Cinque Terre - is it too much walking for my 74 yo Mom?

Surely you have seen photos of the area--there are very few flat areas.

You can ttake he local train or boats from village to village park stead of hiking the trails which can be quite challenging, lots of steps. It depends on her ability to do a difficult hike.

Lisa, here's a previous thread from last year on the same subject, with a link inside that thread to a similar conversation:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/cinque-terre-with-a-non-hiker

If you intend to STAY in the CT, you'll want to be cautious about location and logistics required in reaching various accommodations: many involve long flights of steps to access, and VERY few have lifts.

Depends on lots of factors not least of which is your Mother’s physical ability. I know lots of mid-70’s who hike regularly and would have no problems. I an 75 and can walk kms. on the flat with no problem, but hills and my knees do not get on. The towns are linked by train and ferry, so walking between them is not required. However the towns have steep, cobbled streets and if going by ferry the climb up from the boat to the dock to street level can be a bit daunting. Rick Steves’ Italy guide book, or any guide book to the area and the Cinqe Terre website will give you lots of useful info as to trails, etc. I’d say give your Mum all the info you can find and let her decide if the area appeals to her.

Suki is correct..if you use the trains and boats you can enjoy the villages without too much crazy climbing. You'll miss out on some views but you can certainly get a feel for the villages. In Corniglia there is a shuttle that can take you from the train station to the top of the hill..in the other towns you pretty much pop out of the trains right where you want to be. In Vernazza there is an elevator to the street level from the train stain. Just stay of the high trail paths and you should be OK.
But here's a question...how does anyone visit Italy and avoid lot's of walking, stairs and climbing? I call Italy the death by a thousand steps. I hope your Mom has been doing some walking to get ready for the trip.

Mack, I don't recall a huge amount of steps in Rome and Florence-we stay in hotels with elevators. In Florence the area where most of the museums are is flat. I remember climbing the 300+ steps at Neuschweinstein castle, but I don't remember climbing steps in those 2 cities, except the ones at the church that pilgrims climb on their knees and the staircase at the Vatican Museums and of course, the Spanish steps.

The towns are linked via trails, train and boat. There is a road network above the towns where cars park and you walk down. Each of the towns except for Monterosso are perched on hillsides, you're either going up or, down.

The trails between the towns are varied; from partial flat-stone to, full-on dirt trail full of stones and root obstacles. The easiest trail to hike (a leisurely walk really) is between Rio Maggiore and Manarola called the via Dell'Amore (Lovers Lane). Just over a mile in length, it's flat, wide and the last bit goes down a small set of stairs to Manarola's train station platform.

I would do the hike (Rio Maggiore-to-Manarola) in the morning when her energy is at it's highest. Take the train from Manarola to Vernazza, get some lunch and relax as the mid-day sun heats up; or, just go directly to Monterossa if she's tired. Wander, get some lunch, then get something sweet to wrap up the day before returning. All the train stations have stairs to get up/down to the platforms, bring water bottles and windbreaker.

But here's a question...how does anyone visit Italy and avoid lot's of walking, stairs and climbing? I call Italy the death by a thousand steps. I hope your Mom has been doing some walking to get ready for the trip.

THIS. She needs to get her lower body used to walking and stairs. Italy (really tourism) is about being on your feet, walking around exploring. Hips, knees, ankles, feet need to be used to constant walking. Naps and breaks help but, her body needs to incorporate a routine of movement over hours.

The easiest trail to hike (a leisurely walk really) is between Rio
Maggiore and Manarola called the via Dell'Amore

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that the Riomaggiore-Manarola section is still closed from the landslides and isn't due to reopen for several more years.

^^^^You're correct!^^^^
592-1 (SVA2) Riomaggiore - Manarola is closed. Thank you for the reminder, I'd completely forgotten about that.

To the OP, this was the easiest of the between-town trails, the others are more challenging, particularly for a senior. You would be best saving that energy for exploring the towns and going to/from the train platforms. If I recall, Vernazza and Monterosso station are both a hike up/down a set of stairs.

Is there am accessible cliffside restaurant where Mom could sit and enjoy the view ? Maybe wander through the village shops while the family hikes ?
Or perhaps she would appreciate a day by herself in your overnight city, seeing a museum nobody else has an interest in ? (Ask her -- she may be "going along" with what others plan when a do-nothing, see-nothing, no-travel day would sound good. At 74, I take a few of these on each trip.)

Unless the Cinque Terre a place that either you or your mom really really want to see, I would spend my time in Italy elsewhere. And the best views in the CT require a lot of uphill walking, IMHO.

You can find delicious food, exquisite wine, and beautiful countryside just about everywhere in Italy.

I've only visited Manarola and Corniglia, but I would say that if she can happily walk up stairs to the third floor three or four times a day, she will manage. If she cannot do that I would rethink this.