Transat Puts the Spotlight on Family Travel to Greece

Whitewashed villages, temples with Doric columns, blue-green seas and stands of cypress trees are just a glimpse of what awaits travellers heading to Greece and its islands this summer.

Transat is encouraging Canadian families looking for adventure, leisure and history to take advantage of its various travel options for discovering Greece and shares tips for a successful summer holiday in this mythical land.

• Preparing kids and stimulating their imaginations

In her Experience Transat blog entitled Découvrir la Grèce en famille, Nathalie Richard proposes a couple of ways for parents to get their children into the right spirit before a trip to Greece. She suggests gathering around a map of the Aegean Sea and making a game out of naming the Cyclades, an archipelago with no fewer than 250 islands, only 24 of which are inhabited. Come nightfall, parents can draw on Homer’s Odyssey for story time – it’s full of tales, like how Odysseus escaped the cyclops.

Stimulating kids’ imaginations will give them a greater sense of wonder when they finally see the remnants of Ancient Greece in person. Other ways of building anticipation include counting down the days to takeoff on an official calendar and adding a Hellenic theme to the family menu.

• Setting aside some time to admire Athens

Athens is a lively city where tradition and modernity live side by side. It’s well worth exploring for a few days before heading off to other popular destinations, such as the Cyclades.

Younger visitors will feel like adventurers when they climb the hill to the Acropolis and behold historic monuments such as the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike and Erechtheion. What’s more, the capital boasts eye-catching street art; kids will be captivated by the more than 2,000 artists’ murals that grace some of the city’s neighbourhoods.

For its part, the Hellenic Children’s Museum in Athens has an amusing array of immersive experiences, interactive exhibits, games and arts and crafts.

• Savouring easy gastronomy

For foodies, Greece offers the virtues of Mediterranean cooking, which has fresh, healthy options for everyone. Local delicacies younger palates might enjoy include tzatziki, Greek salad, stuffed vine leaves, gyros, moussaka and grilled fish, not to mention a number of honey-sweetened desserts.

• Simplifying the booking process

Transat has options that let visitors enjoy Greece to the fullest without having to worry about the minutiae of travel. The company sells packages, tours and cruises where families can follow tried and true itineraries that come with a number of inclusions.

For example, families can book a stay at an all-inclusive hotel such as Kinetta Beach Resort & Spa, about 60 km from Athens, and combine it with a three- or four-night cruise on board the Celestyal Olympia. A Greece Your Way package allows families to tour the islands at leisure and mingle with locals. There are several hotels where guests can relax as well as use as a pied-à-terre to go and explore, like the Creta Maris Beach Resort in Crete.

• Avoiding peak season saves money, beats the crowds

Most tourists flock to Greece in July and August. This makes May, June, September and, even, October a great time to go to avoid crowds and the higher rates that come with peak season. The temperatures are milder yet still pleasant; in other words, child-friendly conditions for exploring cultural and historical sites.

• Benefits for families

Air Transat makes travel easier for families, with direct flights, attentive staff, exclusive check-in counters and priority boarding for families with young children. Meanwhile, the Kids Club welcomes mini-globetrotters aged two to 11 for free and gives them a membership kit filled with travel goodies, on-board surprises, and more. Families should also keep an eye out for the airline’s special planes adorned with the Kids Club smile and googlie eyes. And, with Air Transat, families automatically get free standard seat selection.