We are planning a trip for summer 2012. We will be going from Florence to Athens or we could do Venice to Athens. Italy to Athens. What is the best way to go? Ryanair, ferry, Veuling?
I am not sure of best, but I would certainly prefer to fly. I have used Aegean Air (www.aegeanair.com) they have good prices between Athens and many cities. From Italy, I know they fly from Rome, Bologna, and Venice, all sound like they would work for you. Keep in mind that they may not fly every day, so you may have to work it into your itinerary.
No airline flies direct Florence to Athens. Aegean flies direct Venice to Athens, and that is your best bet. Forget the ferry - takes way too long. Neither Ryanair nor Vueling flies those particular routes. If you have a rental car, another option would be to fly out of Pisa (~100 Km from Florence). Alitalia and Air One both fly direct Pisa > Athens.
Don't forget EasyJet. They fly from either Milan or Rome to Athens and it's relatively inexpensive.