Cinque Terre from La Spezia for Dummies (I'm the dummy :)

OP has already come and gone. I hope she had a great time and everything worked out. People go to CT for different reasons. Some enjoy the hikes between the 5T and some just go to soak up the atmosphere and maybe enjoy part of a beach day in Monterosso or take a boat tour from the marina. In the summer, it can get hot and make the hikes somewhat problematic. I think the ferry, while it takes two hours, is nice to get a great view of the 5T from the water, much like a boat cruise would (but obviously not as nice as a boat tour) and could be combined with a train return. If time is an an issue, the train is a 22 minute ride in to Monterosso and with travel to train, it's probably a 45 minute commitment each way.

The chairs with umbrellas at the beaches fill up in the morning. I believe the cost for the day for us was 11 euors per chair including the umbrella in the middle. All beaches have the beach bar for lunch and it's nice way to spend part of your day.

We just got back from the cruise on 8/21/17. Two things I did not plan for in Cinque Terre

1 - While the puctures are beautiful, when it's too hot and too crowded it can be ugly there.

2 - On a good day trains rides take 10 mins between stations. On a bad day, we waited 45 minutes for a train in the hot summer.

Even the ferry ride takes Too long wait due to big crowd. If I knew what I know, I will ONLY go to Monterosso - it is more relaxing and enjoyable. I can do one quick stop at Manarola for pic but that's about it. If you do not have a lot of time and going in the summer with kids, just go to Monterosso and Manarola. Just sharing my experience.

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We just got back from the cruise on 8/21/17. Two things I did not plan for in Cinque Terre

1 - While the puctures are beautiful, when it's too hot and too crowded it can be ugly there.

2 - On a good day trains rides take 10 mins between stations. On a bad day, we waited 45 minutes for a train in the hot summer.

 

Even the ferry ride takes Too long wait due to big crowd. If I knew what I know, I will ONLY go to Monterosso - it is more relaxing and enjoyable. I can do one quick stop at Manarola for pic but that's about it. If you do not have a lot of time and going in the summer with kids, just go to Monterosso and Manarola. Just sharing my experience.

 

 

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I was afraid that the cruises would ruin CT - your comments sound like they did. It's the new "it" place for cruise tourists. It was bad enough in the daytime with just regular day trippers. With all the past cruisers saying to take the ferry, you knew it would be a an issue. Your "next time" sounds about right. But, I'd substitute Manarola for Vernazza - I love that town. You can do the little bit of the hike for maybe 15 minutes and get a most amazing photo looking down on Vernazza and it's harbor. I like that one better than the photo of the water's edge of Manarola; I had my shot blown up onto a 24x36 canvas and it hangs above my sofa ;)

We just got back from the cruise on 8/21/17. Two things I did not plan for in Cinque Terre

1 - While the puctures are beautiful, when it's too hot and too crowded it can be ugly there.

2 - On a good day trains rides take 10 mins between stations. On a bad day, we waited 45 minutes for a train in the hot summer.

 

Even the ferry ride takes Too long wait due to big crowd. If I knew what I know, I will ONLY go to Monterosso - it is more relaxing and enjoyable. I can do one quick stop at Manarola for pic but that's about it. If you do not have a lot of time and going in the summer with kids, just go to Monterosso and Manarola. Just sharing my experience.

 

 

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Great info regarding the delays on both train & ferry! We are staying in Monterosso pre-cruise out of Civitavecchia and are booked for Sunday 8 October via Trenitalia on a 12:42 regionale from Monterosso, arriving in LaSpezia at 1:05 with 9 minutes before our train to Civi departs at 1:16!!

Can the 4e ticket on the regionale be used on an earlier train? If not, we will gladly pay for an earlier train and peace of mind! How early should we depart from Monterosso to be on the safe side?

Hopefully there won't be many cruisers during our time in the Cinque Terre- not that there's anything wrong with cruisers!!

Great info regarding the delays on both train & ferry! We are staying in Monterosso pre-cruise out of Civitavecchia and are booked for Sunday 8 October via Trenitalia on a 12:42 regionale from Monterosso, arriving in LaSpezia at 1:05 with 9 minutes before our train to Civi departs at 1:16!!

 

Can the 4e ticket on the regionale be used on an earlier train? If not, we will gladly pay for an earlier train and peace of mind! How early should we depart from Monterosso to be on the safe side?

 

Hopefully there won't be many cruisers during our time in the Cinque Terre- not that there's anything wrong with cruisers!!

We did this post cruise from Civitavecchia and it was great. We went in mid-July, but it was a great plan. I don't think there is a need to buy tickets ahead of time for Monterosso to La Spezia Centrale. It's a 4 euro ticket and I think it's valid for the train you book or the next one after that. I forgot whether it could be used earlier and that didn't matter for us since we bought our tickets at La Spezia Centrale. The only tickets we bought ahead of time were for La Spezia to Civitavechhia. We bought first class. They weren't expensive, but they were worth it. Much of the ride is scenic and along the water. In any case, the nine minute turn around might be overly optimistic. You may have to navigate stairs or elevators to get to the appropriate platform.

I don't think seeing CT during a cruise is a great thing. What we enjoyed so much about CT was relaxing there after a cruise and the feeling of not being rushed. The only set plans we made ahead of time was booking a Sunset Tapas Tour and Angelo's Boat. It was a great way to get a view of the other towns and to get another swim in the sea. On our other night in town (Monterosso), we had a great dinner at Mikey's. Other than that, one day, we grabbed two beach chairs and umbrella for the day and spent three hours at the beach and enjoyed lunch at the beach bar.

If I were on a cruise ship that stopped in La Spezia and the stop was a long day stop (8 am to 7 pm or later), I'd take a taxi to the train station and get off at Monterosso, walk down to the new town (to the right facing the water), grab a couple of beach chairs and enjoy the day or do a boat tour (with some frills) from the docks in the old section of town. From Livorno, I would either find a way to get to Florence or enjoy the beaches there.

We did this post cruise from Civitavecchia and it was great. We went in mid-July, but it was a great plan. I don't think there is a need to buy tickets ahead of time for Monterosso to La Spezia Centrale. It's a 4 euro ticket and I think it's valid for the train you book or the next one after that. I forgot whether it could be used earlier and that didn't matter for us since we bought our tickets at La Spezia Centrale. The only tickets we bought ahead of time were for La Spezia to Civitavechhia. We bought first class. They weren't expensive, but they were worth it. Much of the ride is scenic and along the water. In any case, the nine minute turn around might be overly optimistic. You may have to navigate stairs or elevators to get to the appropriate platform.

 

That 9 minute connect time was what Trenitalia came up with and I didn't pay much attention to the short connect time until after the fact. Bunches_eb's post was a reminder that it would be better to be safe than miss our train out of LaSpezia. We did buy 1st class seats for that train and the one we are taking out of Milan to get to Monterosso.

 

I don't think seeing CT during a cruise is a great thing. What we enjoyed so much about CT was relaxing there after a cruise and the feeling of not being rushed. The only set plans we made ahead of time was booking a Sunset Tapas Tour and Angelo's Boat. It was a great way to get a view of the other towns and to get another swim in the sea. On our other night in town (Monterosso), we had a great dinner at Mikey's. Other than that, one day, we grabbed two beach chairs and umbrella for the day and spent three hours at the beach and enjoyed lunch at the beach bar.

 

We made plans to see the opera highlights performance at a chapel in Vernazza on Friday evening, but that's about all till we arrive. Thanks for the tips.

 

If I were on a cruise ship that stopped in La Spezia and the stop was a long day stop (8 am to 7 pm or later), I'd take a taxi to the train station and get off at Monterosso, walk down to the new town (to the right facing the water), grab a couple of beach chairs and enjoy the day or do a boat tour (with some frills) from the docks in the old section of town. From Livorno, I would either find a way to get to Florence or enjoy the beaches there.

Our cruise does dock in LaSpezia, but we have opted to spend the day in Portovenere, traveling there by ferry and returning via the bus, which is a 25 minute trip along the coast and reportedly not for the queasy. Planning on taking the noon 3-Island boat trip and enjoying a seaside lunch with an early return to the Reflection.

During our stay in Monterosso, it seems there is but one ship nearby each day: the NCL Epic is docked 7-7 in Livorno day 1, in LaSpezia the Costa Diadema 9-8 Day 2 and the MSC Orchestra 7-7 Day 3. There may be more ships in those ports than I found because the Reflection was not listed for the day we are scheduled in LaSpezia!

Your connection is doable, but not easy with luggage and getting to the other side of the tracks. For peace of mind, you might want to get the earlier train from Monterosso to La Spezia train. I think they run 30 minutes apart, but can't remember. In any case, your plan sounds great.

Your proposed connections are far too tight at La Spezia Centrale . Remember this is Italia and trains often run late, plus you are going to have to negotiate steps and the dreaded "sottopassagio" (underground passage between platforms at La Spezia Centrale.)

If you already hold tickets for the 1242 Regional train from Monterosso you can use them for up to 4 hours on a later departing Regional train, but NOT for an earlier train .

SO go to the Trenitalia website and book new tickets for Sunday 8th October Monterosso to La Spezia Regional Train # 24461 departing Monterosso 1212 arriving La Spezia 1245 .

http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en

Select the Regional tab then enter details & end up printing out your tickets .

From La Spezia High Speed Train # 35053 is compulsorily seat booked and runs via Viareggio, Pisa, and Grosetto to arrive at Civitavecchia at 1614 (Through train ex La Spezia.)

NB: Monterosso has two distinct halves OLD Monterosso and NEW Monterosso joined by a shared use pedestrian / vehicular road tunnel . Ferries arrive in Old Monterosso on the headland near the shared use tunnel. The train station (Ferrovia Stazione) is in NEW Monterosso on the waterfront . Tip concentrate your sightseeing activities here in the far more interesting Old Monterosso .

The new train tickets will only cost you a few Euros for peace of mind . Hope this info helps .

Your proposed connections are far too tight at La Spezia Centrale . Remember this is Italia and trains often run late, plus you are going to have to negotiate steps and the dreaded "sottopassagio" (underground passage between platforms at La Spezia Centrale.)

 

If you already hold tickets for the 1242 Regional train from Monterosso you can use them for up to 4 hours on a later departing Regional train, but NOT for an earlier train .

 

SO go to the Trenitalia website and book new tickets for Sunday 8th October Monterosso to La Spezia Regional Train # 24461 departing Monterosso 1212 arriving La Spezia 1245 .

http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en

 

Select the Regional tab then enter details & end up printing out your tickets .

 

From La Spezia High Speed Train # 35053 is compulsorily seat booked and runs via Viareggio, Pisa, and Grosetto to arrive at Civitavecchia at 1614 (Through train ex La Spezia.)

 

NB: Monterosso has two distinct halves OLD Monterosso and NEW Monterosso joined by a shared use pedestrian / vehicular road tunnel . Ferries arrive in Old Monterosso on the headland near the shared use tunnel. The train station (Ferrovia Stazione) is in NEW Monterosso on the waterfront . Tip concentrate your sightseeing activities here in the far more interesting Old Monterosso .

 

The new train tickets will only cost you a few Euros for peace of mind . Hope this info helps .

Thanks, your input confirms my fears about the tight connection, which was what Trenitalia gave me when I booked from Monterosso to Civitavecchia. We are booked on the 35053 and I am thinking we leave even earlier from Monterosso than the 12:12 train, which would give us time at La Spezia Centrale for lunch.

Do we need to pre-book the Regionale?

Thanks, your input confirms my fears about the tight connection, which was what Trenitalia gave me when I booked from Monterosso to Civitavecchia. We are booked on the 35053 and I am thinking we leave even earlier from Monterosso than the 12:12 train, which would give us time at La Spezia Centrale for lunch.

 

Do we need to pre-book the Regionale?

You don't need to pre-book the 4 euro train. You can buy the tickets from the automated machines that take credit and debit cards. Don't forget to validate the tickets before getting on. You might also want to look for the elevator to get from on side of the platforms to the station.

Following for our trip in May '18

We did Cinque Terre about 2 weeks ago. My suggestion is to go with a basic plan but it may change due to weather and crowds. The blue trail was only open from vernazza to Corniglia. The red trail was closed from monterosso to vernazza. We ignored the closure and followed others from monterosso to vernazza. They did have a sentry at vernazza that prevented people from hiking vernazza to monterosso. Monterosso to vernazza is definitely the tougher hike as you spend the first 45 minutes to a hour climbing. The trail down to vernazza was gradual therefore the climb will be more forgiving. This holds true for vernazza to Corniglia as well. If you love doing the stair master then go for it north to south. If you an overweight 60 year old like me then go south to north.

The blue trails are still closed between Corniglia. Manarola and Riomaggiore.

The Cinque Terre train card also gets you into the train station washrooms without having to pay.

I'm had intended to pay as you go but the pass helped avoid the lines to buy tickets and at the validation boxes. It's was busy in late September so I would be concerned in July about crowds and lines.

I'm glad we did it but I won't be going back anytime soon.

Posting from Monterosso...

So happy we decided to stay in the Cinque Terre. The daytime crowds, whether from cruiseships or other tour groups, are horrendous and navigating getting into the villages from the train stations is quite difficult as there is only one staircase (uscita aka exit) to navigate from the platform. We bought the train/trekking pass even though we didn't do any of the trails. This was a blessing as lamchops posted earlier. When we got off the train in Corniglia, the pass covered a bus to get us into the centro vs. a climb of many steps and switchbacks.

Our weather has been fantastico...looking forward to visiting Portovenere when we are in LaSpezia port and having lunch at Locanda Lorena on Palmeria Is. while there thanks to a tip from our great b&b hostess.

We will definitely take an earlier regionale train tomorrow as they have been continuously running late during our time here. Traveling with the luggage we have for our upcoming Reflection cruise, week in England and then the Eclipse TA back to the US is a challenge but we have managed relatively easily on the train from MXP to Milano Centrale and from there 1st class to Monterosso. It was a trek to our b&b but we've a taxi booked to take us to the station tomorrow morning.

BTW to HubofHockey I am disappointed that we did not make it to Miky's, nor to the Trattoria Oscar suggested by our hostess.

Does anyone know about the dock at the port of La Spezia? Out tour guide indicates we need to take a shuttle from the ship to the area to meet private tours.

If so, how long does this take and how much time should I plan to get off the ship and shuttle out to the vendor area?

Thanks