Itinerary suggestions
 

I'm interested in visiting Greece and have some questions:
1. I'd like to see a couple of differing islands - is it best to do a cruise or to deal with the ferries? If I do it on my own, which 2 islands are best for kids, relaxing with a little bit of sightseeing?
2. Will the weather be too cold in late April to enjoy the beach?

I'm planning to spend a couple of days in Athens and then perhaps 6 days or so exploring the islands and relaxing on the beach. Kids are 9 and 11 but enjoy some sightseeing.
Any suggestions for a good itinerary in terms of islands and how to get between islands? My other option is to do a cruise out of Venice which visits several islands.

I don't see any advantage in a cruise, unless that were the main object of your trip. Ferries run several times a day to all the main islands, even in April. Buses leave Athens Airport for Pireaus every 15 minutes or so, stopping near the docks for the Cyclades ferries. There are ticket agents just across the street. Your children are old enough to help with the luggage, so buy them some backpacks and pack light.

If the weather is kind, you may enjoy some time on the beach, but April is too early in the year for any guarantees. You won't have any problem finding accommodation or places to eat on the larger islands, but be aware that many hotels and restaurants open for the season in May.

With six days in hand you could comfortably do two islands. The Cyclades are ideal for island hopping, with good ferry connections and short journey times. Bearing in mind that you probably won't spend much time on the beach, Paros and Santorini both offer plenty of things to see.

Yes, April's a bit early for the beach. Mid-May is much better. I agree that Paros is a good choice for kids. The main village of Paroikia has very calm and shallow beach areas and there are lots of shops and a couple of museums.

Michael Shepherd has some inexpensive self-catering apartments within easy walking distance to the water and shopping on Paros. This is where I stayed last May when I went to Paros:

http://parosparadise.com/

From Paros it's just a short ferry ride to Naxos, which also has excellent beaches.

I would suggest Naxos and Amorgos if you were going in May or June as they are close together but very different. I think that Amorgos would be too quiet in April.
I was in Greece in April one time and it wasn't warm enough for the beach until May 1st weekend. As the others have said, stick to the larger islands at that time of year for things to do and more hotels and restaurants will be open.

I think we're going to plan on going to Santorini but we would also like to see Paros and possibly Naxos. Rather than moving to a new hotel, is it possible to take the ferry to each of these islands as day trips?

Naxos and Paros are only 30 min apart by highspeed ferry, and an hour by conventional ferry, so technically it is possible to do a daytrip between the two. Santorini is further away, so that isn't a practical consideration. In addition to the time it takes to travel between islands you will spend a fair bit of time in a queue (line) at the docks waiting to board the ferry.

While waiting at the docks, you will be squeezed into a covered enclosure with the other passengers

Sorry, still getting used to the touchpad on my new laptop, so let me start that last sentence again.

While waiting at the docks, you will be squeezed into a covered enclosure with other passengers. That is the only unpleasant part of ferry travel IMO.

Personally I feel you would be much better off changing hotels and moving from one island to another. That will give you more time to explore each island, not having to worry about ferry departure time. Remember, too, that in April there are fewer ferries running than during high season, so daytripping will be more challenging.

Whether you start or end in Santorini, consider flying between there and Athens. Pack light, and unpack only what you need at each hotel. Most of all, enjoy! Island hopping is fun.

Hi, I will be in Greece on the 6th of April and fly in at 5:30 pm, I thought it best to spend the night in Athens and then head to Mykanos the next morning. I would love a suggestion for a resonable hotel ($100-$150)that would allow us to do get to the airport in the am easily. Is an hour before our flight early enough to arrive ? We will are hoping to save on the current Agean Airline flights. Also any Mykanos hotel suggestions would be most welcome. We will be in Greece from April 6-leaving on the 15th. Thanks a million !!

There's only one hotel close to the airport, the Sofitel, and it's actually right there. I do believe, however, that it's more than your budget. Somewhere back towards Athens is another hotel, hopefully someone else will let you know the name, I can't remember it. I do remember that you'll have to take a taxi from it to the airport since it's not near the Metro.

Otherwise you'll have to stay in Central Athens and catch the Airport Express Bus from Syntagma Square. It leaves every 20 minutes, and as long as you aren't travelling during rush hour it takes about 45 minutes. If your plane leaves after about 08:00, you can also opt to take the early Metro from Monastiraki or Syntagma to the airport and still be there within the required 2 hour check-in. The trip takes about 30 minutes.

I stayed at the Sofitel last year, and it is expensive, but the rooms are very nice, and you can walk straight to the departure lounge from the hotel in about five minutes - it's that close. The hotel is so well soundproofed I didn't hear a single takeoff or landing. You can book online (do a Google for Sofitel Athens and it will get you to the website). The best deal I could find is for a nn-cancelable

Darn touchpad! ... for a no-cancellation booking at 180 euros/night. If that is too much, you might as well go into Athens, have a nice evening in the Plaka, and go back to the airport in the morning.

Thanks for the Sofitel no cancel tip, I booked my room today...You are the best !