We are flying into Nice and want to take trains from the Cinqueterre region to the Dolomites and then to Lake Como and back to Nice. We have only 16 days and plan to spend between 3-4 nights in each region and do lots of hiking, swimming and eating. Are we crazy for trying to take trains between these three regions? Will we be able to get from one area to another in one easy day of travel? And does it make sense to get a rail pass?
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17432 posts
Beverly, when you check the schedules you'll see it's not such an "easy" trip from Cinque Terre to Bolzano---it's at least 8 hours, with 3 to 4 changes. And then you take the bus from Bolzano up to Castelrotto and on into the higher villages if you wish. That's a long day.
You could make it better by going to Lake Como from CT and then to Bolzano/Dolomites from there.
Travel times, using Varnazza in CT and Varenna at Lake Como, are roughly CT to Bolzano, 8 to 9 hours; CT to Varenna, 5 hours; Varenna to Bolzano, 5 hours.
From either Varenna or Bolzano it will be a long (8 to 9-hour) ride to Nice; you might think about a nice place to stop over for 1 night on the way.
Posted by
OP
Vashon
6 posts
Thanks to both of you for your replies - we are revising our itinerary to allow for stops (to stretch our legs, eat, rest) - especially given that we will be traveling with our 15 year old son.