Boston, MA: Hello,

If you had about 7-10 days, what islands would you squeeze into the trip? I will be travelling with my friend and we are both single, females in our early thirties. We are looking for a good mix of relaxing on the beach, sightseeing, fun nightlife and some adventure (hiking, sailing, etc). We would be flying in and out of Athens and have never been to Greece. We want to keep the trip somewhat moderately priced since the airfare over is quite expensive. We are either looking at the first two weeks in August or first two weeks in September.

Thanks for your help!

Eleni Gage: Hi! First piece of advice: Do early September. It's much less crowded and therefore more fun. You've got to do Santorini--it's the postcard capital of Greece--stay in Oia if you can. From there you can also get to Mykonos, which is lovely but CRAZY in August. From Athens you can very easily get to Hydra, which is lovely, no cars, and a less than two hour hydrofoil ride away (check out the schedules on hellenicseaways.gr). For beaches, the Ionian islands are great--Zakynthos, Cephallonia, Lefkada, Corfu, but Mykonos also has amazing beaches (my favorite is Agios Sostis). Santorini beaches are cool, but since it's volcanic they're black and red sand, not white sand. Have a great trip!

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Chicago, IL: Yasu Eleni,

Without question, Thira (aka, Santorini), Crete, and Rhodes are not-to-be-missed. That being said, what are some lesser-known Greeks isles in each of the chains (i.e., Cyclades, Ionian, etc., ) that the savvy traveler might wish to explore?

Efharisto, Patrick

Eleni Gage: Folegandros is beautiful in the Cyclades. Naoussa on Paros is a breathtaking town, but very crowded in summer; Antiparos is more relaxed. I love all the Ionians--Corfu has the prettiest town anywhere, Zakynthos has Shipwreck Beach and the Blue Caves, Cephallonia is large and lovely with amazing beaches. THe Ionians get a lot of European visitors (they're close to Italy) so are crowded in August but not so much at other times of the year. In the Dodecanese I love Symi, and near Athens, Hydra is beautiful. Kythera is a great, little-known island--large, beautiful beaches, windswept villages, and a lovely capital (Chora), all whitewashed houses under a Venetian fort.

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Cincinnati, Ohio: My girlfriend and I are traveling from Sept 24 to Oct. 9 this year. We are flying into Venus and out of Athens. Our plan is for 4 to 5 days in Venice then to Split and to Debrovnick for a couple days each by train. From there we are not sure whether to take the bus, plane or train to get to the Greek Isles and which islands might be easiest to get to from the north, or is it best to not plan on taking the train or bus but to just fly from that point. We are both ex-Peace Corps Volunteers and would enjoy seeing some of Maccedonia but do not want to waste too much time on public transport as this is a short trip. I have heard there are some boats that go down the coast to Greece, but not sure if they will all be in action this late in the fall.

Thanks--