Parking in Vernazza

Laura, I honestly don't know if the upper parking lot at Vernazza has been restored yet, but can I try to persuade you NOT to drive into Vernazza!? Been there; done that; rental car probably still has the long scrape from being forced into a roadside crater by an oncoming panel truck. (Lucky we weren't in the outside lane, or I guess we would have gone over the edge!) I'm a fairly fearless driver; have driven all over Europe; and that road was the worst ever! So much easier to train in from La Spezia. If you must drive, the road into Monterrosa is much easier, and I've found easy parking near the beach in March, though not sure about availability in high season. To go on to Venice, I think a train would be much faster once you get back to Florence. Much of the drive to Venice is flat and not especially scenic anyway.

Laura, As you plan to travel by car, your best bet would be to park in La Spezia, and take the local train to Vernazza. From what I saw in Vernazza in September, there is virtually NO parking available there for non-residents. Repairs were still in progress at the upper end of town (above the station), with Bobcats and other construction equipment still there. I have no current information on what repairs might have been completed over the last few months. My "hunch" is that there are higher priorities in Vernazza at the moment than non-resident parking (ie: restoring the community gas supply and other infrastructure). Getting from Vernazza to Venice might be faster by train, so depending on what time you have to meet your cruise, that's something to consider. From Florence to Venice, the trip is via Freccia (fast) trains which reach speeds of up to 300 kmH. No car can (legally) match that! The shortest trip I found was 4H:13M, with 2 changes. As you'll be driving in Italy, note that EACH driver will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. Failure to produce an I.D.P. if requested can result in fines on the spot! You can obtain I.D.P.'s at any AAA office for a small fee. You'll also need to watch for the dreaded Zona Traffico Limitato areas, which are becoming increasingly prevalent in Italy. Passing through these zones can result in expensive fines, which you won't know about until several months after you've returned home. Recent posts here would seem to indicate that authorities in Italy are becoming more aggressive in collecting the fines from foreign drivers and there may also be charges from the rental car firm for providing renter information to law enforcement. Happy travels!

It is faster to take the train to La Spezia than to drive from Vernazza. As a preview of the drive into the CT, imagine looking through the car's rear passenger window to see if there's oncoming traffic. You can park safely under La Spezia's Centrale FS station. Here's one link-
http://www.mobpark.eu/en/park-centro-stazione-7.html

There are two parking lots in Monterosso, next to Vernazza. We always park in one of them when we go to Vernazza.

Thank you all for your input. We are changing our minds on driving. We too are pretty fearless travelers and are looking for the perfect mix of lowest price and convenience, which is starting to look like trains. If we do drive, we will be parking in La Spezia. Thank you again!