Day trip/tour from Florence to Cinque Terre

It won't be easy unless you somehow drive to La Spezia. Training from Florence to 5 Terre requires a couple of train changes and that eats time. However, take a look at the Viator website

There is a tour. Check out www.walkaboutflorence.com ---- there is a CINQUE TERRE TREK day tour. They offer several tours that we are considering when we go in October. You can also go to TripAdvisor . . . they have wonderful reviews of all the tours and you can read specific ones about the Cinque Terre one.

Thanks for the replies. I checked Viator and the Cinque Terre Hiking is on there too. The details of this hike sound like more hiking than we would want. We are retired and are active, but description sounds like more than we want to do. May check trip advisor and look for others too. We were afraid taking the train with a couple changes may take up too much time. Will keep checking and thanks for the suggestions.

This Viator "small group" (12 people) tours does not include the hiking. They transport you to the villages by van, train, or boat.

http://www.viator.com/tours/Florence/Cinque-Terre-Small-Group-Day-Trip-from-Florence/d519-2635FLRCT

Ruth,

That trip is easily done by train, although it will be a long day trip. There will be two or three train changes, so as you've never travelled in Italy before some homework would be required to avoid problems. There are some potentially expensive "caveats" to be aware of when using public transit in Italy. If you can find a tour that will provide transportation at reasonable cost, that might be the best option.

In terms of activities in the Cinque Terre, you don't certainly don't have to do the seemingly obligatory hikes of the Sentiero Azzurro trails. You can easily explore the five towns using the frequent local trains, as travel between the towns is only 5-10 minutes in each case.

However, one exception to mention regarding the trails. If it's open at the time of your trip, you might consider "hiking" the famous Via dell' Amore, which is the S.A. segment from Riomaggiore to Manarola. It's been closed since about Sept. 2012 due to a severe slide that occurred, but reportedly will be open again this year. It's not really a "hike" as much as a "stroll", as it's mostly flat and paved. There's a nice cafe close to the Manarola end where you can stop and get a "cool one" or a glass of wine, while admiring the gorgeous ocean views. Note that a Park Pass is required to hike the trail, and you can buy that at the small wooden booth at the start of the trail or at local stations.

While in the Cinque Terre, be sure to try Pesto in the area where it was invented. There are a lot of nice restaurants along the beach in Monterosso that are close to the train station, so you could stop at one of those (I'd recommend Cantina di Miky). If you don't mind a short but easy walk, you could also walk through the tunnel to the "old town" of Monterosso and dine at one of the restaurants there.

Ruth,
The WalkaboutFlorence day trip to the CT is great. I did it last year and loved it. It's a hike through the villages, though. I found it fairly strenuous, but worth it. The guides are wonderful.

I have researched more online and found a small group Cinque Terre tour from Florence that looks more to our liking than the hiking tour. After reading some of the reviews, sounds like there is way too much hiking and strenuous. This small group tour is in a van with only 8 people and visits 4 of the 5 towns in a day. Think this may be the one we choose unless we find another and has excellent reviews. This sounds exactly like the Viator one recommended but less expense since don't have to pay the extra for middleman (Viator). Thanks again for all your suggestions.