Taxi services in / around Cinque Terre

Taxis exist, for instance in Monterosso, but no, it's not a common way to move around. Between towns, you can take either regional trains (now running every half hour) or tourist ferries (weather dependent). To go uphill from the port to a car park or trailhead, each town has a shuttle bus. See the Cinque Terre chapter of Rick's guidebook and also http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/dettaglio.php?id=16935.

Are you thinking of having a rental car and parking it? That's one option, but parking space can be at a premium; Monterosso has the most spaces. If you won't need the car before or after the Cinque Terre, then you can consider picking up or dropping off in La Spezia. There is also parking in La Spezia at the train station.

Thanks Laura - no we are not planning to have a rental car. My only concern was getting baggage up the hill to the accomodation we are considering. We will keep that in mind and adjust our preferences accordingly!

We stayed in Monterosso. Our rental was up on a hill too. We had our host arrange a cab for us when we arrived at the train station. We had to wait a little as there are only a few cab drivers in town and they were all picking up other people who arrived on the same train.

While CT is virtually car free, during our stay in Monterosso we did see one or two taxis strategically parked (one near the train station and another in Old Town right off the beach). They'll be there during the tourist season (May - Oct), and can make getting to neighboring regions a breeze. But insofar as traveling between the five primary towns, your best bet is either taking the ferry boat or regional train (note: the ferry does not stop at Corniglia).

live,

Which of the towns are you planning to stay in, and how far up the hill is your hotel?

We are primarily focused on Monterosso. We have not decided yet on a particular room yet, but I am leaning more toward a VRBO offering. I have seen several that are up the hill a short distance, and a couple that are on the top floor. We are in our mid 50's and are fairly fit. Walking won't be so much of a problem, but I do want to consider the time it might take to jaunt up and down the hill simply to pick up a bite to eat.

Good choice. Monterosso is my favourite.

When arriving with luggage, Taxi would be a good option (especially if you'll be going uphill). After that it should be relatively easy to walk to town for a meal or whatever. The place I always stay at is somewhat up the hill too, and walking to the main part of town isn't a problem (I'm in my 60's).

As someone else mentioned, there are limited Taxis so you may have a short wait. The area around the station is sometimes a bit chaotic when a train arrives as passengers end up right on the main street which is only about one lane wide and used both by service vehicles (Taxis) as well as pedestrians. In the same situation, even if the Taxi already had a fare I'd try to get the drivers attention and ask him to come back. There's a Bar in the station where you can get a coffee or whatever while you're waiting, and also lots of restaurants along the main street, many with patios overlooking the ocean so you could stop there also.

Rick's guidebook lists three taxi phone numbers, or the bar would also likely have the phone numbers.

Laura,

Good point - I'd forgotten about that. I almost never phone them.

See if you can locate the exact property on Google Maps, then plot it. Unless you are staying out of town, up on top of the mountains above Monterosso, as long as you stay in town (either the old historical town or the newer Fegina area) you won't be farther than 3/4 of a mile from the station (which is in between the two). Since you said you are a fit 50-something y.o. it won't be a problem to get to your accommodations, Monterosso is less steep than some of the other villages. Those villages are very small, even Monterosso, which is the largest, is no more than 1/4 of a mile from seashore (harbor) to the farthest edges of town.