a few new things, the first one being out this daily travel journal. I am going to attempt to journal every day of our trips going forward. I don’t know if y’all will want to follow along with us, but I hope you do. I was inspired by 2TravelDads. They journal their trips and I enjoy reading their last one so much I thought, “What the heck, why don’t I give it a try!”. Every day of our trip I will be coming back to this exact post to update.

New Daily Vlog

The second thing we’ve decided to attempt to add is a daily vlog. I’m unsure if we will be able to do this, but we are gonna give it a go. I will be uploading videos to YouTube.com/MommyTravels and on Facebook.com/MommyTravels.

Drone Videos!

Last, but not least, I purchased a drone and have been practicing with it. Hopefully, this means I can share awesome videos of Greece soon.

Day One: Travel Day

It’s a haul to get from Portland, Oregon to Athens, Greece. PDX to NYC is 5 hours and 15 minutes. JFK to Athens is a little under nine hours over night. I’ve been packing and preparing for the international flight all last week. I have an entire post dedicated to flying overseas with kids.

• https://www.mommytravels.net/tips-for-flying-internationally-with-kids/

And so it begins, our 22-day trip!

We woke up at 5 AM and headed down to the Portland International airport. We are flying standby, so fingers crossed we make it onto a flight. Have you ever wondered how we are able to travel all the time? It’s partly because we have the ability to fly standby on Delta. We have a family member that works for the airlines, so we are able to go to the airport and wait around to see if there are empty seats on the flight. If there are, off we go.

We were supposed to take this flight yesterday, but when looking at how many seats were available I didn’t think we could make it all the way to Greece. Instead of going to JFK and waiting to see I decided to wait a day. Of course, I couldn’t resist and I went to look up the flights and it turns out we would have made it all the way there standby. Of course! 🤦🏽‍♀️ We could’ve been in Athens already, but instead, we are still in Oregon.

When building this trip itinerary I knew that Delta only offers a few flights to Athens per day from JFK. And they only fly to Athens from JFK, which means we have to get to JFK and we have to make it onto one of the two Athens flights. Coming home, there is one flight a day from Athens to JFK (NYC). So, I have built-in 4 days to get there and 4 days to get back. Maybe we will need them, maybe we won’t. The last time I flew standby home from Athens it took three days. I really need to just buy plane tickets instead of sitting around an airport, I know there are cheap flights to Europe all the time. I use SkyScanner to find cheap flights.  

At the airport today we got held up in security. Sometimes when we fly standby we do not get our TSA pre-check. I do not know why this is. Sometimes the kids only get it, but this time none of us did. This was my first time taking a drone through security and it didn’t occur to me to take it out of my suitcase. They went all through my bag looking for my make-up wipes and the drone. Lucky for us they were training a new guy. It didn’t occur to him to see if any side of the bag wouldn’t spill. He dropped half my bag everywhere. Fun times.

We made it onto a flight easily. Sometimes flying standby with four people can be extremely difficult. Check out tips for flying standby: 7 Tips for Flying Standby with Children 

Perks of flying on Delta

Eden and I ended up in Delta comfort +, which means free booze and snacks like bananas, granola cars, and Swedish Fish! Mama’s having a mimosa, maybe even two. Delta doesn’t have champagne-like on American Airlines, but they do have Prosecco. Eden and I didn’t get to sit together, but we at least got extra legroom. The boys are in the back of the plane, but they got to sit together.

Sadly, none of us ended up in first class. I have a separate post about flying first class Delta also know as Delta business class.

• https://www.mommytravels.net/delta-first-class/

On flights going all the way from the west coast to the east coast meals are given to everyone. I didn’t realize we were going to get meals. I have breakfast for all of us packed in my backpack along with a bunch of other snacks. Here’s a look at my breakfast meal, I went with the turkey bagel breakfast sandwich.

Much to my surprise, it’s a decent size, meal. I would almost say it was too much food, but the people I am sitting in between pounded their meals in less time than I would think humanly possible. I had three options, none of which were vegan. (Eden’s been told to go vegan. We recently found out she has high cholesterol, which was shocking, she’s so young. Turns out, it’s hereditary.)

Once we got to JFK we didn’t have much time, because much to my surprise we made the first flight out. I took the kids for a quick meal at Buffalo Wild Wings and now I know that the most expensive Buffalo Wild Wings in America is most likely at JFK. 🤑

Currently, we are on our flight to Athens waiting for the food cart to make its way back to us. It’s going to be a while, we are in the last row. 😂

Day 2: Exploring Athens

While in Athens we are staying in an VRBO. Hotels were horribly priced for the dates I needed and I realized I could save hundreds of dollars by staying in someone’s house instead. I’m saving at least $250 per night. The other main reason for staying in an VRBO is typically they will let you stay as soon as you arrive, unlike a hotel that may make you wait until check-in. I knew that as soon as we got in we were going to need to sleep. Noah has epilepsy and sleep is extremely important. Him getting sleep is literally priority #1 after an overnight flight.

My main goal today after long naps is to take the kids to the Acropolis. We only have a day and a half in Athens, so this is the only thing I have planned. Anything else we may somehow manage to do will be a bonus.

We got to the Acropolis at 6:30 PM which gave us plenty of time before they closed at 8 PM. The Acropolis is open from 8 AM – 8 PM every day. Kids under 18 get free admission. My admission was 20 euros, so the four of cost a total of 20 euros! How great is that.

I was unsure when we would get to the Acropolis, so instead of taking a tour, I downloaded Rick Steve’s Acropolis tour. He as many free podcast tours all over Europe, including a few in Greece.

• https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-tours/greece-turkey

Savvas Rooftop Cafe

For dinner, we went to a restaurant with a view of the Acropolis, Savvas. It was really excellent and affordable. Plus, it’s kid friendly. It was around $40 euros for 4 meals, a large bottle of water, and a side of hummus.

As promised, here is our very 1st vlog covering Athens.

Day 3: Taking a Train across Greece to Thessaloniki

Trains in Europe are always an affordable option for families because they give child discounts and youth discounts. In Greece, I was able to get all three kids discounted tickets and myself since we are a family.

The train station is called Athens Railway Station. We took an Uber to get here. Before we left the USA I check to see if Greece had Uber. Everything I saw was that they no longer did. I’m happy to report that this isn’t true. You can use Uber to get a taxi and pay all through the app.

My plan was to have breakfast at the train station, but it turns out they have no restaurants. Oops! Thankfully, there was a pastry cart with gigantic donuts. The train station in Thessaloniki is much nicer and has a restaurant.

The train, like every other train we’ve been on in Europe has a little snack bar with coffee, sandwiches, water, chips, wine, beer, soda, and more. I noticed pets on this train, I guess pets are allowed on trains in Greece.

Here’s a disgusting pet story from today. A lady sets up a puppy pad in a chair across from us. We are sitting in the last train car. She then leaves to the front. It becomes apparent that when her dog needs to go to the bathroom, she’s bringing it back here to use the puppy pad. No, I’m not making this up. This is probably one of the most disgusting things I have seen while traveling. Now our train car smells like dog poo. She’s lucky I can’t speak Greek. I certainly tried to stop this from happening and failed. Granted, I am pretty sure the word no is universal as well as making a horrified face. 🤮The kids didn’t sleep good last night because of the jet lag, so they slept on the train. The route was quite scenic.

Train Tips

If you decide to take a train in Europe with kids I have some suggestions. Bring a deck of playing cards, snacks, and water.

Book seats facing each other or even better, book a private room with seats facing each other.

Train Horror Story

Keep in mind that having a private room inside the train car can backfire if you do not purchase all the seats. Back in 2014, we had a private room on a train going from Munich to somewhere else in Germany, but I only bought five of the seats. A drunk guy that didn’t smell good bought the 6th seat. His only luggage was a bag full of beer bottles. He proceeds to get up off and on all night long to grab another bottle from his bag in the overhead compartment. The bottles banging around made a lot of noise, especially when he dropped them. He also walked around a little here and there. He fell down once, which was pretty sad. Needless to say, we got almost no sleep on our overnight train. Good times!

Jet Lag Tips

We are so jet lag, it’s brutal. It’s been especially bad for the kids. Here are some tips for dealing with jet lag.

1. Plan to sleep when you arrive – If at all possible, try to arrive at the destination no later than 1 or 2 in the morning. You can immediately go to sleep and begin adjusting your internal clock.
2. Take the sleeping mask and ear plugs the airline gives you. These will help you sleep in the room.
3. Do not sleep all day – If it is daytime there, get outside. The sunshine will help you stay awake.
4. Melatonin – Taking melatonin will help you get to sleep. Melatonin is safe for children. If your children struggle to take a pill, give them melatonin gummies instead.
5. No caffeine – Do not drink any coffee or soda on the plane. It can take up to 14 hours for the caffeine to leave your body.

HOTEL AMENITIES NEEDED WHEN BATTLING JET LAG

• Good Mattress – Often times the hotel’s website will tout what kind of mattress the rooms have. If not, call them and ask.

• Low Noise Levels – Check recent reviews of the hotel to see if others are complaining about noise.

• Black Out Curtains – If the website does not tell you, just call the hotel and ask or email them. If you are on social media you can tweet them.

• 24 Hour Food – Having food available when you need it is essential when battling jet lag with kids. Whether it is room service or a hotel restaurant with 24 hour service, it helps.

Alexander the Great Hotel

Thessaloniki wasn’t our final destination. Once we arrived there we headed an hour and a half south to Alexander the Great Beach hotel in Kyropigo. Wine Tasting

Shortly after arriving, they treated me to a wine-tasting class where we got to try four white wines and two red wines. All the wines we tried were from Greece. I gotta say the Greeks make excellent wine! (Don’t worry, when I say “we” I mean the other guests attending the wine tasting, not the kids!) The wine tasting was led by an expert and overall simply phenomenal. Here are the six wines we tasted.

Day 4: Halkidiki

Down in Halkidiki the kids and I are working with some family- friendly boutique hotels. Alexander the Great Beach hotel is the first of four hotels the kids and I will be experiencing in this part of Greece. Here at Alexander the Great we have two connecting rooms that look like this.

Exploring the round of Kassandra

Today the kids and I are exploring the area around Kassandra. I am driving us around since you do not need an international driver’s license to drive around Greece. Lucky for us I know how to drive a stick shift, because that’s all they had.

Our first stop is lunch in Pefkochori at Smile Gyros. They have super cheap food and you can sit along the beach. There is also an outlet store nearby where I scored two pairs of shorts for $15 euros. 

Our next stop is the thermal springs. I assume these are some sort of natural hot springs in the forest. Turns out, it’s an indoor/outdoor facility with pools full of thermal water. We would have paid the $30 euros to do this, but one of us forgot to grab their swimsuit. So, onto the next stop, Siviris. This is an old fishing village. Where we had a gelato break. 

When we got back to the hotel we found out it was Greek night at the hotel’s tavern. Their was a buffet with all Greek foods and Greek dancing.

Day 5: Alexander the Great Beach

The rain has finally stopped and we indulge in our first beach day. Our hotel is on Alexander the Great beach and it’s a nice long stretch of beach. The hotel has pool floats for sale, which is super handy. They also have two restaurants on the beach. We ordered lunch from one of them, the Oasis Bar. We all got gyros. They also have cocktails, ice cream, and loads of other food options.

Here’s our vlog covering day 2 & 3 in Halkidiki.

Day 6: Beach Bumming

In life there are few things I would say I do well, but holding down a chair on a sunny day on the beach sipping cocktails, I AM EXPERT LEVEL. We enjoyed sitting around doing nothing but beach yesterday, that we are now doing it again

For lunch we are going to Agora Beach Bar. It’s near the hotel at the end of the beach.

Here’s a look at Alexander the Great beach.

Agora Beach & Agora Beach Bar

We had a ridiculous amount of fun the day we spent at Agora Beach Bar. During the day we paddle boarded, had a fabulous lunch, sunbathed, swam, enjoyed a live show and more!

At night we came back for “The Wedding Party” show. It’s goofy and full of great music. Oh, and it’s kid-friendly.

Right before the show started Mother Nature treated us to brilliant skies.

Day 7: Day Sailing and switching hotels today.

Today we went day sailing which took up the majority of our day. From start to finish, we were gone about 7.5 hours. Depending on the age of your kids this could be a little too long, but my kids did fine. It included a bit of snorkeling, but from what I can tell the arm of Kassandra is not the place for snorkeling.

Here’s a video recapping our Day Sailing experience.

After sailing, we packed up and said goodbye to Alexander the Great Beach Hotel. We drove an hour and a half to Xenia Ouranoupolis over in the third arm of Halkidiki. It’s located right on the edge of Ouranoupolis, which makes it an ideal location. You are close to town, less than a five minute walk and still far enough away that it feels private. 

Ouranoupolis is a super cute town. I will post some photos of it soon. I just have to figure out which camera they are on. I brought six cameras.

Day 8: Exploring the Drenia Islands

Something really cool about where Xenia Ouranoupolis is located is its proximity to the Drenia Islands. They are accessible only by boat, but the hotel can arrange a boat rental for you, because the boat rental is practically next door. They arranged one for us today and it was too much fun.

• No license needed to rent a boat.

The little beaches here and there are beautiful. You can beach your boat along them and have a fairly private beach day. When we stopped at the first island the kids took off climbing and exploring. I stayed back to try and get my drone to fly, which it finally did! I’ll be posting drone footage soon!

Our hotel, Xenia Ouranoupolis, offers a dinner buffet, but tonight we skipped it and instead had dinner in town at Kritikos.

Day 9: Mt. Athos Cruise

This is a sightseeing cruise, which means you will be on the boat the entire time as it cruises along Mt. Athos. Mt. Athos is 57 kilometers long and inhabited since the 5th and 6th centuries by monks. There are 20 monasteries here.  Tips for taking children on one of these boat tours:

• Sunscreen
• Hats
• Find a seat in the shade
• Bring water and a snack

Jonah found the Mt. Athos tour riveting.

After the cruise we stopped to have lunch at Zorbas in Ouranoupolis.

Day 10: Amouliani Island

While on Amouliani Island we are staying at Agionissi Resort. We LOVE this resort! Here is my review of Agionissi Resort. Although the island is close to Ouranoupolis, it’s far enough away to feel like a private island far away. One of the best parts of staying here was the nightly sunsets. They were tremendous.

The kids are a little sick of Greek breakfast, so they are thrilled out of their minds when we find out they can order pancakes at the pool bar.

Day 11: Thessaloniki – It’s my Birthday!

While in Thessaloniki we are staying at Astoria hotel. The Astoria Hotel is in a fabulous location and they have large rooms to accommodate families.

Also, it’s my birthday! The Astoria Hotel gave me a cake! How sweet is that!

Much to my surprise, Thessaloniki is a super cool city. Before our visit, we had heard that it wasn’t that nice, but it simply wasn’t true. We walked all over the place and I swear they have ruins or a gorgeous church around every corner.

Is Greece Safe?

Another thing that was brought up to me by more than one person before we came to Greece was that it wasn’t safe. I had a few people ask me why I would take my kids to Greece when things were so unstable. These people were under the impression that Greece had floods of Syrian refugees. (This isn’t true.) Now why they thought this I do not know, but for any of you with similar concerns I want to assure you that this is a non-issue. Greece is extremely safe.

Day 12: Island Hopping Time! Off to Santorini

We couldn’t come all the way to Greece and not visit some of the islands down south. I wanted to take my kids to a bunch of the islands, but the time and money we would spend says that we should only go to a few. I narrowed it down to Crete, Santorini, and Mykonos. I heavily debated going to Naxos and Ios, but I guess we will just have to come back.

I’m hoping to score a cabin for our family on Blue Star Ferries as we Island hop. Out of all the ferries I took last time they were my favorite. Right now this is our tentative plan, but it’s not set in stone.

Today we went and saw some of Thessaloniki’s old city and then headed to the airport.

We are flying on Astra Airlines down to Santorini. After experiencing this airline I recommend not using it. I’m still a little confused by what happened, but here’s the short version. When we got to the airport they made me pay another $88 euros to board. I have never had to pay a fee to board a plane. This was on top of the $400 something I paid for our tickets. And it wasn’t baggage fees. They ran my credit card and handed me a receipt as we were boarding. I plan to talk to my credit card company when we get home. There is no way this is legal.

In Santorini we are staying at different places on the island the two nights we will be here in order to see as much as possible quickly and cut out having to go back and forth on the island.

Santorini on a Budget

The first hotel we stayed at me loved, Ethereum Luxury Cave. The location was super fun just north of Fira.

I have a drone video of this area up on my Facebook page. I haven’t had enough internet to post much, but it’s over there if you would like to take a look.

Day 13: Santorini

The Red Beach is gorgeous and I think it’s a must-see while on the island. As is the city of Oia and we saw both today.

We also switched hotels. Tonight we stayed at Armeni Luxury Villas. Sadly, I cannot recommend this hotel. I still made a video of it. It looks great, but only 2 people are allowed in the hot tub at a time. So, we had to take turns. I NEVER would have booked this hotel had I known this. Also, they would not let my kids sit in certain areas of the hot tub and made me supervise the kids at all times. My kids are 17, 14, and 11, they do not need me to sit there and watch them in a shallow hot tub. Unfortunately, the manager was super nasty to me and her office was above our villa, so there was no getting around her rules. I won’t go into her behavior, but the important take away is that this is no place for a family to stay.

Jonah was totally enthralled with watching the famous Oia sunset.

After the sunset, we went and found a restaurant I dined at two years ago, Lotza. It was just as good as I remembered it to be.

Day 14: Santorini and Mykonos

Today we took the Sea Jet super jet ferry from Santorini to Mykonos. I wasn’t sure how the kids would do on a ferry and I forgot to bring motion sickness medicine, so I was relieved when all of them seemed unbothered by the constant motion.

We didn’t do much in Mykonos. It took a long time to get a car rental squared away. By the time we made it to Mykonos City it was sunset time.

Day 15: Mykonos

Mykonos with Kids

We decided that our last full day in Greece should be at the beach. We headed over to Plati Gialos beach. After several failed attempts, to drive directly here we parked at Agia Anna beach and walked over.

There was free parking and the walk wasn’t too bad. At Platis Gialos beach there are lots of places to rent chairs and umbrellas. I paid 20 euros for two chairs and one umbrella at Mykonos Dove Beach part of Anios seafront restaurant. The handy thing about their umbrellas is that they have solar panels on them, so you can charge your phone off the umbrella. Each section is also attached to a restaurant so you can order food and drinks.

The drinks are spendy, so I walked over to a little supermarket and bought drinks and chips. They have alcoholic drinks for 2.90 euros, which is more than 10 euros cheaper than ordering. The little market also had a great selection of ice cream. 

Day 16: Mykonos to Paris

I scored some super cheap plane tickets from Mykonos to Paris, $37 each on Easy Jet, and I felt like this was a sign we should go to Paris. I then managed to find a hotel room for less than 300 euros, which last minute is pretty lucky. We are staying at the Hilton La Defence.

2 Days in Paris with Kids

Day 17: Paris!

Today, since I’ve done no pre-planning I only have three goals. Notre Dame Cathedral, Lourve, and eat some French food.

Day 18: Paris

Some of my friends that know us and our weird sense of humor have suggested we visit the catacombs. To me anytime you get the same thing suggested to you more than once, that’s what you should do. So, off we went to visit the bones of 6 million people underground.

Day 19: Go home 😰

Noah has a job now, which is great, but that means we have to go home so he can work. He “retired” from doing gymnastics after 15 years and his gym immediately hired him to coach. He now coaches level 5 boys!

We fly standby, so hopefully, we can get home in one day.

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