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Cinque Terre News

First of all currently there are NO RESTRICTIONS TO VISITORS' ACCESS to the towns.
I'm saying this because every now and then there are posters that continually fish out the same stale article that came out in February 2016 on the statements made by the President of the Cinque Terre Park (Mr. Vittorio Alessandro). Zombie posts, like zombies, are hard to kill.

The latest is that Trenitalia has instituted shuttle trains, called 'Treni Cadenzati' (staggered trains) aka the "Cinque Terre Express" every 30 min in both directions between La Spezia and Levanto. This service started last December.
The cost is 4 euro per person if boarded between La Spezia and Levanto. Those who board at farther stations, will pay an additional 2.40 euro over the price of the regular ticket. Residents with ID attesting their residence in the area, are exempt from these fares, which are higher than normal.

Since the end of April, Trenitalia has staffed the stations with 'body guards' (lets call them that way), which will limit the number of passengers who can access the platforms on the most critical days (presumably weekends). So only a limited number of people will be given access at once on the platform, de facto limiting the number of people who can board a regional train at once. That might result in lines outside the station before you can get on a train.

There are no other restrictions or limits in place, they are just trying to move the long queues from the platforms (near the tracks) to the outside of the station, for safety reasons.

The Via dell'Amore is still closed. The Via dell'Amore is not property of the CT National Park, but of the City of Riomaggiore. The City is moving to accept bids from companies willing to rebuild the path (est. cost=16 million euro) in exchange for the exclusive right to manage the path and collect the admission fees. Last month the President of the Park (Vittorio Alessandro) has criticized the move. The Mayor of Riomaggiore has responded that the President of the Park "should mind his own business" since he has no jurisdiction over the Via Dell'Amore.

This Mr. Alessandro, being a politician, obviously likes publicity and every month he is in the news giving these interviews, which are regularly criticized by local politicians. The Governor of Liguria (who belongs to the opposing political party) dispelled Mr. Alessandro's proposal of limiting access to the Cinque Terre as hogwash last February.

Posted by
7158 posts

Thank you Roberto, great information as usual. Hopefully people reading the other posts (2 of which are active right now) will read this one also and quit quoting those reports and spreading the rumors.

Posted by
16054 posts

Thanks but I don't wear money belts.

I rarely use public transportation except for planes and taxis, where pickpockets are rare. I prefer to drive rental cars (or relatives' cars), walk, or, inside Florence's ZTL, also go by bike.

Gypsy kids don't bother me, as I also like to sadistically beat them up when I run into them, not because they try to steal from me, but just for the fun of it. I love beating kids, I don't know why.

My passport is also always safely in the hotel safe or at family's home. I don't care if the Carabinieri ask for my ID. If they do (usually when they see me beating up a gypsy kids) I show them my IDP and the California DL. I also tell them I work in Silicon Valley for Facebook. They usually leave me alone because they are afraid I can f..up their Fb account.

Posted by
16538 posts

Thanks but I don't wear money belts.

Me either. I'm really short so if the varmints go after my pockets, I bite their ankles.

Posted by
1799 posts

The cost of the Cinque Terre card with train privileges is now 16.50E.

Posted by
32350 posts

Roberto,

Thanks for posting the update. Good information! I can't imagine what type of deluxe renovations they might be considering for the Via dell' Amore that would cost €16 million. Except for the part where the rock slide occurred, most of it was in reasonably good shape last time I strolled along it (I was there a few days before the slide occurred in Sept. 2012). I wonder how they'll separate the fee for hiking the other trails from the "special fee" for hiking the Via dell' Amore?

Posted by
11776 posts

I think I will bookmark this thread and the next time someone asks about the restrictions I will paste it in the reply.

It would almost be worthwhile going to see the "body guards" in action on the Vernazza platform.