Seeking Advice on Italy Itinerary for Family Trip (July 3 Adults)

My only comment is that you are spendinf far too much time travelling, and not enough enjoying the places you visit.
I would drop Vernazza and possbly Milan (except for airprt) and spend longer in Floeance and Venice.
You are going to struggle with your accommodation budget - check out Booking.com for an idea of costs.

You are not visiting Italy, you are ticking places off a list while wasting time and money driving around. Luckily we are all different and there isn't a wrong way to see the world. So if 16 hours in Rome and Venice are enough for you... go.

• There is no reason to drive between the cities you mentioned, especially because You want to stay central whereas each city/village/town has a Ztl Area aimed at keeping visitors' cars out of the city center.

• There is no parking unless you pay for it. Especially in the Cinque Terre in summer. In Venice, for obvious reasons, you'll pay the cost of the rental car, plus the parking fee for 24 hours in a garage far from the Island, plus the water bus tickets to actually see something. The high speed trains arrive right in the historic center.

• Spend your 6 hours+ 1 night in the Cinque Terre in Monterosso, the biggest village that's served by more trains (including direct trains from/to Milano). Take a train from Florence to Monterosso and back, then an high speed train from Florence to Venice.

• Same for the Venice-Milan leg, forget about Gardesana and take a direct high speed train. Save money and time.

• you are not supposed to use local roads up and down the Mountains. If you really want to drive, take the tolled motorways (called Autostradas) and enjoy driving in tunnels and on viaducts. ViaMichelin gives realistic driving times and calculates gas costs and tolls

Is this schedule realistic?

Not really.

Any adjustments needed?

Yes.

If the flight from Milan is 'carved in stone' then this might work better

3 nights Rome
2 nights Florence
2 nights Venice
1 night Milan

If you can change your departure to leave from Venice

3 nights Rome
3 nights Florence
2nights Venice

If Vernazza/ Cinque Terre is a 'must see', you could do it as a day trip from Florence.

Take the trains. You have so little time as it is, wasting it looking for parking is something to be avoided.

Your lodging budget is suited to staying at hostels. What you would save by not having a rental care will help on the lodging.

Hi Robin -
I know it's probably not what you want to hear but IMHO, 5 locations with (realistically) just 7.5 days of sightseeing time is far too many. Yes, as Marco said, we all travel differently and that's OK but I'm thinking that your itinerary has you spending more time/energy getting from one place to another + checking in/out than experiencing those places.

Consider: I don't know what your sightseeing plans are but many major attractions in most Italian cities are closed one day a week. What if that one full day you've allotted to Rome or partial day in Florence is the one your planned attractions are closed? As well, what if the partial day you've planned for the Cinque Terre is a day of heavy rain?

I'll also agree about dropping the car: no need to waste time/money with rental agencies and parking a vehicle you won't need or want in the places you're planning to go. As well, your accommodation budget for 3 is too low for central locations in major Italian cities and the CT during high season. You might look at private rooms in hostels or monasteries but even so...

Very kindly but for your own sanity and better use of time/money, consider one of Joe's suggested itineraries?