Cinque Terre and Florence?

2) Is it feasible to spend a few days in Cinque Terre, then a few in Florence? Yes 3) What's the best way to travel between the two? Train 1) How is Cinque Terre's weather in late March? http://www.wunderground.com/tripplanner/index.asp The above link is the standard answer given here to weather questions. Input La Spezia as the location and for dates input March 20 to March 30. It will give you the last 15 years of actual weather for La Spezia, which is close to the Cinque Terre. 4) Can we fly into one city and fly out of another for about the same price as round trip from one city? That's called an open jaw airfare. Probably no one here can give an accurate general answer to that question, without pricing the trip both ways. You have to price the trip both ways and compare, and airfares will of course change over time. Take into account that open jaw will usually eliminate some travel time and cost, compared to you having to return to the airport you flew into. But if you're only going to the CT and Florence, those 2 destinations are not that far away from each other. Open jaw airfare is seen more commonly when people are flying into, say, Paris, and ending up in Rome.

I travelled from Florence to the Cinque Terre this summer. You are looking at about a 3 hour train ride with at least one change in Pisa. the closest airport to the Cinque Terre is Pisa. However, you may not find any direct flights into that airport. From the US you can find direct flights into Rome, Venice and Milan. Florence and Pisa might get tricky and require changes in Frankfurt or Munich. If the weather is not good the CT will not be a fun place to stay. Limited museums and other indoor activities. The CT is all about the hiking, beaches, etc.

Hi katie. I would strongly suggest that you get the Rick Steve's book at bookstore or library; it will make your planning and trip much more enjoyable!

The Cinque Terre is more than just hiking! Yes, there are five little villages connected by a hiking trail which is beautiful and at times a bit treacherous but, the area has an ambiance quite unlike that of Florence. I would definitely do both. Nothing compares to the picturesque pastel buildings perched high on the black cliffs with the waves crashing against them and the villages along the coast with their tiny fishing boats and families out for their afternoon stroll. Each village is a little different...from the almost seedy fishing village to the posh resort village. You will experience Italian culture with their food, markets, churches and regular Italian people; and yes beaches. My favorite was Vernazza. We stayed in a small apartment off the main road run by Marco. He was recommended by Rosa Vitali (internet) and RS. The room was CHEAP but, clean and noise-free. Stop at the cafe run by a couple of smart-ass brothers called the Il Pirata. They speak many languages and will start your day off with a spring in your step. Dinner at Il Capitanos on the seashore was delightful and friendly. Drinks (sciachetra) at the castle looming over village was very romantic.
Hope this was helpful and have a wonderful trip!

The best weather is in April and September and you should expect chilly weather in March but not really cold. Maybe windy though. There are plenty of places in the CT with rooms and in Monterosso you can find hotels if you wish. Hiking the trails is best, but you can use the trains as well. Vernazza is my favorite, very romantic and a neat place to stay, but rooms there are limited and you'll need to plan ahead. Use Rick's guide book for details and be sure to get his Italy Cities and Italy Countryside DVDs, the first for Florence and the second The CT. If you stayed two nights and about 2 1/2 days in the CT that would be perfect. Be sure to drink the white wine, eat the grapes it is made from which are great and try the anchovies. Without Rick Steves I wouldn't have tried them, but they were wonderful. Take your hiking shoes. You need two to three days to fully appreciate the city and can walk almost everywhere. A few tips... make reservations to go to Academia and the Uffizi so you don't wait in line, climb to the top of the dome of the Duomo a view to die for, and don't overlook the Baptistry and Duomo Museum. You also can almost reach out and touch the inside of the the dome, and if you're taller than 6' you actually can. You're that close to the incredible paintings on it. If you kike to cook rent an apartment. Fresh fruit, veggies and flowers are available every day. If all you're doing is the CT and Florence you don't need an open jaw ticket, just fly into Florence. The train ride to the CT is 2 1/2 hours with an easy change at either LaSpezia or Lucca. The last hour is through the mountains to the CT. If you're going elsewhere you can look into an open jaw ticket. FYI, you can also fly into Milan and take the train to the CT through Genoa. Hope this is helpful.

For a one week honeymoon, I would just do Rome. Get the RS book.

'For a one week honeymoon, I would just do Rome' Katie did not ask about Paris, Hong Kong, Cape Town or Rome.

We are in Vernazza right now...it is amazing. And we just came from Florence. We spent 4 nights in Florence, 3 nights will be spent here in the CT...so a week in these two areas is entirely possible. The train was 3 hours between the two and was pretty easy...always change trains in Pisa and then again in La Spezia.