CT hikes

There is actually a higher trail than the one that takes you through each town. Start above any of the towns. you might need to ask a local for directions, but I remember a map from the train station/ticket booth for the CT trails.

Also, it's fun to hike to Levanto and take the train back to the CT town you are staying in.

The hike to Levanto takes you on part of the Roman Road, so that's fun..there are just a couple of "ruins" to see, small, but fun to explore. Plus the views going north from Monterosso to Levanto are beautiful!

You'll enjoy the hike more if you spread it over two days. That way you can enjoy some time in the various towns.

You can pick up a map that shows all trails at any TI office. There are several trails higher up as well as a lesser known 5th trail from Monterosso to Levanto. Also, consider buying the Cinque Terre card. You can buy them for 1 day, 3 days or 7 days. I'm not sure about a 2-day. You can also buy these at the TI offices. It covers unlimited train fares from La Spezia in the South to Levanto in the North. It also will cover all of your fees on the CT lower trails (hyep, there are trolls there). It also covers any rides on the mini-buses in the towns.

If you depart from Riomaggiore, you can do 3 of the trails to Vernazza in less than a 1/2 day. But, it is so scenic, you could stop a few times along the way or even have a late breakfast or lunch in Manarola or Corniglia. BTW, watch out for the 400+ stairs straight up from the Corniglia train station to the start of trail #3 (Corniglia is higher up on the cliff). You can take the mini-bus if you want to take a shortcut.

Larry, what do you mean by trolls?

How much are the passes? If we stay three days, then we would definitely need that.

We want to hike and relax as well.

My husband divided it into 2 days last September. He had orginally thought of trying to do the whole trail in one day. The 2nd day we took the foot passanger ferry to Vernazzo and he was then off finishing the hike and took the train back. He saw alot of younger people wearing swim suits under their shorts and stopping and hiking down to from the trail for dips in the water. Be sure to take the boat ride between the different towns. Seeing the towns from the water gives you a different perspective of the area and is well worth the time. You can stay on it round trip without getting off or get off and explore.

By "trolls", I mean that there are ticket booths on the trails. There is a cost for hiking the trails. I'm just a senior citizen who remembers the trolls in the fairy tales.

I believe that a 2-day card is about 13.50euro and a 3-day card is about 18.50euro. Ours did not cover the cost of the ferry which we took roundtrip from Monterosso to Portovenere.

Larry, thank you so much for the explanation. I thought a "troll" was the type we see on the internet who goes to websites to stir up trouble :-).

I'm still a bit confused by the trails and trains. Once you get the pass, are you then allowed to use the train between villages? Do you show the pass to the various villages on hikes?

Can someone give me an idea of the cost for using the boat please? I am trying to make a rough outline of what our sightseeing will cost us just to have an idea before we leave.

try

www.slowtrav.com/italy/liguria/cinqueterre.htm

In three trips to the Cinque Terre I have not yet found all of the trails open between the 5 towns. The last time a section was closed due to a rock slide (I think it was Vernazza to Corniglia). However, our apartment rental agent gave us directions to some other nice trails in the area. The local people seem happy to offer suggestions.

Kay, check this link out from this site.

I just did a google search and found this one.

You might try the same to get more info about the region based on the questions you have.

I think I heard that the train is now a separate fee from the hiking trails...when we went, we bought the 3 day pass and it covered the trains and trails, but I believe that changed last year. I'm still searching for you.

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/italy/vernazza.htm

Thanks for the websites, I've put them in my bookmarks!!

Kay