Cinque Terre steps - any railings?

Hiking poles can work as portable railings. I have found them useful at times. She would want to practice at home to see if it works for her.

I can't answer your questions but would suggest a ferry trip along the coast. The towns should be very picturesque from the water.

And yes, the stone stairs in the villages are often uneven and worn, and railings are rare.

We are not planning to stay in any of the towns, as I realize she
would have to climb steps to get to a hotel or AirBnB.

We stayed at a sea-front hotel in Monterosso that was a flat, easy walk from the train station and had an elevator. Monterosso would be the easiest of the 5 for her to manage as it has the largest amount of flat terrain. I do remember some stairs at the train station.

https://www.laspiaggiamonterosso.com

There is a little bus that makes the run from Corniglia's train station up to the village and back so no need to climb the Lardarina staircase. Any website that tells you differently is wrong! It's timed to the trains, and costs a couple of euro so.

I think you'll find a fair amount of railings, although they won't be everywhere, and not maybe in-and-out of the shops if there are only a couple of steps. I don't recall steps with dips in the middle but then, I wasn't looking for them either. Along with some steps, you will be dealing with some sloped streets in some of the villages, and they probably don't have railings (or I don't recall that they did). What I'd do? Google "streets, Vernazza" (or Corniglia or Riomaggiore, etc) and browse a bunch of pictures. That should give you a pretty good idea what you're dealing with. For instance, here's a shot of Corniglia's tiny piazza showing the steps up to pretty little Oratorio dei Disciplinati di Santa Caterina above it. You can clearly see railings.

https://livingnomads.com/2019/04/cinque-terre-travel-blog/trip-to-corniglia-cinque-terre-italy/

The boat trip along the coast is a great idea.

If you went to Monterosso Al Mare, it is a walk from the train station to the boat dock, but it is fairly level or you can take a cab to the boat dock. Maybe 5-6 stairs total after you leave the train station.

The Hotel Albergo Degli Amici is just 3 blocks back from the shore with just a slight incline at this point. and requires no stairs until you get to the entrance of the hotel where there are about 12. Once inside there is a lift. I think if you are providing a helping arm for those few stairs, she could stay overnight and enjoy the beach and visit parts of the town.

Collapsible hiking poles with rubber tips on the ends make my traveling much easier. I use one pole. I take my pole on every trip to Europe and it helps me navigate cobbled streets and uneven ground.

Hunger Hiker

@periscope, if you actually read the post, the OP is not asking about the trails.

What is your assessment of your mothers walking abilities now? How far can she walk? Can she negotiate steps now?
Your question was about was about railings. Should I assume that if there are railings she feels she can do it? And vice versa?
Because the answer to that is probably, no, according to the replies.
You could always take her for a walk and see how it goes. She can tell you anything, but this should be observed.
An 85 year old falling in Italy would not always have a good outcome. Check her insurance and what it would take to get her home.

Thanks so much to all of your for your replies, including suggestions for hotels! I really appreciate it.

To answer the question about her current abilities, my mother is still amazingly spry on flat ground. She walks faster than I do! I don't think she has concerns about walking own a sloped street, either. I'll definitely suggest a pole for cobblestones, though; I think she may have used one before.

But she is quite nervous about stairs without railings, to the point where she's become quite phobic about falling. I witnessed this on another trip where she only needed to go down a few steps and chose a different way instead. I assume it's mostly a fear of going down stairs that have no railings, not up. But railings also certainly help with stamina going up. I sympathize with her concern about going down steps, since I have some depth issues due to trifocals. I appreciate the idea to Google "streets" for these villages to get photos!

I just don't want her to miss out on too much if she can't go down steps. She would have to stay in the main parts of the towns while I explore the side streets and stairs. Hopefully there's enough for her to do that doesn't involve stairs.

Thanks again!

I went to the hotel website for the hotel I recommended and scanned the pictures. Definitely a nice sturdy handrail available in those entrance steps! I think your mother would do very well there, especially after reading your description of her current abilities.

Stewart

Go to Google Maps and drop a pin in the various spots your mother wishes to walk. You can then look at the streetview and judge for yourself. Good luck.