Siena to Cinque Terre: Transportation question

Max, That trip is actually not that complicated and is relatively easy. Where were you obtaining information on rail trips? Travel from Siena to La Spezia is about 3-hours, usually with one change in Empoli (you'll have about 7-minutes for the change, which should be more than adequate). Current fare is listed at €10.90. That's a Regionale so no reservations necessary (DON'T forget to validate your tickets in the yellow machine)! If you departed Siena (for example) at 09:18, you'd be in La Spezia at 12:19, and in Manarola shortly thereafter (just in time for a relaxing lunch in the C.T., savouring the ambience and of course the Pesto in the area where it was invented). If you can't wait to reach Manarola, you could also stop at McDonald's at La Spezia Centrale. If this is your first trip to Europe and first time using trains, I'd highly recommend reading the "Rail Skills" chapter in Europe Through The Back Door. The Italy Guidebook also may have some tips on rail travel. Happy travels!

Ken, Thanks for the tip. But McDonalds in Italy!? Blasphemy!! ;-) I was looking at the train schedules as posted on Trenitalia. The most "direct" schedule has us taking a train from Siena to Empoli, then Empoli to La Spezia and finaly La Spezia to Manarola. The total time is 4 hours, 3 minutes. Other routes/times had us making all those changes, plus a change in Piza (in between Empoli and La Spezia). More changes, yet oddly that trip is shorter - only 3 hours, 40 minutes (?). Maybe it's me, but that seems like a lot of train changes for what looks like a rather short trip (on the map, anyway).

Ken is right, the train is the easiest way. The reason you're seeing 4 hour trips is because, as you can see by clicking "Details by Selecion", there is about an 1 hour wait in La Spezia for the local train to Manarola. So you're not really on a train for 4 hours, more like 2.5. Have you considered dropping your bags at the luggage claim in Pisa and walking around and having lunch?

Kevan, That's an interesting suggestion. Is the Pisa station close enough to the town? Would an hour really give us enough time to get lunch or, perhaps, see the leaning tower? (Not really high up on our list, but as long as we're there....)

Max, It's good to hear that you're using the Trenitalia website for information, as that's about the best source for travel in Italy. The change in La Spezia is almost inevitable, as that's where you'll connect to the local train. The trip from La Spezia to Manarola is only 11-minutes, and the trains seem to run every hour or so. The biggest challenge will be to arrive at La Spezia only a few minutes before the local train departs. I agree that dining at McDonald's in Italy is blasphemy. However, if I've been there for a while it's nice to have a change once in a while (and it's relatively cheap).

Max, Ken is right. I took the train from Siena to Riomaggiore on 5/2 Monday. I think it is only one train in the morning that will go from Empoli to La Spezia that you don't have to change train in Pisa. Here is the train schedule. 9:18 R23464 Siena to Empoli, 7 minutes, R23353 Empoli to La Spezia. 35 minutes. R11378 La Sperza to Riomaggiore. Arrive at 13:02. I think they change the train schedule once in a few months, it may not the same for now.
Have a good trip.

Is the Pisa station close enough to the town? Would an hour really give us enough time to get lunch or, perhaps, see the leaning tower? Its quite close to the town, but to get to the Field of Miracles you have to go completely through - we took the bus. Hour - probably enough to get a slice of pizza or two in the station, probably not enough to do the Field of Miracles unless you take the bus to there, hop off, gawk, and catch the next bus back. You could certainly "see" the tower.

We took the train from Monterroso to Siena at the end of April and stopped in Lucca for a while. We planned the whole day and wandered around Lucca so weren't in any big hurry. I think the train is your best option. Ther are 2 train stations in Pisa - Pisa C.Le and Pisa S. Rossore. Pisa S.Rossore is much closer to Piazza Miracoli and the Leaning Tower and I think you could walk from the station. We didn't stop in Pisa so I can't comment on the distance.