10 Tips for Visiting the Greek Islands with a Baby

If you are planning to visit the Greek Islands with a baby, there are many things you will want to know. I traveled to Greece with a 1 year old and am sharing my top travel tips for visiting the Greek Islands with an infant or toddler!

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First, I absolutely recommend going to Greece with a baby! We took our almost one year old to Mykonos and Sifnos for our first international trip as a family and had an unforgettable trip. Our friends joined us with their 2 year old daughter and our little ones had the best time playing on the beaches of Greece. It’s totally possible and truly a wonderful place to go with young children.

However, there are a few things you likely have questions about when traveling to Greece with a baby. Like whether you can get diapers and baby food on the remote islands, should you take a stroller, and which islands are best for kids. Read on for all of my top tips for traveling to the Greek Islands with a baby or toddler.

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1. Buy Diapers and Baby Food on the Islands

You might be wondering if you can get baby food, diapers, formula and other supplies on the Greek islands. Yes, you can! We went to Sifnos which is a pretty small island and even the smallest stores had a selection of baby pouches, formula, diapers and wipes. I will say that we use more veggie based pouches at home and they only had fruit ones available where we went.

My recommendation is to bring as many pouches/snacks as possible and enough diapers for a couple days. Plan to save precious luggage space and get additional diapers/food there. The islands had popular Pampers brand and even though it’s not what we normally use, it worked perfectly fine. They also had swim diapers.

Also, keep in mind that you are going to a beach destination! You can buy your kids beach toys, towels, floats, etc once you get there. The islands have plenty of shops right along the beaches making it very easy to find. Don’t pack too many toys!

2. Be a Pro on the Ferry & Book Business Class Seats

When visiting the Greek Islands, it is almost impossible to avoid a ferry ride. If I could helicopter, I would. My tips for navigating the ferries in Greece with a baby are:

1. Book business class on the ferry – whatever the nicest seat is, splurge for it! Especially in the summer heat, you will want the space, tables, air conditioning and access to food/drinks with a little one in tow. Plus, if you get motion sickness like me, the space will help (and some non-drowsy dramamine).
2. Look for the baby changing bathroom – the big ferries have a family room with changing table for babies. You may need to ask for the key if it’s locked. There is also a kids area with movies playing.
3. Pack Light – You will be responsible for carrying your luggage on and off the ferries (plus your child). Don’t take more than you can carry easily or you will live to regret it!
4. Baby wear – if your child is small enough, wear them on and off the ferry in a baby carrier. This will allow you to have your hands free for carrying luggage, strollers, etc.
5. Ferries are notoriously late – the ferries are known for being late. Often, the wind causes delays or even cancellations. Be prepared for an extended wait (read: bring plenty of snacks and waters).

3. Fly to the Islands if You Can

If you can fly to an island, I definitely recommend it over the ferry from Athens. It’s a bit of a hassle to arrive in Athens, spend the night, taxi to the port, get on the ferry for 2+ hours, etc. If you can fly to/from the islands, that will save you time and money.

We were already in Europe so we flew from Munich to Mykonos direct. It’s actually the only reason we even went to Mykonos because we could go ahead and get to the islands and skip Athens. We stayed for two nights at Cali Mykonos Hotel, then ferried to nearby Sifnos which was the main island of our trip.

4. Book a Hotel Room with a Private Pool

A very important tip for traveling with a baby anywhere. Book a hotel room with a private plunge pool because you can enjoy it while your baby naps instead of being stuck in a hotel!

5. Bring a Travel Stroller and Car Seat

It depends on your preferences and age of the child, but I found it nice to have the stroller. We did use it on the islands for shopping on the pedestrian streets, strolling about town, and as a place to sit at restaurants. A travel stroller is a must vs a regular stroller so it can easily fit in the tiny European cars.

In Greece, the law states that you do need a car seat in private transportation. However, when taking a taxi, you do not need a car seat. We rented a car in Sifnos so it was crucial to bring our own car seat vs relying on there being one when we got there.

We have the Uppababy MINU V2 stroller and the MESA carseat that attaches to the stroller with these adapters which is a game changer.

6. Don’t Bring a Travel Crib; Do Bring a SlumberPod

Unless your accommodation truly does not offer one, there’s no reason to bring a travel crib. It’s one more thing to carry around. Every hotel we went to in Europe has always had a nice baby crib (or sometimes pack and play) available for us.

You will definitely want to pack a Slumberpod for traveling with a baby. It’s an amazing blackout tent that fits over any crib. We love it for sharing a room with our baby because she can’t see or hear us (with the sound machine) as we move about the room.

One thing I do wish we had packed was our own crib sheet.

Check out this post if you’re unsure of the difference between baby crib and baby cots in Europe.

7. Pick Only One or Two Greek Islands to Visit with a Baby

My recommendation to people is always to keep island hopping in Greece to a minimum. It’s a much better experience to really explore an island and soak up the culture instead of moving every couple days. Especially with a child, pick one or two islands to visit in Greece. Otherwise, it is a lot of packing, unpacking, and time on the ferry.

We only did two islands with our daughter and it was lovely. The original plan was actually only to visit Sifnos, but we added Mykonos at the last minute as a way to skip a stopover in Athens.

If you are wondering where to go in Greece with a baby, I have a few tips. The best Greek Islands for little kids have plenty of sandy beaches, quiet lagoons, things to do, and great restaurants.

The best Greek Islands for a baby or toddler are:

• Sifnos – the foodie island, great beaches and shallow lagoons
• Paros and Antiparos – tons of sandy coastline
• Naxos – family friendly vibe, tons of kids
• Rhodes – great beaches, historic site, aquarium
• Crete – plenty to do, family friendly resorts near Chania

I would skip Santorini with young children – the steps, cliffs, and rocky beaches aren’t ideal. Plus, it has more of a honeymoon vibe than family friendly.

I love Milos, but I do think there are better Greek Islands to visit with a baby. Milos has tons of beaches, but many of the best ones are rocky or can only be reached by boat. I would go to either of these with bigger kids though, not toddlers!

8. Don’t Expect Kids Menus at Restaurants in Greece

Everyone in Greece is SO kind to families and children! We were treated like ROYALTY in Greece with our baby.

Not a single restaurant we went to had a kids menu though. BUT, many did offer special things they could do for kids which was usually pasta. Also, most things on the menu were pretty kid friendly in general like fresh fish and veggies.

Our child has an egg allergy so I really worried with feeding her. We mostly stuck to pouches, bananas and breastfeeding which was honestly tough.

Most restaurants don’t have high chairs (though a couple did), so this is where a stroller really came in handy as a place to put our 11 month old.

9. Skip Athens

If you’ve read closely, you’ve heard me suggest to skip Athens with a baby. I have been to Greece many times and downtown Athens is just not ideal for babies. It’s a big city and kind of dirty. They won’t enjoy the Acropolis so unless you are dying to see it, I would skip Athens and go straight to the islands.

We flew direct to Mykonos simply to avoid Athens. Known as the party island, Mykonos has never been high on my bucket list, but being able to fly direct from Germany to Mykonos was amazing! We found a swanky hotel in Mykonos and relaxed for a couple days then headed off to Sifnos.

If you are going to take a stop in Athens, my recommendation is to stay in the Athenian Riviera. It is beachfront, closer to the airport and has amazing luxury hotels like One&Only Aesthesis and Four Seasons Astir Palace!

10. Keep a 9am to 9pm Schedule

Adjusting to a time change can be hard and it will definitely take a day or two for everyone. What worked for us was keeping a ~9am to 9pm schedule for our daughter. At home, it is usually 7am-7pm so this allowed us to not have to shift her so far. It also was incredibly convenient for being able to take her out to dinners with us. Europeans eat late and most restaurant don’t even open until 7 for dinner!

It will be hard, but don’t let your child sleep in too late. We woke our daughter up by 9am every day and it helped her adjust quicker to the new time zone.

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The Wrap Up

Greece is an amazing place to travel with a baby or toddler. There are plenty of family friendly islands and activities the kids will enjoy. Follow these tips and you are sure to plan a seamless vacation with your baby or toddler!

Any questions? Please ask in the comments so I can help!

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