I am in the planning process to visit Cinque Terre Italy. I want cooler temps and small crowds but still able to swim.
I would be leaving from Orlando Int airport, I am not sure which way to go. I was thinking to go to NY and from there fly to Pisa.
I understand that I have to take a train from Pisa central station to Spezia ( something like that) and from there take a local train to the CT villages .
I am trying to figure out the train schedulling from Pisa to Spezia and from there to the CTs. I do not want to cross the atlantic and found myself stranded somewhere before getting to the CTs.
I would appreciate advise from people that already went or locals . Also which one of the CT villages is a great home base to hike/train/ferri all the villages ?
thanks.
Adolfo E. Teran
Posted by
Idaho, USA
7333 posts
Pisa to Cinque Terre by train:
Pisa Centrale Train station-to-La Spezia Centrale Train station is 50 minutes and runs hourly.
La Spezia Centrale Train station to Cinque Terre towns is only about 5-10 minutes and runs every 30 minutes.
Posted by
OP
Clermont, Florida
15 posts
thanks for your response. do they run late from Spezia to the CTs towns? I will be arriving late probably.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16894 posts
Last train departure is around 11 p.m. in both directions, but always reconfirm. How to Look Up Train Schedules and Routes Online gives you the DB train schedule link and tips for using it. You can search from Pisa to Vernazza, for instance, if that's where you plan to sleep. Schedules are published through early June, at the moment. All 5 villages have train service that connects them equally well. Corniglia is on a hill, so you need to take stairs or a bus from the train station to the top, and it is not served by the (high-season) boat connections.
I have very comfortably swum in the accessible, summer-warmed water at Monterosso as late as mid-October.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32219 posts
Adolfo,
You'll probably find greater flight options into Milan, but if Pisa is available from your area that's a good choice. If you've booked a flight, it would help to know what time it arrives?
In order to work out rail schedules, it's important to know which of the five Cinque Terre towns you'll be going to. La Spezia is only an intermediate transit point.
Of the five towns, my suggestion would be to stay in Monterosso, as it's not only the largest of the five and has the most hotels, restaurants and other amenities, it also has the best beaches. It's just about impossible to predict the weather, but early September to mid-October should be "safe".
Don't worry about being "stranded". Once the flight details are worked out, it should be fairly easy to work out the train details. If this is your first trip to Italy, there are a few potentially expensive "caveats" to be aware of with public transit in Italy, but that information can be provided later.
Even for travel in the fall shoulder season, it would be a good idea to get hotel bookings in the Cinque Terre soon!
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15244 posts
If you are going only to the Cinque Terre, then Pisa (PSA) or Genoa (GOA) are the closest airports.
Unfortunately they are not big airports and are mostly used by European low cost airlines (similar to Southwest airlines), not regular airlines that fly to North America, so the options are limited coming from the US.
From MCO these are the best options in terms of convenience, in my opinion:
MCO > JFK > PSA with Delta (be aware that Delta flies JFK to PSA only Jun-Aug and only 4 times a week).
MCO > LGW > PSA (or GOA) with British Airways.
All other options will probably involve either Milan or Rome. In that case I would also consider Air Lingus, which flies directly from MCO to DUB in Ireland. Aer Lingus flies to both Rome and Milan, then from there it's a 3.5-4 hr train trip to the Cinque Terre. My preference is to fly straight from the US to a European airport, rather than passing through New York. However the Delta flight JFK-PSA would be perfect for you.