Navigating Cinque Terre Trains: A How-To Guide
November 1, 2026
You’ve bought your flights, booked your hotels, and made the excruciating choice between the Cinque Terre and Amalfi Coast (or if you still need help with that, check out our blog on how to decide between Italy’s most popular coastlines) – you’re going with the Cinque Terre! Now you just need to find out how to get there and get around when you’re there. We’re here to help!
Even though the Cinque Terre is famous for its hiking, you might not always want to hoof it from one town to the next. That’s especially true if you’re short on time, since several of the hiking paths take 2 or 3 hours. (Not to mention can be difficult, risky, and even closed!). Driving between these seaside towns, on the other hand, simply isn’t an option. That’s where the train comes in. Walks of Italy also offers a day trip to Cinque Terre from Rome, for a taste of this beautiful region on a fully-guided tour by high-speed train.
Yes… you can reach beautiful Vernazza on the train!
Taking the Cinque Terre train is easy, but if you’re trying to figure it out for the first time—especially from far away—it can look more complicated than it is. Here are some of your most common questions, answered! (And here’s our guide for figuring out train travel in Italy in general!).
Where does the Cinque Terre train line go?
The Cinque Terre trains connect six stops: La Spezia (just to the southeast of the Cinque Terre, and the main transport hub for the area), the “official” Cinque Terre towns of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso, and the town of Levanto, in that order.
I’m coming from somewhere else in Italy, like Florence. How do I connect to the Cinque Terre train line?
Usually, you’ll have to connect in La Spezia. This station near the Cinque Terre is connected to cities across Italy, including Florence, Milan, and Venice (although in some cases, you’ll have to switch trains en route to La Spezia, as well).
But you don’t have to book your tickets to La Spezia, and then on to your chosen Cinque Terre town, separately. Instead, just plug in your starting point (say, Florence) and destination (say, Monterosso) on Trenitalia. The resulting page will tell you exactly what route to take (and where to switch trains). If you don’t opt for Trenitalia, why not try easy-to-use ItaliaRail? It provides 24/7 English-speaking customer service, facilitates multiple currency options and allows you to purchase tickets for up to 20 passengers in one booking. Oh, and it has a VIP Lounge in Rome Termini Station!
The Cinque Terre’s small villages, like the town of Manarola here, really are straight out of a story book.
How long does it take to get between towns in the Cinque Terre on the train?
From La Spezia to Riomaggiore is 10 minutes. And between the actual Cinque Terre towns, it’s less than 5 minutes.
How often does the train run?
Ah, now that’s what makes this harder. The train doesn’t run very often—in fact, generally once an hour. You can find information, including the timetable for the Cinque Terre train here, although it’s worth double-checking on the Trenitalia site for the most up-to-date information.
How expensive is it, and can I save money with a day pass?
Like most local trains in Italy, it’s very cheap between close stops. Vernazza to Corniglia, for example, costs €1.80. However, to save a little bit of money – and to avoid having to constantly buy, and validate (more on that later!) your tickets – you might want to get a Cinque Terre card. The card includes unlimited train travel on the whole Levanto to La Spezia line, as well as access to all hiking paths and some museum entrances. It costs €10 for one day or €19 for two days, and you can buy it at any of the area’s train stations.
If you have the time, make sure to explore each little town. Riomaggiore is just beautiful.
How do I validate my train ticket?
We’re so glad you’re asking! Because the train tickets you buy aren’t time-stamped, they’ll need to be before you get on the train – so that, if you’re checked, the conductor knows that you haven’t used the ticket more than once. You can do this at one of the validation machines located on the train platform (they’re small and yellow). Just slide the narrow end of your ticket into the slot in the machine and wait until you hear it stamp your ticket.
Update notice: This article was updated on December 27, 2024.
Show Comments
366 responses to “Navigating Cinque Terre Trains: A How-To Guide”
Book a Tour
Pristine Sistine - The Chapel at its Best
€89
1794 reviews
Premium Colosseum Tour with Roman Forum Palatine Hill
€56
850 reviews
Pasta-Making Class: Cook, Dine Drink Wine with a Local Chef
€64
121 reviews
Crypts, Bones Catacombs: Underground Tour of Rome
€69
401 reviews
VIP Doge's Palace Secret Passages Tour
€79
18 reviews
Legendary Venice: St. Mark's Basilica, Terrace Doge's Palace
€69
286 reviews
You May Also Like
Follow us
Stay up to date with travel tips, local insights and all things Italy on our social channels!
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Get curated Italy travel tips delivered to your inbox!
Another great way to hop between the Terre is by water. The view from the sea is spectacular, whereas the train ride is mostly through tunnels. You can combine boat, train and walking over several days of leisurely exploring and chilling out. Bliss!
Can you provide some more details about boat rides please.
The ferries run between the five terraces and Portovenere all day.We are staying in Riomaggiore now and have caught the ferries no problems and they run every half hour and sometimes less if it’s busy.
Are there toilets on the ferry? Silly question, but essential!
Ciao Annie, many of the ferries are equipped with toilets but we suggest asking the company before departing if having a bathroom on board is essential. Do let us know if you have any questions!
Hi.. I will be visitng cinque terre on July for 2 nights. I have read that one day is enough to see and experience the beauty of CT. On my 2nd day, i am planning to go to Pisa. Is it possible to go there in the morning and back to CT in the afternoon? If so, would you mind helping me how to get to Pisa from CT and vise versa? Your suggestions would be a big help. Thank you in advance. 🙂
Ciao Dina, we suggest traveling from CT to Pisa (and vice versa) by train, which usually takes an hour to ninety minutes. Buon viaggio!
Hi Oliver, We will be visiting Porto Venere on a yacht and will be anchored locally. We would like to explore the CT north of Porto Venere by tender. If you only had a day and half to explore, what towns and sights would you focus on?
Hi Justin,
It so depends on what you’re interested in! If you’d like to hike along the famous trails in the area, you could even hike from Portovenere all the way to Riomaggiore, then take a ferry back. (Our article on Hiking Cinque Terre might help). This will take at least a half a day, but hiking in Cinque Terre is one of the most popular reasons to visit! Or if hiking isn’t your thing, try taking the train that connects the five towns together. They are all very close, and you could tour them each in a day and a half, though you wouldn’t have much time to stop. If you’re looking for just one town, we love romantic Vernazza!
Hello,
we will be cursing the Mediterranean and arriving to La Spezia as one of Ports of Call. How can we get to the Terre? and what are good sea tours available between all the Terre? Thanks!
Hi Neeven,
You can get to Cinque Terre from La Spezia using a convenient and brief train. From there, a train connects all five of the towns together – each one is just 1-2 minutes away by train! Have a great trip!
This is very informative especially for someone like me who is about to visit CT in about two weeks. I am coming from Genova and I believe the closest station is the Prinsipe Stazione (sp?). Our guide will meet us at Rommagiorre. Thank you so much for this information!
Hi, so happy we have found your informative website. We are planning 4 nights in Cinque terre. Just wondering what the fastest train route from Venice would be, and then on our departure from CT to Rome?
Any suggestions welcome! Thanks,
Ciao
Hi Geniene,
Thanks for reaching out! Four days in the Cinque Terre sound wonderful. From Venice, you’re going to want to take the fast train to Florence, then switch to a train to La Spezia. The route takes 5 hours, and you can see the various options by putting in “Venezia” to begin and “La Spezia” to end on trenitalia.it. In La Spezia, you’ll then have to switch to the local, Cinque Terre train to get to the exact town you want to go in.
From CT to Rome, you’ll go back to La Spezia, then on to Rome. Again, you can see the solutions on the Trenitalia site for your specific date. It’ll take about 4 hours.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
There are 4 “venezia” options on trenitalia.it…which one is correct? Thanks!
Hi Donna,
It depends on which train station you want to go to! The main one is Venezia-Santa Lucia. However, if you’re in doubt, look at Google maps to see which one might be closest to your hotel or to where you want to go.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Reading the 2014 Cinque Terre train schedule, I’m confused about travel on Sundays. We need to leave Riomaggiore for La Spezia and on to Roma on Sunday, 27-July. Is the only choice the train at 9:00? If that is the only choice, I will choose an earlier train from La Spezia to Roma. Thanks for any help!
Ciao Teresa! Since the Riomaggiore-La Spezia route is on a regional train, the schedule usually is not posted until a few weeks before the departure. Tickets can be purchased online one week in advance for this route. Let us know if you have any questions 🙂
Hi there, I too am leaving Riomaggiore on 24 August 14 but headed for Venice. I am planning on taking a train from La Spezia to Milan and swapping trains to get to Venice. I see from the above post that you say the schedule from Riomaggiore to La Spezia isn’t released until a few weeks before, but more generally, can you please tell me how frequent these trains are and what is the earliest they usually begin from. I am keen to catch a 7:47am train from La Spezia to Milan but want to make sure I can get to La Spezia from Riomaggiore in that time.
Thanks for your help.
Ciao! The first train usually leaves around 5:13 and runs once an hour, but this can depend on the day of the week. We suggest taking a look on the Trenitalia website a week before your trip or asking at the station when you arrive in Cinque Terre. Let us know if you have any questions!
Thank you!
Are reservations on the CT train:
a) Possible?
b) Required?
Hi Joe,
Not possible (as far as we know), or required. Or necessary! Just take care of the tickets when you get there, and you’ll be fine. Safe travels!
Great little blog. We are arriving in CT from France, by car. Would you know if there are any long-term car parks where we can leave the car for 10 days? Levanto? La Spezia? Is it possible to book car parking in advance? And how much is it likely to cost?! If really expensive, we might consider leaving the car elsewhere and travelling the last few hundred miles by train! Thank you for any advice you may be able to give.
Hi Angie,
Good question! In La Spezia, there is free parking at the Piazza d’Armi parking lot, which also is connected to the city center via a free shuttle bus (more here). For information on parking in the Cinque Terre, check out the useful site here.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
great blog that I have just stumbled on! Just a few questions, can we leave our car overnight in the car parks for free? Also, do we need to book the carpark?
And last question, how long is the train ride from La Spezia to Riomaggiore?
Thanks for your time.
Ciao Ida! In La Spezia, there is free parking at the Piazza d’Armi parking lot, which also is connected to the city center via a free shuttle bus. For information on parking in the Cinque Terre, check out the useful site here. The train from La Spezia to Riomaggiore is approximately 7 minutes.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
What is best route if we are coming from Rome and want to see potofino and CT and end our travels in milan?
Any hotel suggestions in C T?
Hi Mark,
From Rome, you’ll want to take the train to La Spezia (don’t miss our post on how to travel Italy by train for help). To get to the Cinque Terre, you can then take the local train we talk about in this article. To get to Portofino, you’ll have to return to La Spezia and then take the regional train from there to Santa Margherita Ligure-Portofino; Portofino is 5 km away, which you can then access by either bus or by ferry. From there, you’ll want to return to La Spezia, or Genoa, and take the train to Milan.
In the Cinque Terre, it depends on which town you want to stay in. No matter where, though, we’d recommend looking into B&Bs (check out their reviews on a site like Tripadvisor before booking anything), which tend to be the area’s most charming and also economic options.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Our cruise ship docks in La Spezia. How do we get to Florence from there. We only have the one day to tour Florence. Looking for the fastest and most cost effective way to do this.
Hi Sandy,
Unfortunately, we don’t currently offer transfers between La Spezia and Florence, as it takes about 4 hours by car each way. Your fastest option instead is the train, which will take you 2 hours each way (it includes a train change at Pisa). To save on your fare, book your trains in advance, as this way you often can take advantage of discounts. You can do so on the Trenitalia site (click on the flag on the upper right of the page to change the language to English). Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hi, planning a day trip from milan. Any good recommendation on where to go?
Hi Jenn,
We’re happy to help. What would you like to know, particularly? Most people like to visit at least a couple of the towns (especially Vernazza) and hike one or two of the trails between the villages. If you’re doing a day trip from Milan, that’s also about as much as you’ll have time to do. Let us know if we can help more specifically!
Hi,
Is there a train from CT to Milan?
Yes; you’ll have to take the train from La Spezia to Milan (you’ll probably have to switch in Genoa). Just put in “La Spezia” as your starting point and “Milano” as your ending point on trenitalia.com. You might also want to check out our post on using Italy’s national rail system if you find the train site confusing. Let us know if we can help with anything else!
We will be flying into Milan and going by train to La Spezia on our way to Cinque Terre. What is the best way to get from Linate (LIN) airport Milan to the train station?
We’d recommend that you take the air bus from the airport (http://www.atm-mi.it/en/AltriServizi/Trasporto/Pages/airbus.aspx). Safe travels!
Hello Walks of Italy, I am super glad to have come across you guys and book a tour for tomorrow. I may save this question for ourguide tomorrow, but what is the best way to get from Rome to La Spezia? My friend and I are going to be in LS for three days and then spend maybe a half day in Pisa before we fly to Paris. Any tips? I feel nervous. Thank you 🙂
Hi Kathleen,
No need to be nervous! Best way is by train. Take a look at our post on how to travel Italy by train, which breaks it all down for you, and let us know if you have any questions after!
Hi our family of four are coming from Florence to Monterosso in October what is the best way to get there?
Hi Shirley,
You’ll want to take the train to La Spezia, and then switch to the local Cinque Terre train to Monterosso. You might find our post on taking the train in Italy helpful for answering questions you might have about taking the train to La Spezia. Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hello,
I am working on planning my train trip from Florence to Monterosso in July. When I search on trenitalia it tells me no travel solutions were found. Is this because the schedule hasn’t been posted yet? I was able to book my Rome to Florence tickets a while ago for just a couple days before we’re headed to Monterosso.
Thanks!
Ciao Kate! The train from Florence to Monterosso is a regional train and the timetable is usually posted just a few weeks before the departure. Please note that tickets can be purchased online only a week before. Buon viaggio!
Hello We are hoping to go to milan to see the last supper we will be staying in sirmione in september
I understand the nearest station is Desenzano I have looked but can’t seen to work out the return day fare this is for 4 adults we are thinking of the 11th or12th
can you help Thanks Irene
Hi Irene,
We’re happy to help! Prices start from 10 euros each way, and trains take an hour or 1.5 hours. You can look at the fares and times by going to trenitalia.com, clicking on “Tutti i treni” and putting in your starting point and destination.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hi, cold you please help me figure out the best way to travel from Monterosso to Cannes, France.
The only option i could figure was “Monterosso – Ventimiglia – Cannes” but it takes me a full day to do that as i have to leave at 8am and get to cannes at 4 pm..
Hi Ankit,
By train, I’m afraid, that’s your only option. You also can look into flying out of Milan or Genoa, but that will likely be a more expensive option.
Please let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hi, Does that mean you cannot take a water taxi from the Cinque Terre to Cannes?
Hi Gabby,
Unfortunately no, there are no ferries from Cinque Terre to Cannes or the French Coast in general. Here are some of your other options though: https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Cinque-Terre/Cannes
Hi, I am travelling to CT in September we are catching the train to Monterosso from Milan which has been booked already. When leaving we are heading to Rome on the train. I looked on trenitalia website and they a train ticket all the way from Monterosso to Rome that changed over in La Spezia. I was wondering is it worth booking this or should I just use the local train to get to La Spezia at whatever time best suits and just book my ticket from La Spezia to Rome online? Thanks 🙂
Hi Chelsea,
The leg from Monterosso to La Spezia isn’t likely to sell out, so that option would be fine. But if you don’t book that in advance, you wouldn’t want to book the second leg in advance either, as the time you’ll want to leave La Spezia will depend on when you get there 🙂 We’d recommend going to the Monterosso train station and booking the whole route at once at a kiosk or the desk there.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
I am going to be in Florence and I want to go to Cinque Terre, how?
When there in CT from where to take a boat trip? thank you
Hi Francis,
You’ll want to take the train from Florence to La Spezia (go to trenitalia.com for times). From there, you’ll want to take the local Cinque Terre train that we talk about between the towns. Alternatively, yes, you can take a ferry between any of the CT towns. Here’s the current schedule, valid until September 8; if you are traveling after that, then just keep checking back here for updated information.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hello! Planning to be in Cinque Terre at the end of this week. I was wondering, is it recommended to base myself in La Spezie and just do day hikes back and forth, or do you recommend hopping from one town to the other, staying a night here, a night there, etc. I prefer not to move around too much and just have as much leisure time. Also, any “cheaper” accommodations you can recommend in each town?
Hi Antoinette,
How lovely! We’d recommend actually staying in one of the five Cinque Terre towns, if you can find accommodation at this point, and not switching from night to night. The towns are very close together (it’s only 5-10 minutes between them by train), so since it’s so easy to spend the day in one even if you’re staying in another, the hassle of booking separate hotels, moving with your luggage, etc. probably isn’t worth it. For cheaper accommodation, look for B&Bs or apartment rentals. There especially are a number of B&Bs in Monterosso al Mare; we especially like Le Giare, B&B Marisa, and Manuel’s Guesthouse.
Please let us know if we can help with anything else, and enjoy your trip!
Hi there,
I am planning a trip for Feb 2014 and I’m curious on your opinion for coast to coast train travel. We would be taking the train from Venice to Genoa, see the sights in Portofino and CT, ending the coast trip in Pisa, and taking the train back to Venice (flight departs from there). OR we can reverse the trip and take the train from Venice to Pisa, ending in Genoa, and returning to Venice to fly home. Is this possible and/or what do you recommend? Oh, and try to do it all in 3-4 days
Hi Margo,
In 3-4 days, that would be a very full trip indeed! 🙂 Keep in mind that it takes 5 hours or more to take the train from Venice to Genoa alone, so that will cut into your sightseeing time. (You can look up schedules and fares yourself on trenitalia.com). With that in mind, you might want to cut down on what you do on the “other” coast—say, see the CT but not Portofino, or vice versa—or, alternatively, consider sightseeing closer to Venice instead. If you like the idea of the small towns and spectacular scenery on the Ligurian coast, why not look into sightseeing around Lake Garda instead, which has small towns and a beautiful, huge lake backdropped by the Dolomite mountains? You could also visit Verona, which is one of our favorite towns in Italy.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
We are 3 retired couples arriving Civitavecchia port from cruise ship, docks at 0500am. We want to go immediately from port to Cinque Terre to spend 2 nights in one of the Ct towns. Need details on best way to get from dock to train station to Cinque Terre . What town and hotel would you recommend to spend 2 nights in CT. Nothing real expensive, but something nice with view etc. Any info to help us would be appreciated
Hi Bert,
We’re happy to help! To get from Civitavecchia to Rome, you’ll want to take the train, which takes an hour. (Complete info about how to do this here). From there, take the train to La Spezia Centrale, which takes about 3 hours. You’ll then have to switch to the “local” CT train to the town you want to stay in. So it’s a journey, but worth it if you can spend two nights! As for where to stay, you’ll find the most options in Monterosso al Mare, especially on a budget; we’d recommend looking at reviews on venere.com or tripadvisor.com for a place within your budget. Be aware that many B&Bs require a bit of a climb up staircases to get to, worth keeping in mind if you have any mobility issues.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hello! We are flying into Pisa from France; what is the best way to get to CT?
Hi Kari,
You’ll want to take the train from Pisa to La Spezia, and then switch to the local Cinque Terre train from there to get to the town you want.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
HI there, do you think you need to reserve the train in advance from Pisa to CT? And also how long does it normally take to get out of the airport in Pisa and to the centrale station?
Thanks
Hi Charlotte,
The train from Pisa to Cinque Terre is a regional one, meaning there are no seat numbers so you can’t reserve it in advance. You’ll get your tickets and right before you board the train you validate them in a yellow box, stamping them with the date and time. Have a great trip!
Also, do you know anything about rooms with Taverna Vernazza?
Hi Kari,
Unfortunately, we’re not familiar with them personally. But for booking any accommodation, we’d recommend looking at reviews on sites like Tripadvisor and Venere before booking.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hi!
We’d like to plan a day trip to Cinque Terre from Florence. How long would it take to get there? Could we go to 2-3 cities within a 5 hour period?
Hi Jane,
We’re happy to help. Yes, you could see two or three of the towns, as they’re all quite small and the train between them takes 5-10 minutes. That said, if you want to relax, do any of the hiking paths, or enjoy a relaxed meal, you might want to pick just 2 towns instead. You can also just play it by ear, as you buy the train tickets right at the station there rather than in advance.
Please let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hi!
We are also planning a day trip to Cinque Terre from Florence. We want to do some hiking and have lunch while there. Planning on taking a nearly morning train from Florence (switching at Piza) and an evening train back. Can I not buy the train tickets until a week before? Also– what towns should be make sure to check out?
Thanks,
Jake
Hi Jacob, regional trains can only be purchased one week beforehand online. If you’re looking for a larger town, we think you’d like Monterosso al Mare. If you’re looking for something more remote and rustic, check out Manarola and Corniglia. Do let us know if you have any questions!
hi – We have an apt in Nice for the week and want to drive to or near CT for a night. where do you think the best town to stay is and how long do you think the drive would be? Also is there a boat that stops in the towns ?
thank you for your help and great info on the site!
Hi Deb,
We’re happy to help! Any of the towns are lovely; the one with the most accommodation options is probably Monterosso al Mare. So really, it depends on your budget and what exactly you’re looking for. We’d recommend looking at a site like Tripadvisor or Venere for specific reviews. The drive from Nice is about 3 hours, and as far as boats go, yes, you can take a ferry between any of the CT towns. Here’s the current schedule, valid until September 8; if you are traveling after that, then just keep checking back here for updated information.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hi,
Very informative site, thanks a lot for sharing.
I was planning on spending two days in CT, staying in one of the towns. We’ll be coming from Venice and headed to Rome. Looking to enjoy the scenery but don’t want to make it too physical as we have a 2 year old and wife is expecting.
Can you recommend an itinerary?
Thanks
Vinay
Hi Vinay,
We’re happy to help! Cinque Terre doesn’t have much in the way of sightseeing—it’s mostly about exploring the towns, relaxing and doing the area’s famed hikes (if interested). So we’d say not to worry too much about a strict itinerary. Instead, plan to visit a couple of the towns on your first day and the others on your second day, using the train in between; with a 2-year-old and pregnant wife, we wouldn’t recommend any of the hikes. The only walk you might want to do is the Via dell’Amore, but this depends on when you’re coming, as it’s currently closed and not expected to reopen until 2014.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Can I use the eurail pass I can buy online for all areas of florence, cinque terre, modena, venice etc. Or must I buy a trenitalia train pass?
Hi Dianne,
Although you should be able to use it, we’d recommend getting a pass directly with Trenitalia instead, which is much cheaper.
Let us know if we can answer anything else!
Also, what is the best train to get from CT to Milan?
Thank you for your info.
Hi Dianne,
From CT, you’ll want to go to the La Spezia train station (you can get there on the local CT train) and take a train to Milan. You can check out fares and times at trenitalia.com.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hi, we are traveling to the Siena area in sept and wanted to visit Cinque Terre. We will have a car. How far is it to get there and should we drive to take the train from Siena? Thanks.
Hi Michelle,
We’re happy to help! It will take almost 3 hours to get to the CT from Siena by car. Because of that, and because parking is limited, as well as the fact that you don’t need or want a car in the CT towns, we’d recommend perhaps leaving the car behind, unless that is you want to then drive from the CT to explore other parts of the Ligurian coastline. Don’t hesitate to check out trenitalia.com to compare train times instead or maps.google.com to look at what driving route you could take.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
May i know if i buy a train ticket from La Spezia to Monterosso, can i use that ticket for a whole day and hop among the five towns or I have to buy a Cinque Terre Card. Thanks a lot.
Hi Dorothy,
It’ll be time-stamped, so you won’t be able to use it all day. Instead, buy the card 🙂
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hi Walks of Italy,
I am so glad I found your website…very helpful. My husband and I will be arriving by cruise ship at Civitavecchia in November. We are hoping to spend 3 days in Cinque Terre before flying back to Canada from Venice.
The earliest we will be able to disembark the cruise ship is 8 am on a week-day. My questions: 1) How easy is it to get from the cruise port to the starting town in Cinque Terre? How much time should be plan for travel there? 2) Should we be staying our 3 days in one town or move as we progress with our hike? 3) If we stay in one town, how close (in travel time) is the furtherst town in Cinque Terre to the starting town? 4) How do we get from a town in Cinque Terre to Venice? And how much travel time should we allow for that. This part of the trip will be on a Saturday.
Looking for any info you can give to help me plan. Thanks
Hi Avila,
We’re happy to help! In answer to your questions:
1) From Civitavecchia, you’ll want to take the train to Rome, which takes an hour. (Complete info about how to do this here). From there, take the train to La Spezia Centrale, which takes about 3 hours. You’ll then have to switch to the “local” CT train to the town you want to stay in. So you’re looking at 4-5 hours to get there from the port.
2) We’d recommend staying in one town—moving as you progress with your hikes only makes sense if you’re willing to carry all your luggage with you on your hikes 🙂 It’s so easy and fast to get between towns by train, in any case, it’s easiest to hike a leg and then take the train back to wherever you’re staying.
3) It takes a half an hour to get from one end to the other by train. You can check out train schedules here.
4) To get to Venice, you’ll want to take the local train to La Spezia and then go on to Venice (you’ll have to switch trains at least twice, unfortunately). The journey takes 5+ hours. You can see schedules and fares on the Trenitalia site (also, here’s help for figuring out how to do that train journey).
We hope that helps you plan. Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hi,
We’ll be going to CT from Venice. We’ve been reading that reservations to La Spezia are necessary. How many days in advance should this be done? We will be in Venice on Sept 5 and will want leave for CT on the 8th. Is booking on the 5th or 6th enough time in advance? We’re trying to avoid reservations from the U.S. because of all the extra costs…
Thanks!
Hi Casey,
Reservations to La Spezia aren’t necessary, although reserving tickets does ensure of course that you’ll have a seat (very popular routes sometimes sell out). In your case, booking on the 5th or 6th should be fine for a trip to La Spezia on the 8th.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
We’re planning to visit CT during the last week of September.I’ve heard that some walking path are closed after flooding. In particular, I’m interested in “Walk of love” between Riomaggiore and Manarola. Is it open? What parts are opened?
Hi Boris,
Yes, unfortunately some trails, including the “Via dell’Amore,” remain closed (it should open in 2014). However, the other three trails, between Manarola-Corniglia, Corniglia-Vernazza, and Vernazza-Monterosso, are open.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Thanks for the very informative site. I am traveling from Riomaggiore to Naples and am concerned about limited time to change trains in La Spezia (6 minutes) and Pisa (14 minutes). Are you aware of any web sites that provide details of the platform layouts in different train stations. I am concerned about missing transfers because we have a driver picking us up a the Naples train station to take us to Praiano. Thanks!
Hi Mary,
We’d recommend booking the legs of your trip separately (the cost is the same), giving you more time to transfer in between trains. Unfortunately, we don’t know of any sites with details of platform layouts.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
We are arriving via cruise ship to La Spezia later in September. Our boat will be there from 8 until 5 so I am assuming we will get off the boat by around 10 and would like to be back on the ship at 3:30. Could you give me an idea what might be our best way to see the area in such a short time. I was looking at taking the 10:12 train to Manarola, 11:45 ferry to Venazza, 12:55 ferry to Monterosso and 14:44 train back to La Spezia. What do you think? Is it too rushed?
Hi Elaine,
Yes, you might be a bit rushed! We’d recommend choosing 2, maximum 3, of the towns to explore and relaxing a bit; that’ll still give you more than a taste for the area. If you find you have more time than you expected, you can always make an extra trip to a 4th town.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Thanks for the extremely informative site! We are planning to drive to Cinque Terre in late September and plan to hike the open trails between the towns as well as the trail to Levanto. Are there any other good hiking trails in the area?
Hi David,
Sounds wonderful! Yes, there are other hiking trails in the area (these are more advanced). The famous hiking trails are actually trail #2, while other gorgeous trails include #3, 6, 7, 8, and more. Check out our post on hiking the Cinque Terre for more information (info about the other hiking trails specifically is at the bottom of the post).
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Thanks for all of the information sharing! My husband and I are leaving the kids with grandparents and coming to CT for 4 nights from Germany in October. What is the best way to arrive at La Spezia? Air, train?
Hi Kristen,
From Germany, you’ll probably want to fly into Milan or Genoa and then take the train to La Spezia.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
We will be in Genoa Oct 21 /25
like to do two one day walks in Cinque Terra catching train from Genoa each day
Between which villages would you recommend?
Hi Tony,
We’re happy to help! Unfortunately, because of flooding a couple of years back, 2 of the 4 famous trails linking the 5 towns remain closed. So your two options (if you want to stick to the most famous trails) are the trails between Corniglia-Vernazza and Vernazza-Monterosso. We strongly encourage you to read our post about hiking the Cinque Terre trails here, and closer to your trip, to check the Cinque Terre park website to make sure nothing has been closed last minute, as trails can be closed with little to no notice because of weather or flooding.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Thank so much for the good information! Do you know any local private guide who could pick up and drop off us at La Spezia Centrale to show us the most important things to see in Cinque terre, we only have about 4 1/2 hours and then we have to travel back to Livorno to catch our cruise ship. Thank you.
Hi Lily,
We’re happy to help! You should receive an email from our office shortly with some suggestions.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hello. Thank you for this website 🙂 We are travelling via car on 13 Oct. from Florence and wanted to spend one night in Cinque Terra on our way to Venice. I know a lot of the roads are closed due to flooding so can you pls. recommend which town to stay in? I would love to go to the town with the colorful buildings or the fishing village that I keep seeing in many brochures. We are not big hikers but will do a mini hike. I also hear we cant drive into CT because the roads are too narrow? We have to take our car because that’s our mode of transportation (road trip through Italy)? Where shall I leave the car and pick it up the next day?
Hi Leah,
The CT towns are almost completely back to normal from the flooding; it’s some of the hiking paths that aren’t. So go with whatever town you’d normally go with (many people love Vernazza). If you drive to CT, leave it at the parking lot in La Spezia and then take the local train from there.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
We’d like to visit Cinque Terre by train from Florence. It will be a day trip. We don’t want to rush from village to village. Is it possible/worthwhile to just visit two villages? I was thinking of arriving to the first by train, taking the boat (with a train option as we are traveling late Oct) to the second village and returning from there to La Spezia by train. If possible, then the next question would be how to decide which two villages to explore?
Hi Sharon,
Limiting yourself to two villages would be a good idea, since it’ll still give you a good feel for the area, and if you have extra time, you can always hop on the train and fit in a third one. We’d recommend definitely Vernazza, which is the beautiful town featured on so many postcards; your second town is really up to you, as the towns each have a slightly different character but are similar as well, and they’re all lovely! Basically, you can’t go wrong 🙂 Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hi, this is a great site, lots of info! We will be leaving Florence traveling to RioMaggiore next week and now know we need to take the train to La Spezia. However do you know if there is anywhere to leave our luggage in Florence, since we would only like to have backpacks in CT for the 3 days? There are 6 of us traveling. Thank you!
Hi Donna,
We’re happy to help! Yes, you can leave your luggage at the main Florence train station of S. Maria Novella. It’s on the ground floor at platform 16. More info and costs here. Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Thanks for your geat website. We plan on taking a train from Milan to La Spezia but staying in Lerici (the Doria Park Hotel). Can you give me any information about taxis or shuttles to Lerici from the station, including estimated cost.
Hi Henry,
We’re happy to help! There is a bus from Fossitermi, in La Spezia, going to Sarzana and stopping at Lerici on the way. Journey time: 35 minutes. It is important to note that you cannot pay the busfare on the bus itself; you have to buy the bus ticket at the bar of the train station. See http://www.atclaspezia.it for the updated timetable.
Meanwhile, a taxi shouldn’t cost too much, as it’s only 11km, but it really depends; before getting into a taxi, definitely ask the driver about how much the route will cost.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hi, I am traveling from Florence to Cinque Terre for 2 days in a few weeks. I am a bit confused about the tickets: if I get one from Florence to Monterosso then does that include the Cinque Terre travel pass? And, how is La Spezia as a base to stay?
Hi there,
You’ll want to buy a Florence to La Spezia ticket, which is just for getting from Florence to La Spezia. You’ll then get a ticket from La Spezia to Monterosso or, alternatively, can buy a pass that covers unlimited travel between towns in the Cinque Terre.
We’d recommend staying in one of the other CT towns than La Spezia, which is a convenient transport hub for getting elsewhere around Italy, but doesn’t have quite the same charm as the smaller towns (like Monterosso).
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
We’ll only be in Florence for two days- a Monday and Tuesday. Museums are closed on Monday so we’ll be doing those on Tues. We wanted to see the Duomo on Monday. Just heard about the train to Cinque Terre. Wondering if we can fit a trip in. How long is the train ride from Florence to the nearest town?
Thanks for any help!
Hi Debi,
The fastest train from Florence to La Spezia is 2 hours (you also have to change trains). You then have to switch trains again, and it’s another 10 to 15 minutes to the smaller towns in the heart of the CT. While you can do it as a day trip, therefore, it’s a long day! In all honesty, with only 2 days in Florence, we really wouldn’t recommend taking one day as a day trip. You’d also be surprised at just how much is actually open in Florence on Mondays, museums included. Make sure to check out the blog post we’ve written on exactly that – what to do in Florence on a Monday! Let us know if we can help with anything else!
My sister and I will be traveling from Florence to CT in late December. Can you tell me about the weather, hiking conditions and accessibility from town to town. Also would you recommend that drop off our luggage at our hotel in Vernazza and then start exploring? How many trains leave Florence to CT per day? Thanks.
Hi Rosemary,
Our post on the Cinque Terre in the off season answers many of your questions, here. Yes, we’d recommend dropping your luggage first in Vernazza, as you won’t want to lug it around! For trains, check trenitalia.com (put in Florence as the start and La Spezia as the end); trains tend to run every hour or so, but you’ll find more info for your specific date on the site.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hello!
Thank you so much for such an informative blog. I’m so happy I randomly came upon it in an internet search a week before my trip!
We’ll be spending three nights in the Cinque Terre at the end of October. We’re looking to travel then from the Cinque Terre to Nice, France. We’re having a hard time figuring out how to book our trains while crossing international boarders. Do you have any suggestions or websites that we could look into?
Thank you so much for this blog and in advance for the advice!
Hi Monica,
This site should help! Let us know if we can answer anything else.
Hi
Hope I’m not repeating someone else’s question, your site is getting quite long.
We’re taking the train from Orvieto with a stop in Pisa and on to CT. Should we go directly to our lodging and sightsee other towns the next day or do you have a better suggestion.
Do the train stations in CT have lockers for luggage in the event we get there early?
Can’t wait to experience your towns
Jackie from Canada
Hi Jackie,
Yes, the La Spezia train station has a locker for storage. For the purposes of relaxation, you might want to go to your lodging and sightsee the next day, but we’d say play it by ear depending on how you feel!
Hi guys,
Stumbled onto your website- it’s great very informative
Can I just check I have this straight:
I have a pre- purchased ticket from Rome-la spezia. I’m staying in monterosso.
So I’m thinking I get myself to the main train station in Rome , look at the signs, find my platform then validate my ticket
– its exactly like the one on one of your other pages – do I just put it in near the arrows and it will stamp it?
Train looks like it takes 4 hrs
Then get off in la spezia and get on local train to monterosso which looks like the 5th stop
– is this all in the same station?
Anything else I need to know or any misconceptions I have?
I’m there for 4 days what do you think is the best itinerary to follow… I know a pretty open ended question lol
Thanks heaps
Hi Stace,
We’re happy to help! That sounds right to us, except if you already have purchased your ticket and are printing the pass off from your computer, it should already have the time written and you do *not* need to validate it at the station. Then, yes, you can transfer in La Spezia to Monterosso in the fifth station; for that journey you will need to buy (and this time validate) a separate ticket.
Best itinerary is indeed open ended, as it depends very much on your interests! However, most people like to spend at least a couple of days hiking the Cinque Terre trails.
Safe travels!
AM very excited about CT when I read about it. We are coming from Singapore and will be arriving vial Linate – Milan about 12 noon on 25 Nov. It will be a family of 5. Idea is to head straight to a town on CT for 2 nights.
I have researched a few modes of transport , Trains – Shuttles – Car Rental. Seems that possible the most economical and time saving mode might be renting a car from Linate and returning at Milan Central as we intense to spend 3 nights at Milan to do Lake Como etc. or Taking the Shuttle / Taxi for 5 pax. Less waiting time but might be costly.
My question would be:
1. Which town would you recommend We stay at? Was thinking Vernazza?
2. Mode of transport to CT from Linate to CT and back to Milan after the 2 nights at CT?
Thank you for your valuable advice.
Hi Vincent,
We’re happy to help!
1) Vernazza is beautiful. Just be aware that you won’t be able to park in Vernazza, so it’s probably easiest to leave your car in La Spezia and take the train that we write about in this post to Vernazza.
2) Yes, renting a car as you’re a family of 5 might make the most sense, but be aware that you won’t want the car while you’re actually in the CT, so you’ll want to leave it at a parking lot in La Spezia, most likely. That means you’ll be paying for two days when you’re not really using the car, of course, but might still be cheaper than buying 5 separate train tickets–check trenitalia.com to make sure (and don’t forget to include the cost of petrol!).
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hi there,
I will going to CInque Terre either from Florence or Pisa. How far from each of this point to CInque Terre?
I am a girl and going alone, it is safe?
Thanks
Hi Rainco,
Yes, it is perfectly safe. It takes about 3 hours from Florence or Pisa, but depends on which trains you take; you can check at trenitalia.com.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hi there,
We are planning to go to CT on a day trip from Florence on Dec 26, 2013.
We need your help to make sure that there is no boat operated on that day.
And how about restaurant or cafe on that day. Are they still open?
Thank you
Hi Patricia,
Ferries don’t tend to operate in the winter, so you’ll want to take the train instead. Most restaurants and cafes will be closed, since it’s a holiday as well as low season, but you should be able to find something open! Enjoy your trip!
Hi there My friend and I plan to visit Cinque Terre for 2 days as we want to add some nature, scenic getaway in our trip apart from the conventional city sight-seeing. Any other places in Italy you would recommend which is akin to Cinque Terre [ prefer to enjoy the nature than seeing buildings, architectures etc]. We would leave for Venice after this.
For more spectacular, natural scenery that isn’t too far from the Cinque Terre, you might want to rent a car and, on your way to Venice, check out the “lake district” of northern Italy—particularly Lake Garda and the dramatic Dolomite mountain range.
Let us know if we can help with anything else!