Lazy Man's Cinque Terre Itinerary

Then don't hike although I would suggest the the 25 minute walk on the trail between Riomaggiore and Manarola. It's really better than than the short train ride. I would suggest that the "highlights" could be casually strolling through the five towns, visting some interesting shops, eating lots of gelato and having a really nice dinner. You don't have much time to do anything else.

Oh, thank you very much for your replies! This will help as we plot out our too-limited time in CT. I appreciate your time!

Lucie, You don't say when you are going, but if I had one full day in the CT, and wanted to be lazy, I'd buy a full day pass for the ferry, and hop between the towns. Stop in one for breakfast, another for lunch, and one for dinner. As Larry said, you should hit the Via Del'Amore between Manorola and Riomaggiore to get your 25 minutes of super easy, very high visual impact walk in. We stayed in Riomaggiore, and La Lanterna there in the harbor has the best calamari I've ever had in my life. I'd have that as my dinner stop in a heartbeat. Cheers!

Lucie, You may find it helpful to have a look at the Italy 2012 Guidebook, to get some idea of the sights in that area. With only one day, you'll have to be very selektive. Are you interested in doing any hiking at all? The famous Via dell'Amore between Riomaggiore and Manarola is more of a "stroll", as it's flat and paved. There's a small Bar close to the Manarola end where you can get a "cool one" or glass of Vino and enjoy the fantastic ocean views. Note that you'll need a Park Pass to hike or stroll any of the Sentiero Azzuro trails. You can easily buy that when you arrive. You could also consider a Cinque Terre Treno card which covers both the trails and trains. Details in the Guidebook. One possibility would be to take the train from Monterosso to Vernazza (the trail is a bit "challenging") and have lunch. Then hike to Corniglia (trail is a bit easier). After a brief look at the town, walk or take the Shuttle down to the station and take the train to Manarola (that trail is closed). After a look at Manarola, stroll down the Via dell'Amore to Riomaggiore. Have dinner there and then return to Monterosso by train. You could also take the boat from Monterosso to Riomaggiore and travel in the reverse direction (but of course you'd be having dinner in Monterosso). There are a fair number of restaurants in all the towns, but as Monterosso is the largest, it has the greatest number. Another option would be to take a quick tour of the five towns by train and then "chill out" on the great beaches in Monterosso. When will your trip be taking place, and where are you staying in Monterosso? Happy travels!