La Spezia excursions help please

[dleahy4444]

Our ship, the wonder of the seas, will dock at La Spezia at around 8am on 6/29/2022. It is further from Florence than I thought and I’m not sure I want to spend a good chunk of the day getting there and back in time for our 8:30 departure. What are other options? I was thinking of Cinque Terre but there are just 2 of us and most tours are for established groups of 4 or more. I think it can be done DIY but I have a terrible sense of direction and am a bit concerned since I’ve never been in the area. Any thoughts? Anyone looking for 2 to join your group? 

[trotzoll]

5 hours ago, dleahy4444 said:

Our ship, the wonder of the seas, will dock at La Spezia at around 8am on 6/29/2022. It is further from Florence than I thought and I’m not sure I want to spend a good chunk of the day getting there and back in time for our 8:30 departure. What are other options? I was thinking of Cinque Terre but there are just 2 of us and most tours are for established groups of 4 or more. I think it can be done DIY but I have a terrible sense of direction and am a bit concerned since I’ve never been in the area. Any thoughts? Anyone looking for 2 to join your group? 

We'll be on WOS earlier in June. Although we've never been there before, we've decided to do Cinque Terre on our own as well. We didn't want to deal with that long ride to Florence, plus we probably won't be gone all day. 

So having said all that, we've decided to take the train and/or the ferry (which should be near where we embark) up the coast. We'll stop where we want and can just hop on/off both the train and the ferry. 

You can find both the train schedule and ferry schedule here: https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/boat-excursions

Hope that helps.

[dleahy4444]

3 hours ago, trotzoll said:

We'll be on WOS earlier in June. Although we've never been there before, we've decided to do Cinque Terre on our own as well. We didn't want to deal with that long ride to Florence, plus we probably won't be gone all day. 

So having said all that, we've decided to take the train and/or the ferry (which should be near where we embark) up the coast. We'll stop where we want and can just hop on/off both the train and the ferry. 

You can find both the train schedule and ferry schedule here: https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/boat-excursions

Hope that helps.

Hello again! We chatted on a different thread. Thanks for the info. I think we feel more comfortable with a tour or at least a guide, but we haven’t been able to find anything we like. So we might try to do it DIY. So if you see two women wandering around lost, that might be us!

are we on the same Wonder of the Seas sailing? We sail 6/23.

[slidergirl]

To be honest, you really don't need a guide or a tour for Cinque Terre.  there isn't anything that you need someone to interpret or tell you about.  it's all about the simplicity and beauty and difference of the villages.  

[dleahy4444]

9 hours ago, slidergirl said:

To be honest, you really don't need a guide or a tour for Cinque Terre.  there isn't anything that you need someone to interpret or tell you about.  it's all about the simplicity and beauty and difference of the villages.  

Thank you. I’ll leaning towards buying the train ticket that stops at each village. Getting off the ship I’m sure we will see people walking to the train station. Do you know if the tickets can be bought on line in advance? Also is it possible to combine the train with a ferry? How does that work? Take the ferry first or hop off the train take the ferry then continue on the train? Lastly is the water calm? I get really seasick on small boats. ( not a problem on the mega ships with stabilizers) thank you everyone for all your help.  I realize I have so much to learn about traveling!!!

[euro cruiser]

You can purchase the card on line, using the link on the national park web site here:  Cinque Terre Treno MS Card | Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre (parconazionale5terre.it)

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, dleahy4444 said:

Thank you. I’ll leaning towards buying the train ticket that stops at each village. Getting off the ship I’m sure we will see people walking to the train station. ..... I realize I have so much to learn about traveling!!!

 

If you are willing to try doing it on your own, preparing in advance not only makes it easier but takes some of the stress away. Just remember that often things sound more complicated in writing than they are "in real life".  

 

If I were planning to do what you're contemplating, I'd start by looking online for others who may have posted trip reports on a spending a day in Cinque Terre from a ship in La Spezia (Google is an easier place to search than Cruise Critic's search engine unfortunately) and start making some notes about what appeals. Threads like this one, from TripAdvisor, give useful information and suggestions, even if not recent:   Ferry choices from La Spezia to Cinque Terre - La Spezia Forum - Tripadvisor

 

Unfortunately, Rick Steves, while often a good source of DIY info, doesn't cover this one in his book.

 

Start making a plan of how you would like to proceed. But realize that in the summer these five picturesque villages are often elbow-to-elbow with tourists and allow for waits and delays in your planning as well (for example, trains being full and having to wait for the next one...)   It may be smart to aim for exploring 3 of the 5 given your need to be back to the ship on time.

 

Some tips:

 

Use Google maps to create walking directions, e.g., from the cruise port to the train station:   https://goo.gl/maps/kGMyTULVUfjqmoHx7   Looks like it is about a 25-minute walk, so then you have to decide whether to walk it, look for a taxi, or look at other options. Making decisions step-by-step along the way helps bring clarity rather than just wondering why someone else did something.

 

If you decide to walk, spend some time looking at street views wherever there is a turn or anything tricky, just so that when I'm on the ground, it looks recognizable.

 

YouTube is also a great source of help, especially if you learn by seeing. For example, look at videos such as "How to reach Cinque Terre - Cinque Terre Italy by Train in one day" (from La Spezia) or even ones as specific as "La Spezia To Cinque Terre: How To Use the Kiosk To Buy Train Tickets" which gives you a great idea of what the station looks like, etc. (even if you buy your ticket in advance).

 

Things like this really help you to feel confident about doing it on your own. But again, do heed the warning not to plan more than you can do in a day with summer crowds all around you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dleahy4444]

55 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

If you are willing to try doing it on your own, preparing in advance not only makes it easier but takes some of the stress away. Just remember that often things sound more complicated in writing than they are "in real life".  

 

If I were planning to do what you're contemplating, I'd start by looking online for others who may have posted trip reports on a spending a day in Cinque Terre from a ship in La Spezia (Google is an easier place to search than Cruise Critic's search engine unfortunately) and start making some notes about what appeals. Threads like this one, from TripAdvisor, give useful information and suggestions, even if not recent:   Ferry choices from La Spezia to Cinque Terre - La Spezia Forum - Tripadvisor

 

Unfortunately, Rick Steves, while often a good source of DIY info, doesn't cover this one in his book.

 

Start making a plan of how you would like to proceed. But realize that in the summer these five picturesque villages are often elbow-to-elbow with tourists and allow for waits and delays in your planning as well (for example, trains being full and having to wait for the next one...)   It may be smart to aim for exploring 3 of the 5 given your need to be back to the ship on time.

 

Some tips:

 

Use Google maps to create walking directions, e.g., from the cruise port to the train station:   https://goo.gl/maps/kGMyTULVUfjqmoHx7   Looks like it is about a 25-minute walk, so then you have to decide whether to walk it, look for a taxi, or look at other options. Making decisions step-by-step along the way helps bring clarity rather than just wondering why someone else did something.

 

If you decide to walk, spend some time looking at street views wherever there is a turn or anything tricky, just so that when I'm on the ground, it looks recognizable.

 

YouTube is also a great source of help, especially if you learn by seeing. For example, look at videos such as "How to reach Cinque Terre - Cinque Terre Italy by Train in one day" (from La Spezia) or even ones as specific as "La Spezia To Cinque Terre: How To Use the Kiosk To Buy Train Tickets" which gives you a great idea of what the station looks like, etc. (even if you buy your ticket in advance).

 

Things like this really help you to feel confident about doing it on your own. But again, do heed the warning not to plan more than you can do in a day with summer crowds all around you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can not thank you enough for taking the time to leave such an informative post. So many good suggestions!! I am definitely following them all! 
I have  been to Europe before but both times with a bus tour company, so diy is new to me. I so appreciate your guidance as well as that of other posters. 

[dleahy4444]

2 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

You can purchase the card on line, using the link on the national park web site here:  Cinque Terre Treno MS Card | Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre (parconazionale5terre.it)

Thanks!!!

[edinburgher]

And should you decide against this plan, you could consider this one:

Take the train from la Spezia to Santa Margherita, a very attractive town and from there you can catch the ferry for the crossing (just a few minutes) over to Portofino.  Although you could walk, taxi or perhaps even take a bus (I do not know about buses) between the two, the ferry ride gives super scenic views of both Santa Margherita and Portofino.

 

Both places are attractive to visit (google both online) or even use the CC search facility on this Italian forum to find previous threads which mention either or both.

 

All you need to do is go to the empty search box under your user name, input either Santa Margherits or Portofino then click "on this forum" from the dropdown underneath the box, hit the little magnifying glass and all previous threads with that name in them will be produced and you can read them at leisure.  The same principal applies for CinqueTerre.

 

Enjoy whatever you decide to do.

Edited May 15, 2022 by edinburgher

[dleahy4444]

9 hours ago, edinburgher said:

And should you decide against this plan, you could consider this one:

Take the train from la Spezia to Santa Margherita, a very attractive town and from there you can catch the ferry for the crossing (just a few minutes) over to Portofino.  Although you could walk, taxi or perhaps even take a bus (I do not know about buses) between the two, the ferry ride gives super scenic views of both Santa Margherita and Portofino.

 

Both places are attractive to visit (google both online) or even use the CC search facility on this Italian forum to find previous threads which mention either or both.

 

All you need to do is go to the empty search box under your user name, input either Santa Margherits or Portofino then click "on this forum" from the dropdown underneath the box, hit the little magnifying glass and all previous threads with that name in them will be produced and you can read them at leisure.  The same principal applies for CinqueTerre.

 

Enjoy whatever you decide to do.

That sounds like a great plan also. Do i catch the train to Santa marherita at the same station as i would for cinque Terre? Thank you

[edinburgher]

Sorry We did not go to cinque terre so  I do not know the answer to that, but I think SM(Liguria)  has only one train station, la Spezia more than one, although I do know the main one there  is la S/ Centrale. 

 

You would need to check that online but there must be lots of info on "how to get to cinque terre from la S".

 

We very much enjoyed both Santa Margherita and Portofino.  There will be threads on both which you can find using the CC Search facility, and will be also for cinque terre.  For best reslts spell carefully.  eg it is Santa MARGHERITA not Santa  MARHERITA.

 

Info and images on all of them online to help you decide, but whichever you choose will be good anyway.

[Lindancer]

On 5/14/2022 at 9:24 AM, cruisemom42 said:

 

If you are willing to try doing it on your own, preparing in advance not only makes it easier but takes some of the stress away. Just remember that often things sound more complicated in writing than they are "in real life".  

 

If I were planning to do what you're contemplating, I'd start by looking online for others who may have posted trip reports on a spending a day in Cinque Terre from a ship in La Spezia (Google is an easier place to search than Cruise Critic's search engine unfortunately) and start making some notes about what appeals. Threads like this one, from TripAdvisor, give useful information and suggestions, even if not recent:   Ferry choices from La Spezia to Cinque Terre - La Spezia Forum - Tripadvisor

 

Unfortunately, Rick Steves, while often a good source of DIY info, doesn't cover this one in his book.

 

Start making a plan of how you would like to proceed. But realize that in the summer these five picturesque villages are often elbow-to-elbow with tourists and allow for waits and delays in your planning as well (for example, trains being full and having to wait for the next one...)   It may be smart to aim for exploring 3 of the 5 given your need to be back to the ship on time.

 

Some tips:

 

Use Google maps to create walking directions, e.g., from the cruise port to the train station:   https://goo.gl/maps/kGMyTULVUfjqmoHx7   Looks like it is about a 25-minute walk, so then you have to decide whether to walk it, look for a taxi, or look at other options. Making decisions step-by-step along the way helps bring clarity rather than just wondering why someone else did something.

 

If you decide to walk, spend some time looking at street views wherever there is a turn or anything tricky, just so that when I'm on the ground, it looks recognizable.

 

YouTube is also a great source of help, especially if you learn by seeing. For example, look at videos such as "How to reach Cinque Terre - Cinque Terre Italy by Train in one day" (from La Spezia) or even ones as specific as "La Spezia To Cinque Terre: How To Use the Kiosk To Buy Train Tickets" which gives you a great idea of what the station looks like, etc. (even if you buy your ticket in advance).

 

Things like this really help you to feel confident about doing it on your own. But again, do heed the warning not to plan more than you can do in a day with summer crowds all around you.

 

 

 

 

May I add - be VERY CAREFUL to avoid having your pocket picked at La Spezia.  Cinque Terre is a popular spot and that is where the Roma hang around.  My husband's pocket was picked, we later realized by a 10-year old boy  Another in our group was not thinking when he withdrew money from an ATM right at the station, and he was also pick pocketed and his passport was also taken.  But worse yet, a female German tourist had her fannypack slit and snatched, and when she chased after the culprit, he pushed her onto the train track in front of an oncoming train.  It was tragic!  So PLEASE be careful.

[dleahy4444]

3 hours ago, Lindancer said:

May I add - be VERY CAREFUL to avoid having your pocket picked at La Spezia.  Cinque Terre is a popular spot and that is where the Roma hang around.  My husband's pocket was picked, we later realized by a 10-year old boy  Another in our group was not thinking when he withdrew money from an ATM right at the station, and he was also pick pocketed and his passport was also taken.  But worse yet, a female German tourist had her fannypack slit and snatched, and when she chased after the culprit, he pushed her onto the train track in front of an oncoming train.  It was tragic!  So PLEASE be careful.

Wow! That is awful. Thank you for the warning. We will be very careful. Actually as wonderful cirque Terre seems I’m not sure I want to deal with the crowds in June. I’m considering Portofino, rapallo and Santa Margarita instead. But I’ll be careful there also.

[trotzoll]

On 5/13/2022 at 10:51 PM, dleahy4444 said:

Hello again! We chatted on a different thread. Thanks for the info. I think we feel more comfortable with a tour or at least a guide, but we haven’t been able to find anything we like. So we might try to do it DIY. So if you see two women wandering around lost, that might be us!

are we on the same Wonder of the Seas sailing? We sail 6/23.

Lord have mercy! I'm so forgetful and didn't catch that we chatted on another thread. Sorry about that. 

No we aren't on the same sailing. We leave out of Rome on the 9th of June. Good luck. It should be a nice day.

[sasset]

Hi.

Does anyone know if the Ferry to Cinque Terre runs in October? I see the schedule online doesn't go past June 30.

Thanks

[euro cruiser]

Yes, they generally run through the end of October, weather permitting.

 

From the FAQs on the ferry website:

Generalmente la stagione inizia il 1° Aprile e termina il 1° Novembre.

 

I think that's pretty straightforward even if you don't read Italian.

 

Link here: Navigazione Golfo dei Poeti - Biglietto Cinque Terre online e altre domande frequenti

Edited May 19, 2022 by euro cruiser

[dleahy4444]

On 5/18/2022 at 11:31 AM, trotzoll said:

Lord have mercy! I'm so forgetful and didn't catch that we chatted on another thread. Sorry about that. 

No we aren't on the same sailing. We leave out of Rome on the 9th of June. Good luck. It should be a nice day.

Actually we were originally on the 6/9 sailing but changed it to 6/23. Enjoy your cruise. Safe travels 

[trotzoll]

1 hour ago, dleahy4444 said:

Actually we were originally on the 6/9 sailing but changed it to 6/23. Enjoy your cruise. Safe travels 

You too!

 

[Cruise Gopher]

I’ve stopped at La Spezia on two cruises now, and stopping there again in September. The Cinque Terre is VERY easy to do on your own. Just buy the Cinque Terre Card (train ticket which also gives access to the trails).  Once you buy the ticket at the La Spezia train station you must validate the ticket by using the little stamper machines on the train platform, they will stamp the date/time on the ticket. More info on the card here: https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/cinque-terre-card

 

The walk is a nice walk from the port through the town up to the train station. 
 

The trails are no joke, I’ve done the one from Monterrosso to Vernazza, and the other time I did the one from Corniglia to Vernazza.  They are strenuous to say the least and I was in my 30s both times. If you decide to do them, wear very good shoes for hiking, bring water and sunscreen. It will be very hot and humid.  The views are amazing though, and I’m so glad I did the hikes in the end. 
 

Have fun!!

Edited June 5, 2022 by Cruise Gopher

[dleahy4444]

On 6/5/2022 at 4:50 PM, Cruise Gopher said:

I’ve stopped at La Spezia on two cruises now, and stopping there again in September. The Cinque Terre is VERY easy to do on your own. Just buy the Cinque Terre Card (train ticket which also gives access to the trails).  Once you buy the ticket at the La Spezia train station you must validate the ticket by using the little stamper machines on the train platform, they will stamp the date/time on the ticket. More info on the card here: https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/cinque-terre-card

 

The walk is a nice walk from the port through the town up to the train station. 
 

The trails are no joke, I’ve done the one from Monterrosso to Vernazza, and the other time I did the one from Corniglia to Vernazza.  They are strenuous to say the least and I was in my 30s both times. If you decide to do them, wear very good shoes for hiking, bring water and sunscreen. It will be very hot and humid.  The views are amazing though, and I’m so glad I did the hikes in the end. 
 

Have fun!!

Thank you for your post. I actually became concerned about the heat and the crowds  at Cinque terre so we booked an excursion through RCCL to go to Rapallo, Portofino, Santa Margareta but now I’m reconsidering that as well. It’s a 9 hour tour on the last day of a very port intensive cruise. Not sure if Ill be exhausted by then and we also need to do our EMED covid testing that day to fly home the next day. So I’m back to considering Cinque Terre. Actually if we have had enough sightseeing and just want to get off the ship for a bit, is there much to see or do in the port? Thanks

[Cruise Gopher]

13 hours ago, dleahy4444 said:

Thank you for your post. I actually became concerned about the heat and the crowds  at Cinque terre so we booked an excursion through RCCL to go to Rapallo, Portofino, Santa Margareta but now I’m reconsidering that as well. It’s a 9 hour tour on the last day of a very port intensive cruise. Not sure if Ill be exhausted by then and we also need to do our EMED covid testing that day to fly home the next day. So I’m back to considering Cinque Terre. Actually if we have had enough sightseeing and just want to get off the ship for a bit, is there much to see or do in the port? Thanks

 

You can do Cinque Terre in a relaxed pace, it’s so easy to do.  Suggestion, take the train to Vernazza and wander around town there and then have lunch in Vernazza there. Then after lunch take the train to Manarola and check out that town, then finally train to Riomaggiore to check it out, and then train back to La Spezia. 
 

The port city of La Spezia is nice, but not a ton to do or see in my opinion. My recommendation, don’t skip Cinque Terre, you would regret it forever. 

[dleahy4444]

5 minutes ago, Cruise Gopher said:

 

You can do Cinque Terre in a relaxed pace, it’s so easy to do.  Suggestion, take the train to Vernazza and wander around town there and then have lunch in Vernazza there. Then after lunch take the train to Manarola and check out that town, then finally train to Riomaggiore to check it out, and then train back to La Spezia. 
 

The port city of La Spezia is nice, but not a ton to do or see in my opinion. My recommendation, don’t skip Cinque Terre, you would regret it forever. 

Thank you for your suggestion. Is there a lunch location in Vernazza you would recommend? 

[Cruise Gopher]

22 hours ago, dleahy4444 said:

Thank you for your suggestion. Is there a lunch location in Vernazza you would recommend? 

I’m pretty sure we ate at this place. It was right in the main waterfront square. http://www.ristorantegamberorosso.net/en/vernazza-cinqueterre-liguria-restaurant.php

[dleahy4444]

5 hours ago, Cruise Gopher said:

I’m pretty sure we ate at this place. It was right in the main waterfront square. http://www.ristorantegamberorosso.net/en/vernazza-cinqueterre-liguria-restaurant.php

Thanks so much!