La Spezia

[Ckruz69]

Our cruise for May 10 on Liberty o the Seas has had a port change from Livorno to La Spezia. We were booked on a tour to Cinque Terre and were excited with the change as La Spezia was closer. However, RCI has cancelled the Cinque Terre excursion and in talking with them by phone has no intentions of offering it. Of course we will get a refund but since this was to be the highlight of our trip to visit these remote villages has anyone had any experience with getting to them either on their own or by a private tour?

 

What is strange is that if the port is brought up on RCI website, Cinque Terre is prominently mentioned.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

[nzdisneymom]

Our cruise for May 10 on Liberty o the Seas has had a port change from Livorno to La Spezia. We were booked on a tour to Cinque Terre and were excited with the change as La Spezia was closer. However, RCI has cancelled the Cinque Terre excursion and in talking with them by phone has no intentions of offering it. Of course we will get a refund but since this was to be the highlight of our trip to visit these remote villages has anyone had any experience with getting to them either on their own or by a private tour?

 

What is strange is that if the port is brought up on RCI website, Cinque Terre is prominently mentioned.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

 

Hi. don't you hate it when there's a change in plans after you've got everything all situated?

 

Cinque Terre appears to be pretty easy to do on your own from La Spezia. La Spezia is a tender port. There is boat service that leaves from right near where the tender drops you off that goes to Cinque Terre, or you could go into town to catch the train that takes you up to the villages. We are going to be at La Spezia in June and plan to do this on our own - we are pretty sure we're just going to do the train up to the furthest village and then work our way back throughout the day. There are a few threads here that have info on specific detail for how to get there and back.

[Hlitner]

Actually, Cinque Terre is so easy to do on one's own (especially from La Spezia) that it seems a waste to pay the big bucks for a tour. You can take the short train ride from La Spezia to Riomaggiore (the nearest Cinque Terre Village) and start from that village. Or you could take the train even further and then work your way back. We normally suggest going to Riomaggiore and then walking on the lovers walk up to the next village. At that point you can use the train and/or ferry boats to do additional villages or just take it easy an limit where you go. There is a tourist office at Riomaggiore that has maps and info on the train schedule and boats as well as maps of the walking paths that connect each village.

 

Hank

[euro cruiser]

Let's all collectively hope that the trails are open again by the time the season starts. As of right now the Via dell'Amore and several others are closed.

 

http://www.parco****onale5terre.it/sentieri_parco.asp?id_lingue=2

[Hlitner]

Let's all collectively hope that the trails are open again by the time the season starts. As of right now the Via dell'Amore and several others are closed.

 

http://www.parco****onale5terre.it/sentieri_parco.asp?id_lingue=2

 

ARGH! And I thought they had already reopened the Via del'Amore. What happened to that area last year is truly sad.

[Ckruz69]

Thanks to everyone who responded to my sudden panic at the switch in ports. I can always count on CC posters to help out! Of course had I looked at a map FIRST I would have seen how close where we dock and where Cinque Terre is located and figured it out!

 

I think we can make our own arrangements without a ship tour by boat or train.

[dutchclogs]

Actually, Cinque Terre is so easy to do on one's own (especially from La Spezia) that it seems a waste to pay the big bucks for a tour. You can take the short train ride from La Spezia to Riomaggiore (the nearest Cinque Terre Village) and start from that village. Or you cooauld take the train even further and then work your way back. We normally suggest going to Riomaggiore and then walking on the lovers walk up to the next village. At that point you can use the train and/or ferry boats to do additional villages or just take it easy an limit where you go. There is a tourist office at Riomaggiore that has maps and info on the train schedule and boats as well as maps of the walking paths that connect each village.

 

Hank

 

I am on the Adventure in August and also notice that RCi do not offer tours to Cinque Terre from La Spezia. They seem to push just Florence from here and offer CT from Genoa -- I wonder why?

Actually I am wondering if it is feasible to go to the Ferrari museum/test site from La Spezia. I know it's a long way but it is also something my DH and DSs would really enjoy. Can you offer any insight Hank? Would it be realistic to hire a car do you think? I understand the train connections would be problematic.

Thanks

Thanks

[shirazcruiser]

Anyone considered a write-in to RCI to offer the excursion since Cinque Terre is prominently mentioned in the La Spezia Port of Call description.

[euro cruiser]

My guess is that they don't offer it because they can't make the margin they need.

 

It's so easy to get to Cinque Terre from La Spezia; when potential passengers compare the cost of the cruise shore excursion vs. DIY, odds are that not enough of them are willing to pay the additional amount the cruise line needs. So, with insufficient demand for Cinque Terre excursions, they look to other alternatives that are more difficult to accomplish DIY and focus their efforts there.

[Hlitner]

Just a thought. I cannot imagine trying to enjoy the villages of Cinque Terre as part of a large tour group. It might be enough to turn me off to travel :)

 

Hank

[slidergirl]

Just a thought. I cannot imagine trying to enjoy the villages of Cinque Terre as part of a large tour group. It might be enough to turn me off to travel :)

 

Hank

 

So right! These are little villages with narrow streets and walkways. Negotiating these with a group of 20-50 people would not be fun at all!!! There really isn't anything in the villages that you'd need a guide to explain. Just get there, wander, explore, get a gelato or a juice drink, eat lunch. I remember there was this house at the end of the walkway past the beach in Monterosso - it had all this "interesting" sculpture on it - like a Sea King, some other stuff. I wonder if it's still there after the slides.

I will say the best time in Vernazza is in the evening, after the day visitors are gone. So quiet, the lights there on the harborside piazza, hanging out at one of the tavernas. One of my favorite travel memories!!

[maryann ns]

You go to Cinque Terre for beauty and atmosphere, wonderful food and a relaxed atmosphere. Taking a group tour does not let you enjoy most of that. It is very easy to visit these villages on your own. Trains and ferries run between them. Do not miss Corniglia. It is my favorite and Vernazza is next.

[nzdisneymom]

We are looking forward to spending time on our own here. Thanks again or all the tips and information.

[Carolyn R]

Here is a link to current trail status in the Cinque Terre. http://savevernazza.com/traveladvisortrailupdates/

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Here is a link to current trail status in the Cinque Terre. http://savevernazza.com/traveladvisortrailupdates/

 

Thank you -- I was looking for just such a site!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!

We're going in July...hope everything opens up until then.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Thanks everyone for the updated information about Cinque Terre. We're on b2b cruises on Serenade of the Seas. The May 21 itinerary goes to Livorno but the May 31 itinerary goes to La Spezia. Agree that RCI needs to offer something from La Spezia to Cinque Terre....possibly a Cinque Terre on your own....like they do for other ports.

[solaris88]

Thank you for all the info. :D

 

We are traveling to La Spezia in July and are planning on doing Cinque Terre on our own. It does seem very easy to do by train and perhaps also by ferry.

 

Hope the weather is good and they open up some of the trails. Bon Voyage!

 

:p

[slidergirl]

It's incredibly easy to do Cinque Terre on your own! It's not difficult to get to the train station in La Spezia. From there, take a train to which ever town you want to start in, spend some time, hop on a train, go to the next town, spend some time, etc. There truly is no need for a cruise excursion there, not even a DIY. The only thing worth offering would be either a shuttle to the train station...

[FreezingInMichigan]

We were there two weeks ago. Our cruise documents indicated we were tendering. We walked off the ship onto a dock then took a shuttle bus to the entrance of the city. The Liberty staff told us there would be a charge of $1 each way. The driver never indicated there would be any charge. Everyone simply got on and off. I think the staff were still learning the ropes of this port.

 

The shuttle drove us from the ship to the entrance of the port area. From the drop point, it was a 5 - 10 minute walk to the ferry system or the TI office. Others have posted it's a 15 - 20 walk to the train station. It took us about 30 minutes from the TI office and it's all up hill. We are old and out of shape... lol

 

Once we found the train station, we managed to stand in two different lines that we didn't belong in. Tourists. lol There is a separate office to buy the Cinque Terre Train Card that includes the hiking trails. We paid 10 euro per person. They're located right next to the McDonald's at the train station. First we went inside to the regular ticketing area, stood in line at the customer service window, and were directed to the main ticketing window, who told us Nice Try But No Cigar - go to the Cinque Terre office.

 

When you buy your ticket, you'll need to print your name on the back. You'll also need to validate the ticket at the machine right outside the CT office. The staff were incredibly helpful in making sure we did all of this correctly. There are pretty stiff fines if you're caught without a signed, validated ticket. With that said, we never saw a single train station employee on any of the trains we traveled. We were never asked to show the tickets we purchased.

 

From there we were directed to Railway 2. Your ticket (or your stop at the TI) will net you a train schedule. One side is for departures from La Spezia. The other side is for returns. There are multiple columns showing special schedules for weekends and holidays. Make sure you pick from a column that applies to your trip. There are trains that stop at all five villages and others that skip some or all.

 

Most of the train station platforms are only a car or two long. However. the trains are much, much longer. It's not unusual to get out in a tunnel and walk to the main platform.

 

Be prepared to act quickly. With the exception of La Spezia, our trains waited a max of five minutes at each stop. You will learn the art of pushing your way to where you need to be without feeling like a rude tourist. It's just how it's done... not an easy adjustment for me.

 

You may or may not have a seat to sit in. We were there during a local school holiday and I think every student in Italy was on our train. Think jam-packed sardines, standing room only, sweaty kids. We took pictures to prove just how packed we were and the kids were having fun posing for us.

 

One of the things I noticed was the handling of safety. There were definitely no capacity limits... lol The tracks had a yellow line that meant don't go past here or you'll get run over. No guard rails or the typical U.S. dozen legal disclaimer signs. They simply expected you to pay attention and watch out for yourself.

 

We had originally planned on visiting all five villages. Naive overachievers. We rode the train out to Monterossa (the farthest away), then back to Vernazza (second farthest). Those two villages ate up most of our day. We elected to skip the other three and explore La Spezia a bit. The walk along the Mediterranean is beautiful.

 

It was hands down one of our favorite days.

 

~ Sheryl

[euro cruiser]

We were there two weeks ago. Our cruise documents indicated we were tendering. We walked off the ship onto a dock then took a shuttle bus to the entrance of the city. The Liberty staff told us there would be a charge of $1 each way. The driver never indicated there would be any charge. Everyone simply got on and off. I think the staff were still learning the ropes of this port.

 

The shuttle drove us from the ship to the entrance of the port area. From the drop point, it was a 5 - 10 minute walk to the ferry system or the TI office. Others have posted it's a 15 - 20 walk to the train station. It took us about 30 minutes from the TI office and it's all up hill.

Not only is this all new, but there are two different docks being used so some cruises will find a short walk with no shuttle, while others will find what this poster did. One dock is municipal, the other is military (hence the "no walking from the dock" rule).

[slidergirl]

Two weeks ago was the May 1 holiday weekend. That's why it was so crowded. It's also crowded everytime a ship ports there and everyone wants to go up to Cinque Terre; a couple thousand people from a ship can do that ;)

At each station, you'll find a large schedule posted in a case. You can look at it to find your trains and binarios.

Since the Cinque Terre trains are largely daytripper trains, think of them like the NY or DC subways - they crowd in there, too.

Italy doesn't have the litigation mindset that the US does. It doesn't have nor feel the need to warn you about every single thing nor erect barriers to prevent you from doing something stupid. Most of Europe is like that, so keep that in mind.

I'm glad that you did have a good day. Did you walk up the trail at Vernazza to get that picture-perfect overview of the village? I have a 24x36 canvas of the shot I took from there hanging in my living room.

[FreezingInMichigan]

Two weeks ago was the May 1 holiday weekend. That's why it was so crowded. It's also crowded everytime a ship ports there and everyone wants to go up to Cinque Terre; a couple thousand people from a ship can do that ;)

At each station, you'll find a large schedule posted in a case. You can look at it to find your trains and binarios.

Since the Cinque Terre trains are largely daytripper trains, think of them like the NY or DC subways - they crowd in there, too.

Italy doesn't have the litigation mindset that the US does. It doesn't have nor feel the need to warn you about every single thing nor erect barriers to prevent you from doing something stupid. Most of Europe is like that, so keep that in mind.

I'm glad that you did have a good day. Did you walk up the trail at Vernazza to get that picture-perfect overview of the village? I have a 24x36 canvas of the shot I took from there hanging in my living room.

 

We were aware of the holiday after talking to some of the kids. They were a lot of fun. A subway is a great description of the trains. We appreciated the ease of use.

 

I agree with you about most of Europe not feeling the need to warn. There was appropriate signage and the rest was up to the people to use some common sense. I'm a big fan since I handle corporate litigation as part of my job. Some days I think I've seen it all.

 

We loved the day. We didn't have time to do the trail but saw others walking it. The signs for finding the trails in both towns we visited were well posted. Maybe someday I'll be lucky enough to return. :)

[slidergirl]

We were aware of the holiday after talking to some of the kids. They were a lot of fun. A subway is a great description of the trains. We appreciated the ease of use.

 

I agree with you about most of Europe not feeling the need to warn. There was appropriate signage and the rest was up to the people to use some common sense. I'm a big fan since I handle corporate litigation as part of my job. Some days I think I've seen it all.

 

We loved the day. We didn't have time to do the trail but saw others walking it. The signs for finding the trails in both towns we visited were well posted. Maybe someday I'll be lucky enough to return. :)

 

 

When you return, stay in one of the towns for a few days. The difference between Cinque Terre villages in the daytime and nighttime is amazing. So peaceful, just the locals and very few tourists hanging out. It was so relaxing!

[solaris88]

Great information!:D

Our ship itinerary originally showed tendered at La Spezia, then changed to docked. Probably getting a new port established...

We are extremely excited and looking forward to visiting cinque terre!