My husband and I are planning a trip to Northern Italy toward the end of August - beginning of Sept. We only have 9 days unfortunately so we were trying to come up with an itinary. We are flying into Venice and out of Milan. Does anyone know how we could get from Venice to the Cinque Terre? Should we rent a car in Venice and drive? Any idea how long the trip would be by either train or car?

Check www.trenitalia.com for train schedules and www.viamichelin.com for driving route, distance and time estimate.

We took the train a few years ago. It was a direct train from Venice to Monterosso, and we were staying there, so this worked fine for us. I think it was about a 4-5 hrs ride, and we bought the tickets the day before. We were there in May. Hope this helps.

Thank you. gives us some idea where to start.

We took the train from Venice to Santa Margherita Ligure, where we stayed and day-tripped to Cinque Terre. I don't remember for sure, but it was probably at least 4 or 5 hours on the train, with one change. It's not difficult to do, lots of trains run daily.
>-

Since you can't drive in Venice, and having a car in Le Cinque Terre is a pain, take the train.

However, might I point out that at the end of August you are likely to find Cinque Terre jam packed with tourists? Will that bother you? It will be boiling hot too. Much too hot to hike and you since the towns are set on very, very steep hills, you will be walking up stairs a lot, plus waiting for trains.

Any chance you're interested in going someplace else?

Cinque Terre is not a requirement. We were also thinking of Lake Como. We are going to rent a car at some point and do a 2 nights in Piedmont region as my husband is a wine lover. We have driven in Italy before, but it did seem like having a car before Cinque Terre would be a pain. Tourists don't bother me too much, but if it is too hot to hike, then a Cinque Terre might not be worth it. Lots to think about I guess.

When you get to Piemonte, if you have a car, you might ask the locals for tips on where to enjoy the beach if the weather gets hot. There are smaller town, some with pretty beaches and coves and good eats, all along the Ligurian coast. Between Genoa and the French border, some of those towns have gotten ugly with overdevelopment, but some still have lovely historic corners. Also, depending on where you are in Piemonte, it's not out of the question to dip into France and enjoy eating and swimming in Menton, for instance.

"We are going to rent a car at some point and do a 2 nights in Piedmont region as my husband is a wine lover."

Consider a visit to Baur B&B near Acqua Terme, a bit NW of Genoa. You won't regret it: (I'm not a commercial promoter, just adored it.)

http://www.pbase.com/karenmickleson/...eakfast_photos

OR:

http://tinyurl.com/24rcur

Karen
http://www.pbase.com/karenmickleson

Thanks for the input. sounds like we have a lot of options. If day triping to Cinque Terre, from Santa Margherita or Monterossa how many days do you think we would need in the area?