How Ryanair Made Family Trips to Kos, Greece Affordable and Fun

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Exploring the Affordable Side of Paradise with Ryanair’s Deals

Greece pulls you in before you even land, and Kos became the place we kept returning to without hesitation. Each time Ryanair dropped fares under $100, we booked the trip again, because when you can fly from Germany to the Aegean for about $33 a person. There is no premium seating, but you don’t overthink it—you go. We ended up visiting Kos four times while we lived in Germany, proof of what’s possible when you have access to a true discount airline and a little flexibility. That’s why budget travel to Kos isn’t a theory for us. It’s something we lived, and it’s absolutely doable.

Table of Contents

1. Kos: Ryanair Made Greece a Reality
2. Top Attractions in Kos Island
3. Day Trips from Ancient Kos
4. Like it? Pin it!

Kos
Ryanair Made Greece a Reality

The boys and I fell hard for the island of Kos. The water was so clear it felt unreal, and the food was both delicious and surprisingly cheap. It’s the only place I can think of where we ate out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner without even checking prices. Between the low-cost meals and those unbelievably cheap flights, Kos became our go-to spot for easy family fun. The trips were so affordable that I used to joke that it felt like we were getting away with something.

Top Attractions in Kos Island

Kos has no shortage of places that pull you in. You can stand beneath the Plane Tree of Hippocrates, imagining the lessons he may have shared with his students, then wander over to the ruins of the Agora and the small harbor lined with shops. The Archeological Museum holds artifacts that help you picture the island long before tourism found it.

Make time for the mountain village of Zia, with its quiet church and the kind of panoramic views that make you pause before sitting down for a meal. The castle of Kefalos sits above the water and offers some of the best ocean views on the island—perfect for a swim break afterward.

You can also tour the Antimachia Windmill, a 200-year-old working windmill that gives you a glimpse of traditional island life. And the Asklepion, Kos’s ancient medical school, is worth lingering through. Its temples, terraces, and thermal baths stretch across a hillside, and the top level gives you one of the best views of the island’s eastern coast.

Day Trips from Ancient Kos

Another benefit is its proximity to other destinations around Europe. We flew to Kos and took a speedboat trip to Turkey. On other occasions, we also took ferries to the islands of Rhodes and Santorini.

While Rhodes is accessible in a few hours, the overnight ferry takes access and convenience to a new level. Santorini is one of the most romantic and scenic islands in the world. On that trip, we met up with my eldest daughter in Santorini. She is in the Navy, and her ship was anchored there for a week. The captain granted shore leave to anyone with family visiting, so naturally, we couldn’t refuse that invitation. So we went.

Santorini is as beautiful as they say, but its no place to hang out with your kids!! I’ll just have to go back one day with my bae. Oh, how I miss Ryanair’s cheap flights.

Santorini Travel: Picture-Perfect Views With a Kids-Size Love Story

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