Italy car or train dilema

With that itinerary, the children etc, my vote is for the car. The convenience and flexibility win hands down.
Try to book hotels with parking (except for Florence, where you return it.
This website is useful for parking in Cinque Terre.
https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/parking-cinque-terre
And this for Siena
https://www.terredisiena.it/en/siena-en/where-to-park-in-siena/

Thank you Lin. This is very helpful.

Good luck with not getting a ticket, many that rent cars in Italy do get them.

Where in the Dolomites and why do you think you must have a car? There may be reasons to have one, but be aware that it will likely remain parked most of the time you are there so be sure you really need one.

I agree, keep the car. We often travel by car outside big cities so that we have flexibility to stop wherever we want, when we want. With children that age you’re sure to need something from an Italian supermarket at some point!

As far as tickets go, just pay attention to speed limits and to those signs that indicate speed cameras and read up on ZTLs - traffic limitation zones. Many cities and towns restrict driving in the crowded, historic center. When we were there in January we saw electronic signs that said ZTL open/closed in green or red lights; presumably if it’s red you turn and go a different way, not that way.

Good luck with the trip!

Thank you so much! Is Hertz one of the best ones to go? or there are other better alternatives?

@Laurel,

I'm starting in Venice and ending in Milan. I want to hit all of the spots for photography (tre cime, Lago di Braies, Seceda, Val di Funes, Alpe di Siusi)

Many people recommend Autoeurope, a broker that will give you options among all companies (they do a good job of providing a comparison among your choices). I have used Hertz most often but any of the majors will be fine. I would look up at pickup in Venice and drop off in Florence (assuming you'll drop the car before Florence).

I agree that in your particular case the convenience of a car is the way to go, though I'd suggest organizing your trip to try to minimize the duration of the rental in order to keep your costs down.
You neither need nor would you want a car in Florence for example - just too much of a hassle. You might be able to forego one in the Cinque Terre too, where it's liable to just sit in a parking lot for the duration of your stay. If your intention at your other locations is to explore some of the countryside then a car is pretty much essential.
I'd add too that we found rural driving in Italy to be an absolute pleasure. There is some homework to be done in advance - learning the Italian rules of the road, memorizing some of the unique signage in order to steer clear of restricted areas (like the ZTL's), and maybe making good use of the street view feature on Google Maps to preview your driving routes each day - doing so kept me out of a lot of trouble during our own trip a few years ago - but the driving experience itself was pretty relaxing.
We too prefer to book thru AutoEurope. Have found their pricing (including for Hertz) to be competitive and I especially appreciate their clear explanation of the various insurance options - something that's always a major concern when renting a vehicle in Italy where credit card coverage (except for the premium cards) is non-existent. The zero deductible coverage thru AE is great for the peace of mind.

Till Sept. 10th (included), the Braies parking can be accessed only by reserving a place in advance.
The Tre cime have a toll road, but if there is no parking up there you won't get through. Have a look.

A car is not needed in Florence or at the Cinque Terre (it will stay parked all day at 25-30 euro a day parking fee). So I would try to organize my trip in such a way to leave Florence (and possibly Cinque Terre) at the end of the journey so that you can return the car before you visit those places. For example you could do Dolomites> Como> Siena > Cinque Terre > Florence with returning the car in La Spezia.

When you calculate the cost also consider that you will need 2 child seats (required for kids under 150 cm in height), which rental companies provide at extra cost. Rental companies in Italy charge in excess of 30€ a day for a full seat and about 10€ for a booster, so you need to factor that in for your rental costs.

I want to second valadelphia's recommendation of using AutoEurope/Kemwel. We have used them for about 20 years. No complaints. They will give you a list of car rental companies available for your destinations. We have used Europcar, Hertz, Avis, Sixt, and Budget through them.

@Robert, thank you. Yes would definitely return the car when we arrive to Florence. I'll definitely get familiar with the signage ahead of time.

@lachera, thank you i did not now that. I will look at reserving those parking spaces as soon as I can.

@Roberto, woudn't that make things a lot more complicated? You mean Dolomites > Milan by car, Milan > Como by train Como > Siena > Cinque Terre train? I'm a bit confused.

kmkwoo, thank you. I will definitely take a look

I don’t see this mentioned above
All drivers must have an IDP
Get at your local AAA

Parking, gasoline, child seats, and tolls are very expensive in Italy. And- you must buy insurance in Italy, your credit card insurance won't work.
How are you handing all the steps - many of these villages are not stroller friendly. Also, with the driving restrictions and ZTL's, you may still have a bit of a hike from the car to the hotels.
There are dozens of reports here of folks receiving traffic tickets 9-10 months after their Italy trip, and they had no idea! And - the fines are steep! Each time the Traffic camera records your infraction, it's another ticket. So if you are traveling 1 km over the speed limit, and four traffic cameras photograph you, that four tickets. It's also very hard to figure out how to pay the tickets from the USA.
I do agree that a car in Tuscany is the best option. But you also don't need a car in Lake Como.
So whatever you decide, make your travel mode decisions based on the realities on the ground.
Safe travels!

https://search.ricksteves.com/?button=&date_range=2y&filter=Travel+Forum&query=Ztl+traffic+tickets&utf8=%E2%9C%93

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tourist-scams/italian-traffic-violation-you-get-in-the-mail-very-alarming

Not sure about your itinerary.
A car will be useful to have to see the Dolomites and the Tuscan towns (from Siena)
It will not be necessary at Lake Como, but at least you have free parking.
It will be a waste of money (rental and parking) and a hassle, while at the Cinque Terre or while in Florence.

My suggestion is to organize an itinerary in such as way to leave the places where a car is not necessary at the tail end of a trip so that you can drop off the car when you reach those last destinations. So, if possible, I would consider leaving the Cinque Terre and Florence at the end, so that you can return the car before visiting those places. There might be a bit of back tracking but not too bad. That is why I suggested to go from Lake Como to Siena (by car) then drive to Cinque Terre (but drop off the car at La Spezia first), then do Cinque Terre, travel by train to Florence, and stay in Florence.

You haven't said where you are flying home from, but it would probably make sense to do so from Florence (if flights are convenient and reasonable). Flying from Florence involves a connection somewhere in Europe (no transatlantic flights from Florence) and generally higher prices, but trains to Rome or Milan for 4 people aren't free either, and you need to spend the last night near whichever airport you depart from, because flights to North America depart in the morning.