We are spending a couple days in Cinque Terre and our next stop (in a 5 week trip across Europe by train) is Barcelona. Only problem is--I just can't seem to find a good way to get there from Cinque Terre. It appears to me that we would have to spend an entire night switching from one local train to another every hour or so---has anyone ever done this and how did you figure it out?
Thanks for any help.
snow,
When are you going to be making the trip from the C.T. to Barcelona? That's going to be a long trip by train, so I'd suggest using a budget airline instead.
You could (for example) use Vueling from Pisa to Barcelona, although they don't have flights every day. It's a relatively short rail trip from the C.T. to Pisa and only about a 1.5 hour flight from there. You could also have a look at EasyJet from Milan / MXP to Barcelona, as they offer several flights a day so that provides some choice in departure and arrival times. I flew that route last year, and it's very pleasant.
Ken, that's a great idea. I hadn't considered it because I was afraid we would have too much luggage to qualify for a flight. We actually will only have one carry on apiece, but we'll be over 20 lbs. in weight and there's nothing much we can do about it as we have to have the suitcases. But it's definitely worth looking into.
snow,
If you decide to use EasyJet, note that they only allow ONE carry-on item per passenger. That doesn't mean "one plus a personal item such as a purse or Laptop case", it means ONE ONLY! There are no weight restrictions for carry-on but you'll have to be able to lift it into the bins on your own. There are size restrictions though, and they DO verify that so you may have to check your two bags (depending on how big they are). EasyJet, departs from MXP Terminal 2 and I can provide more specific directions on getting there if you need them, and also on the easiest way to get into Barcelona from the airport.
If your "carryons" don't meet the carryon requirements of a particular airline, you can just check them. Be sure to bring a smaller bag, so you can take your valuables on the plane with you. I had to do this in Turkey (my carryon had to be under 12 pounds for their domestic flights, so I just pulled out my electronics and checked everything else). If you're flying a budget carrier, be sure to prepay if you are checking luggage - they charge more at the airport. Look into the non-budget carriers too, as they have substantially more generous luggage policies.
Unless you have several day to make the trip, the only practical way to get from the Cinque Terre to Barcelona is to fly.
Vueling allows one personal item in addition to the carry on. Checking a bag with them isn't too expensive either.
Ken, you have solved the problem I think. It appears that Easy Jet will work best for us as there are more flights.
We will be staying in Deiva Marina so can you give me an idea of just how long we should figure from there to the airport? And yes, I would love help in getting from the airport to the city.
Thanks so much.
snow,
The trip from Deiva Marina to Milano Centrale appears to vary between 2H:57M and 4H:10M, so you may want to check the Trenitalia website to determine which train you want to use. The train I'd probably take is a departure at 07:53, arriving Milano Centrale at 10:50 (time 2H:57M, one change at Rapallo).
When you arrive at Milano Centrale, go to the left (with your back to the tracks) and down the stairs to Piazza Luigi di Savoia, where you'll find the Malpensa Shuttle (Bus). You can buy tickets right there and the trip to MXP Terminal 2 will be about 50 minutes (subject to traffic of course). You'll need to validate your ticket prior to boarding the Bus. One other point to mention is that I believe there are two firms offering Shuttle Bus service to MXP. AFAIK it doesn't matter which one you use, however each of them issue their own tickets.
EasyJet now uses a system where passengers check-in and print their boarding pass up to a month prior to departure. There's no check-in at the airport although there is a luggage drop. You might consider paying extra for their "expedited service" as it makes the process much easier. If you think your checked luggage will be over their allowable weight limit, it will be cheaper to pay for the next weight tier at the time of booking, rather than at the gate. As with most budget airlines, passengers are packed in like sardines, but it will get you to your destination.
When you arrive in Barcelona, using the AeroBus is about the cheapest method to get into the city. As I recall, the airport stop is about a block to the right when you exit the Terminal. The website will provide the details (or follow the herd as others from your flight will likely also be using the Bus). The Bus is fairly basic, but as I recall there are large luggage racks in the centre. You'll arrive at Plaça Catalunya, at one end of La Rambla. if your hotel is in that area, you should be able to walk from there.
Happy travels!
Ken, THANK YOU so very much! This resolves one of my biggest headaches on planning this trip.
Thanks, Ken. We heartily agree with your advice to fly.
