My boyfriend and I will be in Florence for 3 days only in late August 2012. On one of those days, we want to hike the Cinque Terre (#2) trail to the 5 villages. It looks doable in one day ( a loooong day!) - has anyone had this experience? Can we take an early train from Florence to Cinque Terre, hike the 5 towns, maybe get a swim in, and then get a train back to Florence all in one day (without sprinting)? Is 5 hours enough time for the actual hiking part? Thank you! Anne (P.S. If anyone has questions about Hawaii, where I live, I will be happy to try to answer them)
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Anne, first the train out of Florence won't get you to the CT as early as you think unless you want to depart Florence on the 5:35 train. The 5:35 train arrives in Riomaggiore at 8:20. Two train changes. The next train departing Florence for Riomaaggiore departs at 6:10 and arrives in Riomaggiore at 10:03. Beginning at the Via dell'Amore trail in Riomaggiore, you will end up in Monterosso where the beach is located. For the young and fit, you could easily do the four segments of the #2 trail in about 3-4 hours. But, the trail segment between Manarola and Corniglia is still closed from the winter storms. You can take the train from Manarola to Cornilia and then pay to take the mini-bus up to Corniglia to resume your hike. If you don't take the mini-bus, there is a set of switchback stairs up to the town. About 425 stairs. We walked down but walking up can be strenuous. Your choice.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32398 posts
Anne, Visiting the Cinque Terre as a day trip from Florence is possible but it will be a LONG day! Keep in mind also that in late August, it's likely going to be HOT and CROWDED in the C.T. so there will be lots of tourists on the trails. NOTE that you will need a Park Pass to hike any of the trails. There will be people checking for that. You could buy a Cinque Terre Treno card, which provides not only the Park Pass but also train transportation for the day. One other point to note is that the trail from Manarola to Corniglia is still closed due to damage (not related to the Oct. floods). I haven't heard when it will re-open. Under ideal conditions, you should be able to hike the three remaining trails in ~4 hours. Plan for 5 hours though, so that you'll have time to stop at the small Bar on the Via dell'Amore and have a "cool one" (you'll need one at that point). You also might want to stop for lunch in Vernazza or Corniglia. Vernazza has a great little harbor for swimming. I'd recommend taking the train directly to Monterosso and starting the hike there. The section from Monterosso to Vernazza is the most difficult, so it's best to get that out of the way when you're fully rested. There's quite a climb at the beginning. Be sure to take lots of water, sun screen, etc. The best beaches are in Monterosso, but there are small swimming areas in each of the towns if you need to cool off. On the return to Florence, it's only about 9 minutes from Riomaggiore to La Spezia, and then ~2.5 hours to Florence. There's a direct train at 19:10 but others with one change in Pisa at later times (last one at 21:20). As these are mostly Regionale trains, DON'T forget to validate! Happy travels!
Posted by
OP
Kailua, Hawaii, USA
9 posts
To Ken and Larry, Thank you both for all your GREAT info!
Aloha, Anne
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32398 posts
Anne, Prego! (I can't remember how to say "you're welcome" in Hawaiian). I'd love to get back to Hawaii sometime, so I may have some questions for you in future. When I do return, it will probably be Oahu again (BTW, one of Rick's Italy Guides lives in Hawaii). Hope you have a great time in Italy!