We are considering a day trip (if that is feasible) from CT (Riomaggiore) to one of the hill towns. This is a last minute decision and I would love some input as to which town might be a easy for a day trip. Looking at Rick's map San Gimignano looks llike it is not too far. We would travel by train & or bus, is this the correct way of thinking? Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Posted by
Oak Park, IL, United States
56 posts
Check out Lucca. I believe the trip is under 2 hours from C.T. and worth it!
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Lucca is the closet and quite nice and scenic. By train, it's about 2hrs. away. S.G. is 3.5hrs away with 2 train changes.
Posted by
Salem, OR, USA
13 posts
Lucca is your best bet without driving too far.
Posted by
Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
606 posts
But Lucca is not a hill town.
Posted by
Slidell, LA
553 posts
We stayed in Florence and took a Grayline bus tour to San Gimignano and Siena which left at 8:00 and returned at 16:30. This might be an option if you can stay one night in Florence, or possibly in Siena. I was not that impressed with San Gimignano except for the view of the countryside from the town.
While both were nice, NEITHER compared with the views from hiking trail from Monterosso to Riomaggorie, the harbor at Vernazza or the beach scene in Monterosso. I can't imagine why anyone who is already in the CT would want to leave. It was our last stop before taking the night train to Paris. What a great place to finish up our Italy adventure. Have a great time.
Posted by
WPB, FL & Firenze
3112 posts
The 2 closest hill towns to Riomaggiore (in terms of travel time) are Siena and San Gimignano. Both are at least 3.5 hours each way. I wouldn't consider that feasible, but you might. There are hourly trains from La Spezia that you could take. If going to San Gimignano, you'd need to get off at Poggibonsi and catch a bus. Siena is one stop beyond Poggibonsi, and there's a short bus ride from the Siena train station to historic center. Looked at Pisa bus schedule, and there aren't any viable day trips by bus from there to hill towns. Lucca is a much easier day trip from CT and it's a beautiful walled city. I've talked to people who've done Lucca from CT and they thought it was a great day trip. Unless you're up for a very long day of travel, Lucca is your best bet.