4 adults - car or train?

From someone who does a lot of driving in Europe I would say it all depends on what the 4 of you see as your 'travel style'. I prefer a car as I like to do as I please and do not want to have to follow a train schedule. However, unless you tend to explore with the car, the locations you are going to do not make it very necessary. I would not want a car in CT, Florence, Venice or Rome, so unless you intend to explore Tuscany it will just be a pain. As far as the places you are going.. for everyone it is different, but my preferences are Venice and CT. If you decide you want to see Tuscany, then a car for a few days would be beneficial. If it were me I would stay in a village and take a day trip in to Florence, but I prefer the countryside.

I'll give you the suggested times for each location (of course it's subjective): Venice: 1 full day from dawn to bedtime for Venice itself. Add another day for Murano and Burano islands, still in the Venetian Lagoon. Dont know your arrival time but 3 nights in Venice would be nice. From Venice to Florence take a train. You wont need a car in Florence. Two full days in Florence (3 nights). After the third night in Florence go to Cinque Terre early morn. You wont need a car in the CT and it will stay parked at hotel, but if you plan to stay a short time you could rent a car in florence and drive to CT. You should stay at CT at least a full day ( 1 or 2 nights). If you go to CT by train, you should rent a car in Spezia after you are done with 5 terre and come back to Tuscany. Two nights should be spent roaming somewhere in the Tuscan countryside (car is needed, or at least advisable). Pick a small town or a farm (agriturismo) as a base. Finally from Tuscany Drive to Rome (maybe using the via Cassia instead of freeway, longer but scenic and with must see towns). Rreturn car in Rome upon arrival in the afternoon. Spend last 4 nights in Rome. Fly back. If I counted right, they should add up to 14 nights.
Travel times: Venice-florence: 2 hrs by train. 2.5 by car. Florence-5 Terre: 2.5 hrs by train, 1.5 by car. Tuscany (lets say around Florence) to Rome: 2.5 hrs minimum by car (freeway) and more depending on itinerary chosen.

That all sounds very reasonable and makes a LOT of sense. The CT is really unfamiliar to me - we didn't have time for a lot of research last time i was in Italy - any preferences on villages (and specific lodgings) to stay the 2 nights in? One couple will do a great deal of rambling/walking/hiking - but my bum knee will limit me to walking - I cannot climb at all. Again - Many many thanks! oh - if we do have a car when we go west into Tuscany and CT - what do parking rates run?

Cinque Terre. Cinque means "Five" in Italian. That stretch of the Riviera is called that way because it comprises 5 quaint fishermen villages: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore (from west to east). All of them are easily connected by train that goes through the coast (often inside the cliffs/mountain). So you can hop on and off trains and visit all of them. Monterosso is the farther from Tuscany (but not by much), it is also the biggest. If you decide to drive from Florence to the 5 terre, Monterosso is more car friendly and has more parking available. It also has the best (albeit small) beach. Vernazza is, according to many, one of the prettiest if not the prettiest. Corniglia is pretty, but the town is a climb away from the station (lots of stairs), therefore a poor choice for those who don't climb too well (although there is a shuttle bus from station to town). Manarola and Riomaggiore are also pretty and connected by an easy walking path along the cliff (called Via dell'Amore). The other hiking paths connecting the other towns are more challenging. Riomaggiore has a parking structure where you can park your car while there (if you decide to drive), although not cheap. Riomaggiore can be easily reached by car from La Spezia (the closest city). In terms of which village to stay, I'd say to stay wherever you find the best accommodations that suit your needs and likes. I don't recommend Corniglia because of the long staircase down to the station. Hopping on and off trains will be a must if you want to visit all the towns. For Corniglia take the shuttle bus. All other towns will work fine.

Parking rates vary. In Florence (or any big city) they are more expensive and vary by location. On average they are about 2 euros ($2.70) per hour or 20 euro a day ($27/day) in the attended lots around the city center. Elsewhere, in small towns or villages, parking is largely free. But if you don't want to pay, you can do like my late father used to do when he would pick me up at Florence airport. He would not pay not even a euro for parking, anywhere (he didn't like to waste money on anything he thought he should get for free, and parking was one of those things). So in order to save that euro, he would always park his car inside the airport police station lot. In all those years his car was never towed away. As he used to say: 'who would think of towing away a car from inside a police station? Anybody would think it was a private car belonging to a cop'.

Here are some things in favor of train travel for a group of four: You don't have to stop for bathroom breaks. You won't turn down the wrong road. You can stretch your legs without losing time. You can potentially meet very interesting people. You can play cards together. You can enjoy food and a bottle of wine very easily. You can all take a nap at the same time, if you want. You don't have to figure out how to drive on the same roads as Italians.
If you buy your tickets far enough in advance, you can get significant discounts. (Start looking four months before your travel date.) You arrive at your destination feeling much more refreshed than if you had been crammed into a car for a few hours.

I'm a proponent of train travel and usually I much prefer it. But, just to play devil's advocate, some things in favor of renting a car: If you see some beautiful scenery, you can stop and take photographs. If you see an intriguing road with a distant hill town, you can go and explore. You can get up in the morning and leave when YOU want and not according to the train schedule. If you want to change locations on a whim, you can. It's easier to schlep your bags to the trunk of a car than it is to schlep them on and off the trains.
If your sightseeing in a place takes less time than you thought, you can leave and go somewhere else. Just some things to make your decision a little more difficult - ha ha. Either way it sounds like a wonderful trip.

Based on what the last two posters said, and I agree, the car driving should be limited to the Tuscan countryside driving. Small towns and villages tend to have infrequent bus service. There is no reason for you to drive between Venice and Florence. Regarding going to the Cinque Terre, a car is not needed there. I suggested the option of driving there from Florence (just an option, it's up to you), simply because from Florence to the Cinque Terre you need to change trains a couple of times (Pisa and La Spezia), whereas by freeway is a quick 1 and 1/2 drive. Also it would make it easy to stop in Lucca, a pretty town, along the way. However it's also true that once at the Cinque Terre the car is totally useless. Probably the best option is to rent a car after the Cinque Terre (in La Spezia) and on the way back to Florence area, in Tuscany, visit Pisa and/or Lucca.

Kathy, The choice between train or car will likely depend on which places you'll be visiting. You DON'T need a car in the larger cities like Rome, Venice or Florence and in fact it will be detrimental to have one as there are some potentially expensive "issues" to be aware of. If you'll be exploring smaller places such as the Tuscan hill towns, then a car would be beneficial as co-ordinating public transit (train or Bus) to some towns is challenging. If you decide to visit the Cinque Terre, a car is of no benefit there and will likely remain parked for the duration of your visit (which you will of course be paying for, both in rental costs and parking). The local trains are the best way to get around. Monterosso is the largest of the five towns, has the greatest choice of hotels and restaurants, and is probably the most "car friendly" of the five towns (as I recall, some of the hotels may offer parking). A few other points to be aware of when driving in Italy..... Each driver will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. Failure to produce an I.D.P. if requested can result in fines on the spot! You can easily obtain an I.D.P. at any AAA office for a small fee (Passport photos required). You'll also need to be aware of the dreaded Zona Traffico Limitato areas, which are becoming increasingly prevalent in Italy (especially in Florence). Passing through these zones can result in expensive fines! Recent posts here would seem to indicate that authorities in Italy are becoming more aggressive in collecting the fines from foreign drivers and there may also be charges from the rental car firm for providing renter information to law enforcement. Good luck with your planning!

One thing about the CT. You say you're giong in September, but you don't mention what time of the month. I've been in Italy a number of times in late September/early October, including the last 2 years. Weather can be quite variable, and it can get pretty chilly (although, given where you live, you are undoubtedly better with cold than I am). Since CT is about being outdoors, you might want to be prepared for layering, if needed.

OH BOY!!! so much info! thank you everyone! I will be consulting with all travelers to figure it out.
Than you, thank you, thank you!