cheap seniors' boat travel to the islands and back to Piraeus

Taking Ferris would be cheaper , they aren’t too overpriced either - also at that time of year ( it’s a bit early to be in season ) you can wing it without reservations for hotels easily . I would however make a reservation for Athens since you are going on Easter .

If in a budget stay away or minimize time on the islands of Mykonos and Santorini .

Naxos would likely be a good choice it’s off season but they will still have things open as they have a year round population.

We got a flight from Athens to Paros really cheap for end of May - saving is 4 hour ferry ride ( we live in Vancouver island so ferry rides are not a novelty to us , plus I’ve done it before , bring your own food if you can , it will be better ) think we paid 40 euros for a 40 minute flight !

SE feristO! i enjoyed reading your response. i am not new to Greece; i have been visiting there since 1972. in 1977 I lived in northern Greece where i taught English: this experience constituted a transformation of my soul!

so far, i made a reservation to stay in Athens (April 2019 at Exaxchia near Plateia Viktoria, where my best friends' parents live.

as for the islands, i have already visited Paros & Naxos but i was hoping to visit more 'shy islands' where there is much flora and/or fauna & NOT tourists. since i am now 70, i would like to see more of the 'Greek spirit' without attendant tourists.
:)

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In late April, the numbers of people will be down to the point you can mostly ignore any others you deem to be tourists. If you have been to Naxos and Paros, and advised to stay away from Mykonos and Santorini, then I would pretty much avoid the Cyclades, except for maybe Tinos or Andros. You could look at Milos of Sifnos, or any number of options. You might consider Crete as well, Chania is a wonderful place to kick back. For Crete, I would fly.

After Easter the islands will be starting to gear up for the season, you may not have the widest array of lodging and restaurants to choose from on smaller islands, but there will be options open.

The big, reliable Blue Star ferries make regular runs from Piraeus through various island groups and then back to Piraeus. If you spend some time with the schedules, I’m sure you can cobble together an island hopping trip at a very low cost, and see some very interesting places. I am particularly fond of both the Northern AEGEAN and Dodecanese island groups.

Greek Easter in 2019 is April 28, not April 19. All reservations for cars, ferries, planes and hotels should be made well in advance and re-confirmed a week before your arrival.

i was hoping there MIGHT be a little 'tour of the islands' boat ride aside from the official ferries (and not a big cruise ship).
when i went to a travel agency in ATH last Oct/Nov, they seemed unable to help me. perhaps there aren't any 'little cruises' just to see the islands, from island to island, i don't know. it all seems so complicated even tho' i am currently reading 4 different travel guides to Greece.

A very nice Greek Island is Amorgos. See my photos: https://tinyurl.com/y7bqwfma

Tinos turned out to be even better than I expected. In fact it's a gem of a Greek Island: Photos: https://tinyurl.com/y6w5ncb8

If you want something really different then the island of Ikaria may be for you. It's not the first Greek Island I would recommend but if you want flora and fauna and unique and independent Greek atmosphere then it may be for you. Photos: https://tinyurl.com/y8cyote9

April will be off season so just about any Greek Island and the mainland will not be over run with tourists and prices will be a lot lower.

Greek Easter will be in April which will have Greeks celebrating which may be a wonderful time to experience traditional Greece.

If you want a island cruise then there is the 3 island trip to Hydra, Poros and Aegina from Athens. Leave in the morning, sail to each island for a short stay on each and return later in the day. Several agencies book this trip.

Lots of options for travel in Greece.

Dear NM -- It is so easy to visit Greek islands on your own. When you're in Athens, ask your hotel where you can buy a ferry ticket. Then go and buy a ticket to the first island you want to see. If you're alone and not too fussy, you can usually find a room through the room-finding services right at the port when you arrive. Look for a sign saying Accommodations. Once you are on an island, it's easy to ask your hotel or someone in a travel agency for ideas for your next island. When you want to move on, visit a ferry ticket office the day before to see the schedule, buy another ticket, and go. Keep going until you run out of time and/or money, then buy a ticket back to Piraeus.

But perhaps you'd feel more comfortable getting the help of a travel agent. Fantasy Travel in Athens gets good reviews. Contact them, give them your budget and time constraints, and an idea of what you're looking for, and see what they come up with. They can book ferries and hotels for you, so it would feel almost like a tour. This, of course, would likely be more costly than doing it on your own. It might be worth it for your peace of mind, though.

Either way, I hope you will love your visit to the Greek islands.