2023 Spring Break with Kids

It would be for me. There are some things you can possibly consolidate to make for less moving.
I really liked Nafplio and there are many places to see from there. From what I read about Olympia, Nemea scratched that itch instead--however, Messene was a very impressive sight, as was Mystras. Monemvasia might not be particularly interesting to kids, and it's a long, windy drive. I would not invest the time in an island trip at that time of year when there is plenty of lovely coastline in the Peloponnese. Kardamyli takes so long to get to that I would not stay less than three nights.
The first thing I would decide is how much driving can you do upon arrival, if any. If you can get to one of your other close-in destinations on arrival day (Delphi and Nafplio are not long drives, but of course it depends on what your travel is like), you can put all of your Athens time together at the end, avoiding the "what to do the last night" conundrum.

trip with 10 DS and 8 DD next year

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10 year old dear son and 8 year old dear daughter

valadelphia - I like the suggestion to get the car at the airport. That would also put the shorter stays at the start of the trip

Just for future reference, that "dear" abbreviation was popular a few years back on Fodor's Travel Forum, but got to feeling just a bit too "twee" ... it supposedly was used because the posters didnt want to use names, be we pointed out they could use initials.. people started saying DDIL (dear daughter in law) and DSD (Dear Stepson) .. it just got out of hand. Generally the usage faded away, due to all the "memes."

Nemea in no way can replace Olympia. I can’t imagine a trip to Greece without visiting Olympia. Our Greek friends encouraged us to visit it.

I would use another isle vs Hydra -- It is endlessly hyped by Steves because i t's part of one of his tours, or is an add-on to a mainland-only tour... because it's a day trip. Beautiul harbor, a longish sea trip in enclosed-cabin ferry. No beaches handy, no cars or local transit except mules.

Instead I would recommend a day-trip to AEGINA... only 1 hr from port of Pireaus, an dyou can get a large OPEN-DECK ferry, you can enjoy the seascape.. a little mini-cruise... see huge liners, freighters, ferrries, schooners, speedboats, & shoreline, When u arrive at port town, can explore small lanes, shops. You can rent a car for half a day, or take local bus/taxi to center island hi hill & stunning Temple of Aphaia, 360° view of Saronic Bay... from there, a downhill "shortcut" takes u to Ag Marina beach village for lunch, & bus back. Here's interestin detail step-by-step photo-log ol a daytrip - https://www.flickr.com/photos/36264706@N03/sets/72157621604646139/detail/

When Suki says cant imagine nemea replacing Olympia ... that may be from the standpoint of an adult, and perhaps someone who's been immersed in Greece history, well-traveled etc. If looking at an 8-10 yrs old, and driving an extra 4-5 hours ... Olympia is on the FAR S.W. corner of Peloponnese. Its museum means a lot to art/architecture buffs, not so much to pre-teens.

Nemea has the Modern appeal of the REVIVED NEmean Games... in 2022 they held the 7th running... competitors from around the world, kids to oldster, competing in traditional greek dress, with laurel wreaths, solemn ceremonies etc. This website shows the visuals & gives full info - https://nemeangames.org/en/home-english/ can get the youngsters involved, + idea of kneeling in starting-blocks 2000 yrs old. It has stadium, amptheatre, temple ruins, small excellent museum -- and NO tour busses or crowds... you will be almost alone in March (be aware -- all ancient sites offseason will close by 3pm, time accordingly). You can reach it just 5m miles or so off the main Peloponnese highway, just south of Corinth Canal -- check this excellent detail Map showing routes etc all the way from ATH & ATH airpor to entire PEninisula - https://euro-map.com/karty-grecii/peloponnes/podrobnaya-turisticheskaya-karta-peloponnesa.jpg

A fun family bonus -- just 3 miles or so away is the VILLAGE of Nemea, in heart of Pelops Wine country. Now, kids are not great fans of vineyard visits -- but who doesn't love watching machinery? On the village main street, we spotted a mini-bottling plant & shop (look for a place with a HUGE tank behind it).. Inside front ar huge casks with spigots for samples... AND a tiny "assembly line" where bottles trundle around & get labels slapped on & corks inserted. (we bought some wine to take back to Athens for last-night terrace toasting).

I do recommend a longer stay in NAFPLIIO --- considered THE most beautiful Old TOwn in all of Greece. On forums, it's been praised by families as one of the "greatest hits" with pre-teens & teenagers. Many reasons why -- Castles & fortresses GAlore! Climbs to high-places... and don't miss the amazing sci-fi llook of the elevator IN a cliff to take u up to the Parapet of Acronafplio. SO much to explore... click EVERY lilnk in this superb noncommercial website - http://www.visitnafplio.com Naplio is lively year-round, because it's a favorite weekend getaway for savvy Athenians... so there are plenty of interesting (chic)shops, good tavernas, local hikes. Knowing nothing about it, I was sent there at end of my 1st Greek trip ('99) by an American artist who said, "You'll thank me"... and many visits later, still discovering, still thanking.

FYI, that time of year can be a bit dodgy in terms of visiting tourist sites- ie lots of places only open half days or closed entirely, sometimes without notice. Also, Greek Independence Day is 3/25, so there will probably be closures related to that, in addition to the seasonal closures.

Athens can be kind of a nightmare, traffic-wise. If you're up to it after your flight, you might want to consider renting a car at the airport and then going straight to Delphi and spending your first night there and save Athens for the last leg of your trip.

Hydra is really cute and can be a fun place for kids, but doesn't have much to do in the off season- ie too cold for beaches, things closed, etc.

Nafplio is really pretty and the old town is car-free and has a big square where people come to hang out and kids play long into the evening when the weather's nice. Nearby archaeological sites can be fun day trips.

I'm late to this thread.

When I read it I honestly thought that you had a blended family with 10 boys and 8 girls and I couldn't work out how you would all fit in a car (or 5).

I'm so glad you spelled it out...

10 year old dear son and 8 year old dear daughter

We took our young adult children to Greece in 2018 and I eliminated the Rick Steve’s route for us. It is too much driving.

We spent four nights in Nafplio at a quirky house and loved it there. The fortress was a favorite. We climbed all 999 steps. It is also a great location for day trips. My kids loved Nemea. Would they have liked Olympia better? Maybe. But Nemea worked much better for our schedule and is a very worthwhile site.