Cinque Terra trails

I would check with your hotel first. From the most recent information that I can find, the trail segment from Manarola to the Cornigila train station is still closed. For the trail segment from Corniglia to Vernazza, this is a bit more challenging. First, you take the mini-bus from the Corniglia train station up to the town which is on an upper mesa. Or, you can walk up about 425 nicely built switchback stairs from the train station. Once in Corniglia, you find the trail and off you go. About 1,200 stairs up and about 1,200 stairs down. It took us 3 hours for this trail but we are seniors. Younger people can negotiate much faster.

Thank you for your information. We are seniors also. How about the ease of taking the train from Vernassa back to Manarola after dinner? I'm wondering if we made a mistake not booking our accomodations in Vernazza. It seems like there are many more restaurants than in Manarola.

Mary, When we were in the CT two years ago, we took trains back and forth to dinner in each of the towns. They are only a few minutes apart. So if you want to enjoy dinner in Vernazza, just make sure you know when the last train back to Manarola leaves. (Quite late as I recall.) I don't think it matters which town you stay in because transportation is so easy. From Manarola consider walking tha Via dell'Amore to Riomaggiore in early evening. Have a drink at Bar & Vini "A piè de Mà" where you can watch the sunset before dinner.

Mary, As Larry mentioned, the trail segment from Manarola to Corniglia is still closed, and I haven't seen any recent information on when it will re-open. As the others have mentioned, it's VERY easy to travel between the towns using the local train, as each trip is only a few minutes. There are paper charts in each station that list the departure times. Note that some trains pass through, and don't stop in all the towns. The hike from Cornigia to Vernazza is moderately difficult, but I'm also a senior and can handle it (takes me awhile though). If you want to have a look at Corniglia, you may want to take the Shuttle from the station rather than walk up the MANY stairs. The trail starts from the town. The most challenging of the trails is Monterosso - Vernazza (but I can manage that one also). There are a good number of restaurants in Manarola, but if you'd like a "change of scene", Vernazza, Monterosso or Riomaggiore are all good possibilities. The Guidebook has good restaurant listings in each town. It would be very easy to walk to Riomaggiore on the famous Via dell'Amore, have dinner and then walk back to Manarola. It's not a hike, but more of a "stroll", as it's all paved and mostly level. Note that you'll need a Park Pass to hike ANY of the trails. You can easily buy that when you arrive. If you think you'll be using the local trains as well as hiking, you might also have a look at the Cinque Terre Treno card (details in the Guidebook). I'm sure you'll enjoy your time in the Cinque Terre. I'm looking forward to my next visit there! Happy travels!

Thanks so much for all your input, everyone. You all had such good ideas, and I feel now that we are fine keeping our reservations as planned.