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Itinerary suggestions for CT then Tuscany/Umbria

Posted by (Philadelphia) on

I read through most of the threads about Cinque Terre already but need some suggestions about logistics. I am a solo traveler and planning a trip to Italy in late September.

Tentative itinerary: 1-2 nights in La Spezia, 3 nights in Montessoro, then take train to some town in Tuscany where I can pick up the rental car. Spend the rest of the trip in Tuscany and Umbria, drop off rental car, then train to Rome and fly home.

On the day of arrival in Italy, I'm planning to take the train immediately from Rome to La Spezia (I already spent ample time in Rome during another trip so I want to focus on other areas in Italy on this trip). My plan was to spend my 1st night La Spezia getting some rest then taking the earliest train to Montessoro in the morning. From what I've read, the trains can be very crowded and I'll be arriving at La Spezia sometime mid-day. So I thought it might be better to wind down in La Spezia my first night rather than dealing with the crowds on the train to Montessoro while I'm tired. My other idea was to spend 2 nights in La Spezia and do the portion of the CT closest to La Spezia, then go to Montessoro and spend the rest of my time doing Vernazza and towns west of Montessoro.

Question--Upon arrival from Rome, should I skip La Spezia altogether and go directly to Montessoro? I read that La Spezia has some "gritty" areas. Being alone, I would like to skip areas that might be less safe which are not all that desirable to visit anyway, if you know what I mean. My main idea about staying there was about the jet lag and not dealing with the train in the peak of the day when it might be most crowded.

Another idea I had was to skip the CT altogether but I really want to see some ocean and beaches. What about the Adriatric Riviera? Rick Steves doesn't cover this area in his book. Does anyone have any experience with the beaches there? Upon arrival in Rome, I could rent a car at FCO, explore Tuscany and Umbria, then detour over to Conero on the Adriatric coast. It sounds fabulous there.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Posted by
8230 posts

Skip La Spezia and go all the way to Monterosso so you don;t have to check into another hotel.

Posted by
1245 posts

Makes no sense to spend 2 nights in La Spezia If you have a hotel in Monterosso. It is only a 20 minute train ride away.

Posted by
1814 posts

Yes, skip La Spezia even though it has no gritty areas. Three nights in Monterosso would be plenty to see all the CT villages and Portovenere (more interesting than Riomaggiore, IMO). The crowds on the train inbound to the CT will be manageable, just be sure to secure your person against pickpockets.

Posted by
11839 posts

As others have advised, go right to Monterosso as it is so close. Hopefully, you are packing light and it won't be too much of a problem. (What time will you get to La Spezia, do you think, just out of curiosity?)

As to Conero, we spent a little time in Le Marche in a beach town last fall, and it was shut down after Sept 1. The Cinque Terre does not get that quiet in Sept and Oct as far as we've observed having taken 4 trips there in the past 8 years, but boy does the Adriatic side get quiet! If you want to see what an Italian beach town is like when it is shut down, go. But the Cinque Terre, though crowded, is more interesting, IMO. (And the food is better in Liguria.) Also, it is tough to do the Adriatic without a car, except to go to the cities. Lots more need to take buses. It is a totally different pace and experience than Liguria.

When you leave Monterosso, consider getting your car in La Spezia. The trains out of there into Tuscany and Umbria are all Regionale trains, so slower. I found them very crowded, too, the one time we took that route. Get the car in La Spezia and enjoy a few stops on your way to your overnight in Tuscany.

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