My first European Adventure

You will find that you cannot purchase tickets Cinque Terre to Chamonix at tgv-europe.com (the French national rail service) because the trip originates in Italy, and there are several transfers involved. However, you can use that site to book your journeys from there and take advantage of discount fares, if there are any left. You can pick up all your tickets for those journeys in Chamonix.
Be aware that it will take you all day to make the train journey from Cinque Terre to Chamonix (8 1/2 to 9 1/2 hours) so you won't have a lot of time there before you head out the next day to Geneva.
Book all your Italian train journeys once you arrive in Rome (including Cinque Terre-Chamonix) so your seats are assured...and you may get lucky and get some discounts as well.
One question....do you realize you're back-tracking a fair bit from Milan to Cinque Terre? Why not stop there on your way to Milan? An added benefit...connections from Milan to Chamonix are a lot shorter....only a 5 hour journey, and fewer changes. With your tight schedule, you'll want to cut travel time, and make your journeys as efficient as possible.

Yes, I realize that we are back tracking, we have to hit the relatives on he weekend.

What about a rental car is that an option instead of train?

A rental car would be an option...escept that you'll incur a massive additional charge for dropping it off in France. You might want to consider dropping either Chamonix or Geneva (or maybe both) from your list....it's a very busy schedule, and you won't be seeing much except the inside of a car or train for those days.

Good point, might drop Geneva

Could I rent a car in Rome drop it off inside Italy right before Chamonix and pick another one up for Chamonix to Paris leg

Alex,

A few points about using a rental car:

Each driver will need the compulsory International Driver's Permit for driving in Italy. This must be used with your home D.L. and failure to produce one if requested can result in fines on the spot.

Driving will be much slower than using fast trains. Your trip appears to be about 12 days, visiting seven locations. Minimizing travel times will be important.

Many towns in Italy are adopting limited traffic zones (ZTL) to discourage vehicle traffic in historic areas. Inadvertently driving past one of the computerized Cameras will result in a €100+ violation ticket each time.

For such a short trip, fast trains would be a more efficient travel method.

Regarding lodgings, what type of accommodations are you considering? There are lots of good listings in each of the country-specific Guidebooks. In the case of the Cinque Terre, you'll have to decide which of the five villages you want to stay in. March will probably be "quiet" in that area, so Monterosso may be the best choice, as it's the largest town and has the best selection of Hotels.

What type of information do you need concerning food? At least you'll have some home cooked meals when you're visiting relatives in Milan.

Happy travels!

In addition, if you drive on Swiss highways, you'll need a windshield vignette sticker. Most rental companies should offer them, but you have to request one. The dreaded foreign drop-off fees, I have found, aren't that bad considering the over all cost of a European trip.

Dropping your Italian-rented car in Geneva won't save you any money. Dropoff charges are incurred when you rent in one country and drop off in another....so it'll still affect you if you turn it in, in Geneva.
The cost of a drop-off like that could double the price of your rental over the couple of days you'll be renting it.
Yes, you could rent in Rome then drop off before the border....the question is where? The city of Aosta might be the only place available....then, of course, you have to figure out how to get from there to Chamonix. There are some buses, but most, I believe, are aimed at skiiers.

OK...an Italian bus company called SAVDA makes about 5 runs/day from Aosta to Chamonix....travel time is about 2 hours, with the last bus leaving at 3:45 pm. The information's only in Italian so, if you don't read Italian, get your Milano relatives to check it out for you.
Even then, though, driving from La Spezia to Aosta will probably take close to four hours....an hour to turn hte car in and make it to the bus station on time, then a two-hour bus trip....you're still not going to have a lot of time in Chamonix before you're gone the next morning. You might still consider dropping Chamonix and/or Geneva this trip. Right now, excluding Milan, you've got 6 stops in eight days...that's VERY rushed. As Rick says, assume you will be back!!

Ok, you sold me on the train...

What type of rail pass would be the best one for the revised itenerary: 18-19 Rome -> 20-22 Milan (relatives) -> 23-25 Chamonix -> 26-27Beaune -> 28-30 Paris

• Also how do I get from the train stations to hotels with 2 suitcases and 2 backpacks and how do I get around in the cities.

I feel so helpless w/o my car (-;

Can't help with the railpass, but as for your second question:

Also how do I get from the train stations to hotels with 2 suitcases and 2 backpacks and how do I get around in the cities.

Your basic choices are, in ascending order of price: walk, public transport (bus or light rail) or taxi. (In Milan you may have option 4, get a lift from your relatives.)

I prefer to get a hotel that is either in walking distance from the train station or a light rail stop (these usually connect well with the main station) but it's not a hard and fast rule. Sometimes a €20 taxi ride is worth it for the convenience.

P.S. Even with a car chances are you'd have to park a ways away from the hotel, especially in Rome or Paris.

A railpass won't be worth it....you still have to make, and pay for, reservations for most of these journeys. See the earlier postings on your questions regarding the purchase of point to point tickets in Italy and, for France, on TGV-Europe.com. Be aware that deep discount tickets on TGV Europe (the French national railway) are usually non-refundable, so you have to be confident of your travel dates...and read all the conditions of carriage.
Why are you carrying two suitcases and two knapsacks!!!

Two suitcases for warmer clothing, traveling in March I assume the weather will be in 50s

Also need a suitcase for my wifes make up (-;

Layer it on...the most efficient way to dress, and pack. You're only going to be gone for 12 days, so check out Rick's packing tips. One suitcase and one knapsack, per person, isn't a lot...just try to cut it down to the smallest suitcase possible.