When you arrive in Cinque Terre you can stay in one of the towns and enjoy everything that town has to offer, or you can explore and travel around the towns.
There are several options for getting around Cinque Terre. In this post, I share the options available to visitors wanting to travel between the 5 towns. Including getting around by:
- Train
- Hiking
- Bus
- Boat
- Tours
- Car
- Bike
Getting Around Cinque Terre by Train
The Train Connection and Stops
If you are short on time, then Cinque Terre Express and regional trains are by far the best way to get around the five villages.
The Cinque Terre Express (and other regional trains) run between La Spezia and Levanto. The trains stop at each of the 5 towns of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare.
Cinque Terre Train Frequency
During tourist season (late Spring to Early Autumn) the trains are very regular (3-4 times per hour) and run for most of the day from 4am through to midnight.
Out of season, the trains run approximately every 30 minutes. The train schedule is available online.
Important Advice: The Cinque Terre trains are often late. There are also times when the trains are completely full, and you must wait for the next train. But the good news is that the trains are so frequent that the delay is usually minimal.
Train Journey Time
Don’t worry about finding a seat! From La Spezia, Cinque Terre can be reached within 10 minutes on the train. The distance between each village is also only a few km, making the journey time from village to village very quick.
A trip from Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare takes less than 20 minutes!
Cost of a Train Ticket in Cinque Terre
To get between the five towns you have the option of buying single tickets OR a daily pass (Cinque Terre Card):
1. Single Tickets
Single train tickets have a specific start and end destination. During peak season the tickets are 10 Euros per trip. If you’re planning on doing more than 3 single trips, it can work out a little cheaper to buy the Cinque Terre Treno MS Pass (Multi Service Card).
Buy tickets through OMIO - Book easily & pay in your preferred currency!
2. Daily Pass - Cinque Terre Card
The Cinque Terre Treno MS Card is a daily pass that allows you to travel on as many trains as you like on the La Spezia, Cinque Terre, and Levanto line (inclusive). It costs 32.50 Euros in peak season.
You can buy 1, 2, or 3-day passes (multiday passes work out cheaper per day), and it includes access to the park, use of the park shuttle buses, and other benefits.
Further reading:
How to Buy Cinque Train Ticket Tickets and Passes
You can buy the Cinque Terre Card online or at the National Park welcome centers. The pass is also available at some train stations.
Important Advice: We can see the train station platform from our apartment. Every day during summer, the lineup for the Cinque Terre Pass snakes around the building! It’s very frustrating, especially on a hot day.
Save yourself time and hassle and buy online. Trenitalia is an easy way to buy the Cinque Terre Card online. They offer at least six payment options, and there are no additional booking fees for buying through Trenitalia.
You can watch our quick YouTube video that shows you how to buy this pass With Trenitalia.
Buy your Cinque Terre Card and tickets - with no booking fees!
Getting Around Cinque Terre by Hiking
Cinque Terre Walks
Hiking between the Cinque Terre villages is by far the best way to experience the farming culture and history of the area. You also get some of the most spectacular views as you arrive at the towns from a panoramic position.
The hiking trails are world famous, and being an active hiker myself, it’s hard to imagine visiting Cinque Terre without walking a trail. Even Cooper seems to enjoy the famous views.
The SVA (Sentiero Verde Azzurro) “Blue Trail” is the most well-known Cinque Terre walk that runs close to the sea. The path is cut into the hillside and stays in sight of the water.
Several other paths crisscross the hills higher up. These paths go to other hamlets and pass by the churches of the ancient pilgrimage trails.
Important Advice: Even the lower SVA path can be steep in sections. The paths are man-made but ‘natural’ and rugged. If you are not a steady walker, then the paths will present challenges.
Having said that Justin’s 70-year-old Mum happily walked the Vernazza to Monterosso section with us last year.
National Park Trail Map
Trail maps are also available for purchase in hard copy in the National Park but also at news agencies in La Spezia and Levanto. Map downloads are available through the National Parks website.
Savvy Travel Tips: Maps are usually just a few euros to buy. They probably aren’t needed if you’re staying close to the towns on the well-trodden and signed routes. But, they still make a nice token of memorabilia!
Trails are marked out with red and white painted waymarks (on trees, walls, and posts).
Trails are also named or numbered. At crossroads you will usually find a sign board with the trail number indicated.
Important Advice: The terrain in the National Park is very steep. In extreme weather, the landscape becomes dangerous. Pay attention to weather conditions. Also, check at the National Parks office (or their website) regarding trail closures and route restrictions.
Cost for Entering the National Park
There are only two paid trails in Cinque Terre National Park. The SVA (Sentiero Verde Azzurro) trail between Corniglia and Monterosso and the path known as the Via dell'Amore between Riomaggiore and Manarola.
The entry for the SVA trail is included in the Cinque Terre Treno Multi-Service Card (€32.50 – peak season). If you aren’t catching any trains, then you can enter this trail using the Cinque Terre Trekking Card (€7.50). The trekking card can be bought at the Cinque Terre welcome centres.
Entry to the Via dell’Amore (Path of Love) is by a separate ticket that must be purchased in advance.
Distance of the Trails
The quickest trail between the villages is the SVA (Sentiero Verde Azzurro) trail, but sections of this trail are often closed. But there are other trail options.
This table shows some example routes and times:
You can see that it’s feasible to cover three towns in one day if you have a reasonable level of fitness and enjoy hiking. This will still leave you time for sightseeing and a stop for lunch.
Getting Around Cinque Terre by Bus
The electric shuttle bus that operates in the park does not connect the towns. So, this isn’t a feasible way to get between the 5 towns.
The shuttle buses are useful to get visitors from the 5 villages of Cinque Terre up to the sanctuaries and hamlets such as Volastra, Groppo, and San Bernardino.
If you’re tempted to select any of the excellent accommodation options situated around the hamlets, then check with your hosts to see if the shuttle bus passes nearby.
You can also use the shuttles if you have parked your car in the hills or want to shorten a walk. The buses are infrequent, but you can make use of the shuttle timetable to plan your day.
You can use these buses for free with a Cinque Terre Card or buy one-way tickets. Tickets cost around a couple of euros, and you can buy them at the tourist information points or on the bus.
Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
The Explora 5 Terre tourist bus is no longer running. Instead, there is a Gulf of Poets hop-on hop-off bus from La Spezia Cruise Terminal.
There is also a hop-on-hop-off tourist ‘road train’ that goes between the cruise terminal and the central train station (La Spezia Centrale). So, you can do a quick tour of La Spezia and go to Cinque Terre all in one day.
Cinque Terre Tours
There are dozens of tours offered to get to and around Cinque Terre. The tours all offer something different and can include boat rides, foodie experiences, hiking, wine tasting, and historical and cultural guides.
Getting Around Cinque Terre by Boat
Since the towns are accessible by sea, then traveling by boat is a truly special way to experience the territory.
If you travel by boat, you can experience Cinque Terre and take it all in from the vista of the water. Sure, it’s a slower option, but far more memorable and relaxing than the train journey. It’s possibly the best way to see Cinque Terre.
Apart from private boat tours, there are also public ferries (operated by Navigazione Golfo Dei Poeti) operating a hop-on-hop-off service!
Further information about Ferry Routes, times, and tickets is available in our Getting to Cinque Terre from La Spezia post.
Getting Around Cinque Terre by Car
Even though the terrain is hilly and coastal, the National Park is accessible by car!
Our post: Driving and Parking in Cinque Terre covers this topic in detail!
Getting Around Cinque Terre by Bike
Cinque Terre Bike Trails
Cycling (like hiking) is very popular through the Ligurian coast because of the interesting terrain and beautiful vistas.
- Trail Cycling: Using a map or the PN5T app, you can identify trails that are suitable for bikes. The trails are high in the hills. If you want to go into the 5 towns then you’ll need to take the roads since the hiking paths into the towns are not suitable for bikes.
- Road Cycling: Enjoy winding roads, steep climbs, and panoramic views from some of the coastal roads.
Bike Rental
There are several options for bike rental. If you rent from a shop then they will provide helmets, maps, and advice.
- Cinque Terre: You can rent a bike using Weelo share bike points located inside the park. Both ebike and classic bikes are an option.
- La Spezia: There are several shops (EBike5, Cinque Terre Bike Tour, and others) offering a professional bike rental service. From La Spezia you can take your bike on the train to Cinque Terre, or if you are an accomplished rider then there are trails from La Spezia.
- Levanto: A few shops in Levanto offer rental (Cicli Lapucci, Cicli Raso, and others).
Savvy Travel Tips: Between Levanto, Bonassola, and Framura you can cycle along the old railway line which has been converted into a bike and walking path. Along this path, you can enjoy the sea views and stop for a swim or grab some food at one of the towns. Since it’s an easy, flat path, you don’t need to have a fancy bike or be particularly sporty or fit.
Wrap Up
Even though this is a rugged coastal landscape, the National Park is surprisingly easy to get around by train, boat, car, bike, and on foot.
In this post, I have shared how to get around in Cinque Terre. Including routes, timetables, costs, and other considerations.
FAQs
How Do I Get to Cinque Terre
There are a number of options depending on where you’re coming from.
If you want to know how to get to Cinque Terre from other towns and cities in Italy, then take a look at these posts:
Cinque Terre is closest to which city?
The closest city to Cinque Terre, Italy, is La Spezia. La Spezia is a city of around 90,000 inhabitants. Even though it is small by Italian standards, it has virtually everything you would expect of a city and is very well connected to Cinque Terre.
Where is Cinque Terre in Italy?
Cinque Terre is in northern Italy, along the Ligurian coast. The five towns of Cinque Terre are close to La Spezia and Levanto. The nearest airports are at Pisa and Genoa.
Do you need a car in Cinque Terre?
The numerous and easy transport options mean you do not need a car to get to and around Cinque Terre.
All the towns in Cinque Terre are along a rugged coastline. The towns are partially accessible by car, but parking is a challenge. Also, the old historic parts of the towns are pedestrianized with small laneways and stairs that are not suitable for cars.
