CinqueTerre from Florence

We took the train to Monterosso and caught the ferry there to Portovenere where we had lunch. We then reversed and went back to Monterosso. Very nice and scenic. Portovenere looks just as colorful as the 5 CT towns. I believe that there may be a bus from La Spezia to Portovenere but I'm not sure and if yes, I don't know where to catch it. If the seas are rough, the ferry will not run.

It's unfortunate that you won't have a couple of days to spend on the Cinque Terre, as it's such a beautiful area! A longer stay would give you the opportunity to explore all the of the towns, including Portovenere. As previously mentioned, the boats don't run if the sea is "rough", so it's probably best to focus on travel by train.

I checked the schedules briefly, and there's a direct train leaving Firenze S.M.N. at 07:51, arriving La Spezia Centrale at 09:52. If this is too early, there are later trains leaving but most have one change in Pisa. At La Spezia you can transfer to the smaller "local" train. The ride to Riomaggiore (the most southerly village) is only about eight minutes, so be ready to disembark if that's where you're getting off! You'll have to check to determine the return schedules.

Happy travels!

Larry and Ken,
Thanks for the response. It is unfortunate our visit is only going to be a day trip.

Thanks
Joe

You'd be surprised on what you can do on a very long day. If you take the train to Monterosso, it's about a 3hr. journey from Florence. If your timing is right for the ferry, I seem to recall that it's about 90 minutes each way. Once you get back to Monterosso, walk around a bit. It's very scenic. Then you can take the local train to Vernazza (5 minutes) and walk around there. Skip Corniglia since it's high up and take the train to Manorola. From Manorola, you can walk the "lover's trail" from Manorola to Riomaggiore in 25 minutes. Super scenic and a very flat walk (not a hike). Then jump on the train, possibly change trains at La Spezia and journey back down to Florence. Eat lots of gelato and have a quickie lunch somewhere. It can be done. Hint: avoid the car. Tourist cars are mostly prohibited in the 5 towns and the two parking lots high up are usually full during the high season.