some help with Cinque Terre please

[ashms116]

Hi there travel junkies! I'm sure this won't be my only question about planning. I have been assigned to plan the Italy leg of my 5 week European trip.

But for now, I am confused about Cinque Terre and what the best way to do the 5 villages would be. We will be coming in from Milan (a stop in between Switzerland and La Spezia). I'm not sure if one day is enough time in CT or should we give it more? Also, is the best way to do this to arrive in La Spezia and then travel through the 5 villages by train? Lastly, where is the best place to stay?

Thank you for helping! Any advice is very much appreciated. Ciao!

[Eagle]

ashms116, first of all, could you clarify one point....

(a stop in between Switzerland and La Spezia)

Are you arriving in the Cinque Terre from Switzerland, on your way to Milan?

Regarding the timing, IMHO one day is not enough for the C.T.! I'd spend at least two days there, and preferably three (depending on what activities you want to do in that area, such as side trips to Portofino, boat trips, hiking the trails, etc.).

is the best way to do this to arrive in La Spezia and then travel through the 5 villages by train?

This is the only way to reach the five villages. At La Spezia (or from Genova in the north) you'll have to transfer to the smaller local train. Check the schedules as some trains don't stop in all the villages (if you happened to board one of these by mistake, you'd have to get off at the next stop and then "backtrack").

If you're travelling from La Spezia and plan to disembark at Riomaggiore, don't get too comfortable on the train, as the ride is only about eight minutes, and the train only stops for about a minute. Be ready to get off, even if it looks like the train has stopped in a tunnel!

astly, where is the best place to stay?

That's somewhat difficult to answer, as it's somewhat a matter of what type of lodgings you prefer and of course what's available at the time. Do you want smaller and more "authentic" or would you prefer larger and more "touristy" Hotels? Here's a brief description of the factors you might consider when selecting which town to stay in:

Riomaggiore (most southerly village) -- this is the smallest of the five villages, but has it's lodgings pretty well organized. The main part of town is close to the station (through a small tunnel that runs parallel to the tracks). There are some great restaurants there and the informal atmosphere and ambience of the place is awesome (especially at night). Bar Centrale seems to be the "hub" of social activity, and there were some impromptu guitar sessions (with some liquid refreshment in the form of many Mojitos, of course) in the evenings.

Manarola -- this is again a somewhat smaller town, but seems to have a fairly good selection of lodgings. The "official" C.T. Hostel is located here, and although it's a bit smaller it's very clean and well operated. The only disadvantage is that they have a lockout during the day.

Corniglia -- I've heard there are some good B&B-style lodgings here, but have never stayed there. Of the five towns, I suspect Corniglia gets the least attention as it's located on the top of a rock bluff. It's a bit if a hike down the terraced stairs to get to the railway station (there is a small shuttle if you don't want to walk).

Vernazza -- has a good selection of B&B's, a nice harbour and some good restaurants. However, of all the villages this one seems to be the most popular not only with independent travellers but also tour groups. Therefore, it might be difficult at times to find a room?

Monterosso al Mare (the most northern of the villages) -- this is the largest of the villages and has not only the best selection of Hotels, restaurants, etc. but also the best sandy beach! It consists of a "new" and "old" part of town (accessible via an old tunnel). The C.T. trail begins/ends in the "old" part of town.

You might want to check some Guide books (Rick Steves, Lonely Planet or others) to get some idea which of the towns might best suit your preferences. You could also check the C.T. website, although I've found the sites aren't updated too often so don't seem to have good information on lodgings.

One point (you may already be aware of this?) regarding hiking - if you're planning to hike the trails between the five villages, you'll need to obtain a Park Pass. These are available at train stations in the area and must be validated similar to a rail ticket. There ARE people in small wooden booths at each of the trail entrances checking for the Passes, so this will be required. If you want information on the difficulty of each of the trails, post another note.

Hope this is some help?

Ciao e Buona Fortuna!

[ashms116]

Firstly, thank you!!!!

(a stop in between Switzerland and La Spezia)
Are you arriving in the Cinque Terre from Switzerland, on your way to Milan?

Yes, as of now, we are coming from Luzern to La Spezia. After checking train times, etc. I though the best thing to do would be do stay overnight in Milan, because the train ride is so long. Is this a bad idea? Maybe there is a better way to do it (first trip I've planned in Europe, and my head is absolutely spinning).

I would love to be able to spend 2 days there. We are setting out our itinerary later today and I will try to find another day somewhere to add here. I think staying 2 nights will also make it easier to find a place to stay, since it looks like many require 2 nights.

I may as well add another question here: If it is between staying 2 nights here and 2 nights in Siena, which would you choose?

I cannot tell you how much your help means, thank you again! (and I'm sure I will have more questions after I meet with my travel buddy today)

[ashms116]

Sorry, just to add to why I thought we needed to stop in Milan is because the train from Milan to La Spezia, doesn't get us there until around 8 PM. I am worried that the train into the CT won't be running anymore and we won't be able to get to our hotel. But if the train runs until much later, we may not have to stop in Milan.

[Eagle]

ashms116, thanks for the additional info - that helps!

Although it's a bit of a long journey from Lucerne, I don't see any reason to stay overnight in Milan. You didn't specify when you would be travelling, but I picked an "arbitrary" date of May 24 for an example of one rail possibility, using Riomaggiore as the destination. Would this work for you:

- Depart Luzern 08:21 (Platform 7?)
- Arrive Milano Centrale 12:35
- Depart Milano Centrale 13:10
- Arrive Genova Piazza Principe 14:42
- Depart Genova Piazza Principe 15:04
- Arrive Riomaggiore 16:51
TOTAL TIME 8H30M, 2 changes

That would get you to the Cinque Terre by supper time. However, this schedule could change, depending on which of the towns you plan to stay in? Note that compulsory reservations are required on the first two of the trips I've listed, even if you're using a Rail Pass. I find it's usually adequate to arrange the reservations for my outgoing trip when I arrive in a particular city (ie: arrange your trip to the C.T. when you arrive in Lucerne). BTW, is there any reason you've selected Lucerne for your Swiss visit? Many here really like the small town of Gimmelwald in the Berner Oberland.

A few more points. Regarding the train changes, I would highly recommend that you read the Rail Skills section of Europe Through The Back Door so that you're aware of how this works (especially since this is your first trip!). Secondly, you should be "prepared" for dealing with Milano Centrale, as (to put it mildly) it's usually a bit chaotic and quite an "experience". You'll probably notice a significant difference between the stations in Lucerne and Milano! It helps to have some Italian language skills in order to understand the PA messages and schedules, but it's probably not essential - you can usually ask a train official or other travellers.

Hope this has answered your questions. Good luck with your planning!

[ashms116]

Eagle, thank you so much for all of your help!!! I don't know what I would do without this website, really..

First off, I am so excited, we booked our flights today!!

As for CT. We have our date for when we will be arriving, and the train schedule you gave didn't end up being the same on that day. So, instead of coming to La Spezia from Lucerne, we will instead go to Florence and then make our way up to CT. We may spend a little longer on the train, but it really worked out, and made it less of a headache for us. We will be spending 2 nights and about a day and a half in the CT. I wish we could spend more time, but we are opting for more time in Florence.

I will be posting our itinerary tomorrow to see if anyone has some more advice. Again, thank you!!