Help with best way to get to and see Cinque Terre

[tusconcam]

I'm going on a cruise that has port days in Santa Marghuerita and La Spezia. in early to mid May 2023. I want to see Cinque Terre on my own from either port.

Can someone chime in with specifics about their own experience doing so. 

It's my first time to Europe and I would appreciate some opinions, how to's, tips, and costs of possible to make it from the respective cruise port to get to The Cinque Terre villages.

 

Any comments about the specific villages would also help.

 

I hope to hear about how to get there from both ports, as I realize La Spezia is closer option, but I only have a partial day there as my cruise leaves at 3 pm the day I have there.

 

Please help.

Thank you very much

[euro cruiser]

Santa Margherita Ligura is a tender port but there is a train station within walking distance for those in reasonable physical shape.   It's about 1 km/six-tenths of a mile from the port area where the tenders will drop off.   From there to the villages of Cinque Terre is about 45 minutes - one hour by train (Trenitalia), depending on the train and the village chosen.  It's easy to do on your own.

[tusconcam]

thanks for the information. Do you have know anything about how  La Spezia compares to get to Cinque Terre? 

[cruisemom42]

If your La Spezia day requires you to be back by 2:30 pm, I would not try to do the Cinque Terre from that port, not enough time to get there, see much and get back on your own.

 

If you want to see the logistics, there have been a number of recent threads discussing how to get to Cinque Terre by rail from La Spezia if you do a search, including this one just down the page:

 

 

Edited January 14, 2023 by cruisemom42

[euro cruiser]

La Spezia is the easiest option and offers you more alternatives for transport. 

 

The port bus drops you off at the cruise terminal (located at Largo Michele Fiorillo, 19124 La Spezia SP, Italy if you want to see it on a google map), from there to La Spezia Centrale is 1.9 km/one and a quarter miles on foot.  You can sometimes get a taxi to take you, or there are public buses across the park on Via Vittorio Veneto (Piazza Europa), the google map location for the bus stop is here:  4R5H+32 La Spezia, Province of La Spezia, Italy

 

At La Spezia Centrale you can buy an all-day train ticket that allows you unlimited use of the trains between the villages as well as access to bathrooms.   You can read about the Cinque Terre cards (one includes trains, the other does not so read the details carefully) as well as purchase options on the national park's website here:  Cinque Terre Card | Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre (parconazionale5terre.it)

 

Additional information on the train card is available on the Trenitalia website here:  Travel around 5 Terre - Trenitalia

 

Another option from La Spezia is to travel by ferry.  It's a beautiful way to get there and more comfortable, in my opinion, but it's slower and more expensive.   More information here:  Navigation Golfo dei Poeti - Visit the Cinque Terre from the sea (navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it)

 

There used to be a ticket that combined ferries and train but I don't see it on the site, although I only took a quick glance so you might find it with more diligent research.

 

 

[tusconcam]

Thanks very much all. It helps greatly.

 

[lynncarol]

I can only speak of our own experience in Cinque Terra September a year ago.  We were not on a cruise and touring Italy on our own, allotting 2 full days (3 nights) in Cinque Terra.  The train that runs between the 5 villages in Cinque Terra is not always that reliable.  We were staying in Vernazza. Our son-in-law hiked between 3 villages, then planned to get the train back to Vernazza. It was delayed for almost an hour for reasons unknown even to him. So, I must agree with Cruisemom...it might be chancy returning to your ship before its departure.