17 days to explore Italy in April - transportation recommendations please

Italian here. The best and cheaper way in my opinion is just renting a car whenever possible! You can get around with public transportation, but it’s not very reliable, the only thing that I feel like recommend is the train as they’re usually more on time than buses. Also with google maps they generate you various eta to go anywhere with public transportation, but keep in mind that while in Milan you get get away with it easily (very well served city) in other cities you mostly need a car.

You absolutely do not need or want a car in any of the places you are staying. A car would be nothing more than an expensive headache.

Train from Milan to Rapallo or SM Ligure then ferry or bus to Portofino
Back to Rapallo then Train to CT
Train from CT to Lucca
Train from Siena/Florence to Milan

We stayed at the Hotel Pasquale in 2005, and I hope you enjoy your stay as much as we did.

But since you asked, I think 4 nights in the Cinque Terre is too many, especially after 2 nights in Portofino. I would add a night or 2 to Lucca, and shorten the time in the CT.

When staying at an agriturismo a car is highly recommended. You will be stuck out in the countryside without one.
What is your reason for not renting a car for at least that portion of your trip? It is so much easier to have a car.
The only places in your itinerary I can see not renting a car are Milan and the Cinque Terre. We left our car parked the three nights we were in the Cinque Terre.

I think the reason they don't want a car is because in Lucca they will be joined by 6 more people. Just realize, as Suki said, you will be out in the countryside with no mode of transportation. Otherwise, trains will get you everywhere else. You just need transport to and from the Agri turismo.

I find myself wondering if you have checked out what there is to do in Portofino and in Monterosso for the amount of time you have allotted to them. Bad weather is a possibilty in April, and neither locale offers much in the way of indoor activity. In fact, why Portofino at all?
Thinking of the 2 little guys, I seem to remember a town close to Lucca, Collodi, where the author of Pinocchio lived. There is an Pinocchio theme park there. We didn’t visit, having just our elderly selves; so I can’t evaluate it. There are also the beautifull Garzoni Gardens with a butterfly house, where the butterflies fly around among the humans.

Please, ignore the #1 reply. I doubt she is Italian. The idea of driving a rental car for 25 minutes between 2 villages in the Cinque Terre, when a local train makes the same trip in 5 minutes... I Mean... seriously? More, she seems totally unaware of the lack parking and the abundance of ZTLs in any given place you mentioned. What would you need a car for in Lucca is a mystery to mee. Or In Florence where you would walk around the city center or take the tram.

Take trains between cities, or ferries when available. Drive around the countryside.

We will not be renting a car

an agriturismo, Il Canto del Sole for 6 nights

Are you sure about the car? The above posts about being stuck in the countryside are right, you'll be forced to dine 4 times in a row in the same agriturismo. No alternatives. If I were you I'd rent a car in Lucca and drop it either in Siena or at Florence airport. Do not try to drive in central Florence.

We will travel back to Milan for our final night

Spend the last night in Milan close to Milano Cadorna station, not Centrale. The train trip to MXP will be faster and the area is nicer.

exploring Tuscany & Chianti

Geography lesson: Tuscany is a Region, Chianti is an area in Tuscany. I'm telling you because You'll never see a sign pointing "To Tuscany" but, while driving around Tuscany you may see signs pointing to "Chianti, Area" or "Chianti, main road" (aka 222)

You've been given good place-to-place advice but I'll echo the isolation factor at an agriturismo without a car. You'd likely have to rely on the hosts to shuttle you to the nearest train station, dinners off the property, etc. They may not be able to be at your beck and call if having other guests to accommodate and daily tasks that need attention? As well is the sightseeing tolerance of young children. Having accommodations located where conveniently accessed on foot or by public transit is nice should they tucker out/have a meltdown and need a nap or simply some down time. It allows the parents to take them "home" while the other adults continue their sightseeing. Just something to think about if you're planning on doing everything together, such as, say, spending the day in Siena.

The two tours you booked with Roberto are for your entire group of eight? If so, I guess I'll question how wearing those might be for young children? His tours are reported to be stellar, no question, but it might be good to hear from others who've taken them with kids the ages of your grandchildren. That's unless you've arranged private, customized tours to accommodate all concerned.

Thanks to all of you for sharing your thoughts and knowledge. As a result of your advice I am shortening our stay in The CT to three nights while lengthening our stay in Lucca to 3 nights.
We do want to travel by train & ferry as much as possible. I hope the train travel to be largely high speed - is the Milan to Rapallo as well as Siena/Florence to Milan high speed routes? I understand the CT trains to be a user friendly local train.
I will check out the Pinocchio themed Park for our grandsons! I am rethinking car rental while in the agriturismo, but needs to seat 8 people… It is just 6 miles from Siena & offers a free shuttle service back and forth. The tours with Roberto are private for our family and are designed with the kids in mind as well as the adults! We are going to enjoy a kid friendly cooking class at the agriturismo as well.

Portofino is an indulgence for ourselves. I am retiring at the end of June from busing so it is an early retirement present & a chance to luxuriate and recharge after a difficult couple of years!

Rather than trying to get a vehicle that holds 8, why not rent two 4-passenger cars? The total might actually be cheaper; and they would be much easier to maneuver through the narrow, twisty roads and small towns. Also to park. Another consideration when planning for a large group is that having more vehicles allows for flexibility if everyone doesn’t want to do the same things.
Back on Pinocchio . . . If you decide to do the park, I recommend that you get one of the shortened versions of the story to read to the boys before a visit. (The school teacher in me never stops!).

I hope the train travel to be largely high speed - is the Milan to Rapallo as well as Siena/Florence to Milan high speed routes?

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but the only high speed train you're taking is the one between Florence and Milan.

But this does not mean that you'll have to grow old on local trains while travelling between Milan and Portofino and between Monterosso and Lucca: You'll take medium-speed trains called Intercity and Frecciabianca.

a user friendly local train.

Not so friendly if you forget to time-stamp locally purchased tickets.

Or if you get on a long distance train with reserved seats having only a local train ticket. This can happen in Monterosso, the biggest village where also long distance trains stop.

officina della Bistecca

Since you are dining at my namesake's restaurant... you know What you are getting into with children, don't you? I mean, I have heard a t-rex complaining because the Florentine steak was too undercooked. And no alternative but the exit door was provided!

Dario, you're a hoot. :O)

OP, another question? Will you be traveling in Italy over the Easter holiday? (April 17th Sunday and Easter Monday the 18th)?

Dario filled you in a bit on the user friendliness of the CT trains. Yep, if you're buying individual tickets, you need to make sure you validate them before boarding: checks can be frequent and fines for unvalidated tickets are not cheap. If planning to sightsee a lot by train, you might consider buying a Cinque Terre MS Treno card; it only has to be validated the first time you use it, and can be purchased in 1-3 day values. This is the website for the park (the CT is considered a National Park); it's been a little sticky for me lately and can take a minute or so to come up and change page views:

http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Eindex.php

This is the info for 2022 Trekking or Treno Cards:
http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/page.php?id=364

If interested in hiking, the Treno card also allows you to trek any of the popular "Blue Path" segments which are open without an additional fee to do so, and covers the little bus from the Corniglia train station up the village. As Dario cautioned, it doesn't cover any trains BUT the local ones (which I believe are now 5 euro per ticket if purchased individually) or the ferries. Personally, I wouldn't use the ferries as your MAIN mode of transport, and they can't dock in Corniglia.

On Easter Sunday I hope to go to mass in Siena. We want to get lunch or dinner there and have a child friendly walking tour scheduled with
Alesia Quercioli. No plans for travel on Easter Monday at this point.
Thank you so much for sharing the dangers of local train travel and for the links for purchasing tickets and hiking passes.
I just saw my typo - I am about to retire from a 46 year career from Nursing - not busing!

Kathy, the ins and outs of local train travel isn't a "danger", just a reminder to do your homework so you know what's expected. Checks and fines for unvalidated public transit tickets (e.g. local trains, trams, buses, metros, etc.) are common throughout Italy.

More homework is necessary if planning to do any driving. There's stuff that's not the same as most of us are used to in the U.S.

Editing to add; I'll leave this for others more familiar with Easter Sunday in Siena but I'm guessing you'll need advance reservations for lunch or dinner. To accommodate all 8 of you? I've an even stronger hunch about reserves.

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