Has anyone hired a tour guide for Cinque Terre?

[jb101300]

I was looking at Rome in Limo's services, and I am considering hiring a tour guide to be with us for our day in Cinque Terre. Has anyone done this? It seems like a lot to navigate on our own w/out a tour guide. We just want to get the most out of this excursion. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[GSPLover]

Originally Posted by jb101300

I was looking at Rome in Limo's services, and I am considering hiring a tour guide to be with us for our day in Cinque Terre. Has anyone done this? It seems like a lot to navigate on our own w/out a tour guide. We just want to get the most out of this excursion. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

You do not need a tour guide for Cinque Terre. For one thing, vehicles (except service/police/fire) are not allowed there (cannot get there.) Each village has essentially one street and it either goes up the hill or down the hill from the train tracks. Yes there are side streets; usually 4-6 feet wide that either go up the hill or down the hill (mostly up). You don't need anybody explaining to you what you are seeing; it's really self-explanitory. CT is really easy to get around.

If you hire a guide, they'll drop you at the south end and meet you at the north. Perhaps they'll drop you at the south and wait for you there. They cannot drive into each village.

[Hlitner]

We love Cinque Terre and enjoy walking the trails, taking the train, ferrys, etc. The thought of having a guide to spoil the romantic atmosphere is enough to make use never use a guide (we seldom use guides anyway). Just get yourself a decent guide book, or you can get Cinque Terre info (and suggested itineraries) on-line for free. This area is special for the geography, but the villages are very small and all can be easily explored on foot. Certainly consider walking the Lovers Train from Riomaggiore and perhaps using the train and/or boats for the other villages. You might not get to all 5 villages since many prefer to take their time and perhaps limit the visit to 3 or 4.
Hank

[maryann ns]

Don't get a guide. These are tiny villages in gorgeous settings. Take the ferry and/or train and explore and enjoy. We spent a magical day there a few years ago and I would love to go back.

[CintiPam]

We hired Romeinlimo for a trip to Cinque Terre from Livorno last June and were extremely disappointed with our day. The person they supplied had no clue what to do and did not know RIL at all; she was a hiking guide who clearly had not been in the five towns for a long time, if ever, and did not follow the requested itinerary at all. First thing, she berated us for showing up an hour late, and I had to pull out our email copies to show her that she came an hour early!

Using our Rick Steves's materials from his Rick Steves' Italy guidebook, which are very good, we had to show her where to buy the CT trail tickets, where the trail started, etc. Do not waste your money. If you want a local guided tour there, use someone else.

That being said, when the owner Dumon called us near the end of the day and heard about our dreadful experience, he directed the guide not to collect any money. A wise move, because I have foreborne from discussing our day on these boards.

It was disappointing because I had booked way in advance and wanted the itinerary on RIL's website; I guess he had too many customers that day to cover.

Fortunately, our cruise this summer spends a port day in La Spezia in May, and we can easily have a lovely day on our own there by local train, and I am looking forward to it immensely!

[floridafolks]

We took the train from La Spezia and LOVED walking the trails on our own. I can not imagine having a guide tag along. We walked the first three villages and took the bus to another and then the train to the last and back again to La Spezia. Each village has its own unique character. Read up on it - there is even an elevator we used in one town to get uphill--but we did walk down the LONG staircase in Corniglia. Enjoy the atmosphere and sampling the food. You are in for a terrific day!