p We flew to make memories!
p And we made an incredible memory on our trip to Greece. After the bar mitzvah trip was postponed twice, we thought about what's closest to Thailand, not only in scenery but also in flight time, while also being a place where we'd feel safe traveling.
p We chose Greece, and what a good choice it was...
p A beautiful country, very cheap (especially compared to Israel), and amazing, relaxed people. So here's the comprehensive post with links to all the detailed posts, because why enjoy alone?? Including highlights on Instagram.
p Basically, I've made you a checklist of what you need: a route, what to do beforehand in terms of a contract with the kids, COVID tests, a car and so on.
p Maps: a map of all our important places in Athens, Meteora and Olympus. A map of all our important places in Pelion.
p This is a general post, but I've prepared more important, detailed, relevant posts for you if you're planning a trip like this:
p The post with our exact route in Pelion, Greece: click here.
p The post on Thessaloniki, Olympus and Meteora: click here.
p The post on the COVID testing rules for flying to Greece: click here.
p The post with the most beautiful beaches in Pelion: click here.
p This was our plan:
p Thessaloniki: one night
p A trip to Olympus and a night in Meteora
p A trip around Meteora and a drive to East Pelion: 3 nights
p South and West Pelion: 4 nights
p Athens: two nights
p I know how busy you are, so I've made you a really organized version by day and accommodation, with attraction costs and links to all the detailed posts, because I want to serve you the fun on a platter! Link.
p 11 nights in total, with the first and last days spent flying, which means we traveled 10 days net.
p I saved the Pelion locations on this map. Athens, Meteora and Thessaloniki are pretty simple: map.
p Before you fly:
p A contract with the kids: a must. You plan a trip for a year. You book the hotel, the flights, the route. But what did we forget? Aligning expectations. Help your kid understand what's expected of them on the trip, and that this trip is for us too.
p COVID tests and forms: everything you need to know, neatly organized!
p Book an automatic car. Don't settle for a manual! The roads in Pelion are t-e-r-r-i-f-y-i-n-g. But it's all fine, you manage, you learn to drive slowly and carefully, just don't settle for anything but an automatic. We came with 2 big suitcases, 2 small ones and a backpack for each of us (with their own water, a snack or fruit, and whatever suits you).
p Book hotels: in Pelion I recommend booking two hotels, one in the east and one in the south, because driving around the peninsula is hard.
p Book attractions and restaurants (in the end there was no need, because there were hardly any tourists, but book to be safe): a tour of Athens, canyoning, kayaks, the train, restaurants.
q “Having kids is a reason to travel. Never a reason to stop” Someone smart
p What even is Pelion? Paradise? A dream? A fantasy? All of the above? Yes. All of the above.
p Pelion is a stunning, insanely beautiful Greek peninsula about a two-hour flight from Tel Aviv.
p You can get there on a direct flight to Volos, or from Athens or Thessaloniki.
p We chose to fly via Thessaloniki (about a three-hour drive), because the direct flight to Volos only went Tuesday to Tuesday, and we wanted to be there more than a week and also to mix things up and see more places. We flew back from Athens (about a four-hour drive), because again... we wanted variety.
p What's in Pelion? A winning mix of green mountains and dreamy beaches, clear water, springs, waterfalls, picturesque, magical villages and excellent food. There's East Pelion and West Pelion. The east is wilder, with extremely winding roads, while the west is calmer and less winding (but still winding!).
p East: sunrises. West: sunsets.
h2 But first, the most important thing! Read the following tips:
p We'll start with the trip in Pelion, because the rest is less new, so it'll be at the end of the post :)
p A morning trip around Meteora and a drive to East Pelion: 3 nights. All the details on Pelion are in the next post, and on Meteora in this post.
p What to do?
p In Meteora: 3 hanging monasteries, then a drive to East Pelion.
p In East Pelion:
p Day 1: Arrive at the hotel, get settled, and we drove straight to Damouchari, the beach from the movie "Mamma Mia". We ate at the beach.
p Day 2: Mylopotamos beach and Papa Nero beach
p Day 3: Canyoning in Zagora, rappelling, and the perfect Agioi Saranta beach
p Day 4: Kayaks at Horefto, Horefto beach, lunch at Niki's, and the drive to South Pelion
p Where to sleep? Adis Oniro or Agapitos. There are loads of options; these two were my finalists.
p Which restaurants not to miss? Palia Damouchari in Damouchari, Niki's Taverna in Zagora (combine it with kayaking or canyoning at Horefto), and Aggelika Fish Taverna at Mylopotamos beach: location.
p Another recommendation, beaches we didn't get to: Fakistra and Agios Ioannis, and further southeast, Potistika and Mourtias.
p South and West Pelion: 4 nights. All the details in the next post.
p What to do? We arrived at the Karavia Lux Inn, a luxurious hotel with a gorgeous pool and a perfect sunset view.
p Day 1: A real mountain train, a little walk around the town of Milies, buying olive bread, and a taxi back to the car. We spent the rest of the day at the pool and had dinner at the hotel's gourmet restaurant.
p Day 2: Kala Nera beach, Afissos beach and the hotel pool.
p Day 3: The pool, then a drive to the Centaur's Path, a little walk around the town of Makrinitsa, and ice cream in Agria (plus a COVID test in Volos on the way, ten minutes from Agria)
p Where to sleep? Karavia Lux Inn; there are lots of lovely hotels on the beach here too.
p Which restaurants not to miss? If you're at the Karavia Lux Inn, dinner at the hotel. In Makrinitsa, a restaurant with tasty food and a perfect view called Apolafsi: location.
p Another recommendation: if you're not visiting the east, you can drive over in the morning and take a boat trip that takes you to all the beautiful beaches of the east in 4 hours. Don't forget the road there isn't easy, so leave early so you don't come back in the dark.
p Thessaloniki: one night. All the details in the next post.
p What to do? We didn't get to do much, because we arrived from Israel in the evening and drove to Olympus the next day at noon, but we saw archaeological remains; there's the White Tower, and there's the upper town with the walls (Ano Poli), with picturesque alleys, churches, a view, and the tastiest breakfast you'll ever eat :)
p Where to sleep? We stayed at a cute little boutique hotel, The Modernist Thessaloniki.
p Which restaurants not to miss? Up in the town there's a restaurant we found completely by chance, where we had the most perfect breakfast with a stunning view of the whole city. It's called Acostaflavors.
p Another recommendation: have you ever seen a taxi driver who picks you up from the airport, gives you a bag with a bottle of water for every passenger, tells you how great it is that you came and how happy he is, and puts on a DVD of all the best places in Greece with explanations, and even authentic Greek music? No? Neither had I, until I met Vasilis Arapelis from Transfer4U. Perfect. Details in the next post.
p A trip to Olympus and a night in Meteora: all the details in the next post.
p What to do? Hike to the Orlias Waterfalls. You can eat in the cute town of Litochoro.
p Where to sleep? We slept in Meteora so we wouldn't have to make a dangerous drive to Pelion at night. Going to sleep and waking up in the morning to the Meteora view is unbelievable.
p Which restaurants not to miss? We didn't eat anywhere like that. It was okay.
p Athens: two nights. All the details in the next post.
p What to do? Wander around Plaka, eat at a taverna, go to Lake Vouliagmeni, visit the Acropolis and its museum, take a guided tour of the city to learn about Athens's history, nightlife for those who can, and day trips outside Athens for those with time (we didn't have any), like the Argolis region and the Corinth Canal, a cruise to the islands nearby and more.
p Where to sleep? The Plaka area. Not all of Athens is pretty, and this is a central, safe, magical area. We stayed at an apartment hotel called
p Honestly, we wanted a hotel, but couldn't find one at a good price in this area, so we went for an apartment. The apartment is very well equipped (a dishwasher, a washing machine, Netflix!, dishes, pots, a coffee machine and capsules...), the design is gorgeous and stylish, and the location is perfect, perfect, perfect. Everything is walking distance: the Acropolis, the magical streets, including Ermou Street. Some ceilings are low in parts of the apartment, a problem for tall people, but no big deal. The owners were amazing! Available to us on WhatsApp with recommendations and a smile.
p Which restaurants not to miss in Plaka? Old Tavern of Stamatopoulos: dinner at a taverna with live bouzouki music. A magical atmosphere. Not cheap, but cheaper than in Israel and worth every euro. A link to the restaurant's site.
p Kosmikon: you'll find a great breakfast and rare service here, location. Little Kook: if you're with kids, pancakes for dessert at the cutest tourist trap there is.
p Location. Another recommendation: a perfect lake called Lake Vouliagmeni, with a thermal spa and little fish that massage your feet: location.
p 40 minutes from Athens; you can get there by taxi or bus. A taxi costs about 50 euros each way for five people. Entry costs 15 euros per person. You can't bring food or drinks.
p Maps:
p A map of all our important places in Athens, Meteora and Olympus.
p A map of all our important places in Pelion.
p More important, detailed, relevant posts if you're planning a trip like this:
p The post with our exact route in Pelion, Greece: click here.
p The post on Thessaloniki, Olympus and Meteora: click here.
p The post on the COVID testing rules for flying to Greece: click here.
p The post with the most beautiful beaches in Pelion: click here.
p That's it. It was amazing. We'll come back again and again. And come visit my new Instagram and my Facebook group, where you can share your own good times too, because why should you enjoy alone?
