The Cinque Terre area , in the Liguria region, is one of the most beautiful in Italy: colorful villages bordering cliffs that plunge into the sea... absolutely amazing! After having visited it and still with our mouths open, we have written this article with all the tips for traveling to Cinque Terre to help you plan your trip on your own.
Tips for traveling to Cinque Terre
From which villages to visit to how to get around and where to eat… in this post you will find all the information you need to be able to organize your trip to Cinque Terre on your own. Ready to discover this enchanted area? Let's go!
1. Cinque Terre villages: which ones are they?
The 5 towns that make up Cinque Terre are: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso
› Monterosso
It is the largest, liveliest and most westerly of the Cinque Terre villages. It has rocky beaches and a historic centre that seems straight out of a fairy tale. Must-sees include the Aurora Tower, the viewing platform from the Statue of St Francis of Assisi, the Church of San Giovanni Battista, and the statue of the Giant (Neptune).
› Vernazza
It has a beguiling beauty: the waves that crash into the port, the houses that cling to the mountains, quiet corners and tourists looking for the best photos.
› Corniglia
To reach the smallest village in Cinque Terre you have to climb 370 steps that connect it to the station, although there is also an easy option: the bus. In Corniglia, don't miss the Church of San Pietro and the viewing point at the top of the village.
› Manarola
It has the prettiest port in Cinque Terre. Here, fishermen's boats crowd together on a small ramp from where the village rises towards the hills. It is best to head towards the path that winds along the mountainside for the best views.
› Riomaggiore
It is the last of the small towns and is the place to enjoy an incredible sunset. The streets are also full of picturesque corners, such as Piazza Vignaioli, the church of San Giovanni Battista or the Castle. But without a doubt the best thing to do is to go down to the port and admire it from various viewpoints.
⭐ You can see more detailed information about each of them in our article the five villages of Cinque Terre .
2. Trails in Cinque Terre
Apart from visiting each of the villages, Cinque Terre is also famous for its many hiking trails . The path that runs along the coast and connects all the villages is known as the Blue Trail (Sentiero Azzurro), with a total length of 12 km.
And of this, the most popular and easiest section is the one called The Way of Love , which connects Riomaggiore with Manarola, although it has been closed for a long time (they say it will open in 2023 but… who knows!)
It is quite common for trails to be closed . The reason? Heavy rains cause landslides in the mountains and destroy part of the path.
It is best to check this website before you go and find out which ones are open and closed . Or better yet, download the Pn5t plus app .
Remember to bring your Revolut card and/or N26 card so that you are not charged commissions when paying and withdrawing money abroad.
› Cinque Terre Card
You've probably read somewhere that you have to pay an entrance fee to enter the trails . This only applies to the trails that go along the coast (basically the Blue Trail), all the others that go inside the mountains are free. The entrance fee is €7.50, and is included in the Cinque Terre Card (€16 for a 1-day pass).
You can buy both at the tourist information offices at the train station in each town.
› What to bring
If you decide to go trekking, dress comfortably , carry a backpack with water and some energy bars or fruit. You won't be as fashionable as with a flowing dress, but you will certainly get more out of your trip to Cinque Terre. There are public fountains in all the villages, where you can refill your reusable bottle. Be careful because the trails are not exactly a stroll through the countryside.
If you want to take the typical postcard photo, with the villages, the cliffs and the sea, don't worry: you won't need to do any trekking. Each village has spectacular viewpoints !
3. Travel by train, not by car: the best tip for travelling to Cinque Terre!
One of the best tips for travelling to Cinque Terre is about transport: to get there and to get around we absolutely recommend the train . If you arrive by car you can leave it in La Spezia where there are some free car parks and discover the villages with the railway line that connects them.
⭐ Here is our transportation guide in Cinque Terre .
Why not go by car ? The roads are bad, there is little parking and cars are simply banned in the villages.
› Important: validate the train ticket
Don't forget to validate ('convalidare' in Italian) your train ticket : if you don't do it at the validation machines and the ticket inspector catches you... you're guaranteed a fine, even if you have the ticket!
› How much do trains cost?
The price of train tickets varies depending on the season. In winter, the maximum price is €2.20 (for example, to go from La Spezia to Monterosso), while in summer, the Cinque Terre Express is in operation and the price is a fixed €5 for any section.
› Train schedules for travelling to Cinque Terre
You can check the train timetables on the Trenitalia website , so you don't have to wait too long at the stations. Although it is good to know that in winter there is at least one train every hour, and in summer this increases to 3 trains every hour.
4. Cinque Terre Card
As we mentioned earlier, there is a pass that allows you access to paid trails, unlimited use of transport (both trains and buses) in the Cinque Terre area, from Levanto to La Spezia, and other benefits such as WiFi in public areas. It is called the Cinque Terre Card and costs €16 for a 1-day pass, €29 for a 2-day pass and €41 for a 3-day pass.
It is always advisable to visit during daylight saving time. More information about the pass .
This is a personal card, but if you are travelling with your family, there is the Cinque Terre Card family , for 2 adults and 2 children (between 2 and 12 years old) which can be a good value. The price is €42 for 1 day.
5. Where to stay in Cinque Terre
We recommend La Spezia for a single reason: the price! Obviously, if you find a good deal in any of the other towns, it will be worth thinking about it , but La Spezia has a lot of accommodation, many restaurants and it is not an ugly town.
If you want to sleep in one of the five villages, we would probably stay in Monterosso, which has more atmosphere and also has a beach prepared for swimming.
If you have the desire (and time!) to continue exploring the area, head to nearby Porto Venere , one of the small towns that make up the so-called "Bay of Poets" (because many poets of the calibre of Byron and Shelley frequented - and were inspired by - this place).
6. How to get to Cinque Terre
There is no airport in Cinque Terre , so the best (and cheapest) way to get there from Spain is to fly to Milan or Pisa . From both cities you will be in about 2-3 hours by train to La Spezia.
7. Cinque Terre Tours and Excursions
These are the recommended tours in Cinque Terre:
- Cinque Terre Day Trip from Florence in English
- Cinque Terre Bus Tour from Milan in English
- Sunset boat ride with aperitif from Riomaggiore
- Cinque Terre sunset cruise with aperitif from Monterosso
- Kayak tour from Monterosso
8. Best time to travel to Cinque Terre
What is the best time to visit Cinque Terre ? For us, spring and autumn, without a doubt. And it's even better if you can get the winter schedule to save a little on transportation. If, like us, you don't enjoy places packed with other tourists, don't ever visit Cinque Terre in July and August.
9. Avoid traveling to Cinque Terre on weekends
And since we're on the subject, it's better to visit Cinque Terre during the week . We were there on Saturday, Sunday and Monday in March and found a lot more tourists on the weekend. Basically, it's domestic tourism, with many Italians taking advantage of the opportunity to make a getaway to this wonderful part of their country, and obviously, they do so on their days off.
10. More tips for traveling to Cinque Terre
Here are some other travel gems and recommendations for visiting Cinque Terre without messing things up…
– A different experience to see Cinque Terre from another point of view is to do it from the sea . The bad thing is that the boats that make these trips are only operational from the end of March to the beginning of November . The price for a day pass is €41 (free for children up to 6 years old) and includes the stop in Porto Venere, as well as the other villages. More information .
– If you are not in good shape, be aware that one of the five villages, Corniglia , is on top of a small hill and to get there you have to climb more than 370 steps . But there is an alternative: the bus . You can find it at the exit of the train station, it is best to get off the train quickly to get a seat (it is a minibus). The ticket is included in the Cinque Terre Card; if you do not have it, it costs €1.50 if you buy it at the station or €2.50 on the bus itself.
– Did you know that pesto sauce was born here, in the Liguria region? So now you know: don’t leave Cinque Terre without eating a good plate of trofie (a type of pasta) with pesto . And even better if it’s accompanied by a local white wine. Here we tell you where to eat in Cinque Terre .
We hope that these tips for travelling to Cinque Terre can help you plan your independent trip to this beautiful area of Italy. As always, if you need more information, leave us a comment.
