Cinque Terra

Are you asking about whether you can do a daytrip from Florence to the CT?

Yes I am asking whether a day trip is possible from Florence. Jean

Even if you drive, it's too long for a decent day trip. There is very limited parking in the towns, really locals only, so you have to park at La Spezia and take the train in.

Possible, but not suggested. 5 hours of train travel would be required.

A day trip from Florence is possible, but will be very rushed. Last November we had an extra day in Florence and the weather was good , so we did a last minute day trip. We were able to do the whole trail and a delicious lunch in Vernazza, but not enough time to really explore the villages as we would have liked. We were hauling on the last (hardest, northern) part of the trail to make the last train out before dark, we're definitely planning a return trip to spend the night. If you only have one day, it is worth the trip, but would be way better to do an overnight. Maybe you could just store your luggage at your hotel in Florence and take a day pack for one overnight in Cinque Terre if you don't want to haul all of your luggage and you're using Florence as a base?

you can do a day trip to CT from Florence but it is of course better to spend a night or two in the CT. You don't need or want a car in the CT or Florence
use the trains, great way to travel in Italy

Jean, As the others have mentioned, that's not really an ideal day trip, due to the travel times involved. It would be a VERY long day, and you wouldn't really have time to see much. If possible, spending at least one night there would be preferable. I would not suggest renting a car for the Cinque Terre as it's not possible to drive right to the towns (except for Monterosso). YES, you can absolutely travel by train from Florence. There are numerous trains departing from Firenze SMN (the main station in Florence). Check www.trenitalia.com for specific details Happy travels!

thanks for all the help! I am sure once we have been to Italy it will all be clear to see what works. Now I see there are tours from Florence to CT that leave at 8am and return to a hotel in Florence by evening. But we are rethinking our plan and think we will spend a night in CT thanks to all of your comments. Happy traveling!Thanks, Jean

Jean, Waking up to the calm beauty of the Cinque Terre and looking out to the sea as the sun rises over the villages is beautiful. I will never forget waking up, going out on our hotel balcony and quietly enjoying the beauty. You'd miss that doing a day trip, so I'm glad you are now planning to
stay at least one night. You'll love the CT, and September is a good time to go.

Do you recommend a hotel at CT?

Jean, We took the train from Firenze to CT (changed trains in La Spezia I think.) There is no way you can do a day trip--it's too far. I recommend saying at least one night... two is better... three is ideal. Pete

Hopefully she will be ready for you by then: http://www.elisabettacarro.it/ In Vernazza.

Hotel Villa Steno was very nice....on a hill (yes, lots of steps to get there, but they can arrange transport when you arrive that can take you up the road right to the door if you don't want to carry luggage) and they have a sister hotel by the water. Family owned nice places. But, that said, do check with them re: how they have bounced back (or anticipate bouncing back) from the floods earlier this year. I had heard May was the key target date. Don't know if the hillside hotel (Villa Steno) was affected by the flood. Enjoy your trip. It's magical there.

you should decide which village you would like to stay in and then you can narrow down a hotel I personally like to stay in Monterosso because I find it has the most food/dining options for me and it has the only real beach. you might want to look at hotel reviews in Rick Steves and TripAdvisor to see what sounds good to you I really like Hotel Margherita but it sustained major damage and they are not currently taking reservations
I am going to try Hotel La Spiaggia based on reviews and a personal recommendation

Thanks for all your help. I tried Hotel Steno and it is booked for the 9 and 10 of September. So is her sister hotel . We have planned to go by train from Firenze but now I hope the accommodations are not too tough, considering all the people there for reconstruction from the flood. I also wonder about where people stay who are involved with the cruise ship which capsized. Having no context of how far away things are, maybe that is a silly comment! I will try Hotel Marguerita and Htoel La Spaggia. Jean

you might not get a response from Hotel Margherita as they are still in rebuilding mode so I would book La Spiaggia or something else to be certain you get a room. If those are full I would go through RS and tripadvisor hotel reviews and work my way through the list. You should be able to find a good room for Sept