Hi,
Is there a local train or high-speed train that travels between Cinque Terre and Florence? We are planning on going there mid-March. I know that it is cold and many of the shops are not open. I would like to see this area and we are trying to figure out the best way to get there. Thank you for your suggestions.
Here's a thread that gives details on the trip from Florence to Cinque Terre. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/florence-cinque-terre-day-trip
There have been many discussions on this, so if that thread doesn't answer all your questions, try the search function above.
Yes, you can take trains from Florence to the Cinque Terre; it will require at least one change somewhere along the line, usually in La Spezia.
The easiest thing to do is to get onto the Trenitalia website:
http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en
Enter your point of departure; Firenze S. M Novella (Santa Maria Novella) is the main station in Florence.
Enter your point of arrival: I might use Monterosso as it's the furthest north of the 5 villages. You can work your way back south again by train, and then back to Florence. You may, however, choose any village you wish.
Enter your travel date or random day and desired time of departure from Florence. Click "search"
All of your options will come up. Do the same in reverse for trains going back, or simply click the round-trip button when figuring your trip.
You do not need to purchase these tickets in advance as they are not all that expensive and you'll want the flexibility to choose the nicest day to go anyway. Just use the system to get an idea of what is available and then buy tickets the day of your journey. Do note that it's 2.5 to 3 hours one-way.
sg,
As the others have mentioned, there are numerous trains on that route every day. Are you planning on going as a day trip, or staying in the Cinque Terre for a few days? While it may be cold and rainy in March, you could also get some sunshine. If you're there towards the end of March, you'll probably find that more of the shops and restaurants will be open.
A few more points to mention regarding the trains. Depending on which departure you choose from Florence, you'll likely be using a combination of Freccia, InterCity and Regionale trains, possibly with two changes at Pisa Centrale and La Spezia Centrale. With the Freccia and InterCity trains, these require compulsory seat reservations that are specific to train, date and departure time so can only be used on the ONE train listed on the ticket. The reservations will be provided with the tickets you buy. Regionale trains do not require reservations but the tickets MUST be validated (time & date stamped) prior to boarding the train on the day of travel. Those found with unvalidated tickets may face hefty fines which will be collected on the spot! Fines are also levied for those on Freccia or InterCity trains that don't have valid reservations. You can easily buy tickets from the automated Kiosks or at the ticket office (Biglietterria) at the Florence station.
If you haven't changed trains in Italy before, you'll need to do some homework on that topic. If you need suggestions, post another note here.
If you are considering a day trip from Florence for a quick 'look', after considering the weather, then these trains work best ...
1) RE 21437 Dep 10:28 FIRENZE S.M.N. (Italy) Arr 11:28 PISA CENTRALE (Italy)
2) IC 35670 Dep 11:38 PISA CENTRALE (Italy) Arr 12:53 MONTEROSSO (Italy)
1) IC 673 Dep 19:05 MONTEROSSO (Italy) Arr 20:17 PISA CENTRALE (Italy)
2) RE 34120 Dep 20:32 PISA CENTRALE (Italy) Arr 21:32 FIRENZE S.M.N. (Italy)
Personally, I would choose an earlier train than the 10:28 above. Not arriving until nearly 1:00 in the afternoon makes for a short amount of sightseeing time.
I am not sure how well spent the mornings would be in mid March.
The journey given is a faster one with only a single change of train.
sg,
A few further comments.....
If you're planning on visiting the Cinque Terre as a day trip, the choice of which train to use will depend on several factors - weather at the time, how much time you want to spend exploring the C.T. and how comfortable you are with train changes. If you manage to get a sunny day and want to spend as much time as possible, you could use a departure at 07:18, arriving Riomaggiore at 09:50 (time 2H:32M, two changes at Firenze Campo di Marte and La Spezia Centrale, current fare €22.60). If you want to visit all five towns, I'd suggest starting in Riomaggiore and finishing in Monterosso, where you can enjoy a fine hot meal at one of the excellent restaurants before returning to Florence in the evening.
I'll be coming to CT from Poggibonsi. We're actually staying in San gimignano. We'll go to CT and come back to San gimignano. I'll have a car. Is it better to go there and back by train or drive?
Also, I'm thinking two days and one night to see all five towns. What's the best town to start and end in?
Thanks.
Jim, it's probably best that you start a new thread with your question. Your situation is different than the OP's and thus the conversation could become a little convoluted. It's also apt to be passed over as it's buried in this thread and will only be seen by people responding to sgandhi08.
