We are going to be in Forte dei Marmi later this month and plan to take the train to La Spezia and visit Cinque Terre for the day. Does anyone have a good one day itinerary they'd be willing to share with us? Complete with train stops. Thank you in advance. :)
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11852 posts
Do you plan to hike or just see the towns? What I recommend will depend on your desires.
Posted by
Napa, CA
3580 posts
You could take a train to the farthest town, Monterosso. Check on train schedules before leaving the train station. Trains between the towns run approximately according to scheduled times and can be very crowded. Walk through town toward the "old town" and stop to check ferry schedules after you exit the tunnel. Browse thru Monterosso then take a short ferry trip to the next town, Vernazza. Have coffee or lunch, maybe take a short hike high enough to get a good view. It is possible to continue by ferry to Riomaggiore or beyond, or you can take the train on to another town.
Posted by
California 🦋
5301 posts
Since the villages are so close to each other, you can easily visit all 5 via train or ferry.
When we were there, we stayed in Monterosso & visited all the villages, walked on the beautiful, Via dell'Amore, (I believe it's only partially open now) & ate gelato everyday!
We didn't hike any trails, because I was traveling with my elderly mom, but I'm sure Laurel & others here will give you excellent advice if you are interested in hiking.
Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
Tampa, FL, USA
1054 posts
If you hike bring a towel and jump into the water at the harbor front of any of the towns. A good way to cool off in July after hiking. if you're brave you can climb a few cliffs in Manarola and jump into the water.
Posted by
4 posts
We just back from Italy and did a day trip from Florence via train and it was fantastic. They have a special train called Cinque Terre Express that runs every 30 mins between the 5 towns all day. We trained from Florence to the northernmost town - Monterosso and visited and hiked to the next 2 towns (Vernazza and Cornigilia) and then trained back to RioMaggiore to catch the connecting train back to La Spezia and on to Florence. It is well worth it!