Travel from Paris to Rome, Athens

My first reaction is - Have you looked at a map? It is a long way between Paris, Rome, and Athens. With 7 or 8 days flying is your only option. I assume you are using an open jaw ticket - into Paris and home from Athens or something like that. Second, price a four leg trip so you have some benchmark for pricing and comparison. Third, drop one of the cities, you do not really have enough time to see three.

Thanks for the advice. I guess it is too short for a week but we are basically doing a stop over. Our plan was to go only to Rome/Italy and Atehns/Greece (on our way to SE Asia from LA) but the ticketing from LA appears to be cheapest through Paris and that is how we ended up with that. I will specifically look for LA-Rome and Athens to SE Asia

Laloo, The quickest and easiest way from Rome to Athens is via budget airline. I used EasyJet on that route about a year ago, and it was a very pleasant flight. As with any of the budgets, those that book early get the best prices. Also, you'll need to be VERY careful with luggage weights. Read the "Terms & Conditions" carefully when you book. If your checked luggage will be over the allowed weight, it's best to pay the over weight charges at the time of booking. If they find this over weight at the time of check-in, the fees will be much more expensive. One final but iimportant note - usually only ONE carry-on item is allowed with airlines in Europe. That doesn't mean "one plus a personal item such as a Purse or Laptop case", it literally means ONE ONLY of the approved size (and they will check). Happy travels!

Thanks for all the information. Considering there are a lot of places to see in and around Rome and Athens, any tips on most important things to see in 3 days at each place?

Any good guide book and especially Steves' Rome and Athens books will cover the highlights with priority. Check out some of his DVDs.