Family Trip

This is pretty much exactly what we did with a little bit older kids (8 and 11) so I support the plan. I only found one car rental agency that allowed you to pick up a car in Athens and drop it off in Ermioni, otherwise you'd be driving to Athens to drop the car, then taking the ferry from Piraeus, which would be a little longer but OK.

I am not 100% sure about 2 nights on Hydra in November. We had 3 nights there in August, and 2 would have been better. However, we spent most of one day at the beach. Without a beach day I am not sure if there's enough to do for 2 days. I guess it depends on what time your ferry is - if it is later so you have an evening and one full day, leaving the next morning, that would be good. I would look for people who have been there in off-season to tell you how much is going on/if things close.

Nafplio is great, and you can also drive easily to some excellent sights like Mycenae and Epidavros. I don't think the season matters much here. And Athens is always amazing, November would be just fine. The only seasonal question is Hydra.

Did you make arrangements with your rental agency in Athens to drop off car in Nafplio? Most agencies may charge quite bit more if you don't return the car to it's original pick up location (maybe someone knows more on that)

You didn't say if you are returning to Athens to drop off your car then take a ferry to Hydra. If so it's a lot of back tracking.

To get to Hydra from Nafplio you'll have to go to Ermioni by bus and you'll have to change bus at Kranidi then on to Ermioni.

According to your profile you'll be flying from Wisconsin with at least one stop before Athens. That's a long flight plus you'll then need to drive around 2+ hours to Nafplio. Not impossible but if it's your first time driving in Greece may be a challenge.

Nothing wrong with off-season travel . . . in fact there's no bad time to be in Greece . . . but there are better times.

Thanks for all the feedback. Haha, we understand we'll be tired driving to Nafplio. We did this in France once, picked up the rental at Paris airport, drove to and toured Giverny, then drove to Honfleur! But this was without kids so everything was easier! Is the driving much worse then other parts of Europe?
We haven't booked anything yet, just trying to see if my plan made any sense. I have often dropped rentals off at different locations and haven't encountered any fees so far but I've always heard that's a possibility. With the kids in tow it would probably be worth it not to backtrack. I'll research the ports and rental car locations to see if they can be coordinated, thanks for bringing that to my attention!

Hydra is bad idea ... nothing to do off-season (not that much to do even on-season) ...

The Nafplio area is great for kids, -- you need to look at the wonderful NONcommercial website http://www.visitnafplio.com -- look at EVERY LINK -- and you probably will decide to do FOUR nights there! Here is a wondeful photo album of Nafplio & area highlights: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/sets/72157632094108982/ -- photos from May, but a video on the visitnafplio website was done in February showing its attractions even in winter. Some Argolid stops to consider:

CORINTH CANAL -- Either outbound or on way back, jump off biggie highwy at ISTHMUS to walk across the OLD BRIDGE ... only way u can really see canal (SO deep! SO Skinny!)

NEMEA -- about 10 miles beyond canal, just before where you'd exit SOUTH for NAFPLIO, first Exit NORth for ANCIENT NEMEA ... it's just a few KM off highway -- http://nemeangames.org/ An "Olympic runner-up" with temple columns, ruins, stadium!! with runner-blocks still in place.. NO tourists... u can pretend to be competitiors (they have a Nemean Games now every 4 years!) .. also stop in Nemean village, there's a vineyard store w. a bottling line - kids willlove it, adults can have (careful) sample or 2...

NAFPLIO ITSELF -- lots of oppty for climbing & scrambling, you can go up to Acronafplia -- the ramparts above town, via elevator built INTO the rocks (looks like a cheese science-fiction film)... and out to stand at the POINT of the peninsula looking down all around. For Palamidi, easiest if you DRIVE up the back way, go in to take pix, scramble around the forts, then one parent drives car back down to the cafe at the foot of the 999 steps, the other parent walks/hops down with the kids. Also fun to walk at waterlevel around the peninsula point, natural arch to go thru, great photo ops. Tolo beach is a 15-minute drive away, sandy , fun for kids to build sand-castles... there will be a few cafes open. Just across the "dividing line" street between Old Town & New Town is a lovely park with playground equipment for kids.

RUINS -- Mycenae is a trial w. kids but TIRYNS just outside of town is Super Fun, NO crowds, huge fort to climb & explore, just as old, just not restored. https://hubpages.com/travel/palace-of-tiryns

EPIDAURUS == u can do this on the road BACK toward Athens; cut across the "thumb" of peloponnese... the main thing here is the THEATRE .... one parent + 6 yr old can climb to top row of seats while other parent & 4 yr old stand onstage and whisper to test acoustics. After, you can go up the coast road, stop at a beach for more sandpile work. PS: on the road to EPIDAURUS, keep eyes peeled LH side of road -- you'll see the Oldest Bridge in the world Still in Active Use -- it's a Mycenaean arch of stones - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkadiko_Bridge

AEGINA -- Instead of 3 days in boring Hydra, a DAY TRIP to This island, only 1 hour on FERRY RIDE that's part of the treat (NOTE: do not take Hyrofoil; must sit inside, salt-rimed windows, no view). ON a conventional ferry (there's one @ 8:30am & 11:30) ... u can sit on deck & see ALL the sea traffic - huge liners, freighters, ferries, yachts, sailboats. Aegina port is charming, wander the lanes, get a bus, car or taxi to HIGH hill in center best-preserved Temple of any greek isle (Aphaia) w. 360° view of Saronic bay ... some beaches around. Hourly hydrofoils back to Piraeus.

ATHENS -- Happy Train is perfect... a hop-on hop-off board-walk style vehicle allowed on small lanes where busses are banned -- http://www.athenshappytrain.com/ - great way to orient yourself and kids will enjoy it... 40 mins if nonstop, but y ou'll get off & on. Other family ideas - https://familyexperiencesblog.com/athens-children-activities-2019-guide/

Thanks for all the information! I have seen several posts saying Hydra was boring and it sounds like it might be even more so in November. I am just worried we'll miss out by not including an island. I'll take a look at all links you send. Would you recommend adding those days to Athens or Nafplio?

i think i understand now - that 11/2 means November in the American way; in Canada and Europe it's the other way around: it's the 2nd of the 11th month: just an FYI when you are travelling there. i am sorry to see your trip is so short, all that running around. rest assured Greeks LOVE children & will be most hospitable to them. the longer, in my opinion, you can spend in glorious Athens, the better. The so-called "ferry" is a great big ship - going to Crete (overnight) would be a fabulous experience if you have enough time. good luck!
p.s. friends just back from Greece tell me that highway driving is extremely perilous - no law there! so watch out!!

Driving in Greece is not much different from anywhere else. Airport to Nafplio is mainly highway or well maintained local roads, you don’t need to deal with Athens city driving. Athens city driving looks is ok, it’s not Naples or Rome or anything but still better to avoid on jet lag.

Skipping Hydra in November is probably a good idea. You could consider a day trip, but if it’s dead in the winter then that might still be a waste of time.

I would add 1 night to Nafplio, it’s your first stop so you will be a little slower. Plus it’s right on the water and has the seaside feel you would miss by skipping Hydra. There are beaches in town if your kids want to spend a few minutes splashing in the water. I know it’s not an island but it does have a little bit of the vibe of one.

The other night to Athens. Athens is great, it is s very pleasant city and you will have a great time!

Thanks for all the additional information! I think adding a day each to Nafplio and Athens sounds like the way to go. With the kids, less relocating is better! The overnight ferry sounds interesting but I don't want to add another location. We'll have to leave it for our next trip.

Regarding driving (or most other topics) I am always leery of people who go on the basis of "friends tell me" unless you collect 4 or 5 instances of different friends telling you the same thing. I have been to greece 12x, and on 9 of them, have gone with several newcomers, and we've often rented cars. I'm usually the navigator, and friends, new to Greece, have done the driving. A number of these rentals have been from the airport to Nafplio, and then to areas surrounding it. In all cases, that drive has been the proverbial "piece of cake." The last time, we were in a rain-shower from the airport until Corinth and still, no worries at all.

Here's a fab map - http://euro-map.com/karty-grecii/peloponnes/podrobnaya-turisticheskaya-karta-peloponnesa.jpg (click & it gets huuuge) that shows ALL roads between airport & thruout the Peloponnese. The "green roads" are the multi-lane/divided roadway intercity highways; the red are the major secondary roads. The only time these roads would have a great deal of traffic would be in summer outbound from Athens area on a Friday afternoon or inbound, close to Athens, late on Sunday. In November -- nada. As others have said, even with low traffic, Greeks like to overtake & pass, so just let them... most 2-lane roads have a substantial paved shoulder, so if an Impatient Greek is behind, you just edge over for a sec, & let him zoom by.

I do agree that it's smart to drop off car at airport instead of trying to find an office in central Athens to turn it in... the traffic will be hectic and one-ways can be confusing. It's so easy to get a flat-rate taxi @ €38 to go right to your hotel door.