We are considering a 2-3 week trip to this area in the Fall, 2012. Which 1-2 islands would you consider as a base?

Paros is a good base for the Cyclades island group but if you're thinking of daytrips the ferry schedules don't really allow for more than just a couple of hours at any nearby island before you'll have to catch a ferry back.

There are several different island groups, e.g. Cyclades, Dodecanese, Sporades, Crete. Even if you stay within one group, the ferry system doesn't lend itself to day trips from an island base. There may be a ferry from one island to another, but sometimes not one back until the next day or more. Ferries are slow, moving at +/- 25 mph, so even an island within sight may take a long time to reach.

With 2-3 weeks you have ample time to cover a lot of territory. Best approach is island hopping over established ferry routes, staying on each island for several days before moving on to the next. Pick up a copy of Thomas Cook's Greek Island Hopping, an annual publication with ferry routes, high season timetables, maps, and descriptions of each island. This will explain the concept, and give you enough information to plan your itinerary.

Consider spending part of your time on the mainland, which has more of everything than the islands: more ancient sites, more good beaches, more picturesque villages, etc. It is also easier on the mainland to operate from a base, with travel by car much quicker than by ferries. With a car you can jump in and leave whenever you like, and take any route — with ferries you don't have that degree of flexibility. One good base on the mainland is Nafplio, a coastal town in the Peloponnese with many beaches, ancient sites, and more within easy reach.

Both of these responses are very helpful. Please keep them coming! Fodorites always help me plan our trips.

I agree with Heimdall, it is not very workable to use an island as a base. It works better if you make a decision to spend so many days on one island and then move to the next.

Hi

My suggestion is Lefkada island which belongs to Ioanian island. You don t need a ferry boat as it is a connected with a bridge with the mainland. And tha t is the main advantage. Lefkada has many beautiful beaches and natural beauty. It is connected with Cefalonia island and Ithaca island by ferry. So you have options. It is also connected with Meganisi island.

These posts are very helpful in prioritizing our time. Please continue. I will keep you posted as I digest.

I think you will end up very confused if we start quoting places here. Islands are not a good base to explore other islands, for the reasons mentioned. Lefkas is a good base to explore part of near by mainland plus take boat excursion to near by islets. Most islands have a couple of boat trips to tiny near by islets or round the island trips in season, but this is not what you ask for.
I think you'll get some more suitable advice if you give some pointers on your traveling style, who you are, your interests, likes/dislikes,what kind of accommodation you are after,budget etc... Having a look on a few guidebooks and sites is a good idea. Then you can narrow it down a bit and come back with more specific ideas and questions.

mariha-you are absolutely correct. Traveling on this vacation will be 2 63 year olds and our 23 year old daughter. We enjoy activity, exploring, historical sites and museums--really everything about gaining more knowledge about a culture and experiencing it in a relaxed fashion. We do not need upscale accommodations, but clean and reasonably priced. I plan to get a guidebook this week to get a better feel for Greece and the logistics. I was naive to think an island could be a base, but we don't want to change venues too many times, either.