• You can get to almost anywhere in Greece from Athens with a combination of buses and ferries. The Greek national tourism organisation's website will give you bus and ferry departure times from Athens. It's cheap and fairly comfortable and you don't have to worry about your luggage on and off the ferry - it stays on the bus, which is driven on board. Just remember that while most of the buses have air conditioning, they don't have toilets, so take advantage of the comfort breaks along the route!
Carol Martin
• For ferry links try www.phantis.com - a Greek search engine (in English) which has extensive information about travelling around the country.
Worth noting that when booking tickets, agencies may only handle specific ferry companies. If islands are served by a few companies it's worth asking at a few ticket agencies so you are able to ascertain all your options as far as your holiday timetable is concerned. It's also worth paying extra (not substantially so) for a better class of travel. "Economy" or "tourist" class can be uncomfortable. Especially during overnight sailings.
NTOG (National Tourist Organisation of Greece) has a comprehensive list of hotels; listed by category. Prices per category are set by law each year. However, most travellers stay in "rooms" - strictly speaking these are not given a classification and the price should be discussed with the owner. During the summer season owners of hotels and rooms are generally waiting for the arrival of ferries at the port in a bid to gain custom. During peak season it would be advisable to book ahead. (most travel agencies will have a copy of the NTOG accomodation guide).
Island hopping in the Dodecanese chain of islands, or the islands of the north Aegean, affords you many options in view of which island will be your central port (assuming that you will be flying to Limnos, Kos, Samos, Lesbos or Rhodes, rather than Athens). Bear in mind that many of the islands in this region are small and will not have frequent connections to others. It's also worth noting that during the summer months the Aegean can get windy, which of course affects sailings. Make sure that you leave plenty of time to be able to return to your port in time for your flight home!
S Cromack
