Cinque Terre Ferries

http://www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it/

Hi Anne, Roberto gave you great info. I would add that catching the late afternoon boat in Monterosso made for wonderfully warm colors in our photos of the CT as we made our way down to Riomaggiore. From there we walked (can't really call it a hike on that section) the Via dell'Amore to Manarola and hardly met anyone on the way. This was in late May. I'm not sure if you can catch another boat in Riomaggiore to go 'round trip', what we did was take a train from Manarola back to Monterosso. Easy and inexpensive. I think the boat we were on continued south, not sure how far. Have a great trip.

http://www.cinque-terre.org/en/train-boat
All the info you need

Anne, Just to clarify, the boats that travel between the towns of the Cinque Terre and to Porto Venere are more medium-sized passenger boats rather the "Ferries". They can't accommodate vehicles. The boats typically approach the concrete jetty bow first, tie up and keep the boat slightly in reverse and then drop a bow ramp for passengers to board or disembark. They don't usually stop in Corniglia (at least not that I've seen). The links that Roberto and the others provided will have price and route information. One important point to note is that the boats are weather-dependent so if the seas are rough, service will be suspended. Which of the Cinque Terre towns will you be staying in? If you have time, I'd suggest travelling to Portofino for a day trip. From there you could also make a short trip to Palmaria Island. Happy travels!

Definitely take the boat in the afternoon, with the sun behind you. I stayed in Riomaggiore and walked part of the trail, then continued by to Monterosso, then ferried back to Riomaggiore. I think the boat continues on to La Spezia.