CT for a day trip?

While it's physically possible, whether it's a good idea or the best choice for you is a choice you can make after you have a realistic idea of the total travel time involved. To determine station to station train travel time, use the train schedule or other links in this sticky (at the link pasted in below, and the sticky is also found at the top of this webpage): http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm/rurl/topic/39867/bhow-much-time-to-get-thereitinerary-questions-answered-hereb.html But to get total travel time, in addition to the station to station time given in the train schedules, add for things like: the time it takes to get from your hotel to the train station, wait for the train, get from the CT train stations (there are several) to your first CT destination, etc, then the time back to the CT train station, wait for train, and so on. More common day trips are to Siena, to one or more of the Tuscany hilltowns, or to Lucca and/or Pisa.

Allison, As Kent mentioned that trip is possible but it's a LONG day from Florence. Given the ages of the children, I'd probably look for a shorter and less tiring day trip. Siena would certainly be a possibility. For travel from Florence to Siena, going by Bus is a better option. Happy travels!

Allison, We were in Florence last summer and did a day trip to Siena. It was perfect. We had plenty of time to see the city and then hop back on the bus. We were sure to check the bus schedule back to Florence before leaving the area so we knew when the final bus left.

Yes I knew it would be a long day, just not sure if it would be worth it. I was in CT 23 yrs ago (as I have been a ETBD fan forever), I really want to return but it sounds like Sienna a better choice. Will look into the bus- thanks-all.

For starters, its a 2.5hr train journey from Florence to Riomaggiore. If you want a one-day suggested itinerary, please PM me and I'll send you one that I post occasionally. If you leave really early and expect to come back later in the day, you can even squeeze in the leaning tower of Pisa.

Allison For me, the best times of the day in CT are early and later, after the day trippers are gone. And you would be missing out on that. Check with Larry to see what his short train itinerary is. It is a shame to miss CT but if the kids are tired and cranky from all of the train travel, no one will be happy. But they could swim in CT. On the other hand, I think your kids might enjoy the walled city of Siena. The wonderful large piazza would be fun for them to run around. Kick a soccer ball, throw a frizzbie. Note that the museums in Florence charge for everyone. It makes for very expensive family sightseeing. If you are not into art, skip the Uffizi Gallery. The Accademia does have the David (which is at least recognizable to kids.) Have a wonderful time with your family.

Thanks for the suggestions. I know that too many museums may burn the kids out, and will probably take the advice of skipping the Uffizi . We will be hitting Paris and Rome before our arrival in Florence:) 1 more week :)

I did CT for the day 2 years ago from Florence. Mom and 2 17 year old boys. We left Florence on the 1st train out (7-8am) to La Spezia. The boys hiked from village to village ( I hiked from Riomaggiore to Manorola) while I took the train from village to village. We used walkie talkies to connect. We left at almost the last train(9pm) out returning around 11pm. It was a long day but doable. You might not want to do much hiking or limit to just a few if the 5 villages. It was very much worth it!
This year I spent 3 nights in Riomaggiore which was better!

@ Joyce, "We used walkie talkies to connect." It's not a good idea to use North American Walkie Talkies in Europe, as the frequency bands differ. Some of our frequencies are used by emergency services in Europe, so can conflict with emergency traffic. The penalties could be severe if you're caught! Cheers!

For a nice break from urban Florence, take the bus trip up to Fiesole for beautiful views of the city and some good restaurants and places to wander around for the kids. The RS Florence/Tuscany book has the details.

We intend to take this one day tour of the CT out of Florence. http://www.viator.com/tours/Florence/Cinque-Terre-Hiking-Day-Trip-from-Florence/d519-5070CINQUE?wpm=Florence:&-