Cinque Terre--how many days?

We always go in for 2 nights with 1 1/2 days to hike and eat ! BUT, it depends on: 1. How much hiking do you wish to do ? 2. How much resting do you plan to do there ?
3. Do you want to take boat or train up to Santa Margherita or Portofino? Having 2 full days may be just right. Check the bahn.de site for the times of Florence connections - it is easy to get to from Florence. I haven't gone to Switzerland from the CT. Has anyone ?

Your proposed CT visit doesn't seem too long. You can always take the boat to Portofino and explore, including hiking around Palmaria Island, or take a quick visit by train to Sestri or Chiavari. We had a problem last spring when the trenitalia website did not show all possibilities between Italy and Switzerland. Look at the Swiss and/or German rail sites as well, and post here or on TA for help if you don't get a good route or transfer.

Becky, My suggestion would be to add the day to your stay in the Cinque Terre. Once you arrive there, you may find that you wish you had MORE time. Regarding a previous reply, as I recall Palmaria is right across from Porto Venere, and not Portofino (just for clarification). You WON'T need a Car while there. It would only be parked and gathering dust, which you would be paying for. There are cars in the C.T. (especially Monterosso) but most people just use the local trains to get around. "How difficult is it to get connections from Florence and then onto Switzerland via train" I'm not entirely clear on your plans - are you going from the C.T. to Florence, and then Switzerland??? Train connections are readily available, but it's difficult to provide specifics without more information. If you're travelling from Manarola to Swtizerland, you'll likely transit via Genova, and won't be anywhere near Florence. I'd suggest going to Switzerland direct from the C.T. rather than Florence, as it will be a quicker trip. Where are you going in Switzerland? Good luck with your planning!

Thanks for the advice! Just to clarify, we are coming from Florence to the Cinque Terre and then going on to Switzerland. We are going to Wilderswil (base) and exploring the Berner Oberland. Originally we thought we would like to explore Varenna on the way up, but that is seeming like a bit out of the way now. I need to explore the Italian train website and see what our options might be. Thanks!

If you are staying in Manarola, your easiest route to Switzerland would be a regional train to Monterosso (very short) and then catch the IC that goes up the coast via Genoa to Milan. There is one leaving mid-morning that goes to Milan with no changes; otherwise you can change trains in Genoa. From Milan, the fastest way to the Berner Oberland would be the route due north via Brig to spiez (via two tunnels, the Simplon and the Lotschberg Basistunnel). At Spiez, you catch a train heading east to Interlaken Ost. Wilderswil is a short distance beyond Interlaken Ost. You can buy the ticket as far as Spiez in Italy at the station or in advance on Trenitalia. You can buy the Swiss tickets onward when you arrive at the station in Spiez. I would use the Swiss rail site www.rail.ch to see the whole route.

I would also add the extra night to the CT. As someone else pointed out, if you get bored with the CT towns (which I don't think is possible), you can always visit Portovenere or Portofino, etc. We were in the CT for 3 days on our last trip and loved it so much that we're returning for 5 days on our trip this coming September. Aside from hiking some of the trails between towns and taking the trains between towns, also be sure to take the boat from town to town for the incredible views.

Becky, Thanks for the clarification on your travel route. As Lola mentioned, one of the easiest travel routes will be via Genova and Milan. You can check the details using the bahn.de website. I travelled from Monterosso to the Berner Oberland in September, and it's a bit of a longer travel day but a pleasant journey. One of the easiest trips would be a departure from Monterosso at 06:55, arriving Interlaken Ost at 14:28 (that's the one I used). There are of course numerous other trains, but the 06:55 departure only has two changes while some of the others have four changes. There are many different rail combinations available, but you'll have to decide how many changes you want to deal with. However, one minor issue to be aware of. You'd likely have to leave from Manarola at 05:50, arriving Monterosso at 06:01, which means a 54 minute wait. In the same situation, I might ask the Hotel in Manarola if they could prepare a "bag breakfast" OR wait until arrival at Milano Centrale to have breakfast as there's a layover there (and lots of Bars & Cafés, including a Burger King as I recall). If you'll be buying your rail tickets in Italy for the trip to Switzerland, you may find that agents will only sell tickets are far as Spiez (that's what I found). When you arrive at Spiez, you'll have to go into the station and buy tickets to Wilderswil. When you arrive at Interlaken Ost, you'll change to the local Berner Oberland train. Cheers!

Thanks to everyone! I'll start researching trains and travel next. It's been such a mix of trying to make reservations and do research. But, I keep thinking all of this pre-work will be worth it in the end :). Cheers,
Becky

Becky, I went to CT last May and again in June. I didn't do it right in May, so hence the 2nd trip. Needless to say, I think you should add a third night. On my second visit, I stayed in Vernazza exclusively, each night in a different hotel. I loved every second of it, and long to go back. Might I gently suggest if you do stay a third night, stay in one of the other 4 villages in the CT for your additional night? It's approx. a 5 min. train ride between each village.
In May, air conditioning should be a priority in choosing where to stay.....just a heads up.