Cinque Terre from La Spezia, compare to Amalfi coast from Naples

[gam888]

Two of the ports we will be visiting in August are:La Spezia. Trying to decide excursions from there. Have seen Pisa before but bringing our three 16-21 years old kids this time. First time they are in Europe. Thought Pisa is a pretty "Symbolic" European touristy site for them to see. Also trying to decide if we want to go the other direction instead and visit Cinque Terre or Portifino. We will also be docking in Naples. Husband and I have seen Pompeii and Amalfi coast. Not going to repeat Pompeii in the August heat this time. I remember the Amalfi coast was really spectacular 20 years ago. I am comparing the pictures of Amalfi coast to the pictures of Cinque Terre which I have not visited, it seems like Cinque Terre is more rustic and Amalfi coast is more stunning? If we were only to do one coastal drive tour, which one would be more breathtaking? Could anyone who has visited these 2 regions please share their experience with us. What tour company you have used, the cost, or if you DIY, how do you take the train or bus to get there? Other ports we are visiting this cruise are" Malta, Tunis, Rome, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Corsica. So I am trying to balance cities with towns and select scenery that are representative of the locale of the countries we are visiting. knowing that it's a very tiny tiny piece of the iceburg we will be seeing in Europe. Any infos on the other ports are welcome!

[Eileen G]

Do you all enjoy hiking? This is an important question when visiting Cinque Terre.

[gam888]

Do you all enjoy hiking? This is an important question when visiting Cinque Terre.

 

I have to say probably not very much, we have hiked to waterfalls and so on before, usually easy walking maybe with slight elevation for maybe 30 minutes each way. But we are not really outdoor people normally. I think the Amalfi coast is mostly driving in the vehicle, and you are supposed to get about 1 hour of sightseeing in each town. So I presume Cinque Terre is mostly walking from town to town? Do you take a train or bus from La Spezia to the first town? How many hours does it take to go through all five towns? From the photographs of CT, they look quaint but not specular. How about if we venture further to go to Portofino? Is it easy to take a bus or train there? What about La Spezia itself, is it just a port or a town that deserve spending some time there?

[zoncom]

Returned from 4N CT after cruise recently. Trails were closed all days due to rain. Take the train between all of them. Very easy. As you said, very rustic. Very old. Loved them all.Excellent toutist shopping. La Spezia( I am told), industrial city.

[euro cruiser]

You can walk, take the train, or a boat from town to town in the Cinque Terre. For excellent, detailed information on the towns and walking the trails (there are two, a "high" trail and a "low" trail), written by an American husband and wife who returned a couple of times to walk the trails, see here: http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/liguria/cinqueterre.htm

[Eileen G]

Cinque Terre is very easy to get to on your own from La Spezia. You walk to the train station and the first town is a quick ten minute ride. The walk between the first two towns is an easy 20 minutes. You can then catch the train and go to the forth town Vernazza. There is a neat castle to climb up to here. Vernazza also has a small beach or swimming off the rocks. The fifth town Montorossa has a beautiful beach with beach loungers and umbrellas for rent.

 

 

[maryann ns]

We got a pass for the ferry that goes back and forth between all the towns but corniglia, which is not on the water. We walked to it and had the best lunch ever out on a deck overlooking the water - fresh fish, pasta with fresh pesto, great wine and an unforgettable view.

[slidergirl]

I recognize those photos - the first is Monterosso and the second one is Vernazza. I have almost the identical ones from my trip in May.

As others have said, you don't have to hike. The regional trains run frequently between the CT towns and La Spezia. It's only a few minutes between town via train. Yes, they are rustic towns. That's why I loved them.