Cinque Terre--Lake Garda--Dolomites--Venice apartments

4 nights at the Cinque Terre is probably more than I'd be willing to take.
One week in Florence should give you enough time for day trips in Tuscany as well.
Renting a car is best for visiting the Dolomites.

@Roberto, thanks, this will be our 3rd trip to Italy and since we have our 2 year old with us, we know we travel slower and don't like to jump around too much hence 4 nights in CT and a week in Florence and a week in the Dolomite region. We've already done one week in Tuscany this last March, so we probably won't do more than one day trip out of Florence. Slow Travel is our game until our son is older.

When looking at apartments in Venice, make sure that you are aware of what floor the apartment is on. Most of the older buildings do not have elevators and I am not sure how comfortable you will be with 5 flights of stairs and a toddler. We rented a fabulous place in Venice with a rooftop terrace but had 5 flights of stairs for the apartment and another set of stairs to get to the terrace. It was not explicitly stated in the apartment description that there was no elevator, but we figured it out from previous reviews.

Try her in Vernazza for the CT stop:

http://www.elisabettacarro.it/

J, We stayed here, family of three, about 10 years ago but it was perfect, would be good with child. Hiking will be the main focus in this area in September. http://www.risaccia.it/index_e.html They are on trip advisor if you want a few current reviews.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g194912-d2291627-r129447559-Residence_Apartments_Risaccia-Selva_di_Val_Gardena_Val_Gardena_Province_of_South.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT

Forget to mention it is in Dolomites at Selva Val Gardena.

dave, Bedford, Indiana

We spent a month at Residence Astoria in Ortisei last summer. They have lovely apartments and we managed quite well without a car. Two years ago we stayed at an apartment further up the hill with a 2-year-old in the group and that was harder. Astoria is about 10 minutes from the village center and the uphill climb is assisted by Ortisei's excellent escalator. If you have stroller or baby backpack it is a breeze. We even had grocery delivery from the Conad store.

On main street (Strada Rezia) with no climb uphill and less than 5 minutes from the center, closer to two grocery stores but not with the views from up high, is Villa Aurelia.

Both Astoria and Aurelia have parking if you really must have a car, but once you are in the Val Gardena, you will receive a free pass to use on all the buses, and you can buy Val Gardena passes to economize the lift costs. Ortisei has three fabulous lifts to great hiking, some easy and some challenging.

@JenC-- great point about the lack of lifts in Venice buildings, thanks!
@Bob-- Thanks for the Vernazza apartment rec
@jarrardd-- Risaccia looks great, we will consider it, thank you!
@Laurel--Thanks for the 2 recs Laurel. It would be great if we could get by in the Dolomites without a car. We would love to not drive at all, but we do like the flexibility that comes with having a car. We're still debating whether to get one or not.