What is the best route by train between Venice and vernazza on a Saturday
here is one source that may help---https://www.goeuro.co.uk/travel-search2/results/587880232/train
and here is another ---https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml
Lois, I usually determine "best" by the option that will get me there the fastest. If I am going to have limited time in that destination, I usually want to get there early as well. Any way you shake it, this journey is going to take over 5 hours, one way, and involve at least two train changes.
Use the Trenitalia website: this is Italy's national rail service:
http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en
Input "Venezia S. Lucia" in the "From" box, and "Vernazza" in the "To" box. Choose the one-way option, a desired date and time, and hit "search".
Doing a dummy search for this Saturday, my "best" would be:
Venezia S. Lucia 07:25 > Firenze S. M. Novella 09:30 2h 05' Frecciarossa 9407
Firenze S. M. Novella 09:53> La Spezia Centrale 12:20 2h 27' Regionale 23353
La Spezia Centrale 12:25 > Vernazza 12:43 00 18' Cinque Terre Express 21196
Total journey time: 5 hours, 18 minutes.
If you leave at 11:35, this same combo (different train numbers, though) shaves 10 minutes off the above schedule with a shorter change-over at S. M Novella BUT you don't get into Vernazza until late in the afternoon (16:43).