I would like to travel from south of Italy (eg. Naples, Sicily, Bari) to Athens. As far as I know there is no ferry from any point in southern Italy which arrives in Athens? Is that right? Any recommendations? Thanks in advance!

<i>Is that right?</i>

There are no ferries to Athens from ANYWHERE.

From Italy you take a ferry to Patras then bus from there

http://www.seat61.com/Greece.htm#Bari%20&%20Patras

If you want to fly from Naples, it might be cheaper to train to Rome and fly from there to Athens, if you book well in advance ( and depending on the month) you can find a flight for as low as 75 Euro

Going by train - or car - and ferry - will be interminable. Unless you have no cash and unlimited time - fly.

Aegean Air from Rome to Athens will probably be fastest/cheapest.

I've used the Superfast overnight ferry before (Bari to Patras), but it's not cheap.
http://www.superfast.com/site/splash.asp

Ferries from Italy stop at Corfu, Igoumenitsa, and Patras. All are some distance from Athens, Patras the closest. That would mean an overland trip by bus from port to reach the city. The ferry from Bari to Patras takes about 17 hours, and when you add to that the time it will take to get to Bari and then from Patras to Athens, you will be on the move for well over a day. In contrast, a flight from Rome to Athens takes only two hours and may even be cheaper than the ferry. To me it is a no-brainer. ;-)

This is one of those questions where your objective determines your reaction to the ferry and bus trip.

If you want to be in Naples and then you want to be in Athens, it's a no brainer. Fly.

If you want a voyage -- not a cruise -- across the Adriatic with stops at various points, then to see Greece on the way to Athens, the ferry and bus make the most sense.

Is it the destination or the journey?

A ferry trip can hardly be considered a cruise, and there won't be any stops on the way to Greece. The typical Bari - Patras ferry leaves Italy in the evening, travels overnight, and arrives in Patras around mid-day. There is nothing to see in the hours of darkness, and after dawn only a distant coastline until the ferry approaches the port. When there is a stop, e.g. Corfu -Igoumenitsa, the ferry stops long enough to unload/load passengers and vehicles, so there is no time to get off and look around. Passengers travelling overnight have a choice of sleeping in reclining seats or booking an expensive cabin.

Your answer is there - fly from Rome to Athens.

Thanks to everyone! I will be travelling low cost and it wouldn't make sense to go to Athens by plane to take a cruise around the Greek Islands, which gets back to Italy. I think I would take a cruise departing from Italy to Greece and back instead. Thanks a lot!

If you're traveling on a budget, don't take a cruise. Fly to Athens on a budget airline and use the ferries to visit the islands. Staying on various islands, you'll experience a lot more of Greek life than you would on a cruise. And pay considerably less.

Somehow I've never considered cruises to be low cost options. You can get Saver fares to Athens with Aegean Airlines, and easyJet, the budget airline, flies to Athens from some Italian cities. Once in Greece you can take conventional ferries to the islands at reasonable cost. If you are travelling outside high season it's possible to find rooms when you arrive at a port, often as low as €20-30/night.

Some people enjoy cruises, and that's fine by me. What I don't like about cruises is that you get only +/- 6 hours on an island, just time enough to see a few highlights and shop for tourist tat. When you are back aboard ship, I am sitting down to a wonderful Greek meal in a taverna. That day I may have been to a beach or done a bit of sightseeing without ever having to look at my watch.