Hi Everyone!
My five adult children and I are headed to Italy for our first visit on Wednesday and we are thrilled! ! During our Florence stay we are planning on going to Cinque Terre for a full day trip and wan to take the train to and from.
1- Is the train the recommended force of travel between the two?
2- Do I need to buy the tickets in advance?
Thank you!!
Here ya go; this should answer both of your questions! :O)
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/train-tix-florence-to-cinque-terre
l'll mention that the Cinque Terre ("5 lands") is not a singular place but a collection of 5 villages strung along a shared rail line. They are only a few minutes apart but you would need a new ticket for each ride (and you must validate them before boarding!) or buy a 1-day Treno card. That card covers almost all the trains (not any high-speed trains) running between La Spezia to the south and Levanto to the north; the 5 villages - Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggore) - are in between. The Treno card also covers access to any open segments of the Sentiero Azzuro ("Blue Path") trail system. There are currently only 2 of those open this season. The Treno card needs only to be validated before boarding your first train into the region.
Oh, and I'll add that you want to use the Trenitalia website to take a look at times/ticketing prices for your tickets from/back to Florence. The train mentioned in the thread linked that is the fastest route departs from Firenze Campo Di Marte at 7:54 and arrives at La Spezia Centrale at 9:37, no changes. You can buy your Treno pass (or individual tickets) onward there. Going back, I'd choose one of the evening (19:00 or later) options from La Spezia that'll get you to SM Novella in just over 2 hours with 1 change. That'll give you a nice long day to work with!
If you visit the Cinque Terre you need to get an early start. The fastest train departs Florence (Firenze) SM Novella station at 7:28 AM arriving in Monterosso at 10:31 AM with a change in Pisa: https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html.
After arriving in Monterosso take the 11:30 AM ferry to Riomaggiore (45m) so can see the Cinque Terre coast then work your way back to Monterosso by train stopping in Manarola, Corniglea (train + bus to reach the top of town), Vernazza (good place to eat) then Monterosso.
The fastest train back to Florence departs Monterosso at 19:07 (7:07 PM) with a connection in Pisa arriving in Florence at 21:39 (9:39p).
