I am planning our family's first vacation overseas. We are spending 3 nights in Rome, 4 in Florence and 2 in Venice. I planned the 4 in Florence so that we could take some day trips. I was thinking after doing some reading that we should overnight to the Cinque Terra if we want to go at all. So I was thinking of happily leaving the majority of our baggage in Florence at our hotel and getting a fairly inexpensive room for the night in Monterosso so that we have more hiking/beach time. I know my boys are hoping we can stop in Pisa on the way back. Was planning to just take the train out and back, spending 1 night. Can you please let me know your thoughts? We’ll be there in early June.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
You barely have a do-able itinerary already. Travel time between destinations takes longer than you think. Don't make the mistake of trying to do too much. You don't really have time for the CT and those huge crowds. Maybe next trip.
Also, I'd shift 1 day from Florence to Venice, 3 and 3 in each.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15800 posts
....getting a fairly inexpensive room for the night in Monterosso so
that we have more hiking/beach time.
"Inexpensive" doesn't really apply to the CT during high season, and it has become a seriously overcrowded place over the past number of years. I certainly would not throw away a night's hotel tariff in Florence to do this. Save it for future trip when you can settle in for a couple of days?
Posted by
San Franciso Bay Area, USA
951 posts
We took a similar trip last June with my friends and family, including 2 college-age girls. You don’t mention how old your boys are, but I will say that the CT was one of our favorite places to visit. Yes, it is crowded and it is not inexpensive, but we really enjoyed our stay. The girls got to the beach, we hired a boat for a Sunset cruise (one of the highlights of the trip), and we skipped hiking due to some mobility issues with our friends.
If you are going to go, stay overnight gives you a chance to see the town in the early morning and evening when the day trippers have gone home. You will need to make a trade-off in Florence and prioritize your siteseeing.
Posted by
Portland
3592 posts
A further negative regarding the idea of spending a night in the CT is that you would probably need 2 rooms. Family rooms are pretty rare in Europe, and the hotels simply do not allow you to cram extra people into a double or even more than 3 into a triple. Also, you should be aware that the beaches are rocky and seriously crowded. I have never seen the body-to-body crowds on American beaches that are common in Europe.
Though many people “ diss” Pisa, I thought there was something wonderful about seeing the iconic tower. If you go, be sure to see the baptistery and the duomo, as well.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16193 posts
I had the same debate with myself when we took our teen daughters to Italy in 2010 as a graduation present. My son, who lived in Florence in 1997 and returned with his fiancée 10 years later said to skip it; he was so disappointed in how it had changed in the interim. But I decided we would go and see for ourselves. We booked a lovely hotel in Manarola but needed two rooms for us and our daughters. So it was 640 euros just for lodging. We enjoyed Manarola and swimming there, and the hike to Vernazza was nice, but we were appalled at how crowded Vernazza was. We could not wait to leave. And mind you, this was 9 years ago. It has only gotten worse.
I am glad we went but I would not return. Nor would I recommend it to my friends.
Posted by
WPB, FL & Firenze
3112 posts
I'm with those who say skip Cinque Terre this trip. Pisa is an easy day trip from Florence and you could easily continue on to nearby Viareggio if beach time is important. It's 15-20 minutes by train from Pisa Centrale, and 5 minutes closer if you depart from the Pisa S. Rossore station closer to the Field of Miracles.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you. Sounds like we should skip it this time. I know my boys, 13 & 16 would probably like the hike. But sounds too far. My husband has traveled all over Italy and he thinks 2 days in Venice is enough.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32200 posts
I'd normally recommend a stop in the Cinque Terre but given the circumstances you mentioned, I don't think you have time. With a one night stop, you'd basically only have the arrival afternoon for "hiking/beach time", which is not ideal. If you could spend at least two nights in the Cinque Terre, that would be better. Note that two of the four Sentiero Azzurro trails will be closed again this year, so you wouldn't be able to hike those.
I'm not sure Pisa is worth the effort, although it's easily possible as a day trip from Florence. Check the RS Italy guidebook for information on getting to the Tower, climbing the tower, etc. Other easy day trips you could consider are Siena or Lucca.
As this is your family's first overseas holiday and first trip to Italy, there are some potentially expensive caveats to be aware of when using trains or other public transit. Be sure to do some research on those.
One other problem is that it's a bit late to be booking accommodations in the Cinque Terre, as at that time of the year it may be difficult to get rooms in any of the towns.
Posted by
7643 posts
You need more time in Rome, skip CT.