AS part of our travel plans my hsband and I would like to go from Athens to Italy by boat. Would appreciate any information about
resources to get information about this.

You can't go from Athens to Italy by boat. You have to go overland from Athens to either Patras or Igoumenitsa or fly from Athens to Corfu (Kerkyra)and then get a ferry from there to Italy. Also, a lot depends on what time of year you plan to travel, since ferries between Greece and Italy are very limited between October and May.

If you are planning for next summer, schedules aren't published until around April - and even then they are more in the realms of what the companies HOPE will run (!) But to get an idea of the routes available try gtpnet.com

I am not sure if that is possible on just a regular boat (not a cruiseline).
I was just in Athens, Venice, Naples, Civitavecchia, and Livorno.
I wrote down a lot of the ferry lines that I saw on my journey. Check out their websites and maybe you and find a few to take to get you where you want to go. You may also want/need to check out Dubrovnik as it's inbetween and also quite beautiful.
In Athens/Piraeus, Saronikos ferries, Dane Sea Line, CA ferries, and something like Aioa or Aiao ferry.
We saw "Dubrovnik Princess" in Venice when we were there. Try that as well.
In Italy, we saw Tirrenia ferry line, Moby ferry line, and Sardinia ferry line.
Try these links that I got off of Google :
http://www.cross-channel-ferries-fra...y-greece.shtml
or
http://www.samosnews.com/ferry-italy-to-greece.shtml
From these websites, it does seem possible.
Good luck!

Thank you so much for your help. I at least have some places to begin my research

Just recently went by ferry from Patras to Ancona on Superfast Ferries, takes 19 hours although Patras to Bari is shorter, can highly recommend the ferries and facilities. We booked our crossing via the internet through a reputable travel agent in Athens to avoid any hiccups with schedules etc. Good luck.

You can also try Hellenic Lines they have overnight trips and you have the option of sleeping on deck or spending a little more for a room. If you buy a Italrail pass (kind of like Eurrail but for Italy), you get a really good discount and then can ride the trains all around Italy to the sights you want to see. I reccommend Positano on your way to Rome (actually it's on your way to Rome if you go across and then up instead of diagonal up), and try to make Venice, Florence, and Tuscany, or Cinque Terre.

You need to go to Patra. It's the third biggest city in Greece and is about three hours away by bus or rather longer by train. There are several ferry services daily all year to Brindisi, Bari, Ancona, Venezia or Trieste by several companies. The better companies have large, modern ships with very good accommodation: try www.superfast.com, www.minoan.gr, www.bluestarferries.com and www.anek.gr. Superfast's overnight service to Bari is the best way to southern Italy and the 20-hour crossing to Ancona is convenient for northern Italy, but I like the journey to Venezia best - you get a great view of the old city as the ship sails through the lagoon past Piazza San Marco.

I think that given the choice, I'd go from either Corfu or Igoumenitsa to Brindisi - only 7-8 hours on the ferry. But then I don't enjoy sailing amp;