Travel from Vernazza to Venice

Train
https://www.trenitalia.com/content/tcom/en.html

Vernazza to Venezia S Lucia

Several options -some with 1 or 2 changes, some with 3

Be sure to use a logical (for your itinerary) time of day for your search.

From Vernazza you will have a minimum of 2 changes, because you have to start with the local train that serves the 5 villages.

The fastest connections (5.5 to 6 hours) go via Pisa and require 3 or 4 changes and mostly regional trains. These can be very crowded (standing room only) on popular route. We just experienced this traveling in Italy last month; it was not a pretty sight. On one double-decker train Desenzano to Verona) we were standing on the steps between the levels for over an hour. The people standing near the door in the boarding area had to get off at each stop to let others de-board, and then get back on with the incoming crowd.

My recommendation would be to take the longer (7 hours) but more comfortable route via Genoa and Milan. The one we used 10 years ago still exists: Vernazza to Levanto by regional train, departing at 10:14. At Levanto you change to the Intercity train that goes to Milan with no further changes (IC 666). You will have a reserved seat on this train. At Milano Centrale you have almost an hour to make your way to your reserved seat on the 14:45 Frecciarossa to Venezia Santa Lucia arriving there at 17:12, in good time to check in at your hotel and make your way to dinner.

Thank you! I am also exploring car rentals. We are leaving Vernazza on a Sunday and the car rental location is closed. Does anyone know of another car rental location on the way to Venice? I was thinking I could take the train to car rental location,and drive the rest of the way to Venice.

Other than airport locations most all agencies will be closed on Sunday

You won’t need or want a car in Venice and wouldn’t be able to return car til Monday so would be parking it somewhere outside Venice til then

Driving would be my last choice
Train is your best bet.

We have done this twice and both times taken regional trains to La Spezia then high speed to Venice.