My husband and I are leaving for Europe in 4 weeks. We have been there before so we are somewhat familiar with the trains. Although this will be our first visit to the CT. One of the legs of our trip is from La Spezia to the Cinque Terre. Should we try to book our tickets before we leave the US or will it be no problem to get to Vernazza from La Spezia by buying the tickets the day we need them? Thanks!
Kathi,
You WON'T need to pre-purchase tickets from La Spezia to Vernazza (or any of the CT villages), as there are frequent local trains on that route every day. Check the Italy Guidebook for the departure times.
The trip from La Spezia to the villages is very quick. For example, from La Spezia to Riomaggiore (the closest village) is only about 8-10 minutes.
When you purchase your train tickets, I'd suggest specifying Vernazza as the destination, rather than La Spezia. That way you won't have to buy another ticket when you arrive there. Just walk across the platform and board the local train.
Happy travels!