If you would have came here to Eurotrip before yo purchased your airline tickets, I would have suggested a warmer time of year.  But nonetheless, Christmastime is lovely in Italy/Greece.
 

 
Yes, you have more than enough time visit other cities in Italy.  You should also visit an additional city in Greece.
 

Quote:

ORIGINAL: timtams
If yes, which cities are recommended?  Also, what would be the most cost effective and efficient way to travel from Rome to Athens?
 
As this is our first holiday to Europe, any tips would be greatly appreciated.
 
Thanks in advance!!!  []
 
 
Cheers,
Di

Here’s a suggested rough itinerary:

December
18 arrive Rome
19 Rome
20 Rome
21 train to Florence
22 Florence
23 Florence, day-trip to Siena, San Gimignano, Pistoia, or Pisa
24 train back to Rome or train to Milan
25 Rome or Milan
26 fly to Thessaloníki (direct flights available from both Rome and Milan)
27 Thessaloníki
28 train to Athens
29 Athens, day-trip to Delphi (by bus)
30 Athens
31 depart Athens
 
 

beach-lunch-siesta-beach-shower-dinner-nightlife-repeat

Thanks for the suggested itinerary.  []
 
We’ve now more or less firmed up our plans.  Due to a change in schedule, we will only be able to do Athens.  I’ve sourced online, but the flights from Rome to Athens are quite highly priced unfortunately.  []
 
Was wondering if anyone has had any experience using the Italy-Greece regional Eurail pass?  How does it work?  The website doesn’t give much information.  Will I be able to get from Rome to Athens directly using the rail?
 
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Thanks!

 
If you’re planning on going straight to Athens with no stops then I would definitely go by air. Both Aegean Airlines and Olympic Airlines have flights on Dec. 18th from Rome (FCO) to Athens for ~50 EUR + tax. I consider this more than reasonable and I doubt you’ll find train fare for less.

 
So why did you ask us for itinerary advice if you were gonna go ahead and do your own thing anyways?  What exactly changed in your schedule?  Unless the duration of your trip has been shortened, I strongly advise you see an additional place in Greece, otherwise you wouldn’t be doing the country much justice.
 

Quote:

ORIGINAL: timtams
  I’ve sourced online, but the flights from Rome to Athens are quite highly priced unfortunately.  []
 
Was wondering if anyone has had any experience using the Italy-Greece regional Eurail pass?  How does it work?  The website doesn’t give much information.  Will I be able to get from Rome to Athens directly using the rail?
 
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Thanks!

Well, if you take a look at a map, Greece and Italy are both peninsulas.  So even though the two countries are right next to each other, the shortest train route from Rome to Athens will require a ferry crossing, and that ferry crossing can be very time consuming.  Additionally, Rome is quite far from Greece, and Athens is quite far from Italy.  The ferry crossing between Italy and Greece is very convenient for a lot of itineraries, but unfortunately, I don’t feel it fits your itinerary.  You can buy an Italy/Greece rail pass, (which will also cover some Italy-Greece ferries, but you still have to pay port taxes) but if the cost of the rail pass outweighs a Greece-Italy flight, then you’re better of looking into flying.  There are plenty flights between the two countries, and AgentCooper found a great deal for FCO-ATH flights, only 50 EUR on Aegean Airlines www.aegeanair.com as well as Olympic Airlines for December 18.  I also took a look at Orbitz, and found a one-way flight FCO-ATH on December 26 for just 156 USD on Alitalia.  The FCO-SKG flights I had suggested earlier are quite expensive, but there’s countless Italy-Greece city pairs that you can research: Milan-Athens, Venice-Athens, Milan-Thessaloníki, Rome-Thessaloníki, Rome-Athens, Naples-Athens….

If you do decide to rail/ferry from Rome to Athens (which will be a loooong commute), I highly advise breaking up that commute with a brief stay in Corfu.

[]

beach-lunch-siesta-beach-shower-dinner-nightlife-repeat

Thanks AgentCooper. []
 
I checked out the airlines and the cheapest I could find was Alitalia for about 150 USD. Did not see the 50 Euro fare you mentioned on Aegean Air. It might be due to the date which I’m departing from Rome. I’m actually leaving from Rome to Athens on Dec 26th.
 
Just to confirm, is there any special portal you were browsing to obtain the fare?

I agree luv_the_beach — it sounds like you have your heart set on doing your own thing so why are you asking for our input?
 
In my previous post I apparently had a bit of a misunderstanding, when you said that there was a change in the schedule and that you “will only be able to do Athens” I interpreted that as you were more or less not going to spend any time in Italy and thus was looking at flights to Greece on the 18th…
 
That being said, Dec. 26th is a&nbspeak travel day and I’m not surprised airfares are much more expensive. If Aitalia is going for ~150 USD I would still snatch it up as I don’t believe you’ll be able to find a cheaper fare via train/ferry — even you did that’s quite the trek (assuming no “layovers”). Good luck.
 

Thank you for for all the tips and advice, however, that does not give you 2 a right to tell me off.
 
Firstly, I posted on this forum seeking for information on what cities are worth visiting in Italy and Greece.  I did take the suggestions into consideration but it doesn’t mean I have to follow to them strictly.  This is my holiday and who are you to tell me what to do?!?!?!?!?  [:@]  Just because I changed my itinerary and firmed up my plans without consulting you guys, I am being told off!?!??!?  How rude!
 
This is by far the worst travel forum I’ve chanced upon.  Or perhaps it’s posters like you 2 who make the forum an awful place to be in.
 
 

Timtams,

Nobody “told you off”.  You asked for additional cities to visit, we answered your question, and then your response was “uuuhhhhh..thanks, our plans have ‘changed’” without giving us any additional feedback, and then you demanded we find cheap flights for you.  YOU are the one being rude, sweetheart.

You came here asking for advice, but in order for us to give you the best possible advice, you need to tell us what your plans are thus far, what they changed to, and why they changed.  With this information, we will&nbspass on what we know in order for you to have a great trip.  Otherwise, we will not be able to give you the best possible advice, and your time here is pointless. 

No one said you’re obligated to take our advice.  But when we take time out of our day to give you great travel advice (because we love travel, and we love passing on what we have learned through our own travels), but you just brush us off, without feeling the need to give us feedback on our advice (why you decided not to take it), it’s just a tad rude and arrogant of you.  And yet I still took the time to give you the gist on Italy-Greece commutes and search for flights on orbitz, and give you a smiling face at the end, and you just completely ignored me.

You may think you’ve got it all figured out, but you don’t.  Athens hasn’t preserved as much of its historical architecture as Rome, which is why I was suggesting you visit an additional city in Greece (like Thessaloníki or Corfu), to give the country more justice.  Additionally, nine fucking days is way too much in Rome, you can also spend some of that time in Tuscany.  You don’t know jack shit about Italy and Greece, and with an attitude like that, you won’t last 5 minutes in these countries; if you’re rude, they’re gonna rude back to you.  There’s no such thing as ass-kissing customer service.

(1) Never in my posts did I DEMAND that anyone find cheap flights for me.  I was asking if anyone knew of the most cost effective and efficient way to travel from Rome to Athens.  Please get your facts right.
 
(2) As I mentioned in my 2nd post, we have firmed down our plans and of coz any good tips were taken into consideration.  WHY is there is a need for me to update our final travel plans?  If you are genuinely just passing on good travel information, you should not expect anything in return.
 
(3) I appreciate the effort anyone took to research and provide the responses to me.  As I indicated in every post, I am thankful for the tips and never did I say they were of no use.
 
(4) You need not know if I am staying in Rome for 9 days or if we were travelling to other cities.  You are very silly to assume that I am.  I may not be as well travelled as others here, but I am certainly no moron.
 
(5) This is the biggest joke of the month.  You are the first person who has ever said I’m rude in my entire life.  Of course, you would recognize rudeness presumably ‘coz you need to be an expert in it.
 
PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS POST ANYMORE.
 
My holiday is already ruined by you even before starting.

 
Ain’t nuttin free but a bullet, or so Im told

Well, that’s a good thing!

Glad you aren’t going anywhere and will save money for beer and pizzas. Someone who’s holiday is so easy to ruin does not deserve one.

Timtams,
 
You’re insane.  If you want someone’s best advice, then yes you need to be honest with them.  When you go to the doctor for something, do you withhold information from him/her?
 
Good luck on your travels.  Don’t come back telling us why you didn’t enjoy your trip.
 
 

Hi to all!
I am very thankful to all of you. I am also planning my tower to Italy in my vacations. The information provided by all of you will greatly help me in planning my tour.
 
Regards,