Siena to Vernazza (or Cinque Terre area)

By train, cheap, most likely Reginale train R. Cost, less than 30E. Take about 3 hours. Change train in Empoli, Pisa, and La Spezia. You might find one that you do not have to change train in Pisa.
www. trenitalia.com have a good trip.

Mark, That's an easy trip by rail. Check the Trenitalia website for details on the various rail options on that route. For example, there's a Regionale train departing Siena at 09:18, arriving La Spezia at 12:19 (time 3H:01M, one change in Empoli, second class fare €10.90). Don't forget to validate! La Spezia is the southern "gateway" to the Cinque Terre, so from there you can easily reach any of the villages in that area. Happy travels!

rick and ken are correct, train is the best option (approx. 4 hour journey). however, keep in mind that vernazza and monterosso are currently practically a war zone due to the severe damage caused by the flash floods @ the end of october. it will take (probably several) months for these towns to fully recover. riomaggiore, manarola, and corniglia were luckily uneffected, though.

THANKS VERY MUCH! WILL LOOK AT THE TRAIN WEBSITE, AND APPRECIATE ALL THE INFO. WE ARE GOING TO BE IN ITALY FOR THE FIRST TIME THE FIRST OF MARCH, 2012.

I did that trip. It is a sold 3 hours on a lot of milk trains with numerous changes. Worth it but a drag when you can travel between the major cities in an hour.