Thank you PeaceOut for your accommodations suggestions - will check it out as it sounds ideal!

Yes Suze - we have a light weight umbrella stroller that will be easy to take with us I hope.

Charnees, Lucca is sounding better and better - thanks for the confirmation.

It all seems less stressful and more exciting when you minimize problems with the help of those who have experienced this type of trip. It will be fun to go with the flow knowing we have the important things planned.

This is a great thread! I can feel your stress level going down already!! With a few important changes to your original thoughts, you've got a fabulous trip in the making here. Have fun. Enjoy.

You might be interested in staying at Santa Margherita Ligure, a lovely small harbor city. It is not a big tourist destination, and we thought it had a nice vibe. We stayed three nights, and from there, we took a bus to Portofino for a day, and we took a train to Vernazza to walk the Cinque Terre. Even though you aren't going to hike there, you might enjoy seeing the little towns by train.

Here are my notes about the place we stayed there:
"We really enjoyed the Nuova Riviera, via Belvedere 10, www.nuovariviera.com. The little B&B hotel is located on a slight hill, on a quiet narrow road, in a nice semi-residential neighborhood, only 200 meters from the harbor and the center of town. They call it a “liberty villa with garden”, and you feel at home there
. __The owner met us at the front gate, to assist with our bags from the taxi up to our room on the third floor. There is a beautiful staircase at the Nuova Riviera, but no elevator. Breakfast is included (very simple pre-packaged rolls, but nice cappuccino, also simple juice). Our room was very reasonable, 98.50 EUR for a double/twin with breakfast. (It would have been slightly less expensive if I hadn't gone through venere.com)
__Actually, our room had three twin beds, and was quite large with a big wardrobe, a desk, a roll-top desk, and two upholstered chairs. The room had a unique rounded wall, with large windows, and also a ceiling fan. The bathrooms are relatively new, with nicely tiled shower stalls. It was sparkling clean and very charming.
__The owner and his manager live there, I think, so they are there to say Hello and Goodbye whenever you are coming and going. It's a very personal touch, so you feel like you're staying in a private residence really. They are very helpful in answering questions, providing maps and directions. __"