Train or drive from Florence to Venice?

I would take the train; they leave every hour and take 2 hours. The 2nd class ticket is 43,00 Euro; you can get a "Mini" fare of 30,00 Euro if you purchase by midnight the night before, AND if they still have any of those fares left. For some great info, read this: http://www.roninrome.com/%20transportation/buying-train-tickets-updated#more-5882 You CAN drive to Venice, though - many do. I don't know if you'll be ready to ditch the car before then, though. Others have done this; perhaps they'll show up...

You just introduced Verona into the mix. That's a fairly long drive the other way from Venice. Visiting wineries in Chianti (which typically open late in the morning) driving north to the Po Valley and then north and west to Verona to drop a car, make it to the train station and then take a train to Venice will make for a long day. What are you trying to see in Verona?

The idea is we will leave our lodging in Radda early that morning and head to Verona. In Verona we definitely want to visit Allegrini, and possibly others. My wife is in the wine industry and is still deciding. On the map it looks like we can drive pretty straight to Verona from Bologna -- is that not the case?

Going the other way, we picked up in Venice and drove to Tuscany. It's an easy drive; if it were me, I'd take the car.

The second class regional train from Florence to Venice is 16 euro and takes less than 4 hrs....is the second class 43 euro on a different type train?

There can be inconveniences with either method. Taking the train means the extra hassle of droppping at the airport and then getting to SMN for the train. The drive from Florence is not bad, autostrade the entire way. But the traffic around Mestre and on the causeway to Venice can be horrendous. Jo - the more expensive train is one of the fast Eurostars.

If you already have the rental car and aren't planning time in Florence, I'd drive from Chianti to Venice. Venice is a very easy place to drive in to and you can drop the car at Piazzale Roma. It's freeway all the way in, although it does get congested before the toll booths in Mestre. If you're planning to spend time in Florence between your time in Chianti and going on to Venice, then drop your car at the Florence airport and train to Venice.

Thank you everyone. I think what we will do is drive from Chianti to Verona early in the day and use the car to visit some wineries we are interested in, and then drop the car and jump on the train to Venice later in the day.

You can do that, of course. It just means a sharp left turn at Bologna instead of heading straight on to Venice. By the time you have made Bologna you are most of the way there. Turning left just means diverting from your route and then taking the train over the same ground. So, as was said, it makes a long day. No probs. Do expect the bit from north of Florence to Bologna to be the toughest bit of the drive. Its very mountainous and you are cutting through the mountains so the autostrada is very windy and there are plenty tunnels. If you change back to driving into Venice (no problem since you still have the car and the autostrada from Verona to Venice is straight as a die and nearly flat (except around Vicenza)) make sure you don't get blocked from the exit by the wall of trucks in the slow lane.