Our family of 15 will be staying in Lucca in late June, and we want to take a day trip to Cinque Terre. The adults have all been there in years past, back before all of the crowds and day tourists, and because we all loved it so much, we want to take our kids to see it. We understand that it is super crowded now, particularly in the summer, but we are determined to make the best of it - it's all about attitude, right? That said, here are our questions:
1) From Lucca, does it make more sense to park at Salzano or La Spezi and take the train in?
2) Anybody have the train schedule? We are hoping to enter on the earliest train... :/
3) If we only have the day, any suggestions on the most efficient way to see each town?
4) The hike between trails is amazing...has anyone done it recently? I read that it is now like a "human traffic jam," which makes it sound not so appealing...wondering if we got there early enough, maybe it wouldn't be so bad? Am I deluding myself?
5) Should we buy train and trail passes ahead of time or when we get there?
Any and all help appreciated! Thanks!