Eurail pass and Cinque terra trains

Jenny, Yes, you can use your Railpass on the local trains in the Cinque Terre, but that's usually not the most cost effective method, as the trains there are so cheap.

Yes, they are accepted on most Cinque Terr<b>e</b> trains, but it is a terrible way to spend money (since single ride tickets are cheap).

I have used the pass at the beginning or end of a longer trip, on the same travel day. If you are staying in the CT for a while, you can buy a separate pass for the local trains. (This was true a few years ago). Otherwise, just buy the inexpensive tickets for local transit.

But if have a pass that covers a period of time (ie..15 day Global Pass) and your time in the CT is already covered by this pass and not a specific # of travel days (ie..5 days in 2 weeks) then by all means use the pass.

Thanks everyone, really useful information.

You Eurail pass will cover all Regionale trains between the towns. Only Regionale trains run between the towns although there are occasional intercity trains that will stop at Monterosso and Riomaggiore on their way through. Train fares between the towns is about 1.5Euro. Hardly worth wasting a travel day. Alternatively, there is the unique Cinque Terre Treno card that you can buy at the Tourist Information offices. They come in 1, 2, 3 and 7 day versions. Unlimited rides on all trains between La Spezia Centrale and Levanto. The card also covers the fares along the famous trails (should they be open). You can also ride the mini-buses in the towns. Your pass will only cover the Regionale train rides.