A week in northern Italy

Jackie, Actually, the train connections are relatively simple for the trips you mentioned. I'm not clear on why you'll be travelling to Garibaldi station - could you provide further information? Are you planning to travel directly from Paris to Monterosso in one day? Regarding a place to stay in Milan, I'd recommend having a look at the Italy Guidebook as there are lots of good suggestions there. It's difficult to recommend a "nice place" without having some idea on what price range you want. You could also check Trip Advisor. Happy travels!

Thanks Ken, We are coming in from Paris on TGV which goes into Garibaldi and then we can catch the train to Monterosso.
As far as hotels in Milan, I would like to keep it under €150.

Jackie, Could you provide more information on the train you'll be using which stops at Garibaldi station. I briefly checked several trains from Paris to Monterosso, and these mostly seem to transit via Milano Centrale (or other stations). I didn't see Garibaldi listed at all??? Have you bought tickets for that trip yet?

Jackie, The train trips between Milano and the Cinque Terre and between Milano and Lake Como region are usually pretty straight forward. These will not be high speed trains but Italian regional trains. You may want to consult the Tren Italia web site. I know I traveled by train to Varenna on Como when I lived in Milan for six months. You are familiar with the flood aftermath in Vernazza and Monterosso in the Cinque Terre, correct? It is great that you are going to visit there. I plan to visit there for a few days myself in September. I have a good friend that works at the AC Milano hotel. I'll ask him about hotel recommendations in the price range you prefer. Safety concerns -- I think you nailed it. I was pick-pocketed once while there on business and NOT wearing a money belt. Other than that. Seems really safe to me.

train from Milan Central to Varenna for Lake Como easy route, you can then take ferry to Bellagio train to/from Milan Central-Monterosso is a easy route also you can check trenitalia website for train info
for hotels you should looks at RS Italy hotel recommendations for something in your price range

I have not booked yet but want to take the direct TGV train from Paris Lyon to Milan and it listed that it goes into Garibaldi.

Jackie, Which web site are you using for train information? I checked a number of rail trips and found one departing Paris Lyon at 07:49 that terminates at Milano Porta Garibaldi. The one that I'd consider departs Paris Lyon an hour earlier at 06:49, arriving Monterosso at 18:42 (time 11H:53M, compulsory reservation only on the first leg via TGV, two changes at Nice Ville and Ventimiglia). Although it's a slightly longer trip than the other one, it seems like an easier route and doesn't transit through Milan. In either case, it's going to be a LONG travel day. On that particular route, you might consider a budget flight from Paris to Milan, and then train to Monterosso. EasyJet has flights from CDG to MXP (flight time 1.5H). If you took the 08:30 flight, you'd be in Milan at 10:00. You would arrive at MXP T2, so use the Malpensa Shuttle to Milano Centrale. There's a 12:10 departure from Milan Centrale, arriving Monterosso at 15:02 (time 2H:52M, reservations compulsory). Given the short connection time, it might be a good idea to pre-purchase the rail ticket. Your total travel time with this option would be 6H:32M. If you decide on travel by air and haven't used budget airlines, post another note as there are a few things to be aware of. Cheers!

Thanks for all the research! We really want to take the train and wanted minimal changeovers, which is why we like the TGV ...