La Spezia is one of Italy’s most popular cruise ports and is the gateway to bucket list destinations like Cinque Terre, Florence, and Pisa.
There are over 750,000 cruise passengers coming into port each year. Many tourists will opt for a shore excursions and tours that provide a stress-free day exploring the must-do sights.
Shore excursions from La Spezia
However, if you’re a seasoned traveler, then it’s also possible to do self-guided excursions using Italy’s fantastic rail network! The only thing is that the train station is a couple of kilometers (1.3 miles) from the cruise terminal.
You can get from La Spezia cruise terminal to the train station by taxi, or by using the tourist ‘road-train’ or on foot.
In this blog post, I’ll explain:
- How to walk from La Spezia Cruise Terminal to La Spezia Centrale Train Station
- What interesting local attractions you can see on the way
This article is especially helpful if you’re a cruise ship passenger docking at La Spezia and using the trains to do an excursion to Cinque Terre, Florence, and Pisa.
Route Options to La Spezia Centrale Train Station
When you arrive at La Spezia port, there are free shuttle buses that transport you to the cruise terminal building.
From the cruise terminal building, you have the option of two main routes:
- Walking along the waterfront promenade (Lungomare) and then in a north-westerly direction along Via del Prione
- Walking through Piazza Giuseppe Verdi, and the porticos of Via Chiodo towards Via del Prione
Map of the Routes to La Spezia Centrale Train Station
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Sightseeing to enjoy enroute
1. Walking Along the Waterfront Promenade in La Spezia
Lungomare
La Spezia is lucky to have a beautifully landscaped harbor front (Lungomare). There’s plenty of shade from the intense summer heat and this is also the quickest route to the marina.
Porto Mirabello Marina is across the white bridge (Ponte Thaon di Revel) heading away from the historic town. The marina is full of lavish luxury yachts, and it’s a nice place to sit and relax with a coffee or aperitivo. Many boat tours to Cinque Terre, Portovenere, and the Gulf of Poets also depart from Porto Mirabello.
You Might Like These Boat Tours from La Spezia
Via del Prione
To continue to the train station, you need to take a right turn at the south-western end of the Lungomare to meet up with Via del Prione.
Via del Prione is one of La Spezia’s most important historic streets. This street has been the backbone of La Spezia for centuries.
In the past, there would have been merchants, carts, street vendors, and people busy with the day’s commerce. But today, you’ll find people strolling, shopping, and relaxing in many local cafes and restaurants that line the street.
Piazza Sant'Agostino
About 100 meters or so along Via Del Prione, I recommend you take a diversion into Piazza Sant’Agostino.
There you'll find one of La Spezia’s most stunning palazzos. Palazzo Oldoini is a spectacular example of Liberty architecture that survived WWII.
This piazza is also home to a monument to Richard Wagner, the great German musician who spent time in La Spezia and is said to have found inspiration here.
Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi
After this quick diversion, you can continue on Via del Prione. While some parts of La Spezia were damaged during World War II, enough of the old city remains to appreciate the historical architecture, often with elegant details and character.
After a few hundred meters, the old town street opens out into Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Next, you need to take Via Fiume (still heading in a northly direction) until you get to Piazza Saint Bon. Across the road from Piazza Saint Bon, you'll see some colorful buildings. Here you'll find a few more examples of Liberty design to admire before reaching the train station.
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2. Walking Through Piazza Verdi and the Porticos
If you enjoy history and architecture, then this is an alternative walk from the cruise terminal to the train station. This walk includes the main cathedral, beautiful piazzas, historic buildings, frescos, and cultural highlights.
If you prefer, you can watch our YouTube video of this route.
From the cruise terminal building, instead of heading along the promenade, you need to cross Viale Italia and head towards the large circular building, which is the Cathedral of Christ the King.
Cathedral of Christ the King
This modern cathedral is often overlooked by tourists, but I highly recommend you take a quick diversion. From Piazza Europa, climb the stairs up to the cathedral entrance and take a peek inside to admire its monumental scale.
The unusual design includes a textured concrete interior, which reminds me of the underside of a mushroom. Forget your typical ornate Italian cathedral; this one has a bold, almost brutal beauty that can’t be ignored.
Piazza Giuseppe Verde
After the cathedral, you can continue heading in a south westerly direction, towards Piazza Giuseppe Verde. This piazza is another modern statement in La Spezia's urban development.
In Piazza Verdi, there are some striking modern arches surrounded by elegant Liberty-style buildings. These beautiful palazzi with their ornate details offer a fascinating contrast to the piazza's contemporary design.
You’ll also find a few nice local coffee shops, including two of our favorites: Mazikeen and Bar Tonelli.
You can walk the full length of Piazza Verdi towards Via Domenico Chiodo.
Porticos of Via Domenico Chiodo
Here you will find the beautiful arched porticos that are adorned with frescoed ceilings. In the summer heat, this is a great way to get some shade.
Walking under the porticos, you’ll find a few artisanal shops and one of my favorite bakeries called Fratelli di Teglia.
Around La Spezia there are dozens of Panetteria and Focacceria serving baked breads and sweet treats. If you want to try a local specialty then there are many places selling focaccia, sold by the slice, with simple but delicious toppings like sun dried tomatoes, onions, and anchovies.
After about 400 meters along Via Domenico Chiodo, you need to take a right-hand turn onto Via del Prione.
See the above description (and map) for directions along Via del Prione to the train station.
Arriving to La Spezia Centrale Train Station
Depending on the time of year when you arrive, the train station can be quite busy.
There are often long queues of people buying tickets to go to Cinque Terre. If you only have a day here, I recommend that you buy your Cinque Terre travel pass in advance.
You can use the Cinque Terre Card to hop on & hop off the trains to explore Cinque Terre. So, if you buy the pass online, you don’t have to specify a time. It’s just one all-day ticket.
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If you’re heading to Cinque Terre then our self-guided itineraries are a great way to make the most of your day, without the hassle and stress of researching and planning your day. Browse our Cinque Terre itineraries.
Of course, La Spezia Central train station also links with other popular locations, including Pisa, Lucca, and Florence. These are easy day trips from La Spezia that you can do by yourself, if you do some advance planning.
Many cruise passengers choose to go to Florence. There are organized shore excursions that take care of everything for you.
It is possible to do it yourself, but be warned! A round trip to Florence is about 5 hours of train travel alone. So, you won't have a lot of time to do sightseeing, in which case I recommend that you buy your train tickets in advance.
And if you really want to see the famous sites like the Statue of David and the Duomo, then you should buy Skip-the-Line tickets.
Walking Time
I hope you can see from these route options that walking from the La Spezia cruise terminal to the train station is reasonably straightforward.
If you want to do this walk at a reasonable pace, without any stops, then it will take you about 25 minutes. If you want to admire the sights, take photographs, or grab a coffee, then plan for around an hour.
Alternative to Walking
An alternative to walking is to go by taxi. You can usually get taxis at both the cruise terminal and the train station. If you’re on a strict timeline, then you can also make a taxi reservation.
Another convenient and cheap option is the tourist ‘road-train’ that does a loop around the cruise terminal, train station, and historic town. This is an easy way to tick off some sightseeing on your way to the train station.
Our Travel Tips
- In Italy, pick-pockets are common. Keep valuables safely out of sight.
- Cruise passengers must get back on time for their ship departure! Always keep extra time up your sleeve in case of transport delays.
- If you’re going to Cinque Terre, then buy a Cinque Terre Card in advance to avoid wasting time in the long lines.
- If you are going to Florence or Pisa, then plan and book your train journey in advance (to suit your cruise arrival and departure times).
- A self-guided trip to Florence or Pisa is possible if you plan your journey. If you want to experience the famous sights like the Leaning Tower or the Statue of David, then get skip the line tickets.
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Wrap Up
Cruise ship passengers docking at La Spezia have the choice of visiting Cinque Terre, Florence, and Pisa, to name a few must-see destinations! Shore excursions are an option, but some cruise passengers also choose to do a self-guided trip using the trains.
In this article. I’ve explained how to walk from La Spezia Cruise Terminal to the La Spezia Centrale Train Station.
I’ve shared two of the main routes and included some interesting piazzas, historic buildings, frescos, and cultural highlights.
Not only can you now get from A to B, but I hope I’ve inspired you to explore La Spezia and take a few minutes to admire some of La Spezia’s more interesting sights.
