Cittivechia to Cinque Terre
 

I would appreciate some suggestions please!

We disembark in Cittivechia, and we have 7 nights and 8 days to tour on land (May 16-23, 2009) and then leave from Milan on the 23rd. We would like to see Cinque Terre, Parma (day trip?), Como area (Verenna).

If we pick up the rental car in Cittivechia, how long of a drive to Cinque Terre? Should we stay at a city in between for one night, and if so...where?

Out of 7 nights, we thought 2 in Cinque Terre and 2 (or 3?) in Verenna. The others? Any guidance or suggestions please? Thank you!!!

We just spent 3 nights and 2 full days in Cinque Terre, staying in Vernazza at La Mala. It was a good stay to hike the entire trail and have relaxing dinners. It is not enough time to explore the 5 towns. If you want to do that, you should plan for more time. It is a magical area and one not to be missed!

The drive is about 4 hours depending on your choice of towns in the CT. I would only do 2 destinations with your last nite near MXP.

Our flight is at 12:10pm from MXP...if we stay one more night in Varenna about how long will it take to the airport on a Saturday?

Is there a train from Cittivechia to Cinque Terre? Would that be better than driving from Cittivechia...then rent a car when we leave Cinque Terre?

Decide where you want to go---the CT is 5 villages--really 7 in my book.
The train station at Varenna will be a good :10 walk uphill that morning--then to Milan--then a bus to MXP. Doable but you need to want to.

Civitavecchia

Here you can find a general overview of the Cinque Terre.
http://www.arbaspaa.com/cinque_terre_EN.aspx

I think with that much time you have plenty of time to do your original itinerary, and Parma is a lovely choice -- just keep paying attention to pig reports. It is pig central in Italy!

Were it me, I would rent a car. If you don't like "road trips" of looping from town to town, use your car to drive to Portovenere, and use Portovenere as a base for visiting both Cinque Terre and Parma.

If you are very very keen on hiking in Cinque Terre, stay in one of the Cinque Terre towns. But if you just want to see them, and you don't mind switching hotels, you might have a very nice trip with 3 days in Portovenere, 2 days in an agriturismo near Parma and 2 days on Lago di Como. You could spend your last night on Lago d'Orta and drive to Malpensa by 9am for your flight.