Florence to Cinque Terre

Yes we would skip Siena, we have been there before. I'll have to really think about this. There is a chance I can cancel a night in Florence giving us an over night stay in Vernazza

I can be done, but it will be a long day.Are you going to skip Siena for this outting? Hopefully, not. Siena is a gem. First train out is just before 6 am- last back around 10:30 pm.

You are going all over the place, Florence, Cinque Terre, Varenna. You need to keep track of the time it takes to travel from place to place. From Florence to the Cinque Terre is at least 2.5 hours with 2 train changes (Pisa+La Spezia). Adding Varenna to the picture it's another long trip (Varenna is north of Milan).
So look at a map and using Trenitalia.com look at the train options. If you want to do the CT instead of Siena and plan to cancel one night in Florence, you should add that night to the Cinque Terre. A day trip from Florence is a busy day. I've done it by car (but by car it's just over 1.5 hours, so you save one hour). I've done it also by train decades ago when I was living in Florence. But in those days there were direct Intercity trains from Florence to Turin (and back) which would stop in Monterosso (with no changes along the way) so it was easy and quick. Since the advent of high speed that option is gone (now trains Florence-Turin go through Bologna-Milan).

OMG thanks Roberto, It was the town of Vernazza in the CT. Our trip is from Assisi to Florence then Venice, since we had been to Florence before is where the CT came in. Thanks

Jo, A day trip to the Cinque Terre is possible, but as mentioned previously it will be a bit of a long day. Using the local trains, you'd be able to have a look at all five of the towns, and perhaps walk the famous Via dell'Amore (if you're interested and provided it's open). When is this trip taking place? Yes, you could buy return tickets in Florence, perhaps the day before you'll be travelling. Use the Trenitalia website to research which trains you want to use, departure times, changes and other details. Your trip will likely involve a combination of Regionale, Freccia or InterCity trains (depending on which ones you choose). DON'T FORGET to validate Regioale tickets prior to boarding the train on the day of travel! With Freccia trains, BE SURE that you board the train specified on your ticket. Happy travels!

Ken, We will get in Florence May 22. Our trip is 2 nights Sorrento, 2 Rome, 2 Assisi, 3 Florence and 3 Venice. It sounded good with the day trip to Siena till the CT came into play....it was just a thought

Jo, it is not uncommon for travelers on this website to go for the 1-day visit to the CT. Long ago, I prepared an intinerary for a 1-day visit. Note, however, that my itinearary includes walks on two of the four famous trails. Right now, the trails are still closed from last year's mudslide damage. Thus, you might spend a bit more time on the Regionale trains between the towns instead of walking between three of them. If you intend to visit most or all of the five towns, you can purchase the 1-day Cingue Terre Treno card. Make sure it's the "TRENO" card as there is similar one for the local parks. This card gives you unlimited rides on the trains between La Spezia and Levanto. It also covers the fees on the famous trails should any of them be open. It also covers the mini-buses that run up and down the hills in the towns. The following is a suggested agenda. First, buy your train tickets from Florence to La Spezia Centrale. I suggest departing on the 7:00am train. Fare is 12.50Euro. Journey time is 2hrs19min. For this run, you will change trains at Pisa. Second, at La Spezia Centrale, pop into the Tourist Information office in the train station and buy your 1-day Cinque Terre Treno Card. If the famous Via dell'Amore trail is open, take the next Regionale train to Riomaggiore. Walk down to the beginning of the trail and in 30 minutes, you are in Manarola. It's an easy level walk. If the trail is closed, take the train to Riomaggiore and tour briefly. Tour other towns as you wish. The Regionale trains are frequent so that won't hold you up. Have lunch in Vernazza or wherever you wish. About 3:00pm take a Regionale train back to La Spezia Centrale. Buy you ticket back to Florence. You could be back in Florence by early evening.

Thanks Larry for your basic instructions-just what I needed.

You can find the CT train timetable for 2013 at http://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/cinque-terre-timetable To be clear, "frequent" trains means 1 or 2 per hour. And many do not stop at the central 3 towns, service there being on the order of roughly 1 per hour. I suggest you carry the schedule with you and plan your time accordingly, otherwise you may find yourself cooling your heels waiting for the next train.

Good point John, I may not even want to deal with this unless I can get all the information in order before we leave Florence.