Train or car

Lots of time options on the Trenitalia website - that appears to be one "arduous" train ride.

Where did you check the trains? There are many daytime options as well. E.g. you can leave Venice 10:48 and be in Moneglia 17:31.

Yep, I'm seeing the same on the Trenitalia site; lots of train times. Like periscope said, though, it will be a long rail journey no matter how you shake it.

Oh, make sure you're not looking at a Sunday date too far out? I'm looking at May 29th; schedules should not change much if at all later in the summer.

seem to be running very early- like 1 am 2 am 3 am.

Either you entered a day of travel after June 11 or you did not pick a time of departure from the drop-down menu.

Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll take another look. Do you think a car is a better option?

I haven't driven the route BUT plugging the locales into Google maps, it looks like it could be a nice, low-pressure, all-day drive if staying off the toll roads.

Although if this is a one-way trip, with a drop-off in Moneglia, you might lose your appetite for renting a car, price wise.

You might want to enter your info in Google Maps to see the routes.

It takes some train transfers to get to Moneglia, and it's about 5 1/2 hours by train.

It's just under 250 miles to drive the route which is just under 4 hours.

If you go by train, try to travel light because hauling luggage from train to train is not for everyone.

The roads of northern Italy are well paved, marked well and easy to drive on. Just be sure to follow the speed limit in the cities as automatic traffic radar/cameras are everywhere (like on the causeway coming out of Venice.)

I wouldn’t rent a car to go from Venice to Moneglia for the following reasons:
- The cost is likely higher than the train even for two passengers, because, after Covid, rental car costs are stratospheric. The cheapest I could find for June is about $100 a day (for a small Fiat 500X). To that you need to add fuel and tolls. The toll from Venice to Sestri Levante exit is €38.20, while the cost of fuel for 400km will be approximately €50 depending on the vehicle. The cost of the train is under €80 per person, even if you don’t take advantage of any fare discounts.
- There are no rental car agencies in Moneglia, therefore you would need to return the car in Chiavari (Hertz), Rapallo (Europcar), or even Genoa, adding to the hassle. The alternative would be to keep the car in Moneglia, where the parking situation is not really that great and where you will likely not need a car, adding to the overall expense for rental days and parking.
- It will actually take you just as long as the train (or longer) to get there. The train takes about 6 hours, but the drive will be at least 4.5 hours, to which you must add pit stops along the way, and the time necessary for the rental paperwork and pickup process. If you also plan to return the car in Chiavari or Rapallo (then the train back to Moneglia) you will need another hour or two just to return the car.
- Driving on the freeway there is easy, but you must be able to navigate city traffic in Venice and Mestre to get to it. Also, between Sestri and Moneglia, you will drive through a long and dark tunnel (although they put lights since I used to.drive in it) that is one lane narrow (traffic is alternated between the two directions), so make sure you don’t swipe your car against the walls. https://youtu.be/4w_WyZZdSxA

I would consider the hassle, the extra time, and the high expense of a rental car only if you are traveling with someone with serious mobility issues who would have difficulty getting aboard trains.

Thanks for all the valuable info. I think the train is the best choice too.