I found Cinque Terre by accident in 2004, and I’m so glad I did! Similar to Sorrento, Cinque Terre was not on my radar until a train friend told us we, “had to go!” We were going to go to Pisa and were told that Pisa would be a waste of our time and that Cinque Terre would blow our minds. The train friends we met earlier on our trip were right about going to Sorrento instead of Naples, so we decided to give it a try.
Cinque Terre stands for the five lands. It is a coastal region that is connected by both a hiking trail and a regional train. In 2004, we hiked all five and then took the train back. In 2015, we hiked from the first town to the second and took the train the rest of the way. My 33-year-old self could not do the hike my 22-year-old self could. Assessing your health and the shape you’re in is a crucial part of deciding how you want to explore Cinque Terre. Be real with yourself. My 33-year-old self definitely had delusions of grandeur that my out-of-shape-ness could not keep up with. My 75-year-old aunt is going in May and I’ve made it very clear that she has to take the train!
Notice I said May. Cinque Terre is amazing, but can no longer truly be enjoyed in July or August. The word has gotten out and travelers go to Cinque Terre in masses. I can’t stress enough that to get the most out of your experience to go in April, May, early June, or wait until September or October.
Some people like to stay in a major city and then train in. I prefer to find little places on Airbnb and stay in one of the towns. That being said, there are no major hotels for you to find. If you need a hotel chain, then prepare to take a longer train in.
CINQUE TERRE TIPS AND INFO
MONTEROSSO
From Monterosso, you can either connect directly to Genoa or take the train from Levanto and then connect to Genoa. This is the only town that has a good-sized sand beach with umbrellas. This is also the start of the hiking trail. The portion from Monterosso to Vernazza has a reputation for being breathtaking and it is… it will literally take your breath away because this hike is no joke. This is the longest hike. If you feel the need to hike, take my advice and pick two other towns to hike between.
VERNAZZA
This is my personal favorite! It has cute shops and great restaurants. Everything is right off the train station, so it’s more easily accessible than some of the others.
Gelateria Vernazza: Via Roma, 13, 19018 Vernazza
CORNIGLIA
STAIRS, lots of stairs… seriously. After going up the never-ending staircase twice in my life, I’ve recently discovered that there is a bus that will take you from the train station into town. If you are not the pinnacle of health, wait for that bus.
MANAROLA
Another cute little town, with adorable shops and restaurants. We stopped here for lunch and watched all the young people jump off the iconic rock structures.
RIOMAGGIORE
This is a cute little town with a small harbor. It also has an adorably painted tunnel that you go through to get to/from the train.
TRAIN VS. HIKE
You will have to decide how you want to explore. You can buy a hiking pass, a train pass, or a combo. If you plan on hiking, I highly recommend you buy that combo, so that you have the option of hopping on the train when you get tired.
http://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/cinque-terre-timetable
AVOID THE CROWDS
I was recently introduced to a website that allows you to check the predicted crowd numbers for the day you want to go to Cinque Terre. Simply put the date in that you plan on going and it will show you have many people MAY be there on the day you want to go.