Biking in Cinque Terre

No way, no how. Take a look at some of the vertical steps involved.I recall one section that had 600 rough steps carved out of the natural rock. You would have to carry half the time. Besides, bikes are prohibited on the trail.

A back pack and hiking are your best bet. Have a great trip!

Bob is so correct. Actually, the first part of the trail from Riomaggiore to Manarola is very level and you could easily bike on that portion. But that's 10 minutes. The trails between Corniglia/Vernazza and Vernazza/Monterosso have about 1,200 stairs up and 1,200 stairs down. The stairs are most made from uneven stacked rocks. These are not bike trails.

The only level access between the towns on land are owned by the railroad companies so no biking there. the other is by ferry. No biking there either.

I've never seen a bicycle on the CT trails. They may not be allowed. Even on the easy sections there are some serious stairs to be negotiated.

I believe biking is allowed recently on a seperate trail roughly following the same route as Sentiero Rosso.
Please check this website
http://www.smartertravel.com/travel-advice/the-secret-side-of-cinque-terre.html?id=2407630

Biking is prohibited on all the popular Cinque Terre trails that you see in Rick's videos and books. You'll understand why when you get there.The biking trails referred to in another post are described here http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/biciclette_2.asp?id_lingue=2--but let's be clear that the biking trails are NOT the trails you have seen in the typical tourist guidebooks and videos: biking is prohibited on those. I have not biked any CT trails, the description of them is not clear about the suitability or safety of these trails for someone with a 20-month old in a car seat; and also does not say anything about the availability of a child car seat for the bikes.

If you are worried about the suitability of heavy hiking with a 20-month-old then obviously I would recommend that you stick to the easiest parts. The Via dell'Amore that stretches between Riomaggiore and Manarola has very little slope to it whatsoever.

The next section, from Manarola to Corniglia, is more rugged but still very reasonable... right until you get to the Corniglia train station. From the train station it is 377 steps up to the town. So you can always walk to the train station, then take a train back.

Also the towns are so small (and steep) a bike isn't useful. Except for possibly Monterosso, CT is best for walkers.

So is taking the train or boats the only way to get into the 5 towns, if hiking is not a convienent option for all the towns...Seems like even if we took the train we would have to climb up lots of stairs to go into the villages..
What are our options for easy hiking/ good views with train/ boat/ hike combo with a 20 month old and a stroller??
Thanks for all your inputs..!

See this site:

www.parcocinqueterre.com/

Mala,

With reference to your last Post, it's very easy to get to each of the five villages by train. From the station in La Spezia, you'll board the smaller local train which goes to the villages. If your destination is Riomaggiore, the train ride is only about 8-minutes long.

When you disembark from the train, you may have to navigate some stairs or take a short walk to get to your room, depending on which of the villages you're staying in.

Regarding hiking the trails, even though the famed via del'Amore is mostly flat, it wouldn't be practical for biking as it's very narrow in places and would be difficult to stay out of the way of hikers. There are also some stairs at the Riomaggiore end. The Park Wardens that monitor the trails may not even allow Bikes? The trail from Monterosso to Vernazza would be just about impossible to bike, as there's a fairly steep climb and LOTS of stairs at each end. The trail from Vernazza to Corniglia is just about as difficult. I should point out however, that the trails are not especially difficult to do on foot, but they are narrow in some places.

I doubt that a Stroller would be very practical either, due to the steep climbs in some places and also as the trails are narrow and the ground uneven in a lot of places. I don't suppose you have a Snugli or similar product?

You may be able to do some limited bike riding in Monterosso al Mare, as it's relatively flat (I didn't notice any bike rental firms, although I wasn't really looking for them). Getting onto the trails that are described in Rick's book won't be an option though.

Good luck and happy travels!

Mala,

Almost forgot, your "options for easy hiking/ good views with train/ boat/ hike combo with a 20 month old and a stroller" would probably be to only hike the via del'Amore from Riomaggiore to Manarola. The trail is relatively flat and mostly paved, rather than having the "uneven ground" that I mentioned in my last post.

You'd need to lift the Stroller up the stairs at the Riomaggiore end, to get to the entrance of the trail (the stairs are at the end of the small plaza where the rail station is located). Note that you'll need to purchase a Park Pass to hike ANY of the trails. There are Wardens in small wooden booths who check to ensure that ALL Hikers have a valid pass. When you reach Manarola, take the local train and return to whichever town you're staying in. You could also do the trip in the reverse direction.

With regard to the Boat that runs between the five villages, this is very "weather dependent" (something to keep in mind).

Cheers!

Aside from the biking comments which I would agree with, walking/hiking the trains sans stroller is not as bad as one might think- we did it with our just turned 3 year old and my husband carried her on his shoulders through the via del amore paved part When it got to the dirt path parts, she walked with us (slowly), although we kept a tight hold on her hand due to the edges in some parts of the trail. I saw a few people with strollers in the CT but not many - there are really few places that a stroller would be useful there. In any case, we found the Rick Steves kid on the shoulders method to be the best and most flexible. Also the trains, are great for kids. There is also a playground in Vernazza and Monterroso which is a great way for them to burn off steam! We were initially unsure if the CT would be good w/a kid, but found it to be a great pleasure - between the hiking, beach, boats, and trains, it's terrific for kids. We're going back this year with our child because we enjoyed it so much (and she still remembers it).

Aside from the biking comments which I would agree with, walking/hiking the trains sans stroller is not as bad as one might think- we did it with our just turned 3 year old and my husband carried her on his shoulders through the via del amore paved part When it got to the dirt path parts, she walked with us (slowly), although we kept a tight hold on her hand due to the edges in some parts of the trail. I saw a few people with strollers in the CT but not many - there are really few places that a stroller would be useful there. In any case, we found the Rick Steves kid on the shoulders method to be the best and most flexible. Also the trains, are great for kids. There is also a playground in Vernazza and Monterroso which is a great way for them to burn off steam! We were initially unsure if the CT would be good w/a kid, but found it to be a great pleasure - between the hiking, beach, boats, and trains, it's terrific for kids. We're going back this year with our child because we enjoyed it so much (and she still remembers it).

When I was last there, they had a pamphlet with information about biking in the park office- I know that they do have biking trails, my impression was that these trails are for serious mountain bikers who like a lot of up and down and around on often loose gravel and not so worried about control - for people who like those near misses going way too fast down the hill :) Not for bambini

The train is very- very- very easy - and I think you can buy a multi day pass