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Cruise ship stop at La Spezia

I will be on a cruise ship in August and one of my stops is La Spezia (7am to 7pm) I am looking to explore Cinque Terre, where I have been to once about 7 years ago (not by cruise) and seem to have forgotten some key details about :( I have a couple of questions about that --

  1. Should I book train tickets from La Spezia now, or just buy the tickets when I arrive? If so, should I just buy the tickets from La Spezia to Riomaggiore now and buy the other tickets on that day as I explore on foot, or is there a day pass that is a better option? I am not a big hiker but I love being on my feet.

  2. I would like to also visit Portovenere (which I know is not one of 5 villages) and the Chiesa di San Pietro. Is this just as simple as taking a train to Portovenere, and then walking to the church or do I need to consider anything else?

  3. Should I take a train to Monterosso al Mare instead of Riomaggiore and then visit each town by the ferry, instead of taking a train? I believe the ferry also goes to Portovenere, but I might be mistaken.

I apologize for my inability to remember my last trip but I am hoping I can get some help from some of you.

Thanks so much!
BF

Posted by
22233 posts

The trains from La Spezia to Riomaggiore are regional trains. Price is always the same, no seat reservations possible, and they never sell out. No point booking them in advance, just buy when you are at the station and ready to go.

Posted by
18 posts

Thank you Sam, that is good to know! It also allows me to be more flexible with plans!

Posted by
6196 posts

Portovenere has no train access. You get there either by bus or ferry. Below is a website that describes the ferries

https://www.porto-venere.com/en/how-to-get-to-portovenere

If using the ferries you will need to be very mindful of the schedules. But the easiest way would seem to be the train to Monterosso, then the ferries from there. The ferry between Portovenere and la Spezia are about every 3 hours, I think.

Posted by
7985 posts

Be very careful with your time

The trains will be jam packed crowded so make sure you head back to LaSpezia with time to spare and options for trains ( if you can’t squeeze on to one , try the next)