To avoid the long train ride back to Rome, investigate multi-city flights, flying into Rome and then flying home from Milan. Then you could put Rome nights first and pick up the car after Rome. End in Lake Como and drive to a Milan airport to depart. (Or reverse the process and fly into Milan and begin with Lake Como and end in Rome.)

Considering your description of what you'd like to do and see in Tuscany, it doesn't seem like one night will be enough. One night in a place gives you only parts of two different days for exploring.

I'd drop Lake Como and add the nights to Tuscany. Stay someplace like this: http://www.tuscany.net/bigozzi/ You can see Florence, Siena and San Gig from there.
(We stayed there for two nights on our first trip to Italy, and wish we had planned for longer. Couldn't afford it on our last trip but we spent two weeks in a flat in Umbria as we'd learned our lesson!)

Fly into Rome, drive to Tuscany, drop car in Florence (or Lucca) and train it to Cinque Terre. Train back to Rome.

With just 7 nights, I recommend you head to southern Tuscany upon arrival, spend 4-5 nights, then spend your last 2-3 nights in Rome. The itinerary you currently have is just too much moving around and not enough time to enjoy your destinations.

I like to stay near Pienza, the area I feel is the most beautiful in Tuscany. Besides the beauty of the countryside, there are wonderful towns and villages to visit.

A few suggestions for where to stay in the Pienza area-

http://www.fontebertusi.it/
(my favorite place to stay in the area- a fantastic location and wonderful hosts)

http://www.cretaiole.it/index.en.php
(Excellent location)

http://www.terredinano.com/pages_eng/prezzi_agriturismo_toscana.aspx

http://www.lafonte.toscana.it/2006/ita/
(Excellent location)

http://www.agriturismosangallo.com/ENG/home.html

http://www.tobruk.it/agriturismo.php?lingua=en
(Incredible views and a beautiful property)

http://www.lupaia.com/location.html
(A beautiful B&B located in the valley below Montepulciano)

http://www.lafoce.com/
(Beautiful apartments/houses/villa/property- very special)

http://www.lacasadiadelina.com/index.php?page=default&id=9&lang=en
(A small, lovely B&B located within the small, lovely town of Monticchiello)

http://www.lemaribelle.it/intro.en.php
(3 apartments located in Monticchiello)

If none of the above works for you, consider searching these two websites-

http://www.cretedisiena.com/english/

http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/europe/italy/tuscany/valdorcia

Rent your car through kemwel.com.

Thank you guys so much!! Unfortunately we bought our ticket in and out of rome so hos about 3 nights Tuscany 2 nights ct and 2 Rome? Or we are thinking or just getting a car and heading down to Amalfi coast for 5 nights and each day going somewhere else (one day sorento,Capri , revelo.. Then back to Rome for 2 nights? It's me im 26 my sisters 22 and 19 and fun parents. With Tuscany im just thinking my little sisters won't have fun.. Help! Where should we stay in Rome?

Nicole,
Brava for taking this on, and at this late date since summer is here. What are your exact dates?

Going south is also a good idea, but you may want to rethink the car idea since you will need a larger car than you will want to drive on the Amalfi Coast.

Think about a base in Sorrento, and using ferries for day trips along the AC, to Positano, Capri, Ravello. There are also boat tours you could book for day tours that o along the coast, stopping for swims ad lunch. From Sorrento you could also take the Circumvesuviana train for a Pompeii day. Then back to Rome for your last nights.

If you so this, you can take the train from Rome to Naples, and then hire a car for the drive to Sorrento, easier with luggage.

But whatever you do, you must book now.

Portofino is about 2 and a half hours away from Como. But honestly, you'll have to add another 40 minutes to get to Bellagio (http://www.comoguide.com/bellagio-italy.html) by ferryboat.

Not visiting Bellagio in Lake Como is like not visiting Vatican city in Rome.

Way too much for 7 days. Consider 2 destinations, Rome and Tuscany would be a good pair since you have to fly into and out of Rome. 3 days in Rome and 4 in Tuscany would make a good trip. As your trip currently stands, you drive a lot but don't leave yourself time to do your destinations justice.

This summer? You'd better get reservations set. I'm not sure why you think your younger sisters wouldn't enjoy Tuscany...it is pretty awesome. Especially if you stayed somewhere out in the country with killer views and a pool.

Driving on the Amalfi coast would be stressful. It's high season, the big buses rule that tiny windy road, and honestly, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. You would be better off basing somewhere and taking daytrips via bus and ferries.

I agree, pick two destinations for this short period of time. It may sound like heresy, but you don't have to see Rome. Itself, on this trip. You could stay in Tuscany for the whole trip, daytripping in to Florence, and maybe throwing in an overnight to Cinque Terre. As opposed to the Amalfi coast, Tuscany is a lot easier to drive around.

FCO is a food distance from rhe city, and situated right off the A1 Highway, you can fairly quickly get to Tuscany, Umbria, or even the AC.

okay thanks for your advice.. we've been florence and rome.. and i feel that rome is soooo touristy.. so it seems either do amalfi coast.. or Tuscany and CT.. and rome for a night.. which city should we stay in tuscany and what day trips should we go from there.. ?

also where should we stay in ct .. or outside of CT?

You guys are great help!!! couldnt do it without you..

You know -- you can get a good idea of what is "day-trippable" playing with google maps! Say you want to stay around San Gimignano. Go to "Driving Directions" and plug in San Gimignano. See how long it takes to get to Sienna from there. Or Volterra, or Greve in Chianti, or Lucca. OR -- this might work best for you -- find your self two bases: Say Lucca for a few nights (you could probably see CT from there without doing an overnight in CT; and Montalcino or Pienza for the remainder! This is some of the most fun parts of planning a trip. Try it. You'll like it!

Nicole, I think if I were you, I might look at both ideas (Tuscany/CT and Amalfi Coast) and see what lodging options your family of 5 will have since you are going this summer. The CT is small and books up in summer, though you can stay outside and day trip in. And you will either need an apartment or two rooms for your group. With 7 nights you can either stay in one place or pick two, but right now accomodations are key. Either location will make a wonderful trip.

Four nights in Tuscany, two in CT, one near the Rome airport sound good to me. That's realistically three days in Tuscany and one and a half in CT before driving back south, so it's not as much as you think.

Thank you all so much. We are arrive in rome at 1215pm .. do you think we should pick up the car from there and head to tuscany? or stay in rome for a night? how far is CT from tuscany.. now im hearing of some place called forte di marmi which is amazing and we should stay there and do day trips? thoughts?

Should we stay in Luca .. should we drive there when we get into rome at 12pm or take a train?

Yes. You could pick up a car at the airport and get to Tuscany easily that afternoon. Go to google driving directions and input FCO, Rome Italy to Lucca, Italy and see if you like what it tells you. I think you all might love Lucca.

Keep the car for the whole time ( unless you want to go into Rome at the end, then just drop it back at the airport.) Since there are 5 of you, doing your daytrips in the car may be more economical than trains...

Nichole,

If you think Rome is SO touristy - wait until you see Portofino or the Amalfi Coast in summer! Brace yourself.

All your potential destinations are wonderful. Stay long enough to enjoy them.

Buon viaggio!