Greece vs Italy: Which One Should You Visit First?

Pick Greece for sandy beaches, island days and a lighter budget. Pick Italy for variety, with mountains, quaint towns, great art and a dramatic coastline all in one trip. Both countries fill up in summer, and Greece is the easier one to slip away from.

Which has better beaches, Greece or Italy?

Greece, and it isn't close. The water is blindingly clear and brilliantly blue, and with an estimated 6,000 islands and islets, there is enough coastline to find a quiet cove. Some Greek beaches are memorable for their setting alone. Sarakiniko on Milos looks like the moon, and Tsigrado is usually reached by a ladder. Elafonisi on Crete has won a Travellers' Choice award.

Italy's coast is about the scenery. On the Amalfi Coast and in Cinque Terre, you come for the cliffs and pastel towns, with beach clubs built right into the rock. The beaches themselves tend to be rocky or pebbly, so don't expect sand.

Which has better history and art, Greece or Italy?

Italy, for Roman history and paintings. Rome stacks its past in layers, with Baroque fountains built over a Roman stadium and the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Roman Forum still standing, and Pompeii adds a whole ancient city. Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, puts Michelangelo on public show. Italy has the Uffizi, the Vatican Museums and the Peggy Guggenheim in Venice, a lineup of big-name galleries packed closely together.

Greece is an open-air stage. The Acropolis in Athens is the sight you can't skip, and the new Acropolis Museum pairs modern glass with ancient stone. Delphi and the ancient theater of Epidaurus are worth the trip out of the capital, and Meteora is a different Greece altogether, with dramatic mountains topped by monasteries. Greece is more about statues, friezes and ancient architecture, the kind of work Roman artists later imitated for generations, so it suits travelers who like art as an archaeological treasure hunt.

Italy makes you marvel at what people can build. Greece makes you feel small against the landscape.

Is the food better in Greece or Italy?

The food question comes down to personal taste. Italian cooking is deeply regional, with butter-heavy sauces up north and olive oil in the south. A single city can serve several styles of pizza, and certain pasta shapes are traditionally paired with particular sauces. Add gelato, plenty of Michelin-starred restaurants and cozy family cafes, and Italy is a hard place to eat badly.

Greek food is fresh, unpretentious and communal. Think fish caught a few hours earlier, line-dried octopus, crisp salads, real Greek yogurt and a taverna table of small plates (meze), with locals chatting around you. Moussaka, saganaki (fried feta) and baklava are the dishes to order. Meals also feel lighter than Italy's carb-heavy menus, and the islands shine for seafood, with Sifnos known as the foodie island. For the best pasta or pizza, though, Italy keeps the crown.

Is Greece cheaper than Italy?

Yes, in general. Hotels and dining run roughly 20 to 25 percent higher in Italy, and even Athens keeps prices grounded next to Italian city centers. Family-run guesthouses and tavernas help a budget go further in Greece. Italy's coast is the big splurge, since the Amalfi Coast ranks among the top travel destinations in the world and charges accordingly for food, transportation and hotels.

That doesn't make Greece cheap. Getting to the islands adds ferry or flight costs to the bill.

Which is easier to get around, Greece or Italy?

Greece, once you reach your island. Italy has the more sophisticated public transport, with trains linking the big cities and international airports in Rome, Milan and Naples. The Amalfi Coast and the lakes, though, sit a drive from the nearest major airport, so plan on a train or a hired driver to get there. Driving the Amalfi Coast yourself is a bad idea. The roads are small and winding, large tour buses use them, and the towns are more spread out than they look, so taxis are the practical way to get between them.

Athens has Greece's one main airport, and it is all you need to reach the Cyclades. From there you can fly to islands like Santorini or Milos, or take a high-speed ferry that has you on island time in about two hours. Book your sea crossings well in advance, since island travel takes planning and time. On the islands, renting a car or ATV makes it easy to explore at your own pace, and taxis are there if you'd rather not drive. Thieves in Greece seek out and break into rental cars to steal passports, valuables and luggage, so take your belongings with you when you park.

Is Greece less crowded than Italy?

Yes, if you choose your islands well. Santorini and Mykonos are touristy, but Greece has hundreds of islands, and smaller ones like Folegandros, Sifnos and Antiparos make it easy to escape the crowds. See the Acropolis in a quick Athens stop, then head somewhere smaller. Summer is peak season in both countries, and many Greek islands wind down after September.

Italy stays busy all year. Venice and Rome draw visitors from all over the world and are busy much of the year, and Florence in September can feel packed, though wandering a street or two from the main drag helps thin the throngs.

Should you visit Greece or Italy first?

Choose Greece for beaches, a slower pace, island hopping and a party night on Mykonos. It works especially well with young kids, who can spend long afternoons on sandy beaches and splashing in shallow water. Greece is mainly a summer destination, with warm weather on the islands from roughly April to October.

Choose Italy for galleries, Roman history, shopping in Milan and Rome, refined dining and a trip outside summer. April and October usually feel cooler there than in Greece, which lies farther south, and winter brings skiing in the Dolomites. Italy also suits older children who can handle Rome on foot and a rocky beach.

Doing both in one trip takes at least two full weeks, because reaching the Greek islands involves flights, ferries and an Athens stopover, and Italy's highlights are spread across the country. For a 7 to 10 day trip, pick one country and let it sink in.

What do Americans need to know before going to Greece?

The U.S. State Department rates Greece as a generally safe destination, but petty crime is common in popular tourist spots, and pickpocketing and purse-snatching are a particular problem on the metro. U.S. citizens can enter without a visa for up to 90 days of tourism, and the passport should have at least six months of validity. A passport reported lost or stolen will not get you into Greece, and you may be sent back to where you started your trip. Be ready to show proof of sufficient funds and a return ticket if asked, and carry your passport or photo ID at all times.

Strikes and demonstrations are common and can disrupt traffic, taxis, seaports and airports, so leave slack around ferry and flight days. On public transport, validate your ticket, since riding without a valid one can bring a fine of up to 60 times the basic fare. Greek law requires visitors to carry a valid U.S. driver's license, and insurance companies may require an international driver’s permit. Drive carefully, too, because Greece has one of the highest traffic fatality rates in the European Union, and forest fires are common in the dry summer months and occasionally close roads.

Bring some cash for medical care. Many care providers in Greece accept only cash, and private hospitals usually want proof of insurance or cash before admitting a patient.