Itinerary Help

Since this type of journey can only be done by car, have you checked if, by renting a car in Athens (for 6 people, so a minivan or equivalent), you can return it to the locations from which you will take a flight to Amsterdam - Preveza, Zakynthos or Preveza? And what would be the amount of the additional charge for this one-way rental?

Yes you can do it. They charge you a bit but not terrible.

So everything's fine, you know why you chose this itinerary, and if I understand correctly, since you know the rates you know which rental company to use, where to return the car, and therefore you know where you'll fly from to Amsterdam.

There are tons of great, non-touristy places to stop along this route, a few here:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1HzqyEorKrUZxc5LjPjlvG2utnKof78E&usp=sharing

It is great you found a car rental company that is willing to do one way returns for a minimal fee. I have not found that to be the case and have always done a loop to return to Athens.

We are planning on visiting both Aeropoli and Dimitsana this May. We have previously visited Nafplio which I wonder if you considered instead of Aeropoli. My kids (older than yours) loved it. There is a wonderful castle and a town beach as well as major archeological sites in driving distance. It would be less driving than going to the mani peninsula.

Aeropoli is very small so it is more of a base to explore the area. So it is not just the driving to get here but also that you would need to drive once you are there. My kids would not have enjoyed that at your kids’ages but of course your children may be different.

I have not been to Sparta yet but have researched it. I have the impression that there is not much there to see. It might not be worth the detour.

Thank you for the tips! I can't wait to hear your feedback on Areopoli. Glad to hear you liked Nafplion. It sounds great but comes up on all the itinerary and travel shows I see so I figured it would be well trod. If I am mistaken I would gladly consider it because it fits in nicely on the route. I liked the idea of Mani penisula being spread out. We're also ok just staying in a small town and vibing out for a couple days. Thanks again for your tips it really helps.

The modern city of Sparta is rather unremarkable compared to the importance of Sparta in Greek history. There aren't many ruins left at the archaeological site and the few monuments there mostly date from the Roman era. But access is free.

We didn't stay long or visit the museum.