driving in italy?

in general trains are the way to go you really don't want a car in Venice or CT or Florence you don't need a car in Siena a car would be okay for going from Florence to Siena and for touring tuscan countryside you can connect from Florence to Siena (and vice versa) by bus there are a lot of posts about driving in Italy which you can search you should be aware of driving requirements in Italy and restricted driving zones... for the cities you are visiting I would suggest trains and bus
are you flying out of Florence?

I'd stick with trains. We also landed in Venice, then to Florence , next Siena and finally Rome. We took trains and buses everywhere but Siena where for two days we rented a car to travel to the hill towns. We didn't feel we needed a car any where else because the public transit is so easy to navigate and use. Unless you want the flexibility and you're out of the large cities, renting a car is not needed. However, we did find it useful traveling to the hill towns because the bus system from Siena was limited and we wanted to be able to hit a few hill towns per day. This method proved to be successful.

To answer your question "is it doable", the answer is yes. Driving in between any of your destinations is easy and even fun. But as the other posters said, once you're actually at each place, you won't need or want a car. Your car will just sit.

Driving in Italy is not bad, but if you're a timid U.S. driver, it's not suggested. It's best left to drivers that are comfortable being aggressive behind the wheel. For your itinerary, the train would be better served from point to point. It's 158 miles from Venice to Florence, and you might do better if you did day trips out of there. Getting to Cinque Terre from Venice would take about 7 hours, and a bunch of transfers. From Florence, you would go west to Pisa, swap trains to LaSpezia and take another local train NW up the coast. It's not a day trip, and really is not the best place to spend your time since this Fall's floods tore up two of the cities. Siena is a 1 hr. bus trip from Florence, and there are other great hill cities that can be done by short term car rental. Rambling around Chianti seems to be very pleasurable. Next month, we're flying into Pisa, taking the train to Florence, and spending 3 nights there. Then, we're renting a car and staying in Chianti for 4 nights before driving 120 miles down to Orvieto. We'll take a 1 hr. train into Rome, where we'll be in a B&B (20 miles south of Rome) for 4 nights. Italy is such a culture shock that it's best taken slowly--very slowly. Otherwise, you'll miss so much.

Driving in Italy is not bad, but if you're a timid U.S. driver, it's not suggested. It's best left to drivers that are comfortable being aggressive behind the wheel. Remember that gasoline is approximately $8.35 per gallon. For your itinerary, the train would be better served from point to point. It's 158 miles from Venice to Florence, and you might do better if you did day trips out of there. Getting to Cinque Terre from Venice would take about 7 hours, and a bunch of transfers. From Florence, you would go west to Pisa, swap trains to LaSpezia and take another local train NW up the coast. It's not a day trip, and really is not the best place to spend your time since this Fall's floods tore up two of the cities. Siena is a 1 hr. bus trip from Florence, and there are other great hill cities that can be done by short term car rental. Rambling around Chianti seems to be very pleasurable. Next month, we're flying into Pisa, taking the train to Florence, and spending 3 nights there. Then, we're renting a car and staying in Chianti for 4 nights before driving 120 miles down to Orvieto. We'll take a 1 hr. train into Rome, where we'll be in a B&B (20 miles south of Rome) for 4 nights. Italy is such a culture shock that it's best taken slowly--very slowly. Otherwise, you'll miss so much.

kristen, A few "caveats" to be aware of when driving in Italy.... Note that for driving in Italy, each driver must have the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are valid for one year, and easily obtained at any AAA office (two Passport-sized photos required, which in some cases are provided by the issuing office). Failure to produce an IDP if requested can result in fines on the spot! Have a look at This Website for more detailed information on driving in Italy. You may also want to search other Posts here regarding the Zona Traffico Limitato areas that are becoming increasingly prevalent in many towns in Italy (especially Florence!). EACH PASS through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ ticket! A GPS along with a good Map would also be a good idea. Be sure to also give some thought to the question of CDW. If you accept the CDW offered by the rental firm, it will be expensive but will provide "peace of mind". Some "premium" credit cards provide rental vehicle insurance, however I've found this to be somewhat complicated so I just accept that offered by the rental firm. Check the Car Rental section in Europe Through The Back Door for further information. Unless you want to explore hill towns in areas that aren't well served by public transit, travel by train is usually a faster and more efficient use of valuable travel time. Having a car in the Cinque Terre is pretty much useless, so the car would be parked for the duration. You could rent a car while in Siena to tour neighboring hill towns and return in Siena. Travel by Bus from Siena to Florence is VERY easy. Buon Viaggio!