My family and I will be spending time in Tuscany this summer bur are taking a two day side trip to Cinque Terra. There are 5 of us and we will be driving there from our agriturismo farm. What is the best way to deal with the car? Rick doesn't recommend driving to the towns and we will be hiking between some of them. Where can we safely leave our auto over night? And in late July are we safe to try pot luck on a hotel? Which is your favorite city in which to spend the night? Thank you so much for any suggestions you might have.
Judy Acks
Posted by
austin, TX, USA
23 posts
We have only gone to Montorosso in the CT, but really enjoyed it for a day trip from Florence. Great beach there. We took the train. It was a fun trip!! Could you find parking for the car in La Spezia near the train station? I just don't see it to be very practical to drive into the CT, but I do think that there are roads. You might look at Google maps and see how it looks... It is so popular that I would try to book a hotel ahead of time. These towns are pretty small and I would suspect that this is absolutely peak season. I sometimes use Trip Advisor to get an idea of hotels and then contact them personally. Good Luck!!
Posted by
Gettysburg, PA
1589 posts
In July, you need to plan ahead for decent lodging. We like: www.elisabettacarro.it in Vernazza. I agree with the idea to leave your car in La Spezia.
Posted by
Caruthers, CA, USA
244 posts
"Nobody goes to Cinque Terre anymore. It's too crowded." --Yogi Berra
Posted by
Nampa, Idaho, USA
21 posts
Judith, We drove from Florence to CT last year, but this year we are taking the train from Florence, and will hike to the different quaint little towns. The trains also take you from one town to the next. We stayed in Monterosso, and took the train to Vernazza for dinner, just a 5 minute train ride. Once we were there, there was no reason for a car, and the train was so accessible. We are going in August, and have had a hard time getting a room. It is their busy time, and I sure would have a room booked in advance. I agree that Trip Advisor has some wonderful reviews to guide you, as well as Rick Steves Guidebooks.
Good luck and happy travels.
Posted by
Madison, WI, USA
153 posts
There are two public lots in Monterosso for sure. That would take a bit more time than La Spezia with the winding roads, etc