Hi all

A friend and I are traveling to the UK from NZ in July, and plan to start off with 3 weeks in the above. Currently it looks like 7 nights in each.

Plans so far are fly to Rome, stay with family for 3 nights, Florence for 1 night, Cinque Terre for 1 night then Venice for two. Then round to Croatia, where we would particularly like to visit Dubrovnik and Split with some island boat trips, and Greece where we plan on visiting Mykonos, Santorini and Ios.

We think we might just suss a train pass for travel everywhere, then leave from Greece to fly back to Paris for a few days.

My friend has done most of Italy before and I've never been, so we're mainly interested in some of the better 'must sees', some history, dining, drinking and a lot of beach visits!!

Any thoughts/suggestions? specifically with the travel? I know it's a short time but we're in our 20s so will definitely be going back at some other point in time!

Also thoughts on cost? We have 3 free nights in Rome, and two nights in Ios look to be quite cheap for the place we've booked.

Best way to go to Greece is from Italy, either Milan or Rome, where there are cheap flights ( allthought during July, which is high season for the Mediterranean, prices might not be very cheap).
From Croatia you can only reach Greece by air, there are no international trains to Greece and prices are pretty high.

Check for direct flights to Santorini from Rome, otherwise you will have to go via Athens and on to Santorini or Mykonos either with a connecting flight or by boat.

After having checked easy jet flights, you could fly from Rome to Santorini, and from Mykonos back to Paris.

Both Santorini and Mykonos are the most expensive islands of Greece ( and of the Mediterranean ), it would be better to book your accommodation in advance otherwise you will have limited options on the spot and higher rates.

Thanks so much for that, I tried everything but it is becoming more obvious how hard it is to get to Greece from Croatia! Rather difficult from this side of the world!
Can anyone give me advice on traveling via train round to Croatia through Trieste? or is it just easier to fly over?

Florence 1 night, cinque Terre 1 night and 2 nights Venice will be spent largely on the trains. I hate to say it but I'd drop either Florence or CT so that you have more than just a glimpse of one of them. I'd probably go to Florence for one night and have an extra night in Venice.

Hi cathies, thanks for your reply...I thought about this as it's sort of trekking one way then going in the opposite, but my friend spent over a week in Venice in 2011 so that's why we thought just the two nights. We are now thinking 4 nights in Rome with a day trips down to Amalfi Coast/Naples, then Florence one night and up to Venice for two. Then once in Dubrovnik (how to get there from Venice is yet undecided!) fly back to Naples or Rome to then fly on to Greece, as I don't really want to spend a whole lot of time on ferries!

Hi cathies, thanks for your reply...I thought about this as it's sort of trekking one way then going in the opposite, but my friend spent over a week in Venice in 2011 so that's why we thought just the two nights. We are now thinking 4 nights in Rome with a day trips down to Amalfi Coast/Naples, then Florence one night and up to Venice for two. Then once in Dubrovnik (how to get there from Venice is yet undecided!) fly back to Naples or Rome to then fly on to Greece, as I don't really want to spend a whole lot of time on ferries!