My cruise will be stopping in La Spezia in June and I'm considering touring the Cinque Terre region rather than spending the travel time to Florence. I'm a little confused on how I get there from La Spezia and then how to get around town to town. Any advice would be appreciated.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
There is a train that will take you to Cinque Terre and back to LaSpezia. Just check the timing so you don;t miss your cruise.
Once in the CT you can take a boat between the villages, walk a trail or two, or take the train that goes from village to village.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32405 posts
david,
It's very easy to get to any of the Cinque Terre towns from La Spezia Centrale. The train from there to Riomaggiore (the most southerly of the towns) is only about 9 minutes. You can easily travel between the towns using the local trains (tickets are cheap), or use the Ferry (weather permitting) for a more scenic view.
For your return to La Spezia, the travel time via train from Monterosso ranges from 14 to 31 minutes. You can see all the train solutions on the Trenitalia website. If you have time stop for an excellent dinner in Monterosso before returning to the ship, perhaps something with Pesto in the area where it was invented.
Anchors Aweigh and Bon Voyage!
Posted by
29 posts
Having been to Cinque Terre last fall ( on a bus day trip from Florence) I can speak to this. Bus trip took about 1 hr 45, then you would need to orient yourself and find a few spots of interest to visit (likely with line ups) and too soon it would be time to return.
Because you will be a stone's throw from Cinque Terre ( which is starting to limit number of visitors) and unless you have a very compelling need to see Florence I would go see Cinque Terre. We did several of the hikes which provided breathtaking views, had lunch in a charming bistro high on the mountainside, sat in a courtyard and watched local children playing, took several train rides between towns, swam in the ocean at a stunning beach and watched the sunset from a lookout point. One of those days you remember forever.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16240 posts
To correct the previous comment, there are no limits whatsoever to the number of visitors to the Cinque Terre.
There are numerous Regional trains that run back and forth between La Spezia and Genoa (all stopping at the Cinque Terre villages).
You will need to take a taxi to the train station first, since it's too long to walk from the cruise port.
Once you purchase the tickets, it's important that you validate the ticket at the machines along the track (the machine will date stamp the ticket and you will have 6 hours to get to your destination).
Posted by
29 posts
Roberto there may not be at present time but many articles in recent months indicate the Italian government is leaning that way. I merely wanted to make the OP aware that could be a possibility.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16762 posts
But nothing is going to happen by the time of David's trip. That topic has been covered at length on previous RS threads - one of which contained this piece from a local:
With the season already winding up, I'm sure it's too late in the game to put a new ticketing system or other crowd-reduction effort into play if it hasn't been announced by the park, local tourism boards, cruise lines, etc. by now. The only thing David has to be concerned about will be the crowds packing the trains (and the villages themselves), remembering to validate his train tickets before boarding, and getting back to the ship on time.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32405 posts
Run and Travel,
"( which is starting to limit number of visitors)"
The wording would seem to suggest a statement of fact. As Roberto mentioned, there are currently no measures in place to limit the number of visitors to the Cinque Terre. I'm sure this is being discussed by various government agencies but nothing has been decided yet, nor is there any time frame when this might change.
Posted by
bedford, indiana
459 posts
hey david if you review the attached web site you will be somewhat familiar with how the trains work in italy. the site is helpful in that it shows photos of the different trains, ticket machines etc. Where i live in Indiana we dont have any trains or subways so i was a bit intimidated about train travel in Italy. We went Pisa, Cinque Terre (via La Spezia), Lucca, Monegila. It was a breeze. The site helped me to familiarize myself with the trains prior to our trip, we didnt use a car at all. As previously stated validate your tix on a regional ride! http://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm#.VR1X5st0wfg