last days of the trip of a lifetime

Go to Mykonos OR Santorini, not 3 islands. You don't have enough days. You'll waste precious time in transit when you could be enjoying all that one island has to offer. Believe me, trying to fit too much into so short a stay is not the best use of your time. One week will fly by. If it were me I'd go to Santorini.

shira, I definitely agree with the points raised by Lee in the previous reply. Your proposed Itineary is far too busy (even if it is feasible). Travel time on the Ferries is not the only consideration. Once you arrive, you'll still have to get from the docks to your Hotel / Hostel, get checked-in, etc. which all takes time. I also agree that it would be better to choose either Mykonos OR Santorini. Which one to choose will depend to some extent on what your interest are. Mykonos is more of a "party" island while Santorini is more posh, with some very unique scenery. I'd also go with Santorini (the sunset views from Oia are incredible!). There are some nice beaches and I believe Akrotiri is now open again (it was closed when I was last there). Pension George would be an excellent choice for Santorini. I haven't stayed there, but know people who have and they recommend it highly. It's worth a splurge! I stayed at Hotel Nissos Thira and would certainly recommend it, but I'm not sure it's considered "budget" (next time I'll be sure to ask for a room at the back as traffic noise can be an issue at times). Happy travels!

After visiting all three of the islands mentioned, I vote for Naxos and Santorini! They are very different islands and each have their own charm/beauty. I stayed at Villa Evgenia Hotel in Fira on Santorini and had a great experience. George, the owner, was extremely helpful in getting us acquainted with the island and the location was great. No matter what you decide I think you're going to have a fantastic trip.

I agree with the advice to eliminate one of the islands (probably Mykonos). Another thing to consider is that you'll need to get back to Athens at least one day before your flight home. So you might
save your Athens visit to the end of your trip, and try to book a flight to Santorini on the day you arrive. Try to find a flight around 6 pm. It will make a long travel day but a smoother trip. Then ferry to Naxos, and eventually back to Athens.

We were thinking of adding one day to Naxos and taking one from Santorini... Flying back home we were going to do it from Santorini because we added numbers and is a little bit cheaper doing that. at least for us. so, thursday and friday all day in Mykonos saturday and sunday in Naxos
monday and tuesday Santorini.. Have you guys heard of Soula hotel in Naxos...can you guys tell me a good budget place ($30-$45) a night in Mykonos?? thanks

shira, Keep in mind that EACH leg of your trip by Ferry from Athens > Myknonos > Naxos > Santorini is going to use at least half a day (and possibly the better part of a full day). I'm not familiar with the hotel you mentioned, but you may have to increase your hotel budget. You might have a look at Hotel Grotta in Naxos. Cheers!

Shira, I still think you are going to too many islands, but as you wish, the ferry ride is very long and frankly boring to Mykonos, so bring a book and some food, the food ( pick up some snacks in Athens before you go, the food on ferry is not great and expensive) . Your hotel budget is tight, so.. don't know if they stil do this, but years ago when I went to Mykonos we just got off the ferry and there were locals there with signs and photos of rooms to rent.. we did that on Paros too. We just asked prices, and looked at rooms before we paid. It was ok. Note its better to stay in town rather then outside town since you won't have a car and if you go out at night its nicer to be able to walk easily back to room. We stayed first few nights at a place outside town, and it was actually very nice, and cheap, but someone got mugged walking back from town one night so we decided to stay in town. We found a cheap place but had to share a bathroom. We were young and didn't care too much about that though.

A word about the ferries: We took a fast one from Crete to Santorini. Our bags were thrown on and my husbands got wet, it dried and the salt caused the zipper to not zip. Then a bus full of students got on. They were having such a good time. Then out came the barf bags and the rest of the trip was quite noisey. We are sailors but the sound and smell made it difficult. Food-horrible. Next ferry - slow - great. Food very good. Lounge area very good. We will try to use only the slow ones from now on. The ferry rides were pretty boring except when going in and out of a port. Islands, of the three I vote for Santorini. It has plenty of night life and the sites are stunning. We are hoping to be there in May for the full moon. Make sure you have battery power for your camera. I have 4 that I ordered from Amazon by mistake. They were so cheap that I kept all four.
We stay in Kalamares at a wonderful small place called Atlos Villas. Yannis the owner is great. It comes with breakfast and is about 2 blocks from the black beach. There are many restaurants along the beach front. Have fun!