Traveling to Italy for first time and have hotel reservations in Lake Como, Venice & Florence thru Cinque Terre and back to Milan. Have car reservation to travel from and back to Milan. I'm second guessing that after reading about accidents and thefts with driving. Also, Milan air travel is more expensive than Rome or Zurich. Haven't made air reservations so could change that. Any suggestions on managing logistics would be appreciated.

If your interest is lowering the air fare only, look at the airfare. If your interest is lowering the OVERALL trip cost, compute all the major costs. Backtracking is an additional cost you would not incur if you do multi-city flights.

I do not believe you have placed driving concerns in common problem areas. The major issues with driving in Italy are parking and no-driving zones (ZTL) and perhaps consuming time getting lost or looking for parking spaces.

In Venice, your car sits idle accumulating rental cost and parking fees without providing you with any benefits.

Florence does not allow driving into the large section of the city core during the day. They vigorously enforce this with ubiquitous videos camera to hit you with multiple breathtaking fines. Don't drive into the city.

Cinque Terre, depending on which town you are visiting, your parking, if you can find it, can be far from your accommodation. Note carefully the parking situation that goes with your accommodation.

Depending on where you are staying in Lake Como and what you plan to do, you car can be sitting idle.

One way to avoid this, is to fly into Venice, rent a car as you leave Venice, use it in Lake Como or in Tuscany outside Florence, drop car before entering Florence, fly home from Pisa, Florence, Rome, or Milan.

You can fly into Milan and home from Venice. I would not book flights to Rome or Zurich as you're not going to those cities and you will spend extra time and money traveling to and from them

All your destinations are served by train lines so trains are your best transportation option. There's no point in renting a car to have it sit idle and pay for parking while in those locations.

Do you mean you would rent the car in Milan upon arrival and have it for the entire trip?
We have driven in Italy and I wouldn't be so worried about theft and driving. Theft from vehicles happens at home too so you shouldn't leave valuables in a car anywhere. Driving there is fine as long as you are a confident and calm driver, Italians are taught to drive very assertively and the speed may be faster than you are used to.

If I were you I'd get rid of the car in Venice and train to Florence, then train from there to Cinque Terre and back to Milan.
You can't use the car in Venice and would be paying for expensive parking and Florence has so many restricted zones that it isn't worth having a car there and risking the huge fines for driving where you shouldn't.

You can find good advice about the Italian train system

Sorry posted to soon. Good info on trains in Italy at www.seat61.com

I'd scrap the car. easy and relaxing to travel by train in Italy

Italians aren't taught to drive assertively. Some of them are just naturally that way. Others are so timid they slow down and put on their turn signal a kilometer before their turn. Very slow drivers are just as prevalent as very fast drivers. We followed a guy for over ten minutes today, with no place where we could pass him, whose maximum speed was 25 km per hour (about 15 mph). Italians are just extremely individualistic in the way they drive, and in many other things.

The biggest hazard I find driving in Italy is people who cut curves, not staying in their lanes.

Thank you all for your replies. They were very helpful. I feel more comfortable driving based on your responses. The car being idle doesn't bother me. I'm staying outside of Florence and taking a bus into town, so that should work. I feel like a car will help me get more of a feel of the country. Could come back and feel totally different, but think I'll try.

I'm not trying to change your mind but for the areas you've chosen a car won't give you more of a feel for Italy than trains will. The car will be a pain in the neck as you'll need to fight traffic and look for parking and need to watch for signs and be aware of where you cannot drive.

I have driven in Italy and find it relaxing and enjoyable but I've only driven in more rural settings where a car is necessary to get to small towns. In cities or in areas where you cannot drive (Venice, Cinque Terre) a car is an inconvenience and an added expense.

Well we have done MANY. road trips in europe - including Italy. And for the right itinerary - countryside and small towns - it makes a lot of sense. But when you are primarily going to be in places where you can't use the car - and will be paying the rental cost plus 30 euros plus a day for parking - it just doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to have one for the whole trip.

I would rent a car only for Tuscany - when it can make visiting towns you want on your schedule - and be just way more convenient than train.