As far as dream destinations in Italy are concerned, Cinque Terre is definitely one that takes the cake! A collection of colorful coastal cities along the Italian Riviera, there's no place quite like it anywhere else. It's definitely one of the major highlights of the La Spezia province in the northwestern region of Liguria. But how does one get here? The place looks so far away, it's almost as if you can only go here through your dreams! Is that really the only option? Of course not! Here are some of the ways (and a few important pieces of info to boot!) to get to Cinque Terre.
The Best Time To Go To Cinque Terre
First things first, you ought to know when the best time of the year to go to Cinque Terre is. After all, if this is your first and last time to go here, wouldn't you want the weather to be great, fewer crowds if possible, and the like? According to what
Travel + Leisure mentioned, the best seasons in Cinque Terre, weather-wise, are from spring (March to May) to summer (June to August), as well as early autumn (September to October). However, since they also mentioned that the place is most packed with tourists from May to August, it'd be best to schedule your trip from either March to April or September to October.
Flying Off to Cinque Terre
As with any other destination, the most common way to get to Cinque Terre is to fly on a plane. However, there aren't any airports that are actually within the many cities of Cinque Terre. Your best bet, especially if you're coming from overseas, is to land in
Pisa International Airport and simply take the train or rent a car from there. Fortunately, the airport has its own train station that serves trains that directly go to Cinque Terre. You'd do well in already purchasing your train ticket beforehand to avoid wasting time.
Taking The Train
As already mentioned, taking the train is an easy way to get to Cinque Terre. Pisa International Airport has its own station that serves trains that go directly to the place, specifically Corniglia, one of the handfuls of
cities in Cinque Terre. This trip will take around 1 hour and 21 minutes. If you're coming from Florence or Rome, however, the station where you will depart from is Firenze Santa Maria Novella station, taking you all the way to
La Spezia Centrale, one of the nearest cities to Cinque Terre in the Liguria station. From here, you can take Cinque Terre Express to travel to all of the coastal cities.
Sailing Off to Cinque Terre
Now, what if you sail off to Cinque Terre? Since the place is known to be a collection of coastal cities, surely taking a ferry to get here would be easy, right? Correct! If you're coming from La Spezia, Lerici, Levanto, and Portovenere, it'll be easy for you to take a ferry to reach Cinque Terre. These are the main cities that have ferry connections to the destination. Day passes cost only €30.00 each with special discounts for children and senior citizens. However, note that during bad weather conditions, these ferry services will be suspended in the meantime.
Getting Around Cinque Terre
Now, how about when you're already in Cinque Terre? How do you get around the many towns here? Firstly, there's the already-mentioned
Cinque Terre Express, which doesn't just take you from outside cities to Cinque Terre but also travels within the many cities here. A fairly new mini-bus service called
Explora5Terre can also take you around the various towns and is very affordable too. The day-pass costs only €22.00 per adult and offers special discounts for children and senior citizens. And finally, when all else fails, rely on your
transportation app to hail a ride or look for different alternatives.
Walking from Town to Town
A great way to get around Cinque Terre and explore the place and all its natural wonders is to walk. While walking from town to town already sounds strenuous, it's also a lot of fun and an effective way to see Cinque Terre in all its glory. It helps that various hiking trails connect one city to the next, making it easier for you to reach the nearby town on foot. The most famous of which are the paths that connect Manarola to Corniglia and Riomaggiore to Manarola. However, because of frequent landslides, there are times that these trails are closed.
Some Travel Tips To Remember
Now, here are some useful tips when traveling to Cinque Terre. As already mentioned, a nice way to get around the various cities here is to walk. Most of Cinque Terre is pedestrian-friendly and you ought to remember this for the sake of those who might find it hard to stay on foot for a long time. For their convenience, you might want to consider renting a vehicle as well. Furthermore, since there's a big chance you'll be walking out in the open under the hot Mediterranean sun for a long time, you'd do well in putting on some sunscreen to protect your skin.
Getting to Cinque Terre will require a lot of research, effort, and patience. But rest assured, once you see how beautiful the place is, as well as how charming each of the coastal cities are, you'll realize that everything was worth it!
