[Voj]

LOL sur Dubrovnik is gorgeous (but I like Split better right now ; Dubrovnik is kinda overcrowded in the summer).
I was born in former Yugoslavia so I travel pretty often there. Most places are not dangerous though beeing American (specificallly) is probably not a good idea in Belgrade or south Serbia.

The main problem is that connections are awful. There's once a week a bus going from Dubrovnik to Skopje (20 hours) ; no trains
From Skopje (Macedonia) it's a 12 hours trip to Athena. Don't know if that bus still exists as it is passing through or really nearby Kosovo - which is dangerous and should and should be avoided.
The other earth route is to take a bus from Belgrade to Athena (18 hours). The problem is to go from Croatia to Belgrade. Basically you must come from Zagreb (6 hour coach trip). But if you're in Dubrovnik the route from Dubrovnik to Zagreb is a 12 hours trip.
If you choose to take a bus in Croatia, be warned that all companies are not equivalent. If price is really a small concern (it is +/- 3$ ) comfort is really different. Some companies are broke and can't take the highway. So ask the locals. In the same vein, I'd recommend you to take a Greek bus company if possible, more than a Serbian one.


We travelled not by plane w/ my gf from Dubrovnik to Athena 3 years ago (and vbasically nothing has changed) . The easiest route (and I speak the language - it's my mother tongue - so I could easily study all the plans) is a boat from Dubrovnik to Bari (1 night) and then a boat from Bari to Patras (one night and one morning) then a bus from Patras to Athena (3 hours).
All in all it was pretty cheap - except the Bari-Patras chunk. The major problem we have faced is the fact that if you don't book very early (by now it is probably too late - check it out) you'll have no choice but to sleep on the deck. For one night it is ok (not very fun - esp. on the Greek boats as they compell you to sleep outside ; on teh Croation boat they just let you take whatever place you want) but two nights is really tiring.
If I had to do this trip again I'd surely book earlier to have a cabin or would take the plane. Eventually I'd even take the Belgrade route.
If you don't plan to go through Croatia you have a choice of boats :
- Venezia - Patras (30 hours)
- Ancona - Patras (24 hours)
- Bari - Patras (20 hours)