Arrive Milan Dec. 22; 8 days only; Help! First time in Italy

While a car may be of some assistance in seeing the hill towns of Toscana, everywhere else you list is much better seen by train. Each driver will need a mandatory IDP (get it at any branch of the SCAA, take passport sized photos with you or they can take one for additional $$) along with their Calif. DL. If you drive into or near the middle of Florence, Rome, Milano, or most other Italian towns and cities you are liable to get your photo taken by the automatic cameras in the ZTLs and have huge fines arrive after (sometimes long after) you get home in addition to the other charges put on your card by the rental company for informing on you to the police, Italian road tolls add up fast and the price of fuel is some of the highest in Europe.

Be aware that the winter storms can badly affect the coast and footpaths along the Cinque Terre and the place is basically asleep and shut up tight in mid winter, and I expect shut up even more tightly during Christmas.

At this time of the year I would be wary of Cinque Terre because of the weather. Nothing worse than spending 4 days or so in a small town with nothing open, on the coast in the rain (or snow). The hiking trails are likely to be closed and the ferry won't be running. I'd delay the CT until you can visit in the spring.

Rome in December? Likely to be busy and with no reservations......? Probably not. You are talking about a long drive after an overnight flight from the States - you will be tired and jet-lagged. Better to take the train to Florence and spend your week there; you can visit Siena and other places quite easily by local transport and avoid the problems of using a car in the city.

You will need to be back in Milan by the 29th for your flight home on the 30th - so make sure you book a hotel there and wherever you decide to base yourself. And make sure you get or download a copy of the relevant Rick Steves guidebook.

joteresi,

That's not an ideal time-of-year to be in Italy for the first time, but as the arrangements are now made you'll have to make the best of the situation. Regarding your questions.....

• I'd suggest using trains rather than a rental car, as they'll be faster and more efficient especially for such a very short trip. The high speed Freccia trains will be the best option, although at this late date you won't be able to get any discounted tickets. As previous replies indicated, with a rental car you'd need the compulsory I.D.P. for driving in Italy and you'll also have to be vigilant to avoid the dreaded ZTL (limited traffic) areas which exist in many cities. Passing through these will involve expensive fines, which you won't know about until after you return home. If the weather is miserable, you could find yourself in extreme winter driving conditions, which will be no fun!
• Cinque Terre - I would NOT recommend travel there at this time of year. Especially just before Christmas, many of the hotels and other tourist-related businesses will be closed. The weather will likely not be good either, so it won't be a pleasant travel experience (and not the best way to see this beautiful area for the first time).
• With only eight days, I'd suggest limiting your trip to a couple of different locations with day trips. You could (for example), immediately take the Freccia train to Florence for three nights or so (day trip to Siena by Bus if desired) and then to Rome via Freccia train for a few days. Travel by train back to Milan for one night prior to your flight home.

It's unfortunate that you booked return flights out of MXP, as that will reduce your touring time to some extent. Using open-jaw flights would have been a much more efficient method for such a short trip.

One other point to mention is that there are also some potentially expensive "caveats" to note when using trains and other public transit in Italy. If you need further information, post another note and I can send a P.M. with my usual "boilerplate" on the subject.

If possible, I'd suggest picking up a copy of the RS Italy 2014 Guidebook prior to departure, as that has an enormous amount of information on hotels, restaurants, transportation, sightseeing, etc. It will be a very useful resource to pack along on the trip.

One final comment.... Prior to your next holiday in Europe, it would be prudent to use the HelpLine for planning, well in advance of your trip.

Buon Viaggio!

I agree about taking trains from city to city. Remember that you'll need reservations on the fast trains between the major cities.

If time allows and weather cooperates: After seeing the major Florence tourism sights, by all means rent a car for a day trips to the hill towns 30-40 miles south. The car rental location can give you directions out of the city without getting close to the ZTL's.

You'll want to save the C/T for a future trip since you're going in Winter.

If you are using trains, don't forget to also check Trenitalia's competitor, Italo Treno (which has newer trains, better service and a website easier to use for non-Italians).

One point to note regarding using Italo, is that in some cases they use different stations than Trenitalia. As this is your first time in Italy and you may not be familiar with the locations of the various stations, it might be easier to use Trenitalia.

For example in Milan, Italo uses the Porta Garibaldi station rather than Milano Centrale. In Florence both services use Firenze SMN (the main station in Florence), while in Rome Italo uses Roma Tiburtina and Ostiense, rather than the more central Roma Termini. Be sure to do your "homework" so that you know which stations you want to use in each city (especially important when buying tickets).

Cheers!

Porta Garibaldi is actually a better located station in Milano than Centrale (despite its name). Moreover, trains from Malpensa going to Milano Centrale call at Porta Garibaldi.

Roma Tiburtina is served by a subway line that also serves Termini.

Location of Italo stations are non-issues.

@Andre L.,

"Location of Italo stations are non-issues."

These may be non-issues for most unless......

• it's your first trip to Italy.
• you're not aware of the specifics of the different train systems.
• you're leaving in six days.

I felt it was worthwhile to add some details so the OP would have a clear idea what she will be encountering upon arrival there.

Cheers!

Thank you to all who responded! I greatly appreciate you taking the time. If we have a car, is it easy and reasonably priced to leave the car parked at or nearby a train station?