Key Takeaways
- Pregnancy is an opportunity to celebrate and enjoy a babymoon vacation before becoming parents, and Greece offers an ideal destination for this special time.
- Proper preparation is crucial for a smooth and enjoyable babymoon. Pack essential items, arrange travel details, and plan for relaxation and rest during the trip.
- The second trimester is recommended for a babymoon, and the best times to visit Greece are during mild weather months like May, June, or September.
- Choose accessible destinations with good medical facilities, such as Athens, Thessaloniki, Santorini, Mykonos, Crete, and other major Greek islands, while avoiding overly strenuous activities and island-hopping.
Just because you have a bun in the oven, it doesn’t mean that your vacations need to be any less fabulous; quite the opposite! Your pregnancy is the perfect time to celebrate the exciting future ahead while getting a last taste of what it feels like to be a couple in love without a worry in the world and without a little bundle of love stealing your attention!
Especially if you’re traveling to Greece, the reasons to indulge in a fun babymoon are more than you could count! Check out below how to experience the perfect babymoon in Greece and make our country the place where you'll enjoy your last moments as a carefree non-parent ready to take over the biggest task of your life!
How to Prepare
In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” And boy, do we not want your vacations to fail!
To increase the chances of everything going as smoothly as possible, make sure to come fully prepared: pack with you your passport, your health care card, medication for your pregnancy, as well as any other minor thing that may come us, such as allergies, insect bites or –the obvious- nausea.
Of course, you must not forget the essentials, such as your sunglasses, a ton of sunscreen, and a big hat; you need to treat sunlight like your enemy, stay out of its way, and make sure it never gets a chance to bother you in the slightest!
Proper preparation doesn’t begin and end with your suitcase. You need to make sure you have even the slightest of details of your trip arranged, as additional stress will hurt you and your baby.
Book your flights and your accommodation, arrange your transfers, buy your tickets to all of the archaeological sites and other attractions you plan on visiting ahead of time, and make sure to leave plenty of space on your schedule for resting, relaxing, and recuperating.
You can’t imagine how much more enjoyable your time in Greece is going to be if you eliminate the time you’ll have to spend waiting in line to get your tickets to anywhere you want to go. What’s more, even though I know it may be tempting, please try not to pack your days jam-full of things to do; you need a good rest too!
What to pack
Expectedly, when making your suitcase, you need to take into consideration the weather along with your individual needs.
If you plan your babymoon to take place during the winter, pack your warm clothes and comfortable closed-toe shoes, however, keep in mind that Greece ain’t no Chicago; if you stick to Athens or the mainland in general, chances are that you won’t see the temperature dropping lower than 10 degrees even in the dead of winter.
Who are we kidding though? Everyone knows that you’ll want to visit Greece in the summer, and rightfully so!
Even if that’s the case, make sure to bring with you the lightest clothes you own and stick to flat, open-toe shoes that are comfortable before cute. Of course, you should always pack a light jacket with you, because especially in the Greek islands, the nights tend to get windy and a bit chilly.
What's more, if you want to experience the Greek summer, you must take into consideration the fact that it can get very, very hot -as in, scorching hot- so be prepared to deal with insane heat by bringing the biggest hat in the market, all the sunscreen you can find, and even a spray bottle full of water to freshen you up during the day.
Apart from the obvious, you need to remember to pack all things pregnancy necessary to you. Bring your pregnancy and parenting books to read while lounging, bring everything that will make you feel safe and comfortable, and rest assured that Greece will do the rest of the work!
How to get to Greece
If you live on the other side of the world, I’m afraid that Greece may not be the best option for your babymoon as ideally, you should visit a country you can access in 3-4 hours at most by plane if you live 3-4 hours away from Greece though, hooray! All is good!
If your ultimate destination is one of the Greek islands, make sure to pre-book a rental at the airport so you can drive to the port of Piraeus, from where you’ll catch the ferry to the Greek island of your dreams. Alternatively, you can book your private transportation with us and eliminate the factor of stress completely from your transportation!
Preferably, you should choose a destination in Greece that is served by a direct flight from the airport of your country, however, if that’s not possible to do and you’re traveling on a budget, which means that private transportation is off the table, don’t worry!
The connection between Athens International Airport and the port of Piraeus is quick and easy via a taxi or public transport. Additionally, if you are worried about seasickness, you can easily drive to a number of Greek islands or seaside resorts, which are equally outstanding!
When to go
From the perspective of your pregnancy, the best time to indulge in your babymoon is during your second trimester, when nausea, tiredness, and mood swings caused by the hormones have settled down, and you have regained your appetite and your energy.
Weather-wise, however, you might need to pick a time when the temperature is the mildest – not too cold, but not too hot either.
I highly suggest you visit Greece in May, June, or September. This way, you will avoid the intense heat and overwhelming crowds while you’ll get to experience incredibly nice weather with the right amount of people that will make you feel like you’re neither on a deserted island nor on a tourist swamp!
Where to go
It is no secret that Greece is a striking country in every aspect. From its breathtaking landscapes to its splendid mountains and its golden beaches full of deep-blue waters that are a treat both to the eyes and the body, if you visit Greece, you’re bound to be awestruck.
With that in mind, you should also know that for your babymoon, the ideal Greek destination would be somewhere that is easily accessible and offers a medical system that will take care of you if need be.
For that reason and that reason alone, your babymoon may not be the right time for you to go to off-the-beaten-track destinations that are secluded from the rest of Greece.
Instead, you should probably go for central locations and the biggest Greek islands that have everything you could ask for; don’t forget that everywhere you choose to go will be absolutely beautiful, so try to go for the smartest choice instead of the prettiest one.
In my opinion, the best places to visit in Greece while pregnant are Athens, Thessaloniki, Santorini, Naxos, Mykonos, Rhodes, Corfu, Zakynthos, Kefalonia, and Crete.
All of the above are not only beautiful, with lots and lots of things to do, see, and experience, but direct flights from abroad also serve them, so you can access them without the slightest effort; big bonus, huh?
In specific, if you’re interested in history and culture, go for Athens, Crete, and Rhodes. If you’re looking for a local experience, go for Thessaloniki and Naxos. If you’re looking to experience the world-acclaimed cosmopolitan vibe and the unmatched romantic ambiance of the Cyclades, go for Santorini and Mykonos.
Last but not least, if you’re after gorgeous beaches and scenic landscapes, go for Corfu and Zakynthos.
Even though island-hopping sounds –and is- a world of fun, it is not the most suitable kind of holiday during your pregnancy, as it will cause more harm than good.
The extremely high temperatures, in combination with the long waiting times island-hopping, requires and the anxiety of traveling, is a recipe for disaster, especially during a period in your life when you want to be calm and comfortable before anything else.
Tips and tricks
- Before making reservations, ask your doctor about how to approach your babymoon in the safest way
- Don't forget to get the papers for your pregnancy in the hand luggage together with your insurance coverage.
- Choose accommodation with easy access. Although you may feel full of life, the trip may be exhausting, and you may need to return to your room often to rest.
- When traveling by car, stop every hour and walk a little; long car rides are exhausting for everyone, let alone you and your baby!
- Take lots of comfortable clothes with you, depending on the temperature, and make sure to keep in mind that they need to be easy to remove for going to the bathroom in public places. TMI? Maybe; useful? Definitely! Opt for breathable fabrics that don’t wrinkle too much.
- Pay special attention to your hygiene. Wash your hands before eating, and bring antiseptic wipes with you to clean your hands here and there.
- Avoid swimming in a pool that you are not sure is clean. The sea is the best choice as long as the water is not too cold and there are no waves.
- Always wear a dry swimsuit after swimming.
- Avoid sun exposure during the hot hours of the day, from 12 to 4, and prefer beaches that have natural shade. It is also a good idea to avoid sunbathing as the sun can cause dark patches on your skin - especially on your face - as the amount of melanin in your body is increased when you are pregnant.
- Drink plenty of water - heat, and sun can cause you to sweat even more. To be on the safe side, prefer bottled water as most Greek islands don’t have drinking water.
Final Thoughts
While having a baby is one of the most –if not the most- exciting things that will ever happen to you, giving yourself the time and place it needs to prepare for it both physically and mentally is the best thing you can do.
Treating yourself should never come with guilt, and you’ll soon realize that it is something that, when you get the chance to do it, you should grab in an instant. It’s the last time your universe will rotate around your needs and not the needs of your little one; take full advantage of that and book your babymoon in Greece!
