Does anyone know if the trails are open as of today, May 9 2013?? I heard much of it may be closed again.
Meg, it seems that as of today the most popular ones are closed:
http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/sentieri_parco.asp?id_lingue=2
Meg, AFAIK, the status of the trails hasn't changed in the last few weeks. At the present time, only the Monterosso - Vernazza segment of the Sentiero Azzurro (No. 2) trails is open and the other segments remain closed. There's an extensive network of other trails in that area, and many of them are open. Check the website mentioned in the first reply for more specific information. Happy travels!
Meg, When will you be in the Cinque Terre? THIS is the latest status report for the No. 2 (Sentiero Azzurro) trails. Cheers!
@Robert, It's not likely the schedules will change much between now and when you'll be travelling. Just check the current schedules for the day-of-the-week that you'll be travelling, and that should be reasonably accurate. The trains will mostly be Regionale on that route, so no need to pre-purchase tickets. Cheers!
Excellent news, as we will be arriving in Monterosso on the 16th (assuming Trenitalia ever opens up the schedule for Firenze to Monterosso)! Looks like more hiking opportunities are opening up!
@ Ken, It's just the "control freak" in me that wants to see the schedule and know I have things in place... Maybe I'll just let go, and relax, and get tickets once we get to Florence for the trip to CT. Thanks!
I think the CT is a place to try to 'take a vacation from your vacation', as Rick likes to say. I can understand wanting to have the train schedule and accommodations locked down, but apart from that, it is a good place to release the stress, relax, and try to go with the flow, which for me is part of the delightful uniqueness of Italy.
@Robert, I also plan to take a day trip from Florence to the Cinque Terre this year, and I'm not at all concerned about the tickets. There's no benefit to pre-purchasing tickets on Regionale trains, as the price doesn't change - they're usually cheap! I've already noted the departure times I want to use in both directions, and will confirm those a day or so before travelling. I always pack a Netbook and Smartphone these days, so it's easy to check times. I'll buy my tickets on the day prior to the trip, probably at a Kiosk. On the day of travel, all I have to remember is to validate the tickets. It's typically a very easy process. Cheers!