Tuscany, Italy in November 2015 - FIRST TIME EVER

I'm hearing a lot of reluctance to drive in Italy in your post. You can arrive at every place you've mentioned in your post by traveling by train and probably would be much cheaper. We've been to Italy several times and always travel by train or the occasional bus - enjoy relaxing between locations.

Some general points on driving. The autostrade have rest stops at regular intervals, with food, fuel, toilets, etc.. Secondary roads, not so much. Don't count on being able to pay tolls with an American credit card. Keep a supply of cash on hand, and pay attention to the icons which indicate which lanes take what kind of payment. A lot has been written on this site about driving, so you might want to do a search.
On a short, first trip, especially in mid-November, I advise scrapping the CT. Even their most enthusiastic fans (of which I am not one) will tell you that a great deal will be closed down at that time. Weather may also not be good.
It's totally feasible to visit Pisa and Luca in one day.
I notice you haven't included Florence. You'll be close. Any reason?
Parma is lovely.

No need to be apologetic. We all were first-timers once and are pleased to help others benefit from our experience.
Buon viaggio!

1. The shortest is:MALPENSA-MILANO-PARMA-LA SPEZIA-LUCCA-MONTECATINI (A50-A1-A14-A12-A11)
   If you want more views of the sea, go via GENOA-LA SPEZIA-LUCCA-MONTECATINI (A50-A7-A12-A11)
   There is nothing to be nervous about driving. Italian freeways are very modern and well marked. Gas stations are in rest area (AREA DI SERVIZIO). Rest areas also have restaurants, shopping, restrooms, and even hotels in some.
   Tolls: Pick up the ticket at the toll booth at the freeway ramp when you enter (keep it with you, you will need the ticket to pay toll when you exit the freeway system). There are no toll booths along the route, only at the exit ramps. When you exit on the A11 at Montecatini, pay toll at the booth. There are several booths. Yellow signs are for telepass transponders (you won't have those). Blue signs are for credit cards only. White signs with money logo are for cash. If the white sign also has a black hand holding the money, it means it has a live attendant. If not it's a cash machine where you insert your cash (the machine gives change, so need for exact change). In nearly all exits there is at least one booth with the attendant (white sign with black hand). Take that line if you don't feel comfortable with machines. I don't use credit card on the freeway and I'm not sure if the machines accept only Chip credit cards. For sure the attendants accept only cash. To pay first insert the ticket in the machine (or give the ticket to the attendant). The display will show the amount to pay. Insert the money in the machine (or give the money to the attendant). You are ready to go.
   Tolls are not that expensive. From Malpensa airport to Montecatini the toll is €32.60.

2. Check www.trenitalia.com for train schedules. The station in Venice is VENEZIA S. LUCIA.

3. You can do either. By train or car. Easy either way. Devote more time to Lucca because Pisa only has a cathedral, a baptistery and a crooked tower that are worth seeing and they are all in the same piazza. One/two hours are enough.

4. It's actually a funicular, not a gondola.

5. Train or car works. By train you need to change trains in Viareggio and La Spezia. By car it's fastest if you drive to Levanto (exit Levanto) then take the train from Levanto (4 min to Monterosso). The 5 villages are all connected by train. Hiking trails are likely closed in November. Don't go to Cinque Terre at all unless the day is absolutely beautiful. And leave early because days in Nov. are short and once it's dark, there is nothing to see or do there.

6. Parma is nice. Parking lots are available near the city center.

One question from me: WHERE IS FLORENCE IN YOUR ITINERARY? Montecatini is closer to Florence than my daily commute to work!!

willie,

I'd have to give some thought to some of your questions, but a few comments to begin with.....

1. Driving in an unfamiliar country immediately after a long international flight is not always the best idea. Some studies have compared that to driving in an impaired condition. Driver's in Italy require the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used on conjunction with your home D.L.
2. Taking a day trip to Venice is going to be a long day, as the travel in each direction will be over three hours, with one change in Florence. With six hours on the train, that will only allow a short time in Venice.
3. Lucca and Pisa will be easier day trips, and train would be the best method as you won't have to worry about parking or the dreaded ZTL (limited traffic) areas (hefty fines!).
4. Sounds good.
5. A day trip to the Cinque Terre will be another longer day with travel times of 2-3 hours in each direction, but certainly possible. I don't know what the driving time is, but you could drive to La Spezia and park the car there. Use the local trains to get back and forth. You can walk in the towns, but getting from one town to the other is more of a "hike", except for the Via dell' Amore (which will be closed until next April). You can only "choose" the trains based on the schedules, which are posted in all the stations in the five towns. You can view the train options on the Trenitalia website. It will be quieter in that area in November and the weather may not be the best.

I'm sure the others will have lots of great information to add.

I must agree, given the time of year I would skip Cinque Terre. Take that day and go to Florence!

I haven't been those places in November, so won't add to the destination suggestions, but as Rosalyn mentioned, the weather could be rainy a good portion of your visit. We were in Rome just before Christmas a couple of years ago, and although there was just one really rainy day that whole week in December, many of the locals toted around umbrellas, and all the museums had umbrella stands just inside the front door, at the coat/bag check desk.

I understand that November is Tuscany's rainiest month. You may already be preparing for that, but thought I'd throw it in. Happy planning and have a great trip!

Although above I responded to your questions as you asked, however, considering you are traveling in November and you are staying only a week, I also question some of your proposed itinerary.

You have chosen to spend the entire week in Montecatini Terme, a famous spa resort between Florence and Lucca, and you might have your reasons (maybe you like thermal spas and mud baths).

Hhowever if you are staying a week in Tuscany why do you bother visiting everything but Tuscany? Venice is a long day trip. It's over 2 hours from Florence, and you are about 45 min from Florence. The Cinque Terre is also outside Tuscany and not easy too reach. The weather also will not be ideal for countryside/coastal visiting. November is more appropriate for visiting cities and towns.

Montecatini is really close to both Florence and Lucca (and Pisa). Florence can easily take two full days of your time, and Lucca+Pisa will keep you occupied for another full day.

Assuming you are in Montecatini only you should visit:
Friday: Milan arrival, immediately go to Montecatini.
Sat: Florence
Sun: Florence
Mon: Montecatini alto/relax
Tue: Lucca/Pisa
Wed: Return to Milan
Thu: fly home

You can change the order of the above itinerary but you get the picture.

ALSO I QUESTION YOUR NEED FOR A CAR. YOU DON'T NEED ONE.

If you want to visit Venice, you should go there for 2 nights, and probably visit Florence for one full day only. For example you could do (all by train):

FRI: Milan arrival, immediately go to Venice (sleep in VE)
SAT: Visit Venice (sleep in VE)
SUN: Go to Montecatini (via Florence), relax in Montecatini Alto (sleep in Montecatini)
MON: Day trip - Visit Lucca+Pisa all day (sleep in Montecatini)
TUE: Day trip - Visit Florence all day (sleep in Montecatini)
WED: Back to Milan (sleep in Milan)

You're not needy at all; we were all first-timers once. :O)

I'm wondering as well why you're renting a car when you'll barely be using it and can get everywhere by public transport? It seems like an unnecessary expense if it's going to stay parked most of the time?

I'll ask the Florence question as well: is there a reason why the capital of Tuscany is missing from a Tuscan trip?

As Roberto said, Venice is a long way from Montecatini Terme. Nearly six hours on a train for a day trip is longer than I want to spend sitting but that's a personal preference.

And ditto on the Cinque Terre in November: unless it's a really beautiful day, I'd skip it. If you do decide to go, take the train or drive only as far as LeSpezia and train in from there (but again, I'm wondering why you need a car?) As mentioned, the trails between the villages are not a 'walk'; large parts of them are very steep, involve a lot of steps, and may be in rough shape or closed altogether if there has been recent heavy rain. Trains are the way to get around if you're not a hiker or the trails are closed.

Either of Roberto's sample itineraries look like better plans to me, and do reconsider renting the car?

Wow, thank you all so much for your careful thoughts and suggestions.
We bought a complete package so it includes rental car and a week at hotel in MT. That's why I am looking at day trips only to various sights and places.
Several of you have mentioned that Cinque Terre probably wouldn't be worth it in November and asked why not Florence. Florence was on our original plan but thought it might be too big a city to actually find and see the highlights. If it's that close we probably should consider it. Will need to find the appropriate train station nearest the preferred sights as we'd need to do it in a day . . .
Thanks again. Any other thoughts would be welcome, but so far these have helped very much.
Willie

If you go to the app/website Rome2Rio, it will summarize your transportation options between cities, along with estimated time and cost, as well as the names of the train stations. Always verify the information at the websites of the actual transit agencies, but it provides an overview.

Also, the cost information is quite general – I've never relied on it for decision-making. It would not reflect things like advance purchase discount or the various classes of service.

By train from Montecatini to Florence is about 50-60 min. By car it's about 40 min (it's only about 30 miles all on a freeway), but lots of people commute to Florence in the morning and then there is the issue of parking, therefore the train is the better option. Florence central station is called FIRENZE SANTA MARIA NOVELLA (often abbreviated SMN).
Train schedules are here:
www.trenitalia.com
choose a date within the next 7 days as timetables for Regional commuter trains are loaded weekly on the website.

Once arrived at the SMN station, you are within 15 minutes walk (or less) from any of the most famous Florence sights.

Lots of people commute from Montecatini to Florence every day to work or to study at the University, so you can do the same.

If you have time (but I doubt it), near Montecatini you can also visit the following places:
LUCCA (we already mentioned it)
PISTOIA (very pretty historical center and Duomo, just a few stations away on the way to Florence)
COLLODI (Pinocchio was created here. There is a beautiful villa to visit, that is where the author of Pinocchio, who used the nom de plume Collodi, grew up)
VINCI (birth place of Leonardo da Vinci. His birthplace house is available for visit and there is a Leonardo's museum in town)
GARFAGNANA Valley (Barga, Castiglione, Coreglia) just north of Lucca.
Except for Lucca and Pistoia, all others are much easier by car.

Thanks Roberto for the train station info in Florence! We will definitely do that.
Also, the other towns you mentioned. Will look them up and see if we can fit some of them in.
Am getting more excited already!
Willie

Drive-you see so much more and the Autogrills (restaurants and gas stations located on the Autostradas) are great! We just returned from Italy 3 weeks ago and the toll booths marked with the credit card sign all took our chip and signature credit card.

Willie,
There is a lot of good info provided by the other responders. I would add my two cents, and that is that you be sure to pack along the Rick Steves guide to Italy. Read and study it! Many of your questions will be answered and it will be invaluable to use while you travel. Rick tells you city-by-city how to make train and bus connections.

I also have to chime in and say your should drop Venice and the Cinque Terre and add Florence. It is easy to take a train into Firenze and spend the day seeing the sites. It is a very walkable city. Also note, when you buy train tickets, you need to use the Italian city names so Firenze, Venezia and so on.