While vacationing in Northern Tuscany, we decided to embark on a day trip to another exceptionally beautiful destination – Cinque Terre. Literally translated to “Five Lands” in English, these five breathtaking towns along the Italian coast are known for their beautiful sea views, pastel houses and the popular hiking trail that connects them. If hiking up the mountain trails to visit these towns seems daunting, fear not! The towns are well connected by train.
We left from the Tuscan hills near Lucca for the city of La Spezia, about an hour drive. Here we were able to park our rental car just outside the train station which frequently stops at the five towns. While you can visit all five towns: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, we were only able to see 2 on our short but sweet day trip. We decided to visit Vernazza and Manarola. Here are some of our favourite snapshots of these incredible towns. We hope they inspire you to include Cinque Terre on your next Italian Holiday!
Take the Train to Visit Cinque Terre
If arriving from La Spezia the easiest way to get to Cinque Terre is through the Cinque Terre Express Train. This train conveniently runs every 20 minutes and makes stops at the following towns: Levanto, Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore.
If you plan on visiting more than one town or hiking through the Cinque Terre National Park, the Cinque Terre Train Card is of great value.
For the most up to date time tables and ticket prices, visit the official website.
The trains are extremely fast, with each town being under a 6 minute ride from each other. The towns of Cinque Terre were so beautiful we wished we were able to see them all. To get the full experience of life on the Italian Riviera we recommend booking at least one night in a hotel and making time to see all five towns.
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