La Spezia to Rio Maggiore by train

You'll have no trouble getting from La Spezia to Riomaggiore and back to La Spezia. There are 1-2 regional trains/hour between La Spezia Centrale and Riomaggiore. The ride takes less than 10 minutes and the fare is €2.00.

Frank, It will take a few minutes to get from the docks to La Spezia Centrale, but from there it will be a VERY easy trip! As Tim mentioned, the ride to Riomaggiore is only about 9 or 10 minutes. Depending on which car you're in, the train may stop in a tunnel. If 10 minutes has elapsed and the train stops, it's time to get off. As that train will likely be a Regionale, BE SURE to validate your ticket in the yellow machine prior to boarding the train. Depending on how long you'll have, you could also visit a few of the other towns in the Cinque Terre using the local trains, as they're all close. Happy travels!

Thanks so much Tim and Ken for the information. We plan on giving it a try.

If you want to hike part of the trail, you will need a pass. The easiest sections are from Riomaggiore to Manarola and then to Corniglia. You can take the local train to the other towns. I recommend taking the ferry back for beautiful close-up views of the CT. Afternoon is better than morning because the towns face west.

Thanks Chani. I don't think we're up to hiking. We old folks will probably be lucky to get back to the station.

Frank, You won't need to worry about hiking from Manarola to Corniglia, as that section of the Sentiero Azzurro trails is still closed due to damage. You can easily walk the famous Via dell'Amore from Riomaggiore to Manarola (it's mostly level and paved), but as Chani mentioned you will need a Park Permit. You should be able to buy that at the small hut at the start of the trail. One other point to note is that there's a small Bar & Cafe close to the Manarola end, and it's a great location to stop for a "cool one" or a glass of Vino and just enjoy the beautiful view. Cheers!

As of last weekend (June 1-3), the only open trails were the easiest and the hardest ones, Riomaggiore to Manarola (easy) and Vernazza to Monterosso (hard).

There is a wonderful trail open from the tiny town of Volastra to Corniglia. The trail passes through vineyards and forests and has magnificent views of the sea. It is rather steep but entirely down-hill. Get off the train in Manarola. You can take a green shuttle bus from Manarola to Volastra. The bus leaves from right outside the Co-Op in Manarola (2 per hour, free with CT trail card). The trail from Volastra to Corniglia leaves from the church square. It is a 2-3 hour walk, so I'm not sure it is something you would want to do on a day-trip. But if you decide to do it, you can buy picnic items at the Manarola Co-Op then find the Capellini winery in Volastra for a chilled bottle of CT wine. Picnic in the church square before your hike. It will be the best day of your vacation!