Alice, I am sure you meant the trains stop in Rapallo--not Portofino--which has no train access.

YEAH, and from Rapallo frequent buses. Still I must insist that Portofino is not the best polace to stay: several better value places nearby.

Wow! Thanks for all of the fabulous input! I have looked into the Lungarno and the Savoy, and both seem very nice. Do you think I will have an issue with air conditioning in mid September to first of October? Some of my friends have been to Hotel Splendido in Portifino and LOVED it...they hiked in Cinque Terre and said it was just what they wanted. I respect their opinion, in that they know us personally and know what we like to do when traveling. IF there is lots of hiking and beautiful lazy days, then that will be very pleasing to us. I appreciate your candid opinion on the subject, however. The only other issue I have is how to spend my time in Tuscany. Should I stay in the same place and drive around from there (either the Grand Continental Hotel in Siena or Borgo San Felice in San Felice outside of Siena) or spend the 2 nights there and then the 3rd night in Perugia and see Umbria on our way to Rome. (Maybe drop the car off in Perugia as suggested and train into Rome). Thank you again for any help on this info.

Stay outside Siena for the whole 3 days, You cn't start scratching the surface of everything there is to see in the Siena area (and let's not talk about the rest of Tuscany) in three days, and certainly you cant' even think od seeing anything of Umbria in just one day!