Italy, Greece, and Istanbul Itinerary Critique Please

I think you did well at restraining yourself, many would try to cram in a half dozen more stops. I think two full days, three nights in the CT is fine, Rome deserves the time.

While your Rome/Athens flight and maybe the night train to Istanbul might be fixed points, I do suggest trying to keep a few days here and there without firm fixed reservations, only to allow a little flex.

Overall, you are on the right track, go with it.

Thanks. I'll be sure to leave a couple flexible days. We will be staying in hostels and low budget hotels and using public transportation. Other than the airfare and the night train, is there anything we should try to reserve ahead of time? Maybe a couple nights in CT and Orvieto as they have limited room. Will we need reservations for any other trains or popular sights - Uffizi, Borghese, Topkapi, a Vatican tour.

Looks good. I like how you've spaced things out. Me personally, I'd actually go ahead and make reservations; but that's just me. Again, nicely paced though. In terms of other reservations, I wouldn't worry about train reservations; you'll need them for Borghese, they're required; you might for the Vatican tour. I'd also recommend them for the big museums in Florence in order to save time.

But enjoy your travels!

As for reservations, I would book my first few nights in Venice, saves the hassle of looking while jet lagged and that can be a tough town, The CT in June is a toss-up, if you see a place ahesd of time, great, if not there are still lots of rooms let only on arrival. Since you are flying out of Rome, and it can be a tough town, book your nights there. Athens basically the same, then Istanbul since that is your last stop.

Basically, book your nights arounds fixed points (arrival, departure, pre-booked flights) leaving a few nights here and there as flex.

In many days of travel, I have always found a place to stay with no problems, and often much faster than those looking for the address they booked six months ago. I do carry with me a list of half a dozen places to stay in each stop that I have researched, and rarely go past the first two.