Itinerary help. Milan, Como, Venice(and area), Cinque Terre, Siena

Jgquilici,

All the places you want to visit are easily accessible via train.

You may check train schedules here: http://www.trenitalia.com

I'm a bit confused by your proposed itinerary.

Vicenza (side stop in Verona) 2 nights in Vicenza. [ day trip to Padua] Then on to Cinque Terre - 2 nights.

• If you plan to spend 2 nights in Vicenza with a "side stop in Verona"
  & a "day trip to Padua", when will you actually see Vicenza?

• I presume you've visited Venice in the past & thus skipping it this time?

• Where do you plan to stay while in Lake Como? Varenna, Bellagio, or Menaggio?

• Which village do you want to stay in while visiting the CInque Terre?

• Consider staying in Monterosso, which is the largest village in the CT, & the only one with a sandy beach.

• You can easily visit the other villages in the CT via train, which travels frequently among the villages, & the fare is very inexpensive.

A few thoughts/suggestions...

• 2 nights in any particular place, means that you will only have one full day to enjoy & explore such a place.

• Having pointed out above fact, 2 nights in Lake Como, Vicenza & CT will only give you one day there.

• You do realize that it will take you the better part of a day to get
  to CT from Vicenza? {Travel time 5.5-6 hours via train}

• IMO, I'd skip traveling to Vicenza (outlier) & that way you can add an extra night each to Lake Como village, & CT.

• Traveling to Siena from CT will take 3-4 hours via train, so you will only spend a few hours in Siena.

• Perhaps you can visit Siena, as a day trip ( or an overnight), once you are in the villa in Florence.

Have a wonderful trip!

I almost forgot...

You may want to refer to this thread & read Ken's detailed information, as to how to get to Varenna or Bellagio (in Lake Como), from Malpensa Airport via Milan.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/bellagio-italy

Thank you Priscilla, we are also California (N of Sac.)Your suggested link was great. I misspoke; Venice 2 nights Not Vicenza, sorry. We see the train rides as part of the adventure. Como is a mystery to me. Any suggestions are welcome. This is my husband's interest. His friends say do not miss The Lake area this time! The Verona stop is only for a few hours on the way to Venice to see the Roman Arena, Piazza Erbe, the indoor market, the view from Ponte Pietra, lunch & wine (we have a vineyard and winery).
Hope to arrive in Venice after the crowds, in time for gondola rides and dinner & wine. AM - wander around, then to Padua to see the University Anatomy Theater, linger in the squares, see frescos and eat, drink wine. Back to Venice for gondolas and dinner. In AM start for CT. Don't know about CT maybe Vernazza, Manarola or Monterosso. We like the idea of staying near a "waterfront", as in Vernazza and Manarola. Don't care about beaches or hiking. If good weather boat from town to town. We'd like to eat in the Castle Tower, walk the Via dell'Amore, eat and drink wine. We are interested in Siena for an early dinner on the el Campo, then stroll the enchanting evening shops. Don't have to be in Florence until late afternoon the next day. Thank you for your help and interest. Judith

You probably already know this: the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua requires advance reservations.

Jgquilici,
It sounds like you have a good plan.

We stayed in Varenna when we visited Lake Como, & it's a favorite of RS & many here on the forum.
We enjoyed our stay at Albergo Milano: https://www.varenna.net

The room rate includes a delicious breakfast served on the hotel's terrace, where you can savor spectacular views of the lake.

If you choose to stay in Varenna, you can easily visit the mid-lake villages of Bellagio, Mennagio & Lenno.
We purchased the day ticket for the ferry & enjoyed cruising the mid-lake before disembarking in Bellagio.
There is a beautiful lakeside promenade (Passerella) that you can take from the village to the ferry dock.
Just google "Varenna Passerella" to view some photos.

We considered staying at Hotel Villa Cipressi, but chose Albergo Milano because they had a 2 bedroom apartment which
was great for us.

Acraven makes an excellent point, regarding advance reservations to visit the beautiful Scrovegni Chapel in Padua:
http://www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it/index.php/en/

When we visited Verona in 2014, our B&B host recommended this restaurant, which we truly enjoyed:http://www.osteriailciottolo.it

I suggest you book your accommodations in the CT village of your choice ASAP!

Enjoy your trip!