We will be on a cruise that docks in La Spezia in early November from 7am to 7 pm. Looking for advice on going to Cinque Terre. Assuming good weather how would we take a boat/ferry to Monterosso then perhaps the train back to La Spezia stopping in Vernazza and Manarola or train there then catch the ferry back from Manarola or Riomaggiore. Doable?? In other words the best way to go to Cinque Terre for the day from the La Spezia port?? If weather bad then train round trip.
Posted by
Sidney, BC, Canada
956 posts
Ferries run 25 March to 1st November so you will be looking at doing it by train. Don’t forget that in November the days will be shorter….about 9.5 hours of daylight.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32325 posts
Brian,
As the previous reply indicated, the ferries probably won't be running at that time of year so you'll have to use the trains. Take a taxi (or whatever) from the cruise terminal to La Spezia Centrale. The trains that operate to the five villages are mostly Regioinale, and you can buy your tickets at the station either from a kiosk or a staffed ticket office. DON'T forget to validate prior to boarding the train!
My suggestion would be to start in Monterosso and visit Riomaggiore last. Monterosso is the largest of the five, so you may want to allocate a bit more time for that. It's only a few minutes from Riomaggiore to La Spezia and should be able to get back to the ship in lots of time. You might want to have a look at the rail schedules on the Trenitalia website and make a note of the times, so that you'll be able to plan the visit for the time you have.
Hopefully the weather will be reasonably good at the time you visit.
Posted by
OP
Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
255 posts
Grazie!!!!!
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32325 posts
Prego!
You might plan on being in Monterosso at lunch time. If Cantina di Miky is still open, that would be a great place to dine (it's close to the train station). If it's not open, I'm sure a few of the others will be. November is kind of getting to the end of tourist season, so many places are starting to close for the winter.