Should i go to cinque terre after greece island hopping

My mom & I took a trip to Greece & Italy in 2008, where we visited Athens, then took ferries to Santorini & Mykonos.
We then flew from Athens to Milan and visited Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure (based in Rapallo), then ended our trip by spending 3 days in Cinque Terre. We stayed in Monterosso & visited the other villages via train.

The Greek Islands are very beautiful & the turquoise water of the Aegean Sea is just magnificent!
The Cinque Terre are also very beautiful & picturesque... and the gelato in Italy is the best, of course!

Our trip took place at the end of September/early October (end of the tourist season in Greece & shoulder season in Italy), so we didn't have to deal with the summer crowds, which makes a huge difference, I think.

You really can't compare Greece with Italy... Yes, they are both surrounded by water, but the history, the culture, the food, the people are all different. You'll have to experience the difference & decide for yourself.

We enjoyed our Greece & Italy trip very much, & I wish you the same! ;-)

Edit: One big difference is that most of the Greek Islands have nice sandy beaches, but the only village in the Cinque Terre with a sandy beach is Monterosso.

Small beach town experiences are similar enough that I would not make a trip to Italy just for the Cinque Terre. I don't see the point in hopping to several different Mediterranean countries just for beaches when any one country has plenty of them. But if you're exploring more of Italy for a couple of weeks, then the Cinque Terre may fit nicely into the itinerary and you will notice differences.

I agree with Laura's comment:

But if you're exploring more of Italy for a couple of weeks, then the
Cinque Terre may fit nicely into the itinerary and you will notice
differences.

I presume you plan to visit other beautiful places in Italy & not just the Cinque Terre, right?

I've never been to Cinque Terre or the Greek Islands but I have been to the Amalfi Coast and the three tend to get compared quite bit. It's often said that doing both Amalfi and Cinque Terre would be monotanous. I will say from photos that Cinque Terre and Amalfi Coast are aesthetically quite similar but distinct from the Greek Islands. Cinque Terre and Amalfi are much steeper with generally more colorful architecture and (in my opinion) much more draw droppingly beautiful than places like Santorini or Mykonos. That all said, beyond the beautiful views I got bored of Amalfi Coast very quickly, it's expensive, super touristy and the locals were probably the least friendly/patient I met in all of Italy (I suspect from dealing with demanding wealthy foreign tourists). Sorrento however (starting point to tour the Amalfi Coast) was delightful; despite being quite touristy it also had a quaint and welcoming local side and with views almost as picturesque as the Amalfi Coast itself.

So I'm not sure exactly how Cinque Terre would compare in regards to culture and price but it might be similar; the North of Italy (where Cinque Terre is located) tends to be cold, expensive and snotty in my opinion so I'd imagine it'd be a lot like Amalfi Coast (one of the few places like that I've been in the South). Unlike Rick Steves, I'm a big advocate for Southern Italy over the North. Depending on how much time you have, if you're interested in the sort of nautical Mediterranean places your asking about but with some variety I might suggest spending 4-5 days in the Naples area. Fly or sail into Naples and head straight for Sorrento and base yourself there. Sorrento is worth a relaxing day plus your nights and mornings. Driving down the Amalfi Coast is an easy day trip, taking the ferry to Naples is another easy day trip, and Pompeii is easily accessible by metro and should keep you busy for about half a day. With an extra day you could make your choice of checking out Capri (probably the most like the Greek Islands), Mt. Vesuvius, the Greek ruins at Paestum, or returning to Naples or doing an overnight on the Amalfi Coast if those tickle your fancy. As you can see there are a ton of options and variety in that area; for me at least as much to do as in Rome and far more than in Florence/Tuscany; plus bonus points for gorgeous Mediterranean back drop.

I agree that Laura nailed it: On a trip as long as yours, there's room for both Greek islands and the Cinque Terre. However, reports from those who've been to CT recently indicate that the area can be especially swamped by day-trippers from big cruise ships, so I'd check the cruise-ship docking schedules for La Spezia and Livorno and try to avoid high-volume days when scheduling my stay in CT.

Your profile doesn't indicate where you're from, but I assume you're aware of the 90 day Schengen limit. Note that 90 days is not the same as three months so if you're not an E.U. citizen, you'll need to consider that. Most of the members here provide at least location information in their profile, which makes it easier to answer their questions.

Whether to visit the Cinque Terre after the Greek Islands may depend on where you plan on going after that, so some further information on your overall Itinerary would be helpful. While the Greek Islands and the Cinque Terre share some commonalities, they're quite different in many ways so it's difficult to compare them (I've been to both). I don't believe the C.T. will be "monotonous", but you'll need to have some idea of what you might like to do there, and which of the five towns you plan to stay in. You might want to refer to the RS Italy guidebook for ideas.

It appears that you have the time to fit both places in, so the best way to know if the Cinque Terre is a "great place" would be to visit there for a few days (three nights would be perfect, as that provides two full days for touring). One caveat though - be SURE to book accommodations there well in advance, as they book up quickly at that time of year.

Another question for you to consider -- what place or places would you be skipping in order to see the Cinque Terre ? Every choice has a tradeoff.

First, thanks a lot guys for your response. I realized that I should have provided a more detailed description but no issues i will take care of that in future.

About my plans : I am from India and as I said I am planning for a 3 months Euro trip. @Ken, I searched for the schengen visa and it was mentioned 90 days (please tell me if you have more information about it). I will also try to contact some visa agents to get more info.

Itinerary : I am planning to start my journey from greece (actually i wanted to start from turkey but it doesn't seem safe now a day, so I am little concerned for that). After spending around 15 days in greece, I will come to Italy where I am planning to spend 12-15 days.
Currently I am in planning phase for Italy. Major well known places I want to cover are Rome(3 days), Florence(3 days), Venice(3 days). Then I started looking for other possible destinations. Possible options are Cinque Terre, Sienna, Naples, Lake Como and many more. I have no preference as such i just want to get a feel of the culture, people and obv good photographs.

Now coming back to my original question, should i cover Cinque Terre after doing island hoping in greece. As per suggestions above, CT will have a different experience and it will not be monotonous. @Laura : This is exactly I am looking for that for visiting CT if I am missing other gem in italy. So now may be, i should modify my question to "Should i visit CT after greece island hopping or should i add other places in italy in the itinerary ?". Please provide your suggestions.
Thanks a lot for your time.

It's good to hear that you intend to visit Rome, Florence & Venice.

When planning your trip, think of nights instead of days.
So, 2 nights translates to one full day, 3 nights equals 2 full days, 4 nights equals 3 full days, & so on.

I'd suggest spending @ least 4-5 nights in Rome (3-4 days), 4 nights in Florence & 3-4 nights in Venice.
If you want to take a day trip to Siena, from Florence, then you may want to add an extra night to Florence.

Keep in mind that each time you relocate from one place to the next, you will lose at least half of that day. You will also lose time getting oriented to each new place you visit, checking in/ out of hotel, packing/ unpacking, walking to train/bus station, etc, etc...

Where do plan to travel to, after visiting Italy?

The answer to this question will help you figure out the best route to take in Italy.

Thanks for the additional information. This is exactly why forum members are encouraged to fill out their profiles.

As you're from India, you will have to go through a different procedure for the Schengen Visa than residents of North America. You will need to apply for a Short Stay Visa, which allows you to stay for 90 days in any 180 day period (ie: after spending 90 days in the Schengen countries, you will have to leave for 90 days before you can return). I believe travel days arriving and leaving the Schengen zone are included in the 90 days.

Note that the U.K. has their own entry requirements, and the usual length of stay in their "Common Travel Area" is six months. If you're travelling to the U.K., you may have to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa, and they recommend applying for that 3 months from the date of travel.

You may find these websites helpful.....

• http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/india/more_info/faq/schengen_visa_en.htm#faq1

• http://everything-everywhere.com/2014/09/27/travelling-world-indian-passport/

• http://indiancompass.com/2012/02/a-dummies-guide-to-schengen-visa/

I've heard that Franc is one of the easiest countries to apply for a Schengen Visa, and you might want to contact the nearest French Embassy in your area. If they issue a Visa, I believe that will allow you to travel in any of the 26 Schengen countries - * Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.*

Good luck!

Thanks a lot @Ken for details visa requirement information.
@Priscilla, my next destination will be barcelona, Spain and then to Paris as I want to end my journey at Belgium (Tomorrowland in july end). I haven't started checking the transport options but i was thinking to cover long distances overnight.
Along with this, what you guys think the best way to travel from one place to another in italy.

Train often is best in Italy. Most night trains are no more. If interested in overnight trains, check carefully for each segment.

I strongly recommend to do not drive to Cinque Terre even if is going to be really busy during the high season I recommend to use the public trasports there are pretty efficent