Cinque Terre for 2 days

Which town are you staying in? They are all a little different, but each is charming to visit. The train easily connects all of the villages except Corniglia which is high up ( I think a shuttle takes you there). Try to get out early morning or a later in the afternoon to avoid some crowds. There is also a boat which is a lovely way to see them from the water and you can get off at all the villages ( except Corniglia again), and I imagine your husband could join you on this.
The hikes between Monterosso, Vernazza and Corniglia are quite challenging, so please read up on it before venturing out. There is a nice walk around Manarola. I'm not sure of the other villages.

You can check out the Cinque Terre hiking trails here...

https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/footpaths-cinqueterre

The hiking trail between Riomaggiore and Manarola (the Via dell'Amore) is short and probably the easiest.

Getting from town to town is quick and easy by train, but the ferry system is more scenic. As the other post noted, Corniglia is high up (about 300 steps) and not at sea level like the other 4 Cinque Terre villages.

Besides the 5 Cinque Terre villages you should also consider visiting Porto Venere - it's 8-9 miles from Riomaggiore and a challenging hike, so take the ferry.

THANKS! We dont have hotel reservations for CT yet, I'm looking at Air B&B now.

Most likely staying (Unless you have bettter idea) near Riomaggiore or Monterossoal l mar? I lkie the suggestions about the ferry vs train for better views.

Another person said have one day for excursions and the 2nd for relaxing, due to husband's lack of walking skills.

We chose to stay at La Spezia . it is 10 minutes from the train station with free parking at Piazza d" Armi.

In April, our check in is 5 pm. I wonder what your thoughts are on a boat excursion and referral?

I am thinking that after traveling 2 hours from Volterra to La Spezia, I shouldnt consider the sunset boat ride on the same day of arrival . Thoughts ?

If you're considering staying in either Monterosso al Mare or Riomaggiore, please note that Monterosso is flat, while Riomaggiore is steep uphill.

Monterosso al Mare is divided into 2 parts (Old Town and New Town) by a tunnel, but it's all easily walkable.

Staying in La Spezia is certainly one option although you'll spend more time and money travelling back and forth to the five villages. A few questions and some comments.....

• Each of the towns have parking facilities but it's far easier to use the trains while there for getting back and forth.
• Two nights only provides one full day for touring, which is not much time to see much. Perhaps I've read your post incorrectly? Is there any possibility you could add some time?
• Some of the hikes are more difficult than others, and at times one or more of the trails can be closed. In addition, a Park Permit is required for the popular Sentiero Azzurro trails at times, so you'll need to do some research on that. The Via del'Amore from Riomaggiore to Manarola will be the easiest option as it's mostly flat. I believe reservations are now required for that hike. This website provides more information - https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/footpaths-cinqueterre .
• If you wanted to stay in one of the five C.T. towns, Monterosso would be the best choice as it's mostly flat and easily walkable. It's the only town that has hotels as most of the others just have small B&B's, some of which have lots of stairs. Monterosso also has a good choice of restaurants and other tourist facilities.
• As it appears you plan to rent a car, be sure that each driver has the compulsory International Driver's Permit which is used in conjunction with our home D.L. These are easily obtainable at any AAA/CAA office for a small fee. You'll also need to be vigilant to avoid the ZTL (limited traffic) areas, as hefty fines will result if you pass through any of those.
• There are some potentially expensive caveats to be aware of when using the trains also, so it would be prudent to do some research on those.
• If you haven't already had a look, the Rick Steves Italy guidebook is a wealth of information on the Cinque Terre and other parts of Italy. Also, have you seen any of Rick's videos on the Cinque Terre?

I have watched Rick Steves You tubes on this part of Italy and I will buy his book per your suggestion. Thanks.

To your point, staying out of the 5 village area would cause some issues with time and you did read my post correctly . We only have planned for 2 nights since we are traveling back to Volterre area, and staying there for 4 more days, hoping to tour the areas between Cinque Terre and Volterre for those last 4 days. I will plan our last 4 days and see if there is time to spend one more day in CT, listening to your thoughts for estending our 2 night stay to 3 nights, and perhaps moving our lodging to the city.

I will look at hotels in Monterosso .