Hi there fellow travellers..... I am looking for some guidance and advice. My partner & are heading to Europe in September and are starting off at the Amalfi Coast and then heading to Cinque Terre. I was wondering what the options are with regards to travelling from Amalfi to CT? I guess we want to do as quickly as possible. Is flying or by boat an option? If flying, where would be best to fly to? I have briefly had a look at trains but that looks like a lengthy option. If anyone has an ideas or even advice with the trains in terms of best timing that would be appreciated. I have searched the web for these answers and have found they are quite limited so hoping I get some guidance here. Thanks heaps, Kylie :-)
Posted by
lexington, il
4105 posts
Only game in town is trenitalia.it 5H46m cost 29euro
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11300 posts
Hi Kylie. From where on the Amalfi Coast to where in the CT? Naples to La Spezia can be done in 4.75-5.25 hours via Freccia, but you have to add on time to get to Naples from where you are staying. Then it is a fairly quick ride from La Spezia to your little CT town, but sometimes you ahve to wait for up to an hour for the local train out of La Spezia. Gerri outlined an option from Naples via Intercity train, I believe. The Freccia will cost more, but it's more comfortable and faster. You could fly Naples to Pisa, but then you still have transport issues to Naples and from Pisa. It won;t save you any time. The Trenitalia website is your best resource. They won't have September posted yet, but you can plug in dates prior to June and get an idea (schedule changes come in June). When new schedules post, you can buy Freccia tickets at a discounted rate before you coem here. They are non-refundable, but there are great deals.
Posted by
OP
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
6 posts
Hi, thanks for the quick response. We are staying in Atrani and heading to Vernazza so the best option re time is our preference.
Posted by
Topanga, CA
26 posts
Hi. I think you can get to Amalfi pretty easily from where you are staying. You could then take the ferry to Salerno: http://www.coopsantandrea.com/it/servizidilinea/servizi_s.asp?partenza=Amalfi&arrivo=Salerno,
which would take a half hour or so, and walk the few blocks to the train station (15 mins) and catch the train to Vernazza. You might be able to go Salerno to Rome (either 2 or 3 hours, depending upon which train), Rome to La Spezia central (about 3hrs45m) and from there to Vernazza (10m, I think).
Posted by
OP
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
6 posts
Thank you so much to everyone for your advice and tips. I will get cracking and start organising. You have all been so helpful :-)
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32198 posts
Kylie, I've never been to Atrani, but the method I'd probably use would be along these lines..... > Take a Taxi / Ferry / Shuttle / Bus / Car service from Atrani to Salerno. It's only about 25 kM so shouldn't take long (maybe 30M?). Ask your hotel for the method that best fits with your budget and timing. > Travel by train from Salerno to the Cinque Terre. As Laurel noted, schedules for September won't be posted yet, but probably won't differ much from current schedules. I'd probably use a Salerno departure at 09:57, arriving La Spezia Centrale at 15:51 (time 5H:54M, one change at Roma Termini, reservations compulsory). That's one of the more expensive trips since both legs use Freccia trains, but you may be able to get significant savings by pre-purchasing the tickets well in advance (see the excellent www.roninrome.com website for purchasing details). You didn't specify which of the five towns of the C.T. you'd be staying in, so I used La Spezia for searching. That's the southern "gateway" to the C.T., and only a few minutes from there to the towns. Happy travels!
Posted by
OP
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
6 posts
Thanks Ken, your info is great. Really appreciate it.