Traveling/Staying in Greek Islands off Turkey

Turkey/Greece Ferry Schedules

At that time of year, I'm sure you could get a room just a day or two in advance on the smaller islands, so I wouldn't worry too much. We sometimes wait to make hotel reservations for our next island until we have booked the ferry for that island, in case of ferry schedule changes. If it's a popular hotel (like the Attiki in Rhodes) I would reserve in advance, however. If you would be more comfortable booking something now, you could check booking.com. I found a limited number of hotels on Samos and Patmos, and they print hotel reviews, which you could double-check on other websites. You can get a guaranteed booking with no deposit and usually free cancellation up to 48 hours in advance. I noticed that the Pythagoras Hotel in Samos is on their site; I would not recommend that one ... we stayed there, and found it a bit shabby and the owner was totally disinterested. I usually try to book directly with a hotel rather than booking.com, as they charge a fee to the hotel. However, I have run into cases where a hotel requires an advance deposit to be wired, so then I'll use booking.com instead.

Try http://www.gtp.gr/ for ferry schedules between the various Greek islands. The April schedules may not be available yet, so keep checking back. But looking at them now will give you an idea of what will be possible. You won't need to actually buy the tickets until you arrive on the islands. Early April is a little early in the season, but you still should be able to find hotels. Have you tried Trip Advisor for hotel suggestions? Then email the hotels directly. Some comments on the islands you mentioned: Fourni: It is spelled "Fournoi" on Trip Advisor. We've never stayed on the tiny Fourni islands but have passed by on our way to-from Ikaria. They look lovely and unspoiled. Ikaria: Another beautiful, untouristy island. Much bigger than Fourni. We stayed near the town of Armenistis, which has a lovely beach, but April might be a little early for a beach. I'd probably stop in Fourni instead. Samos: This is an even larger island with several towns. Kokkari is very scenic; it's a short distance from Vathy, the main town where the ferries arrive. You can't fly directly from Samos to Rhodes; you'd have to fly to Athens, then Rhodes. But it might be more interesting to reach Rhodes by ferry via the island of Patmos. There should be daily ferries from Samos to Patmos, and several ferries a week from Patmos to Rhodes ... it would be a lovely trip down the Dodecanese islands. Patmos: This is a another option for a place to visit (instead of Fourni?), and would be on the way to Rhodes. It's a beautiful peaceful island. We stayed at the Blue Bay hotel there, just a short walk from the ferry. Rhodes: We loved the Attiki Hotel, right in the old town. Let us know if you have more questions.

Thank you! Yes, we've been looking at Trip Advisor and Lonely Planet suggestions for hotels. I think that they are all closed for the winter, so getting responses has been slow going. We'll keep trying! Appreciate your feedback on your experiences of the islands!