chinca terra

Cinque Terre is close to Pisa/Lucca. You can take the train then there is something called Cinque Terre card you can get for 8EUR which will give you access to hiking araes in the National Park, unlimited train inside CT. and to some museums, elevator in Riomaggiore. I don't know how much of the CT you can cover in half day. IT depends what you want to do. Walking around, hiking, taking the train will save you travel time in between the villages, but then you will need to walk around in each of them. Keep in mind that CT is hilly.
There are many web sites you can check out about CT, with picture and good info.

Personally I don't think that the Cinque Terre is a place that you'd want to go for a day/afternoon trip--it is a little difficult to get to quickly--I think that you would want to spend at least a night or two. I'd enjoy Florence.

It would be hard to do, and the train schedule would have to match your free time schedule exactly. I wouldn't bother.

An afternoon would really not be enough time to spend in the Cinque T.

We have been there 2x--the first time in 2002 we spent the day there and realized it was not enough time. We returned in July of 2006 and spent 3 nights in Vernazza and walked some of the trails and visited the other villages. It was wonderful to be in Vernazza at night after all the daytrippers left.

I would spend your free afternoon enjoying more of Luca or Florence.

Jane, I'm not sure that an "afternoon free and I think a morning" would be enough time to visit the Cinque Terre, especially if you have to travel there from Florence.

It wasn't clear from your Post whether the tour company would be dropping you in Pisa or Lucca, or whether you'd have to travel to the C.T. from Florence? Also, will you have the evening of one day in addition to the morning of the next (ie: pretty much a full day)?

Depending on which train you choose, the trip from Firenze SMN to La Spezia Centrale is about 2 hours. While it may be feasible to make the trip, I'm not sure spending 4 hours+ in travel time would be worth the effort for such a short visit? You would probably only have enough time to look around one or two of the five villages.

Cheers!

thanks to all for the insight,,,,,,,,jane

If you were visiting Cinque Terre,I would choose Monterosso.We just got back from there,and it's almost like 2 towns(old town and new town.Vernazza is nice,but smaller,and I'd avoid Riomaggiore.I found it dirty,and certainly the bar we went to for a coffee,we found ALL the staff to be very surly and unfriendly.

If you only have an after noon for the Cinque Terre, use the train! The hikes between villages can take up to 2 hours, over rough terrain for 2 segments.

Bobbie,

You must have visited Riomaggiore at a bad time? I've stayed there in the past, and didn't find the town "dirty" nor any of the Bar staff "surly". I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again, but may choose another of the villages on my next visit just for a "change of scenery".

Cheers!