My first trip to Italy. Can I do a day trip from Florence to do the hike thru Cinque Terre. Is there a train that goes direct? Thank you!
Posted by
Calgary
2297 posts
Well, in theory you could do it. It would mean spending about 5 1/2 hours on the train to get there and back. Throw in all the hiking you'd like to do and that makes for a very tiring and full day. Kind of the opposite of what a visit to CT is about: to slow down and relax.
I'd suggest looking for daytrips a bit closer to Florence.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32220 posts
Donna,
While a day trip from Florence to the Cinque Terre is certainly feasible, as the previous post mentioned you'll probably spend almost as much time on the train as you would in the C.T. If you're just interested in a brief look at one or two of the villages, it's possible.
There appears to be some direct trains from Firenze S.M.N. to La Spezia Centrale. Travel time is ~2H:22M and second class fare about 14.20€. From La Spezia you could transfer to the local train for the trip to whichever village(s) you want to visit. The trip from La Spezia to Riomaggiore (the most southerly village) is only about 8-10 minutes (if the train stops in a tunnel and 8-10 minutes has passed, it's time to disembark!).
You could (for example) start in Riomaggiore, hike the famed Via dell'Amore to Manarola (Park Pass required, which you can purchase at the train stations) and then take the train back to La Spezia for the trip back to Florence. I doubt that you'd have time to hike the trails between all five villages.
On the return trip to Firenze, a train departing La Spezia at 20:06 would have you back in Florence at 22:33, however this is not direct - one change in Pisa (Note: these times are approximate and subject to change).
Happy travels!