I am planning an 11-day trip with my mother in late September/early October. We both love the idea of the Greek Islands (maximum 2 or 3, give n the short length of the trip). However, my mother has sarcoidosis in the lungs, which leaves her quite breathless sometimes. Here in the city she does have trouble with long staircases.

How hilly are the islands? Difficult to quantify, I know. . .

Our other options are Provence/Cote d'Azur, Madrid & Barcelona, Istanbul & environs.

Thanks for any feedback!

Canadienne Greece is mountainous but it depends on where you want to go and what you want to see.
For example i'm not sure Santorini is a good option for your mother because the walking can be quite difficult with all the stairs in the towns. But there are other islands where you can just rent a car and go wherever you want to go without having to walk a lot. You can leave it in the beaches or park it outside towns and from there the walking is really easy.

(for example you can visit Chania or Rethymno in Crete and if you leave your car in the parkings outside the historic centres, the walking is very pleasant and you won't find any hills there.)
What destinations did you have in mind?

Car rental would seem to be your answer in most other islands, if it would fit in your budget (and late Sept/early Oct would be off-season, with some lower room rates). You might even manage a short visit to Santorini, if you choose your hotel and your sightseeing with care. Examples:

SANTORINI -- arrive by Plane or fast ferry. from Crete or Mainland. Use taxi or hotel transport to hotel. In Fira Town, Hotel Atlantis, a rather old-style "European Classic" Hotel has some rooms with excellent caldera views and is on the level; also has parking right by hotel for rental cars.

There are a number of restaurants in Thira town that do not involve a lot of steps. You could drive to South of island for view from monastery heights, & drive to the lovely town of Oia if you can do with the view right off the parking square, up a gradual incline.

Because of your mother's lung problems, I would advise limiting your stay to no more than 48 hours. I also recommend the "fast ferry" (large catamarans, some of them large enough to take cars also). That's because seats are only up a short staircase, and a large "regular" ferry (with some exceptions)may involve going up several flights of stairs.

PAROS & NAXOS are islands you can reach from Santorini by fast-ferry. Paros is very level over much of the island, and you can find a hotel near the quay that has street-level rooms, or one in Naoussa--if you get a good guide book with town maps & contact hoteliers with specific queries -- a strategy I advise for all, not just special-needs people.

PAROS' port town Parikia has lots to see on one level -- its winding "agora" maze of lanes, a fine museum, the biggest cathedral in the Cyclades, and many waterside tavernas for sunset dining.

Car rental for a day or two will take you to the lovely fishing village of Naoussa, to the beautiful serene hill town of Lefkas, the lovely beaches of eastern Paros and lots more. There are busses as well.

NAXOS' scenic beauty also can be seen from a car window, and many sites also also enjoyed on foot when driven to. You would need a hotel at street level near the harborside crescent of shops & cafes in Naxos Town. A nonwalker would miss the view from the heights of town, plus the museum up there--- but could enjoy sunning on the lovely sand beaches, and the wonderful waterside sunset.

For a breathing-impaired person, I would advise skipping Athens. If your budget permits,fly into Athens and switch immediately to a flight to an island. At the end of your stay, you can fly back to Athens airport from any island mentioned, and connect directly to your homeboudn flight. Check to see whether Aegean air has any 'bargain flights' for the dates you need--if not, Olympic domestic flights are cheaper.

You can also take a "fast ferry" to ports of Rafina or Piraeu from Paros or Naxos. If this requires staying one night on the mainland, there's a Holiday Inn Attika Avenue about 10Km from the airport, with a free shuttle bus, at a more reasonable rate than the only airport-based hotel -- the horribly expensive Sofitel.

Planning, planning, planning -- that will be the secret to a wonderful time for a mother and a thoughtful daughter.
I wish you Kalo Taxidi (good journey).

South Cyprus, the Greek side is almost flat though there is a few hills in Pathos (west) and Aiya Napa (east).

Since Greek islands are mountaintops (with the rest of the mountain under water,) they are hilly by definition. And many of the most atmospheric villages are built up in the hills because that was the most defensible position back; often these places are reachable only by steep steps.

But there are a few islands I can think of where much of the main old towns are fairly flat, and/or where there's a ring road around the island which is fairly flat, even though the island itself is a hilltop.

One good choice might be Spetses, which has a flat ring road and where the main town is fairly flat. On Hydra, Hydra town is built on a steep hillside, but the lower part of the town, which is very pretty and has a lot of hotels and restaurants, is fairly flat, so I think you could spend a few enjoyable days there without having to climb much. Rhodes Old Town (very atmospheric though very touristy) is more or less flat.

Thank you all for the advice.

I'm going to do more reading about Crete, Paros, Naxos and Spetses. . .then I'll be able to make a more-informed decision.

Renting a car is a fine idea - I'm comfortable driving overseas and this would certainly allow us to see more.

Most of the resport places are round the sea shore and whilst you can climb up, you can pretty much stay on the level if that's what you want to do.