Cinque Terre Overview

How to Get to Cinque Terre

Driving to Cinque Terre

It’s not impossible to drive to Cinque Terre, but it’s definitely more of a challenge because there are very limited parking options.

Monterosso has the most accessible parking from my experience. I drove there in March 2023 and was able to park at my Airbnb, which had a large driveway.  At the time, they were working on a parking lot along the beach.

You can find current information about parking here.

My suggestion: if you are definitely coming by car, reach out to your hotel or host of where you’re staying to inquire about parking. They will be able to give the best advice or may know someone with a parking area.

Trains to Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre is not directly connected to most of the major cities in Italy that you may be coming from.

• From Rome, Florence, and other cities south of Cinque Terre, you will most likely have to change trains in nearby La Spezia and get on the regional train. 
• If you’re coming from Milan or other areas north of Cinque Terre, you may need to change trains in Genoa.

This information will vary depending on where exactly you’re coming from, so be sure to check the train schedules and look carefully for the connection location.

The Trainline App

I’ve been using  Trainline since 2021, and it has made navigating the Italian train system SO much easier. You can use their website or their app to book your tickets and I highly recommend using it on your trip.

I love that the search results show you the train times for all of the train companies.  I used to have to go to Italo’s site to view their schedules and then also to Trenitalia’s to view theirs and compare the prices. Trainline shows them all!

You can book tickets on the app and access them within the app (or save them to your digital wallet if you have an iPhone).

Not only will the Trainline app show you exactly where you are on your journey so you can follow along, but it will also alert you to any disruptions or if your train is late.  Tip:  look for the word “ritardo” in Italian, which means “delayed/late”.

Above, you can see screen shots of one of my debacles .  My train from Desenzano to Verona was late and I was going to miss my connection to Florence.  It was a pain, but I was able to see exactly what was happening on the app.

Trainline also has an entire page dedicated to the Cinque Terre and how to get there, including the ability to buy tickets and view schedules. 

Getting to and From the Cinque Terre Villages

Cinque Terre Cards

To get from town to town, you can either hike between them (which can take a few hours depending on the trail) or get on a train.  It only takes about 15 minutes from Monterosso (the northernmost village) to Riomaggiore (the southernmost village), so you can get from one to the next pretty quickly. 

You can either purchase a one-way ticket, a round-trip ticket, or get a Cinque Terre card for 1-3 days. 

There are two types of Cinque Terre cards you can purchase:

• Trekking Card 
• Train Card 

The Cinque Terre cards (valid for 1, 2, and 3 days) give you access to both hiking trails and trains, along with some extra perks, including admission into certain museums and guided tours. If you’re planning to be in Cinque Terre for a full day or a few days, this might be a great option for you.

Click on the two card types below to see the most current details of what's included in each ticket along with prices. 

DO NOT FORGET TO VALIDATE YOUR TICKET ON ONE OF THE KIOSKS NEAR THE TRAIN BEFORE BOARDING.

Where to Stay

Monterosso al Mare is the largest of the Cinque Terre villages and also has the most options in terms of hotels and rental properties. That doesn't mean you have to stay there, though.

I would suggest reading more information about each of the towns and deciding which one fits your group the best. From there, you can look to see what properties are available. 

Hotels vs. Rental Properties

The Cinque Terre has a limited number of hotels, so many locals have turned their apartments into rental properties.

You can use the interactive map below to check out hotels through various booking sites along with rental properties that are listed on VRBO.  

The map shows options for VRBO, Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, TripAdvisor, and Kayak.

Accommodations can be expensive, so I've included some helpful tips to get money or miles back from your bookings.  If you like learning how to save on travel, keep reading.  If not, click the button below to get to the next section.

Get Cash Back or Earn Miles on Accommodations

*If you have the Google Chrome Extensions for Rakuten and/or your airline’s shopping program, you’ll get a pop-up letting you know how much cash back or miles/$ you can earn by booking through various sites.*

If you didn't know, there are 6 major US-based airlines that have shopping programs where you can earn BONUS frequent flier miles while shopping at your favorite stores.  This is just one of the ways that I earn Delta Skymiles.

1. Download the Chrome extensions on your Google Chrome browser
2. Use the map above to find a property that you like
3. Depending on which site you book through, you’ll receive a pop-up letting you know how much cash back or miles/$ that site is offering (see an example on the image below)
4. Click the pop-up to activate the offer (you can only activate one - you can’t double dip!  Trust me - I tried.)
5. Book the property you like
6. Wait to receive the miles or cash back

Airbnb

You can also use Airbnb to book a property. Both Delta Airlines and British Airways have a partnership that will get you 1 mile/$ and 3 avios per £1/€1/$1 respectively. Be sure to book it directly through their link in order for the miles to be linked to your account. If you don’t, you won’t get them.

Where I've Stayed

What to Do in the Cinque Terre Villages

During your trip to Cinque Terre, you can pack your days with hiking, experiences, sitting on a bench people-watching, or enjoying a relaxing day on the beach. No matter what you do, you can’t go wrong!

Hiking

The Cinque Terre is famous for its hiking trails between each of the villages. I’ve done several of the hikes and some are much more challenging than others. To get more details about the hiking trails, click here.

Experiences

I love booking experiences when I travel. On my most recent trip to Cinque Terre, I signed up for a pesto class in Riomaggiore. It was only 90 minutes long and I was able to meet new people, connect with and learn from a local, as well as experience creating a traditional Ligurian dish.