CT trip... transfer in Pisa?

Hi Steve -
Pisa Centrale isn't a very big station so changing trains there isn't difficult. You will likely have to go down 1 flight of stairs and up another to get from your arrival to departure platforms, though.

But another little tip? There is a train which departs Firenze Campo di Marte station at 7:38 AM and arrives in La Spezia Centrale at 9:11: only one hour/33 minutes, no changes. From La Spezia, you are only 7-8 minutes by train from Riomaggiore - the most southerly of the CT villages. - or just a few minutes more to any of the rest of them.

Campo di Marte isn't as centrally located as S.M. Novella but this is the fastest rail route to the CT. You can take a cab (or bus?) to Campo di Marte, or take a train from S.M. Novella and change trains at Campo di Marte, if you wish.

Coming back, there's a train which leaves La Spezia at 20:03 and arrives at Firenze Campo di Marte at 21:40: 1 hour/37 minutes, no changes.

You'll be taking regionale trains within the CT so you'll just buy tickets or a day pass in La Spezia or at the individual stations.

Ok thanks Kathy, I already bought a ticket from Firenze to Monterosso with the change in Pisa... prolly better for me as 7:38 Is a bit early andI don't mind a train ride... how scenic is the view from the train?

What's a good plan once there.. get a ticket that allows unlimited travel between the 5 towns?

The views from La Spieza to Monterosso (on the left hand side of the train) part are great but intermittent as the train goes in and out of tunnels.I remember the tourists occasionally letting out a collective wow as the train made its way to Monterosso

So basic question.. Is the train station that you are in when you are going between the 5 towns the same as the train station that you would arrive in from say Pisa? In other words when I arrive in Monterosso train station from Pisa, do I catch the train to say Vernazza from that same station or are the local trains on a separate track network?

There are trains that run from Pisa straight to Monterosso on its way to Milan.
That is the one I took after transfering in Pisa coming from Florence.
There are also heavily used trains (Cinque Terre Express or Regionale) that just operate between La Spezia and Monterosso stopping at each town along the Cinque Terre. Each town has its own train station. You will find yourself using these to get from town to town.
The towns are short rides from each 5 to 10 minutes more or less.
So yes you would take a train to Vernazza from Monterosso this takes 3 minutes (although I managed to hike this route in 1 hour and a half).

"So basic question.. Is the train station that you are in when you are going between the 5 towns the same as the train station that you would arrive in from say Pisa? In other words when I arrive in Monterosso train station from Pisa, do I catch the train to say Vernazza from that same station or are the local trains on a separate track network?"

Hi.

- Yes, there is one station in each of the five CT towns, and all trains use the same stations / tracks. (However, many trains do not stop at some of the CT towns. Following an announcement on the platform about a fast moving train approaching, some trains will roar through the smaller towns (i.e. Manarola) without stopping.)
- Since you are coming from Pisa, if you want to go to any of the five CT towns, the better place to transfer would be La Spezia, not Monterosso, since you would hit that first coming from the south. If you go all the way to Monterosso, you would have to back track to get to the other towns. In any case, there are local trains that run every half hour between La Spezia Centrale and all five of the CT towns.

- Note that La Spezia does have multiple stations, but the one you want is La Spezia Centrale. La Spezia Centrale is a main connection point, and virtually all trains will stop there. However, despite the name and being a main connection point, it is a small station; five minutes is enough time to change. Enjoy your trip!

Right. Each of the 5 cinque Terre towns (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso) have their own train stations, and only one in each town. And not ALL trains stop in each town so you need to reference the schedules at each station.

You can buy a pass (Cinque Terre Treno MS card) which allows unlimited, 1-day, 2nd-class train travel between La Spezia and Levanto and the 5 CT villages in between those two: 16 EUR per adult. As your first destination will be Monterosso, you'll need to purchase it there before you get another train within the CT.

You don't mention how you're getting BACK to Florence but this pass doesn't apply to journeys beyond La Spezia or Levanto.

http://cinqueterre-travel.com/information/cinque_terre_card/

Very important: before boarding, remember to validate the pass in one of the time-stamping machines near the tracks the first time you use it!!!!!