can anyone recommend the least expensive mode of transportation from anywhere in the cinque terre to somewhere in the south of France that would be a cost effective place to pick up a rental car.
Would we have to take a bus or train to LaSpezia or Pisa to catch another to perhaps Lyons, France?
You can easily travel by train from the Cinque Terre to Nice, which would be a convenient place to pick up a rental car. For example, if travelling from Monterosso to Nice, the trip is about 6-7 hours with 1-3 changes (there's always a change at Ventimiglia, which is the border crossing). The travel time and number of changes will vary according to which train you decide to use. That's about the easiest and "least expensive" mode.
Taking a Bus to La Spezia or Pisa is NOT a good idea, as you'd be heading in the opposite direction to France.
thanks. would the 6 -7 hour train be considered a "slow" less expensive train? do they have "fast" trains for that route?
There are a couple of trains that go direct to Ventimiglia, but they make 40 some stops, literally every 5 minutes. The "fast" trains are IC trains that require a change in Genoa that is usually 40 to 45 minutes. They only stop at Monterosso, and if you are elsewhere in the CT, you need to get a local train to Monterosso and change there. The IC connections have a travel time to Ventimiglia of 4 hours. The IC trains also have 1st class carriages for a bit more comfort for about 50% more money. The train line along the mountainous coast does not lend itself to truly high speed train service, but it is scenic. At least the part that is not in tunnels.
