Cinque Terre with bad knees

Riomaggiore and Manarola are on very steep and long hill. Corneglia is on the top of hill, its train station is on the foot but there is a shuttle bus between them. Vernazza and Monterosso are comparatively less hilly. Trails between Riomaggiore and Manarola and Manarola and train station in Corneglia are relatively flat and easy. Trails between Corneglia and Vernazza and Vernazza and Monterosso are more demanding with hills and steps.

Susan - we stayed in Monterosso Al Mare on our tour. The part of town near the train station is flat, laid out parallel to the ocean. A short walk up a slight hill and through a tunnel takes one over to the other part of town full of shops and restaurants. It should be quite doable by foot. There are boats that run from there to 3 of the other four villages according to the website. boats. We did not take the boat tour but some of our tour members did, and had a very nice day. Enjoy your trip!

Susan, Monterosso will provide you with the largest area of level ground and is also the largest of the five villages. The other four are going to involve some steps and uphill/downhill grades but you may also choose to (slowly) do as much or as little as your knees allow. Vernazza - as Ilja noted - will be your second best choice for some exploration on areas of relatively flat ground.

As far as traveling between them, you do know that you don't need to use the trail system at all? There's only 7 miles between the northernmost (Monterosso) and southernmost (Riomaggiore) and train travel takes mere minutes from one to the next. The exception would be Corniglia as it's on a cliff above its stationso you'll want to jump on the little bus that meets the trains and takes visitors up the hill. You can also do reach it on foot but I would NOT advise it with your knee problems.

There are many paths within the park system but the "Blue Trail" (Sentiero Azzurro) is the most direct and most popular route between villages. Unfortunately, the piece between Corniglia and Manarola and most of the leg between Manarola and Riomaggiore have been closed for some time due to damage. Rumor has it that one or both may re-open this year but I'm unable to confirm that just now. If they do, the easiest piece for bad knees would be the Manarola to Riomaggiore section (Via dell'Amore).

Park trails can also close abruptly due to weather damage and sudden rockfalls. It's suggested to check the park website for current conditions once you have arrived. The Blue Trail segments are 592-1 (SVA2) to 592-4 (SVA2), and you can clearly see the two legs which are currently flagged as closed on this page of the site:

http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Esentieri-outdoor.php

As Ilja also noted, the pieces between Monterosso and Vernazza and Vernazza and Corniglia involve many steps and/or steep grades so would be a challenge for those knees: take the train. You may also take a ferry between all of the villages but Corniglia but I wouldn't suggest those as your primary mode of transport.

Grazie mille for the VERY VERY helpful information! Nance & Kathy, I'll be sending you a PM.

Prego, Susan!

The all day pass on the boats was only $24. If you have bad knees, I would recommend using the boats, weather permitting.

Susan,

With "bad knees" I'd suggest staying in Monterosso as it's the most level of the five towns and provides the easiest walking. It also has the best beaches. Depending on your walking ability, you could either stay in the "new town" (closer to the station - Have a look at Hotel La Spiaggia) or in the lower parts of the "old town" (have a look at Hotel Pasquale). It's a very easy walk between the two parts of town. You will have to deal with a few stairs from the station platforms down to the main street.

One point to consider about staying in Vernazza is that while the main part of town close to the harbour is fairly flat, many of the small accommodations there can only be accessed by stairs (in some cases LOTS of stairs). For the most part, the only accommodations in the Cinque Terre that have elevators are in Monterosso.

Regarding the "hiking paths", it's too early to say which ones will be open or closed at the time of your visit so you'll have to check that just prior to going there. There's an extensive network of trails in the area, but most tourists are only concerned with the Sentiero Azzurro trails, and here's a brief description of each of those....

• Monterosso to Vernazza - this is the most challenging section in involves a steep climb at the Monterosso end. I find the Vernazza end to be a bit "gentler". This is probably not a good choice for someone with bad knees.
• Vernazza to Corniglia - this is almost as challenging at the previous segment, but probably could be managed if you take it slow.
• Cornigila to Manarola - this is only moderately difficult, but it's been closed for several years so probably won't be open during your visit anyway.
• Manarola to Riomaggiore - of all the segments, this is definitely one you could manage as it's mostly level and paved, and provides incredible ocean views. Unfortunately it was closed in 2012 due to a severe rock slide that injured four Australian tourists, and it's uncertain at this point when it will reopen (the last information I saw indicated April 2017).

Visiting each of the five towns is very easy using the frequent local trains or a combination of train & boat (if the boats are running in October).

As you'll be in Florence for a month, I'd suggest checking the weather forecast before planning your stay in the Cinque Terre. If the weather is inclement, there won't be a lot to do in the C.T. I'd also suggest booking accommodations well in advance.

(the last information I saw indicated April 2017).

Ken, I saw the same information but another mention of possible re-opening in spring of 2016. I'm guessing that the 2017 date is probably the right one, though.

Kathy,

I've also seen April 2016 mentioned for reopening the Via dell' Amore. Nothing seems to be definite at this point.

Ken, thanks for the additional details about the trails. I've seen photos of the flatter/paved section (which I also thought we could manage with no problem) - sorry to hear it will be closed for quite some time.

The town of Portovenere is not part of the Cinque Terre, but it's the next town served by (some departures of) the tourist boat and is considerably flatter with a gentler incline up to its Church of St. Peter. It's on a promontory jutting into the water, rather than a ravine running up a hillside. I don't particularly recommend it over the other five towns, but worth knowing about and also charming. Not served by rail, so if you go by boat, note the return times.

Susan,

The Via dell' Amore may possibly be open sometime in 2016. The status can change unexpectedly so anything is possible. Check just prior to your trip using this website.....

http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Esentieri-outdoor.php