Cinque Terre, To Go or Not To Go?

[crewsgirl]

I thought I really wanted to go to Cinque Terre, but the more I am reading about restrictions and overcrowding, and shoulder to shoulder tourists in the streets, the more it sounds unappealing for the month of June. It is also looking a bit difficult to get to, as our ship is docking in Livorno and it will require a bit of a drive. The tour I looked at joining basically states that the driver drops you off and you are on your own to get your train/ferry tickets and meet back at a certain time....so, I understand the rules for drivers are quite strict and no parking is available. Is it worth it? Is there a "better way" to enjoy it all? Is there another quaint area that is accessible from Livorno that we should check out? 

 

We also have an opportunity to visit the Luberon Villages in France, and I wonder if that is a better choice. Would love to hear your experiences and advice in this matter. Thanks in advance. 

[CruiserBruce]

Cinque Terre is a neat and beautiful place. But it has become overly popular. Rather than a drive by one day visit, I would suggest a land trip, couple night stay there. 

[euro cruiser]

If you were docking in La Spezia I would say go for it, as there is a ferry connection very close to the cruise port.  From Livorno, however, it's a long and expensive trip just to get there and back and it's simply not worth it.

[crewsgirl]

14 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

If you were docking in La Spezia I would say go for it, as there is a ferry connection very close to the cruise port.  From Livorno, however, it's a long and expensive trip just to get there and back and it's simply not worth it.

Thank you, the original cruise we booked had La Spezia as a port, and I am starting to agree with you. 

 

23 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Cinque Terre is a neat and beautiful place. But it has become overly popular. Rather than a drive by one day visit, I would suggest a land trip, couple night stay there. 

It does look magical, and I can see how staying there would make all the difference, enjoying it without all the day crowds! Thank you for this insight. 

[edinburgher]

The Luberon villages are very pretty and if you are there later in the month of June there might also be a chance of a glimpse of lavendar fields.

 

Using the SEARCH tool I pulled up this link which has previous threads about the Luberon which you could read to help you decide.  You could also simply google something like "Luberon Tours reviews" or start a thread here asking if anyone can comment on one they did.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=luberon&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=462

 

 

From Livorno, if you have never visited before, I would suggest LUCCA ( a bit of a Tuscan gem and really quite easy to reach by train from Livorno)

 

Many past threads and posts here on CC if you want to search for them. And many images and much online info to tempt you.. Google is your NBFF

[crewsgirl]

Another question for you, the cruise line offers Cinque Terre from Genoa as it is another port day. That looks like a long trek as well. Do you think that is the better option to see Cinque Terre or should I stick with Portofino, Rapallo & S. Margherita which was my original plan? Thanks so much for your input. 

[euro cruiser]

Genoa is marginally closer to Cinque Terre than Livorno, about twenty minutes less travel time.

 

Which to see is down to your personal interests and preferences.  Of course, with the longer travel time (vs. Portofino etc.) you'd have less on-the-ground time in Cinque Terre, so that's a factor to consider as well.

Edited May 4, 2023 by euro cruiser

[crewsgirl]

thank you so much! I am sure Portofino is super crowded as well in the summer, but it is so beautiful, I do want to see it. It was first on my list, so I may go that route.  

 

Lucca looks like they have a lovely place for biking, and that might be a great plan for us as well. Do Italians use ebikes? We have Dutch ebikes here at home, and love them so much. I wonder if that is a possibility..... 

[euro cruiser]

I don't know if they offer ebikes.  It wouldn't make a big difference anyway, as Lucca is completely flat and not very big.

 

At any rate, here is the list of bike rental places on the Lucca tourism website:

 

Bicycle rentals | Turismo Lucca

[CCJack]

I would not drop the Portofino and St. Margherita excursion.    Also, do not ignore Genoa itself.   We hired a private guide (from Genoa) to visit all 3 places (Genoa, Portofino, and S.M.) and all 3 were great in my opinion....

 

I have never been to Luberon.  However, we did take a ship's excursion to Cinque Terre and I was a bit underwhelmed.   Maybe a couple days there and hiking would be different.  As others have said it is crowded for a one afternoon visit.  Also, keep in mind the photos you see of Cinque Terre villages are likely taken from helicopters or drones, you really don't get to see that view of the village(s).   You see from the street  looking out over the ocean rather than the other way around.  

 

At Portofino, on the other hand, you can easily walk to the other side of the bay and see the exact view that most of the beautiful photos were taken that you are probably familiar with.

 

Have fun.....

[crewsgirl]

11 minutes ago, CCJack said:

I would not drop the Portofino and St. Margherita excursion.    Also, do not ignore Genoa itself.   We hired a private guide (from Genoa) to visit all 3 places (Genoa, Portofino, and S.M.) and all 3 were great in my opinion....

 

I have never been to Luberon.  However, we did take a ship's excursion to Cinque Terre and I was a bit underwhelmed.   Maybe a couple days there and hiking would be different.  As others have said it is crowded for a one afternoon visit.  Also, keep in mind the photos you see of Cinque Terre villages are likely taken from helicopters or drones, you really don't get to see that view of the village(s).   You see from the street  looking out over the ocean rather than the other way around.  

 

At Portofino, on the other hand, you can easily walk to the other side of the bay and see the exact view that most of the beautiful photos were taken that you are probably familiar with.

 

Have fun.....

Thank you for this insight! Makes me feel much better about this choice. 

[TheHawk1]

6 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Cinque Terre is a neat and beautiful place. But it has become overly popular. Rather than a drive by one day visit, I would suggest a land trip, couple night stay there. 

The OP is going in June, which I would expect to be very busy.  But how about the first week in October, which is the timing of my cruise?  With a port stop in La Spezia and having already seen Florence and Pisa, this looks like the only other decent option for a day trip.

[crewsgirl]

1 minute ago, TheHawk1 said:

The OP is going in June, which I would expect to be very busy.  But how about the first week in October, which is the timing of my cruise?  With a port stop in La Spezia and having already seen Florence and Pisa, this looks like the only other decent option for a day trip.

La Spezia would be so much easier! I would do the water ferry in that case. 

[travelpatty]

7 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

If you were docking in La Spezia I would say go for it, as there is a ferry connection very close to the cruise port.  From Livorno, however, it's a long and expensive trip just to get there and back and it's simply not worth it.

Is it necessary to have a reservation ahead of time to get a ferry from La Spezia to Cinque Terre?

[CruiserBruce]

3 minutes ago, travelpatty said:

Is it necessary to have a reservation ahead of time to get a ferry from La Spezia to Cinque Terre?

No.

[CruiserBruce]

29 minutes ago, TheHawk1 said:

The OP is going in June, which I would expect to be very busy.  But how about the first week in October, which is the timing of my cruise?  With a port stop in La Spezia and having already seen Florence and Pisa, this looks like the only other decent option for a day trip.

It would definitely be less busy. Be aware there is the potential for some weather/wind issues then.

[euro cruiser]

6 minutes ago, travelpatty said:

Is it necessary to have a reservation ahead of time to get a ferry from La Spezia to Cinque Terre?

It never has been in the past, but with record numbers of visitors last year (and so far this year), I'm not sure how informative past performance is.

 

If it's critically important to you, then I would make the reservation but not until a few days before, when you have a good sense of the weather, which could impact your decision.  

 

Navigazione Golfo dei Poeti - Cinque Terre Ferry Schedules

[travelpatty]

Thank you so much for the information.  I have printed the ferry schedule from La Spezia to Cinque Terre.  We will be a group of 20 ranging in age from new born, with teenagers, their adult parents, and my husband and I celebrating our 50th anniversary.  Our MSC ship arrives in La Spezia at 7 am and leaves at 6 pm We would like our grandkids to see the CT; as we have been there before and know how crowded it will be on July 11, 2023, I am really wondering how to see the CT economically. I like the idea of seeing all of the towns from the water as the towns are so very crowded.   To get more specific, here are a few more questions.

1. How far is it from the port where the ship will dock to the ferry terminal in La Spezia?

2.  We would like to make a reservation for round trip tickets on the ferry from La Spezia at 9:15 am arriving in Monterosso at 10:20 am.  After a few hours in Monterosso, we would get on the ferry at 14:30 in Monterosso and arrive back in La Spezia at 16:20.

3.  Is it reasonable to assume that if the ship docks at 7 that we could be on the ferry at 9:15 am?

4.  Do you have any idea of the cost of roundtrip tickets and when I should make the reservation?  I am not getting a very clear picture from the website.

Grazie for any help you can provide.

 

[euro cruiser]

There is a bus that takes you from the ship to the cruise terminal in La Spezia, located at Largo Michele Fiorillo.  From there to the ferry pier is 600 meters/four-tenths of a mile along the waterfront, an easy walk.

 

You should have no problem making the 9:15 ferry.

 

With a group that large, I would look into a group rate.  It may be advantageous to buy a full day "hopper" kind of ticket, but it would be best to reach out to the company and ask about it.  They have contact information here:  Navigazione Golfo dei Poeti - Contact our admin offices and billing

 

 

[euro cruiser]

According to the web site, a daily ticket is 40 euro for adults (those 12 and over), 15 euro for kids between 6 - 11, and free for infants to 5 years of age.

[travelpatty]

41 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

According to the web site, a daily ticket is 40 euro for adults (those 12 and over), 15 euro for kids between 6 - 11, and free for infants to 5 years of age.

 

42 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

According to the web site, a daily ticket is 40 euro for adults (those 12 and over), 15 euro for kids between 6 - 11, and free for infants to 5 years of age.

 

49 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

There is a bus that takes you from the ship to the cruise terminal in La Spezia, located at Largo Michele Fiorillo.  From there to the ferry pier is 600 meters/four-tenths of a mile along the waterfront, an easy walk.

 

You should have no problem making the 9:15 ferry.

 

With a group that large, I would look into a group rate.  It may be advantageous to buy a full day "hopper" kind of ticket, but it would be best to reach out to the company and ask about it.  They have contact information here:  Navigazione Golfo dei Poeti - Contact our admin offices and billing

 

 

 

[travelpatty]

Thank you so much.  That is so helpful.  I have emailed the ferry company.

You said that there is a bus that would take us from the cruise ship to the ferry terminal.  Is this something that you pay for?  Is it easy to find a spot on the bus?  I have no concept of how far it would be to walk it.

[euro cruiser]

You're not allowed to walk out of the port, it's a combination military and industrial port.  The shuttle bus is required (or so we were told).

[travelpatty]

Interesting.  Have you ever done the ferry?  They recommend that you not buy ahead of time.  That worries me as we will be there in the busy month of July with LOTS of people.

[euro cruiser]

I have taken the ferry, but in the off-season so crowding wasn't an issue.  As I said, I would only buy a day or two in advance when you have a good sense of the weather.  Especially with such a large group, waiting until the day of may mean waiting for a later ferry, or not getting a return ferry at the time you need.  Unlike the regional trains, the ferries do have a strict limit on capacity.