Greece or Italy for honeymoon??
 

My finace is leaning towards Greece but I think Italy would be nice. We've never been out of the US. Thoughts? Opinions?

Thanks!

What time of year? How many days? What do you think you'd like/prefer to do in either country?

If you have enough time you don't have to choose — do both! There are inexpensive flights from Rome to Athens, and in July-August even direct flights from Rome to Santorini. How many days and what time of year are important factors, so do tell us more.

Oh, and congratulations! :-)

It'd be mid-end March. Anywhere from 8-13 days. I'd like to go to an island in Greece. I'm not a "lay by the pool all day" type person so I'd like things to do as far as sight seeing or taking in the history. In Italy I would like to go to Florence, Rome and Italy. I'm not as familiar with Greece.

And thank you for the help :) :)

Italy-Greece is wonderful but the strikes and political problems with their economy lately have made parts of the country iffy. Italy would be wonderful that time of the year!

It won't be beach weather in Greece in March, more sightseeing weather. I love both, but it's easier to get from place to place in Italy because you don't have to deal with island hopping.

In March, Italy for sure--unless you decide you are interested in mainland Greece.

how about santorini for 2 or 3 nights? just to see it? then venice and florence?

Being Scottish and having just spent two weeks in Charleston, if I were you I would stay at home!

However, after 20 odd trips to Italy we went have just spent a week in Rome for the first time. Quite simply, go!

Spend a week in Rome, take the train to Tuscany, hire a car and tour round, take back from Pisa.

Greece just isn't as stunning.

Also, do realize you are asking questions that people are taking the time to respond to. Jumping all over the place (planning out a full itinerary for Italy one day, posts on Greece another day), does not result in the best impression. I know you are excited, as you should be--and congrats! But, take a deep breath, go check out some guide books, and pore over them with your fiance a few days/weeks, and then you'll be in a much better to figure it all out, and we'll be more inclined to assist.

A few Greek islands followed by Napflion on tne Peloponnesean Peninsula Pen, surrounded by anitquites, castles, on the waterfront.

You don't have to deal with island hopping in Greece, either. March is still winter, and the islands will be very quiet, so Athens and the mainland would be best. You could take flights to/from Santorini for a couple of days, or go to one of the Argo-Saronic Islands such as Hydra, which would be an easy trip from Athens. That's not exactly island hopping when you go to only one island.

Dutyfree is spreading rumours that are so untrue it is getting tiresome answering them. The economy of Greece has no effect upon tourists, except to bring prices down a bit. I can't imagine what part of the country would be "iffy", and Athens is one of the safest capital cities in Europe. Tourism is actually up this year in Greece, and few people travelling there have reported any problems.

That said, with only 8-13 days it would probably be better to stick with one country, and you may find more to do in Italy. If you can stretch the trip to two weeks not counting travel time, two countries would work.

Dickie_Gr

To say that Greece isn't as stunning, you have to see it first...
Have you explored Greece? Saw a post where you said Kefalonia had poor beaches......
This is a sign....

Greece is not only islands, it has an amazing mainland with a lot to see from South to North and West to East.
Unfortunately most people here only know 3 islands, Nafplio and Athens... ( plus a bit of Crete and Rhodes...)

I usually don't like these threads where countries are being put in competition, and posters are either praising a country, or trashing another....

Just my thoughts...

I love both Italy and Greece. I have been to quite a bit of Italy and a fair bit of mainland Greece as well as the Peloponnesian Peninsula. However, no one can tell you which country is "best." It depends on what you want. Do you want Italian food or Greek? Do you want Renaissance and Baroque art and ancient Roman ruins or do you want Byzantine art and ancient Greek ruins. Both countries have beautiful scenery, amazing churches (different styles) and great people. I would go to the one that draws you most. As others have mentioned, you will not be lying on the beach or around the pool in March; the water will be too cold, and lots of pools will be closed.

Heimdall,I am not spreading rumors-I work for a major US airline that has discontinued some service there in the past year as there have been problems with travel and tourists. I, myself have been there on layovers in the past years when the state department told the crew NOT to leave the hotel because of what was going on in Syntagma Square. I happen to love Greece and have vacationed there a bit- Nafplio is the place where the folks from Greece honeymoon.
I was just commenting on given the choice and the weather at that time of the year that perhaps Italy might be a better choice.

Your fiance wants to go to Greece and if it includes Greece, you want to go to an island in March and not lay by the pool all day. Are these desires consistent? If you visit both countries, you would probably need to stick to only one Greek island (if you two converge on what you have in mind) and get into and out by flight. Boat will take too long and depending on company and route, they don't always run on schedule. That includes no boat at all on a given day. I presume that when you say 13 days, that includes departure and return days? So with the time difference, you probably have 10 full days? This means, for example, splitting 3 ways, 3 full days in Greece, 1 day to travel between, 3 full days in Florence, 3 full days in Rome. Whether this is acceptable is up to you. Others would have much different view on how to spend days. However, many years from now, it is only you two that would remember whether you wished you have spent more or less time. So follow your vision and verify by asking others if what you have in mind is possible.

Sicily?

Dutyfree, if you were staying in a hotel directly on Syntagma Square (e.g. Grande Bretagne) you may have been advised to stay in the hotel during a large demonstration, which probably lasted only a few hours. Most demonstrations go by peacefully, and a few blocks away in Plaka you don't even know one is taking place. Italy has strikes and problems with its economy, too.

Airlines usually send their staff to hotels in Vouliagmeni, that are 20 km away from Syntagma Square.....

I am not sure what sense does it make to recommend to others to stay away from Greece, based on what happened ( during a few days) last year in Athens.... ( but NOT this year)