A Family Retreat In Crete

11 years ago we took a long weekend break, with friends, to Athens, Greece.

- Roberta Von Meding

We loved the culture, the people, the food - so much history! However, I felt like I had missed a large part of the Greek experience as we didn’t have time to go island hopping.

Fast forward 10 years and 2 kids later, and it was time for a return trip to Greece but this time for some island fun in the sun.

The only draw back on a trip to Crete from Dublin, even offpeak, is that flights are very expensive. However, we managed to get flights for a third of the price (€500 pp instead of €1100 pp!) by doing a 4-hour layover in Dusseldorf. While not ideal, the kids actually really enjoyed visiting the German airport and eating some interesting food. On the way home, we left early and flew home via Venice and London, which was very long, but it meant we could afford to go on our family holiday so #noregrets! Our girls have traveled from a young age and are now 9 and 7 so it didn’t matter that we had layovers. However, for families with younger kids, it might be worth looking into flying direct and cutting costs elsewhere.

We rented a car from beside Heraklion International airport when we arrived to Crete. I would highly recommend considering this because everything is quite spread out across the island and all the main sights and attractions are a drive away. It is a much cheaper alternative to getting taxis or public transport, particularly with young kids.