Let me add one thing: I'd love to just hop off the boat at each island and stay in a little room or studio at someone's cute little house. How likely is this/how is the pricing and safety? Thanks again!

You obviously must take the normal precautions regarding your personal effects, i.e. don't flash cash, cards or ultra expensive cameras.

As far as personal safety is concerned, again it's common sense. Don't go with rose coloured glasses on and expect it to be like Mamma Mia, or Shirley Valentine. Be careful about holiday relationships and new "friends".

As far as the trip is concerned, you too many destinations for a month's trip. You'd be moving on after every couple of days and that's just too much. Decide what are the 4 maybe 5 must visit places and go with those. Corfu is the one island away from the others and the longest trip between islands. If it is a must see and your budget stands it, then flying is the option.

Get a good map of the area and look at the distances and likely travel times between places and remember that you'll lose at least half a day each time you move location. I guess that you'll be flying in and out of Athens, so plan accordingly.

Have a great trip.

In general it is absolutely safe to travel in Greece, alone or with company, as far as you are self-confident and use common sense.
Have you look on a map? Many people plan just by name without looking on a map, and this always amazes me!
Corfu,Paxoi,Zakynthos are located in a completely different area of Greece than your other destinations. You have to use different ferry lines for your other destinations too, so less straightforward, but more doable. I sugest T.Cook island hopping to get an idea of how ferry system works and of course check gtp and openseas sites.
I think you have to look closely on your accommodation options, because hostels is not a very common concept in Greece. Most likely you look on rooms to let... Moving around a lot is not a budget friendly approach, ferry tickets are costly, especially given the current fuel rates! What your budget is in Euros and what it stands for?

PS1: Athens is a very safe city.
PS2: Greece is not Athens+Islands, there is a very diverse and interesting mainland too!
PS3: Mention your interests and traveling style, post specific info to get specific advice!

Hi Jordan,

Let's get one thing out of the way first — Greece is a very safe country, even for solo female travellers. I am a man myself, but have several female friends who travel alone to Greece, and none have had any problems.

With a month to spend in Greece you have time to see many things. What puzzles me is that your list of destinations is comprised entirely of islands. Unless your plan is to do a study on "beaches of Greece" I think you would find that itinerary monotonous. While each island has its own character, how many beaches and ports will you see before they all start to look much the same?

In September its perfectly possible to hop off the ferry and find an economical room on the island. Even the most modest rooms will have their own shower/wc, and Greek standards of cleanliness are very high.

At any rate, if you plan to visit islands in both the Ionian and Aegean seas you will have to pass through the mainland. There are no ferries linking the Ionian with the Aegean, but of course you could take connecting flights via Athens. I'm not sure there are even ferries linking Corfu with Zakynthos, so that may require an overland journey from Igoumenitsa to Patras.

What I would do is cut the island destinations by half and add some time on the mainland, including Athens, Delphi, Nafplio, and possibly Meteora or Olympia. You could fly from Athens to Corfu or Zakynthos and then make you way by bus across the mainland. Another alternative would be to base yourself in Athens and take 2-3 night trips to Delphi, Meteora, and Nafplio. Consider whether you want to visit both the Ionian and Aegean, or concentrate on islands in just one sea.

BTW, there are Athens travel agents that combine Nafplio, Delphi, and Meteora in one classical tour, lasting more like a week. Here is one example: http://tours.keytours.gr/Athens/seven_days_classical_greece_1-61.html. A guided tour may not be your cup of tea, but it would be a good choice for a solo traveler.

Thank you all so much! I should spend more time on the mainland. As far as islands, I know I have to see the Cylades and Zakinthos.

What is must see in Athens, ect.?

Thanks!

Hi Jordon,
My first trip to the Cyclades was solo and I always felt perfectly comfortable as a female traveler. Just be sensible as others have pointed out.
In Athens, be sure to do the Acropolis and Plaka area, the Acropolis Museum and the National Museum. These sites will take you 2-3 days.
I also recommend you get to Delphi (allow 2 days) and Naufplion area (allow 3-5 days) if you are interested.
In the Cyclades, a good combination and route would be Mykonos/Delos, Paros, Santorini. Zakinthos is in the Ionian group so you'll have to figure out when you will travel that distance.
Enjoy the planning!

Jordan
Zakinthos is a nice island, but what exactly is it that makes it a must see for you?

You can get easily to Zakinthos from the Peloponnese ( Kyllini).
The ferry ride lasts 45 minutes only.

On Zakinthos it self apart from the main town, the main interest are actually the beaches...... ( Agios Nikolaos is my favourite one).

If you decide to include Olympia in your plans, Kyllini would be on your way to it.