Does anyone recommend Italy for 2 weeks and then ferry over to Greece? I have lived in Italy for 4 months in College so I really want to see another country. It's either Italy for 2 weeks and then Greece or Italy for 2 weeks or Italy for 4 weeks and include Sicily. Thoughts? Which do you all like more Sicily or Greek islands? Possibly only do one-two greek islands and then Athens.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16355 posts
Assuming 26 nights in Europe, since you probably have seen a lot of Italy already, you could spend 8-10 nights in Greece and 16-18 in Italy, 8-9 of which in Sicily. I recommend flying to both Sicily and Greece however, because that would save a lot of time and the cost wouldn't be higher than the ferry using a low cost carrier. Rome has plenty of air connections to both.
If you've never been to Greece, I recommend 3 nights in Athens and the rest somewhere else. The Cyclades islands (especially Mykonos and Santorini) are classic destinations for first timers. Both have air and hydrofoil connections to Athens. Mykonos is halfway between Santorini and Athens. Santorini is far south, therefore I would fly the section from Athens to Santorini (on the way there or back). The Mykonos-Santorini route is comfortably done by hydrofoil.
Posted by
OP
Little Rock, AR, USA
26 posts
Thanks Roberto! What airline do you use? Ryan air? I have used that several times and really like them. I was thinking ferry b/c I wanted to go to Matera and then I thought about taking bus/train to Bari and then get on a Ferry. What do you suggest? Thanks!
Posted by
OP
Little Rock, AR, USA
26 posts
Do you recommend 2 weeks in Greece over 2 weeks in Sicily?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16355 posts
From Rome Ciampino (CIA) Ryanair flies to Trapani (Sicily) and also Crete or Rhodes. From Rome Fiumicino (FCO) you can fly Aegean, Alitalia, Blu Panorama, EasyJet, Meridiana non stop to a bunch of places in Greece. From Rome Fiumicino you can also fly to Sicily (Palermo or Catania) with Alitalia, Easyjet, Meridiana.
There are also other options from other cities, such as Pisa or Florence or Milan. The combinations are infinite, even if you don't use Rome. It's hard for me to recommend 2 weeks of Sicily over 2 weeks in Greece, because both are worth a visit. It's a choice that only you can make. 2 weeks is a good length of time to cover either place decently. You need at least a week in either place to say you've been there, because both Greece and Sicily have a lot to offer to visitors. You could do a week each, however you won't get to visit everything in either place. you'll have to make a selection of the areas you want to visit.