Hi. We are staying in Vernazza, CT for one night. We are planning on coming from Pisa on the train, then the next day we will take the train to Rome. 1) What do you recommend to do during our short visit? 2) Is there enough time to hike the trail between the towns, and 3) which part of the trail do you suggest as far as ease and proximity to Vernazza? I know that the train runs between the towns so we can take the train to another town and begin our hike from that point. I am also aware that we will need a hiking card to hike and that this card can be purchased along the trail at each town, correct? Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32214 posts
When is this trip taking place? Hiking any of the trails may not be possible if you'll be travelling soon, as all the trails appear to be closed - https://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Esentieri-outdoor.php .
As you're only staying one night, you'll only have a few hours. My suggestion would be to explore a couple of the towns, perhaps Monterosso and Vernazza, and just enjoy the area. Monterosso has some good restaurants (Cantina di Miky is a favourite with many here) so you could take the train there in the late afternoon, have dinner and then return to Vernazza for a glass of wine in the beautiful harbour area. Note that Monterosso has a "new town" and an "old town" so be sure to allocate enough time to see both.
Posted by
Huntsville, TX, USA
317 posts
I’d suggest taking the train to Corniglia and hiking from there back to Monterosso. You climb a lot of stairs from the train station up to Corniglia but the hike is beautiful and easily managed in a few hours. The hike between Manarola and Riomaggiore is quite challenging (Trail 531) unless the coastal tourist trail is open. It’s never been open on any of my visits. If you want to visit those towns, which are also lovely, I’d suggest taking the train to them after your hike. Also, I’d also suggest that you get to CT as early as possible. The trails are much more peaceful and uncrowded between 7am-10am.
Posted by
OP
11 posts
Thank you for the information! We will be in CT on September 23-24 next month. I will look at the link you provided to see what trails are possibly closed. The suggestion to explore a couple of the towns, such as Monterosso and Vernazza, is a good idea. Our AirBNB is in Vernazza's harbor area. Unfortunately we will have to return our rental car in Pisa before taking the train to CT, so we might not be able to arrive early in Vernazza that morning, but we will have time the following morning before we leave for Rome to hopefully take in some hiking. Thank you for the information on the particular sections of the hiking trail that are accessible and those that are more challenging. We are healthy and fit and we enjoy walking ( and hiking) when we are traveling. I will read more about the Corniglia to Monterosso trail. It sounds lovely!