Cinque Terre hike in one day? Part 2

Driving in the CT requires expertise in negotiating very steep climbs and descents. I lived in San Francisco, and when I saw some of the streets in CT, I didn't think I could do it. Nothing like it within 1,000 miles of Racine :-)

There are buses that go up and down from the train stations.

La Spezia and Monterosso both have left luggage facilities. How about leaving the car behind (which direction will you be coming from?) and storing most of your luggage - just taking with you what you need for the 2 days?

I know that there are places to stay in Vernazza that are near the parking there. Both the Basso's (listed in Rick Steve's guide) are close to the parking. Having said that, the towns are so small that you will never be super far from parking. (We travel light-however we grow as we travel and had quite a bit by our first trip to the CT in 2003.) We have stayed in Vernazza twice, but have never driven there. I have heard that roads are narrow and steep and it can be an adventure. The reason we don't park there are the spots can be very small and tight (We had a mid-size car this October since there were 4 of us) and there is a charge. (I understand there are some free spots up higher, but hard to get and farther away) We park in Levanto-just 2 train stops north of Vernazza. We parked there in 2003 and 2008 and got a free spot both times. Left our car for 2 nights with no problems. (The pay parking lots are not attended, so no safer than the free spots) Where we parked both times is one hour in the summer, but once they take the sign down the end of September, you can stay as long as you like for free. The train is cheap and it is not difficult to drive to. I think it is always a risk to leave stuff in the car-no matter where you park. Having said that, we have left some inexpensive purchases in the trunk just so we didn't have to haul into town. So far, it has always been there when we get back. We do leave everything out of sight. Both times we went, we arrived early afternoon and stayed for 2 nights. After this trip, we decided if we ever go back, we will stay 3 nights. Hope this helps. Have a great trip.

?First, don’t forget to buy the C T National
Park permit.

I don’t know a park area that is close to the village,but do not choose Vernazza; it is too far and
limited in size.

I have read travel newsletters and
Rick’s page long enough to know that all
travelers advise leaving NOTHING in your
car in Italy. Even trunks are unsafe.

Once you buy the permit, there was no park
charge when I was there.

If you like to rough it, stay in a hostel in one
of the villages. I rented an apartment; but I
wont do it again. I now prefer hostels in almost any country.

April will be cool; so take a jacket and be
prepared for light rain also.

In case it wasn't clear in my reply above, I meant to store luggage at the train station, not in the car.

Jim,

Your best bet might be to park in La Spezia and take the train to whichever of the five villages you plan to stay in. Check Rick's book for details on the pay parking available near the station.

If you'd rather take the car right into the village, your best option is probably Monterosso al Mare. It's the largest of the five and has the best tourist facilities. Some of the Hotels there may provide parking. Riomaggiore has a small pay lot at the top of the village from what I recall, but you'd have to haul your luggage down to your lodgings on your own. Despite what some websites say, there ARE vehicles in Riomaggiore, but only small service and emergency vehicles.

As far as leaving items "locked in the car", I suppose that would depend on what type of articles you're referring to? I try not to leave any valuables in my car even here at home, so not something I would be comfortable with in Italy. I'd suggest taking the attitude of not leaving anything in the car that you can't afford to lose. Be sure to take all valuables with you!

One other tip, don't "let your guard down" when travelling in the C.T. I spoke with one group of U.S. travellers that were "pickpocketed" on the trains. They has (wrongly) assumed that it was a tranquil and safe area, but ended up losing cash, credit cards and more importantly at least one Passport! I was told that "professionals" from Genova routinely work the C.T. trains.

Good luck and happy travels!

Jim,
So glad to hear you've changed plans and will stay in CT for 2 days - I don't think you'll regret it. When you buy your CT National Park card it comes with an option that covers bus transport from the parking lot to the town (but not between towns, like we first thought). There is very little car traffic in these towns so I wouldn't count on parking near a hotel unless you find one outside of town. For example: We stayed in Vernazza and the bus drop off point is near Il Pirata restaurant. It's only a few blocks into the main piazza but then we had to climb a good 200 stairs to our room. I'm in very good shape, had one rolling carry on sized bag, and was really happy I had decided to pack light. I would'nt have wanted to haul a big suitcase up those stairs. Plus, the last staircase before our room was a spiral staircase that would've been a tight squeeze for anyone weighing over 220#. We felt very safe everywhere we went in the CT. We're from Chicago, used to the city and are used to being aware of our surroundings. I still don't think I'd leave a lot of belongings in a car parked away from the area. You can leave luggage in some train stations but some of the lines to retrieve your luggage can be really long. Keep that in mind if you're time line is scheduled down to the minute. Have a great time!

Hello, I'm writing from Manarola , 5 Terre.
You can find on this page info and rates for the 5 Terre card. Please note that the Cinque Terre card does not include parking fees, that have to paid separately if you use the payment parkings which are located just out of the towns (except in Monterosso where there's a public parking inside the town, close to several hotels). But not safe to leave luggage in the car in these public spaces since they're not guarded nightime, eventually it's better in Riomaggiore where there's a silo-park quite safe. Some hotels and B&B may have private parking in Monterosso and Riomaggiore, not in the other villages.
Some info about parking on this page>>.
On the same site you can try a search in Riomaggiore to find structures with private parking, that would be the best choice for your problem with the luggages.