Train or Rental Car from Venice to Cinque Terre to Rome

Those routes you describe are well served by train. You should go by train. In Italy, rental cars are only useful to explore country areas not well served by trains.

Because there are 4 of you, you might think the rental car cost is lower, but when you factor in the hassles of rental car versus the ease of trains, on those routes, I think you'll end up feeling good about taking the train.

Second that on the train-It will drop you right into what ever village on the CT you want to stay at and then connecting to Rome is a breeze. Never used a car at or to the CT, so I could be biased.

Parking costs in Venice are about 30 euro a day. Then you need the cost of the rental (for 4 people you need a midsize, so about 60 euro/day) plus the gasoline (at 1.60 euro/liter, I'd say 35 euro one way) plus tolls (about 25 euro). In terms of time the train option is much faster (2 hrs vs 3.5 hrs by car plus the rental paper work).
The CT parking is slightly less than Venice if you park in La Spezia.
I think trains make more sense, because you'd save on the daily rental charge right off the bat.

If you want to rent a car, I'd do it only for one day, the one way trip from Venice to La Spezia (where you'd return the car). That's because of convenience since from Venice to CT via train is a longer trip which requires multiple train changes.

I also recommend train and remind you to pack light, since the adults will have to help the kids with luggage getting on and off trains. From Venice to La Spezia, the most convenient train departures require only one connection at Florence. Then you connect at La Spezia as well, same as you would do if you had parked a car there. Parking lots in the 5 towns are small and tend to get filled.

js,

I agree with the others that travel by train will be faster, more efficient and probably cheaper. You'll be using high speed Freccia trains on some routes which travel at up to 300 kmH, and no car can match that!

One point to mention is that going to Venice for one night will add some time to your travel, as the trip from Venice to the Cinque Terre is at least six hours, with a couple of train changes. There are two main routes you could use, one through Milan and one through Florence. Of the two, I usually prefer the Florence routing but the other works too.

The trip from the Cinque Terre to Rome is very easy if you use one of the direct trains from La Spezia to Rome. There are a few of those each day, and others with changes.

You can check the train details on either the Trenitalia or Bahn websites. You will of course have to know the exact Italian station names you'll be using when you buy tickets. On the trip from Venice to the Cinque Terrre, one of the simplest routings is a departure from Venezia Santa Lucia at 08:50, arriving Monterosso at 15:03 (time 6H:13M, one change at Milano Centrale).

I used Monterosso as an example in checking the times, so they will vary a bit if you're staying in one of the other towns. Have you decided which of the five towns you want to stay in?

Thank you for the advice!! Train it is! Thinking about the 6 hr train from Venice to CT. Am I nuts to squeeze Venice into our itinerary? 1 night and then a 6hr train the next day to CT? If we skip Venice, where else would you add 1 night? Add a night to make it 3 nights in CT? Or add a night to make it 3 nights in Rome? Or 1 night somewhere else in between or near either? We will already have spent time in Milan and Florence. Thanks!!!

It's up to you, but I like to spend at least 2 nights in the same hotel, because the checkin/out, packing/unpacking process is a time waster in itself. At least with 2 nights in the same hotel, you get a full day (from dawn to night) in the location you intend to actually visit things.

If you have never been to Venice, it's a hard one to skip. Actually I'd rather skip the Cinque Terre, but that's just me.

You have some alternatives however, and still do both.

1. One option is to take a night or two out of your week in Florence and spend two/three nights in Venice instead. That would give you at least a full day (dawn to bed time) in Venice. I think that Florence can be visited in less than a week. 3 nights, i.e. 2 full days are adequate, unless you are an Art fiend. I was born and raised in Florence, so I should be biased in its favor, but if you have never seen Venice, you should go (I was also conceived in Venice, where my parents were for some time exactly 9 months before my birth, so that might explain it). If you decide to stay in Florence more than 3 nights, use the extra days for day trips to other Tuscan locations within easy reach.

2. Another option (if your week in Florence is set in stone), is to take a day trip to Venice from Florence. Take the very first train out of Florence to Venezia S.Lucia which departs at 8:30 and arrives at 10:35. Then return from Venice with the train which departs from Venezia S.Lucia at 7:25pm and arrives at Firenze SMN at 9:30pm (it's the last one, so don't miss it or you have to book a night train).
   I know it's a quickie, maybe not as ideal as option no. 1, but it's better than nothing. I've done it many times. It's not that bad. You can actually get a good glimpse of Venice in 8 hours. And if you like it, you can repeat the same thing then next morning.

Thank you Roberto! Unfortunately our Florence trip is set in stone. My son is playing in a soccer tournament there. Option #2 might work perfectly - making it a day trip to Venice. Thank you for the info about the train - times and which stations to use. You were VERY helpful! :)