Train or car rental from Milan Malpensa to Cinque Terre to Pisa to Florence?

That would be a waste of money because the rental car(s) could not be used for your entire stay. Also Manarola has a tiny metered parking lot before you arrive in town (no cars without permit are allowed past the parking lot), therefore you might need to park in La Spezia at the car park next to the station. Driving to Manarola would be challenging anyway due to the very narrow road (often obstructed by cars parked along the road).

If you think the train trip is exhausting try driving on Italian roads while jet lagged.

olson,

As you may have already noted in other responses here on the forum, there are some other issues you'll have to deal with in using a rental car.......

• driving in a jet-lagged state has been compared to driving while impaired, so renting after an overnight flight is not the best idea.
• each of the four drivers registered on the rental form will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit which is used in conjunction with the home D.L.'s.
• you'll have to purchase at least a portion of the insurance from the rental firm, as that's compulsory in Italy.
• If you haven't driven in Italy before, you'll have to be vigilant to avoid the dreaded ZTL (limited traffic) areas which exist in many towns these days. Each pass through one will result in hefty fines (€100+ each). Do not drive in Florence as the city is just about saturated with automated ZTL cameras.
• you'll also have to contend with automated speed cameras, including the Traffic Tutor system which not only registers instantaneous speed but also average speed between two points. Violate either one and more hefty fines!
• As Roberto noted, parking the Cinque Terre is extremely limited (although Monterosso has better parking options).
• your desire to "keep our luggage while we explore" may not be the best policy. While you're exploring, thieves could be making off with all your worldly possessions. Hopefully you'll all be wearing Money Belts to provide some protection against pickpockets.
• for a larger group with luggage, you'll have to rent a larger vehicle. The rental firm may only have manual transmission models available, so hopefully everyone in your group is proficient with stick shift.
• you'll also have to budget for tolls on the motorways.
• some automated fuel pumps only accept Chip & PIN credit cards, so that may be an issue.
• "feeling relaxed is the key" - I find that riding the trains provides more of a "relaxed" travel experience (especially when jet lagged). Changes aren't difficult once you get used to them. Millions of people travel by train in Europe every day with no problems, including some who may be "exhausted and irritated".

Of course I should also mention that there are some potentially expensive "caveats" to be aware of when using trains and other public transit in Italy. For example.....

• for travel on Regionale trains, buses, metro, etc., locally purchased tickets MUST be validated prior to boarding on the day of travel, or hefty fines which will be collected on the spot!
• for travel on Freccia, Intercity or other fast trains, there are compulsory seat reservations which are specific to train, date and departure time. Tickets can ONLY be used for the one train listed on the ticket. If you board the wrong train by mistake, you'll be deemed to be travelling without a valid reservation, and you guessed it, hefty fines collected on the spot!

With all that in mind, hope you have a nice holiday.

Hi olson64.
I hope the previous answers haven't intimidated you or soured you on your trip. My wife and I enjoy the Cinque Terre area; hopefully you and your family will too. I can understand you exploring the driving option. It lets you set your own pace / schedule, which can be a plus, and allows you privacy, if that is what you want. However, you may be over worrying about being 'irritated going from train to train'. If your family decides to view the train rides and changes as a fun / interesting part of your trip, the train rides might end up being pleasant and relaxing. For me, train rides are a great chance to experience local flavor. You know your family and their priorities best. The other answers mentioned the potential cost of your driving plan as a negative; but you had already said that money wasn't a big issue. I agree with Roberto's caution that parking is very limited in Manarola. Perhaps your hotel has given you info about how to park there? Otherwise, Roberto's suggestion to park at the La Spezia train station would work; then take the short train ride to Manarola. I can see pros and cons to each approach. Whichever you choose, enjoy your trip!

Your destinations don't really lend themselves to a road trip, but I can understand just wanting to get in your car. While it is wonderful to have the option of public transportation you are not wrong if you don't use it all the time. For some people the stress of driving is just too much, but many people enjoy Europe by car every day.

Everything is a trade off! I tend to drive a lot and love the freedom of my road trips in Europe.

I have driven to the CT a number of times, but as the parking becomes worse all the time I have made adjustments and parking in LaSpezia is a good option. I have also done a few day trips and just stayed at a hotel in another town and taken the train in for the day, but for overnite, just leave the car in LaSpezia.

I think that in Monterosso there are a few hotels that offer parking. Not sure if you are firm with Manarola.

I have driven to Pisa also and the area around there made for an enjoyable drive.
Dropping at the airport in Florence would be the easiest as to avoid getting caught in the city center. The airport is well marked.

If there are 4 drivers it means there are 4 adults. You probably need two economy cars or a large one (which costs as much as 3 economy cars). Additional drivers also don't come for free. It's an additional 10-15€ a day to add each additional driver.

Yes take the train from Milan to the CT. I've taken the train to the CT with no issues and you are right in town. We where there this past September and landed in Milan with Vernazza as our first destination. There was a train strike on our travel day and the trains weren't running (actually got my Trenitalian refund check yesterday after 8 months of waiting). Since there was 8 of us we opted for a private driver and van to get us there. We didn't want to worry about driving. 90% of the drive is highway from Milan to Genoa then a nice ride down the coast. One we got closer to the CT and started our decent down the top of the hills the roads got narrow, tight turns, no barriers, one lane and several area's of the road missing from landslides. I was glad we had a driver going down. It's an awesome expierence and some great photograph spots we stoped at on the ride, but I wouldn't want to be the driver. A passenger yes, driver no. Not sure if it was a bargain but it cost us 450 euro after we negotiated down from 550. We made a group decision the price was worth it.

Thank you everyone for your detailed and thoughtful comments. They really helped. I hadn't even thought of the private driver option and, although quite expensive, am going to do that. Does anyone have any names, numbers or suggestions as to how I can hire a private driver prior to our arrival at Malpensa? Thank you!

Ken, can I pick up on your comment about forfeiting tickets if the train is late.
I plan to go from Vernazza , to Venice via Monterosso and change trains in Milan. The trenitalia website allows a transfer time of only 15 mins in Milan. Not knowing the layout of the station and not speaking the language to find the platform, I'm not sure that 15 mins is enough time.
If you miss the connection I would presume you will be put on the next train if the first one is delayed but what if you don’t manage the 15 minutes transfer time. I am fit and only have a carry on but do not know the layout of the train station.

Would appreciate your comments.
Thanks!

.

ruth,

I've sent you a PM.