Hi - My husband and I are going to Italy in May and trying to decide how many nights to spend in Cinque Terre. We will be leaving from Florence to CT. Is it better to:
1. Do 3 nights in Florence & 3 nights in CT? Or.
2. Do 4 nights in Florence and 2 nights in CT?
We were planning on doing a few day trips in Florence (Sienna and San Gimignano) so was thinking we might want one extra day here. However we want to make sure we have time to do the hike in CT.
Let me know your thoughts. Thanks!
The only problem with spending 2 nights anywhere is that it only gives you 1 full "day" to see/experiences the city. I debated this also and decided to change my plans to spend 3 nights in CT instead of only 2.
As usual, it depends. Do you really like hiking and natural scenery? If so, 3 and 3 would be my suggestion. Have a great trip either way.
I arived in the CT in early afternoon and explored that town.Then leaving early the next morning we explored all the other 4 towns.It was a busy day but a great day.We only walked from Riomaggiore to Manarola.
we did 3 in florence and 2 in the cinque terre. another day in the cinque terre would have been nice. we where able to do everything we wanted in florence in 3 day's. good luck :):)
Thanks Everyone for your tips. This really helps us in trying to decide what to do. I'm starting to think though to lean towards 4 nights in Florence...the only reason being we're going to have at least 2 of the days as day trips (Sienna, San Gimignano, & pisa. And are thinking about a possible wine tour from Florence for another day (Verazzano Castle). Which in that case we may need 1 more day there.
However I am definetly trying to weigh my options in CT and may try to rearrange our schedule so we could do 4 days Florence and 3 CT. If you have any other input let me know but thanks again! :-)
Why not do Pisa on your way to CT?
CT is nice, but there are so many other fascinating places to visit in the Tuscany region. Chianti and the wine areas, hilltowns like Cortona, Assisi, Spoleto, etc. And from what you've written it sounds like these are of interest to you. I'd consider spending most of your trip visiting those and then use 2 nites in CT as kind of a "beach" vacation.
One more thing -- I'm assuming you're going to have a car to visit the Tuscany region. Do a search on this forum and you can see many people have gotten expensive tickets in Florence by accidentally going into restricted driving zones. Don't be scared to drive, just spend some time ahead of your trip looking into this so you'll understand what's restricted and how to avoid them.
We just did this last year. I took Ricks advice and we had 2 nights in CT. It wasn't enough! I can't wait to go back there and spend longer. It's a beautiful place and definitely worth at least 3 nights. Also, do Pisa on the way from Florence to CT. It's an easy trip to do on the way. I'd also suggest Volterra as an alternative to the more touristy San Gimignano. Voleterra is wonderful. We found one day in Florence itself to be enough and like you preferred to spend more time visiting other smaller towns. Good luck.
I've been to CT twice and loved it. As far as how long to stay, it depends on what time of day you arrive. If you can get there in the morning first thing and get your room and get situated then one overnite stay should be enough. that will give you a full day to hike and browse and plenty of time to get back to Vernazza for a nice dinner. my first time in florence I spent 6 days there. If you want to just see the main sites (nothing wrong with that) and leave then 3 days is plenty. Book as much ahead as possible to avoid waiting in line forever. But you can never spend to much time in Florence. Siena is worth 1 or 2 nights. I guess it boils down to what pace you want to move at. taking your time and seeing less is a good way to experience more. have fun!
Hi, I live in Manarola, one of the 5 terre so I'm partizan...but I suggest to take 3 days in the cinque terre. May is probably the best time to come, you can both hike and swim, so if you like a relaxing holiday 3 days is recommended. Eventually one day in S. Gimignano and 2 days in Florence is enough in my opinion
Bye
Andrew
Hi - Thanks again for your advice. Now we are thinking about doing 3 nights instead in CT. I do love hiking and it would be nice to have 3 nights so we don't feel too rushed.
I'm trying to decide between Manarola & Riomaggiore. Anyone have a preference? I want to stay somewhere that will have enough to do at night such as relaxing with wine overlooking the sea (not necessarily the night club scene) but just somewhere that will have enough choices to choose from. Or somewhere to stroll at night by the sea. Those 2 places caught my eye.
Thanks again everyone!
Hi Marla,
If there is anyway to extend your stay in the CT to 3 days it would be worth it, especially if you enjoy hiking and spending time outdoors. You can easily take the train between towns and visit each one in 2 days. However, those who hike the trails between the towns are rewarded with spectacular views you will never see on the train. It was one of my favorite parts of Italy and the people of this region are lovely. I would highly advise, at the very least, hiking between Vernazza and Monterosso if you are in decent shape - it's spectacular. Then find La Cantina and have pesto lasagna prepared specially for you by Stefania - it's a slice of heaven!! My husband and I hiked the entire trail and it was an experience I will cherish forever. I'm sure you'll love Florence too but, in my experience, if I only stayed in CT 2 days I would have left wanting more.
Either way - have a great trip!
Jeanne - Lake Zurich, Illinois
