In May, we will be staying in Vernazza for a few days. We have a rental car that we plan on keeping in the parking lot. I heard that the road to Vernazza is "scary." Is there a better Cinque Terre town to drive into, and then ride the train to Vernazza?
Posted by
Oklahoma City, OK, USA
430 posts
You could consider dropping the car prior to the CT, then picking up another in your next destination.
Which direction are you coming in from?
The road to Vernazza is either scary, thrilling, or wonderful, depending on your disposition. Monterosso has a parking lot, and that would cut off much of that road.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon, USA
320 posts
Stephanie:
First - the drive down to the Cinque Terre is no big deal. We've done it twice without incident.
Second - you can drive right into Monterosso and park in the municipal lot. That is only a few steps from the train station. We've left our vehicle there for multiple days - no problem.
Have fun.
Posted by
OP
salt lake city, utah, usa
2 posts
Thank you so much for all of your great suggestions. We will be coming from Rome to the Cinque Terre. And I have been on the Alpine Loop in Utah County several times, so that gives me a good reference of what the road is like.
Posted by
In the Mountains, USA
689 posts
I'd leave the car in La Spezia and take the train. The best thing would be to turn in the car and rent another later. Why waste money on the rental and parking fees when you won't even see your car? We've done that and figured we had blown almost 300 euros.
Posted by
Mpls, MN
1005 posts
Stephanie we drove to Vernazza with our kids in early July 2006 coming from France. The road is very "thin" as the locals say but my husband didn't think it was that bad and said he would drive it again. The drive to Monterosso wasn't bad but I did find myself hugging the door once we got past Monterosso. We spent 3 nights in Vernazza and parked in the lot above the town. Upon leaving we were heading to Umbria--we thought the drive from Vernazza to LaSpezia was much better. The road was newer and maybe a bit wider. On our first trip we trained in from LaSpezia leaving our rental car at the train station. Last July on a trip I took with my sisters we didn't get a rental car and it really was a breeze to train in and out. Parking can be a problem esp. in Vernazza during some of the summer months but I think you would be fine in May. Have a great trip!
Posted by
Bothell, WA, USA
206 posts
Vernazza's lot is tiny, as are its parking spaces. When we were there in late September, it was almost always completely full.
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12314 posts
We were in Vernazza in late September and I noticed parking was available (can't recall what day of the week it was). We parked in La Spezia and trained in. The parking lot in Vernazza is tiny and I wouldn't bank on parking there, especially in busier parts of the year.
Monterosso is more likely to have parking available but it's also the furthest from Rome. There might be a better way to get there than driving past the first four "Terras".
I would also figure out the cost of dropping off your car in La Spezia, then getting another after CT. It might be the better way to go.