Ferry or train from La Spezia to CT?

We will be coming from Tuscany area to La Spezia so we can do a one day CT experience. Sounds like the train is the best option. We will return to La Spezia and take off the next day to Lake Como region. Thank you!

Peggy, It would be better (IMO) to stay in the Cinque Terre for the night rather than La Spezia, as it would not only be a more pleasant "CT experience" but would also facilitate your ongoing trip to Lago di Como. My suggestion would be to stay in Monterosso. If you're coming from Tuscany, you'll enter the C.T. via La Spezia, but be sure to specify your end destination when you buy the ticket. Happy travels!

Peggy, your post title says La Spezia to CT. If this is where you begin your 1-day CT adventure, you are 8 minutes from Riomaggiore by train, the first of the five CT towns. If you want the ferry, you need to take the bus or taxi to nearby Portovenere to catch it. If the seas are rough, the ferry will not run. We were there in late May for 3 days and the ferry did not run for the first two. If you are not beginning your 1-day CT tour, where are you coming from?

Train is the quickest way. Ferry trip is lovely but can be rough and weather dependent. Ferry runs from Levento or Portovenere. Vernazza is the village everyone visits. When I went, the full train emptied there; I could see that the town was already crowded so gave it a miss. The villages are small so exploration will take no time at all. The trail between the villages varies from very easy "A walking trail, known as Sentiero Azzurro ("Light Blue Trail"), connects the five villages. The trail from Riomaggiore to Manarola is called the Via Dell'Amore ("Love Walk") and is wheelchair-friendly. The stretch from Manarola to Corniglia (still closed in June 2012 for ongoing repairs since the October 2011 damage) is the easiest to hike, although the main trail into Corniglia finishes with a climb of 368 steps." (from Wikipedia). The trail gets progressively harder has you head toward Levanto. Rick Steves' guides to Italy are probably the best for info on the villages, eateries etc. He is partially responsible for the huge popularity of the CT!!

I agree with the suggestion to stay in the CT itself (rather than La Spezia). The train ride from La Spezia to any of the CT towns takes anywhere from 10-20 minutes and is very easy. We returned our rental car in La Spezia and took a train to Monterosso where we stayed for 5 nights (in early September) & from what we saw of La Spezia, I would not want to stay there. It's just not as quaint and unique as the CT towns. Just my 2 cents! Have a great trip.

We will have a car most of the trip. We plan to drive to lake Como so will need to park the car for overnight in CT. We are coming from Tuscany and thought it would be easier to spend night in La Spezia by taking train in to CT for one day excursion. So sounds like for,the better experience is to park car outside of CT, train in and spend night(s) in CT before driving to Lake Como.

Where on Lake Como? Varenna has no street parking in town. There is some as you go out of town. There is a multistory - not cheap - and a but crowded. Be careful of dreaded ZTLs. Even Varenna has one.