Originally Posted by
loon22
How would you suggest the Santorini, Croatia and Amalfi coast trip?
Honestly, 21-year-old backpacker me would have tried to do all of that in a single trip, but older-more-relaxed me would definitely save Greece for a separate trip. I've certainly mixed Italy and Croatia in a single trip, but I might substitute Cinque Terre for Amalfi and just stay north for my time in Italy.
For village and rural travel, I've rented cars and had no problem driving in Italy. For bigger cities, their high-speed rail is wonderful, a huge upgrade since when I backpacked in the 90s.