How do I get from Vernazza to Varenna

What is not clear? The station is Varenna-Esino.

PS I was doing a little more searching and Nigal beat me to it. Need to route through Milano and then on to Varenna-Esino. Total time is going to be about 5,6 hours.

It is listed on Trenitalia, as are the connections. The trip will take a bit of time and is not as straightforward as it seems. Cinque Terre to Milano, changing on route as needed, then change at Milano Centrale. You have to look under Tutti Treni, and not put a date more than 7 days out which corresponds with the day you want to travel.

TreNord is not a private company it is a regional suburban network run by Milano.

If there's anyway to not have those two in sequence in your itinerary, I would suggest considering it. Maybe a night in Milan to see the Last Supper, the Duomo and wander around?

frank,

That's actually a fairly simple and easy trip, which will be a short as 4.5 hours from the C.T. to Varenna, depending on which trains you choose. When will this trip be taking place, and what time do you want to depart the Cinque Terre?

In the same situation, this is the method I'd use.....

• Take the short 3 minute ride from Vernazza to Monterosso (Dep. 09:48, Arv. 09:51). When you arrive there have a coffee or meal (there's a small Bar near the ticket office with great views over the water), or perhaps explore the area close to the train station as you'll have a short wait. Fare for that leg will be ~€1.80.
• Take the train to Milano Centrale (Dep. 10:52, Arv. 13:50) and then the train to Varenna-Esino (Dep. 14:20, Arv. 15:23). Fare for that entire trip will be ~€15.45 (DON'T forget to validate!).

That's actually a reasonably good time to arrive in Varenna, as your room should be ready by then. Depending on which hotel you're staying in, you should be able to walk from the station.

Happy travels!