Cinque Terre & Venice

1 - Many discussions recently here about that area if you have a scroll around. 2 - Are you aware of the flooding? 3 - It is the closed season 4 - No planes. 5 -
Others here are more expert about hotels there and will certainly chip in, but while you are waiting why not have a look at previously answered questions which are similar...

Thanks Nigel for your reply. Yes I'm aware of the floods. I've done extensive research on my trip but I still want to visit CT. Ony 2 of the 5 have been affected. The people of CT need our support now more than ever. As for the plane, it would be from Genoa or Pisa to Venice with a stop in Rome. So I would need 1 train to the airport and the plane, which is a 3 hour flight. It just seems like it would take a lot less time for the flight versus traveling only by trains.

Work out exactly how much time it will take by plane and by train. Remember you have to be at the airport well before take-off, while you can arrive at the train station just a few minutes before departure. If you have checked bags (local European flights usually have much stricter limits on hand baggage - size, weight and number - than international flights), you will have to wait for it on arrival. The train stations are right in the city - there are distances to travel to get to/from the airport.

Terri, I have a few comments to add.... The Cinque Terre will likely be a bit quiet at that time of year, as tourist season doesn't really start until April. However, a visit is certainly possible. If you want to stay in Monterosso, you might check the Italy Guidebook for Hotels in the "new town" section of Monterosso, as some of those may be open. You could also enquire at Hotel Pasquale, which is a "sister property" to Villa Steno. I believe it sustained some damage in the flooding, but may be operational again? Another option would be to stay in Levanto, which is only about 10-minutes by train from Monterosso. Staying in one of the other villages would also be good, and Manarola would be my first choice. I doubt that all of the hiking trails will be open by March, but you should be able to walk the famous Via dell'Amore at least. You can visit the other towns using the local train, which is very inexpensive. For travelling from the C.T. to Venice, flying is not really a viable option. The shortest rail trip I could find from Monterosso was 5H:00M, with two changes in Pisa and Firenze SMN (reservations compulsory for one leg, current second class fare listed at €59.40). Happy travels!

we took a train from Monterosso station to Venice with just one stop in Milan. The first part was all along coast and very beautiful. It left at about 10:30 a.m., I think. YOu need reservations. check it out. Great choice, which we learned about from others on this blog.

It's a six hour train journey from the CT to Venice with 1-2 train changes. By the time you get to the airport in Genoa or Pisa, you'll be approaching Florence for your final train change. Plus, when you get to those two airports, you will most likely find that there are no direct flights to Venice. Nice train runs out of La Spezia Centrale.

Terri,
My sister and I did a similar trip in reverse in March a couple of years ago. It's one of my favorite times of the year to visit that part of Italy as the crowds are low and the temps are warming up. Just about everything is open but you may find a few places closed like maybe the Villa Steno. It's one of the few times I actually enjoyed the CT. We went from Venice to CT using the train with a 2 day stop in Verona and then flew out of Genoa on to Paris. We didn't buy tickets in advance and didn't have any issues other than having to stand for an hour on one segment. I wouldn't worry about just showing up with no reservation either. We would just make a call the night before and reserve places in smaller towns with never an issue. Out of the 5 towns, I preffered Riomaggiore and if I had to stay in the CT, I would probably stay there. That time of year, the CT was dead at dark and finding a restaurant at normal dinner hours was difficult. Santa Margherita Ligure was a highlight for me, and I spent many evenings there before returning to my hotel in Rapallo. Next time I'm in the area, I'd probably make SML my home base. Have fun! Venice is very enjoyable this time of year too!