Trains vs car

Having a car in any of the places you mention will be an inconvenience at the very least. Therefore, your question is really how do I get from point A to point B most conveniently and with the least amount of stress. Train wins hands down.

I have not been to Lucca but all the others are easily done by train. I am 99% sure Lucca is as well. A car would be a very expensive hassle if all you want is to get to these major destinations. Paying for parking is not cheap at all, and you would have to either drive into the center of major cities to park at your hotel (huge traffic, very confusing especially in Rome and Naples) or stay on the outskirts (big hassle to get to sights, would seriously curtail your sightseeing and getting a feel for the place). Plus...no cars in Venice, for obvious reasons.

Plus rental cars cost a lot and many US Credit cards that provide rental car insurance exempt Italy, so you have to pay that as well.

So train would be cheaper, easier, allow you to stay in the historic center, and be faster too! Really, really no question on this one. If you wanted to get out into the hill towns and countryside, a car could be useful for that leg of the trip. As it stands, with your itinerary, there is no need.

I love to drive and in September I'm going to Sardinia and then back to the boot. While on the island, because of the nature of my route and lack of rail transport, I'm renting a car. Once I return to Rome, it's travel by rail. Because you're traveling point to point between major cities, train travel is frequent and inexpensive. No stress method to avoid ZTL's and speed cameras. If you plan to visit smaller towns or cruise the countryside, a car is a necessary luxury.

Even if you just rent the car to get from point A to point B you still have the hassle of getting to the car rental place, picking up the car then returning the car and getting from the agency to your hotel - too many steps.

Trains - city center to city center. Easy-peasy!

Lucca station is just outside the old city walls. Also, rental locations other than airports are often closed on Sunday. Then you have all the ZTL, robo-cam speed traps, rental car damage dispute horror stories.

Train. Train. Train.

Thank you all, for your replies. I thought the train is the way to go - had to prove it to hubby :)

lf,

Is he convinced yet? Another definite vote for using public transit. However, there are potentially expensive "caveats" to be aware of both with rental cars and public transit. If you need more information on that, post another note.

How are you planning to get from Naples airport to Sorrento, and from Sorrento to Rome? There are some caveats to be aware of with rail travel from Sorrento as well.