Train from La Spezia to Cinque Terre

[FirstTeacher]

We’ll be in La Spezia for a day, and I was hoping to visit CT from there. How easy is it to take the train from LS to CT? Is there a one-day pass with the train so we could get off in a couple of different towns without paying a new fare? We’re healthy 70-somethings, but I’m concerned about how strenuous the hikes uphill will be. Which towns would be the easiest to traverse from the train? 

[John Bull]

Yes, frequent trains run from La Spezia, calling at all the Cinque Terre stations.

You can buy a hop-on-hop-off all-day ticket for the route, I don't know the current price, but reasonable.

The trains tend to be packed, short distances between villages & mainly in tunnels.

Villages tend to be packed too.

 

Do consider taking a break from the train by switching to a ferry for one or two stops

 

JB 🙂

[euro cruiser]

The Trenitalia 5Terre daily ticket is 18,20 euro:  Travel around 5 Terre - Trenitalia

 

More info on the Cinque Terre card on the park's web site here:  Cinque Terre Treno MS Card | Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre (parconazionale5terre.it)

 

For perspective, the fare for individual trips between the towns (as well as to/from La Spezia and the five villages) is 5 euro.

Edited August 27, 2022 by euro cruiser

[FirstTeacher]

19 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

The Trenitalia 5Terre daily ticket is 18,20 euro:  Travel around 5 Terre - Trenitalia

 

More info on the Cinque Terre card on the park's web site here:  Cinque Terre Treno MS Card | Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre (parconazionale5terre.it)

 

For perspective, the fare for individual trips between the towns (as well as to/from La Spezia and the five villages) is 5 euro.

Thanks so much for this link and the info. One question: Does the daily train ticket include the option of the ferry too? (The page describing the ferry service is only in Italian!)

[blobby113]

https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/boat-excursions
The tickets for train and ferry are separate, I believe.

[euro cruiser]

Yes, the treno card (18,20 euro) is for the trains only.

[cruisenshop]

Consider downloading the train app. There were long lines (mid May) in CT /Le Spezia for the ticket machines  , or to see an agent. You can buy your tickets within a few minutes of travel on the app for everyone in your party.  Yes, there’s a small service fee, but worth the convenience imo. Also great to see the schedule on demand. 

Also, I agree, you should also do the ferry to experience the beauty of CT from the water!  We had to do it because of train delays/accident our day of arrival. But it was awesome! 

[Host Jazzbeau]

I also suggest reading Rick Steves suggestion about doing this excursion.  [Not the part where he regrets ever telling Americans how great Cinque Terre is; the part where he nevertheless tells you how to do it!]  In his 2019 Italy guidebook, the relevant pages are:  331-419 [Cinque Terre]; 454-457 [La Spezia]

[MaeBea1]

Wondering if Taxis are readily available at the port to take to the train station in La Spezia.

[FirstTeacher]

On 9/1/2022 at 10:14 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

I also suggest reading Rick Steves suggestion about doing this excursion.  [Not the part where he regrets ever telling Americans how great Cinque Terre is; the part where he nevertheless tells you how to do it!]  In his 2019 Italy guidebook, the relevant pages are:  331-419 [Cinque Terre]; 454-457 [La Spezia]

Thanks for this. I just ordered the book from the library.

[FirstTeacher]

On 9/1/2022 at 1:26 PM, cruisenshop said:

Consider downloading the train app. There were long lines (mid May) in CT /Le Spezia for the ticket machines  , or to see an agent. You can buy your tickets within a few minutes of travel on the app for everyone in your party.  Yes, there’s a small service fee, but worth the convenience imo. Also great to see the schedule on demand. 

Also, I agree, you should also do the ferry to experience the beauty of CT from the water!  We had to do it because of train delays/accident our day of arrival. But it was awesome! 

Do you know the name of the app?

[euro cruiser]

Trenitalia app info:  Mobile ticketing - Trenitalia

[FirstTeacher]

23 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

Trenitalia app info:  Mobile ticketing - Trenitalia

Thanks!

[Hlitner]

On 9/8/2022 at 12:42 AM, MaeBea1 said:

Wondering if Taxis are readily available at the port to take to the train station in La Spezia.

The short answer is no!  While there may be some taxis waiting near the pier, the drivers will not generally want to take passengers for a 1 1/2 mile fare!  They will more likely offer to take you to one of the villages (such as Riomaggiore) or try to convince you to hire them for a tour.  If you are a good walker it takes about 30-40 min to walk from ship (depending on docking location) to the station.

 

Hank

[Host Jazzbeau]

On 9/8/2022 at 12:42 AM, MaeBea1 said:

Wondering if Taxis are readily available at the port to take to the train station in La Spezia.

The longer answer is maybe!  In 2019 we were able to get a taxi from the port shuttle to the train station in La Spezia.  My notes don't show any pushback form the driver.  Maybe our waiting a little for the crowds to disperse left him willing to take any fare rather than no fare...

[megdel313]

On 9/8/2022 at 12:42 AM, MaeBea1 said:

Wondering if Taxis are readily available at the port to take to the train station in La Spezia.

 

We just returned last week and didn't have any trouble getting a taxi to take us from the port to the train station. It was a set fare of 12-13 euros for us both ways.

[euro cruiser]

1 minute ago, megdel313 said:

 

We just returned last week and didn't have any trouble getting a taxi to take us from the port to the train station. It was a set fare of 12-13 euros for us both ways.

 

From the port, or from the cruise terminal?  

 

This was a port that used to require passengers to use a port shuttle bus to get out, has that changed? 

[megdel313]

26 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

 

From the port, or from the cruise terminal?  

 

This was a port that used to require passengers to use a port shuttle bus to get out, has that changed? 

Sorry yes, to be specific it was from the cruise terminal. There is a free bus that takes you from the ship to the terminal. We caught the taxi in front of the terminal building.

[euro cruiser]

Wow, that means they're charging 12 euro to go one and a quarter miles to La Spezia Centrale.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, euro cruiser said:

Wow, that means they're charging 12 euro to go one and a quarter miles to La Spezia Centrale.

Rather than refusing to take you.  With the amount of time it saved us, catching an earlier train than we would have by walking, it was worth it.  But you can walk if you prefer.

[Over from NZ]

On 9/2/2022 at 2:14 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

I also suggest reading Rick Steves suggestion about doing this excursion.  [Not the part where he regrets ever telling Americans how great Cinque Terre is; the part where he nevertheless tells you how to do it!]  In his 2019 Italy guidebook, the relevant pages are:  331-419 [Cinque Terre]; 454-457 [La Spezia]

Hi. Do you recommend his books? I'm looking at them.. but there's a few we would need to get and shipping to NZ will be expensive.. so am just wondering if it's worth getting them. Even if we just get the Italy one as we're spending 2 nights in Venice and 4 nights in Cinque Terre before the cruise. Any thoughts appreciated. Cheers. 

[euro cruiser]

6 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

With the amount of time it saved us, catching an earlier train than we would have by walking, it was worth it.

That is so often the tradeoff, and with the time constraints of a port day every minute lost is expensive.  But still, wow.  That's nervy of them (the cab drivers).

Edited September 21, 2022 by euro cruiser

[MeHeartCruising]

4 hours ago, Over from NZ said:

Hi. Do you recommend his books? I'm looking at them.. but there's a few we would need to get and shipping to NZ will be expensive.. so am just wondering if it's worth getting them. Even if we just get the Italy one as we're spending 2 nights in Venice and 4 nights in Cinque Terre before the cruise. Any thoughts appreciated. Cheers. 

 

I'm not the one you asked, but I'll offer my comments.  I find Rick Steve's books to be helpful.  He generally offers useful and accurate information (and time/money-saving advice).  I almost always buy a copy of one for any European destination that I visit and read it thoroughly when I am making my plans for the trip.  It helps me pick locations to stay and even specific hotels if I choose to use his advice.  I view it as a starting point for further research.  When he supplies a small "walking tour" map in the book, I find those very helpful in finding my way around a particular area and seeing the important things.   But Rick Steves has a certain "style" to his work.  Some people may not like it.  You won't know until you read one and see what you think.   

 

Are you able to buy and read electronic books?  All of is books are available for download into Apple's Books app, for example.  I download them to my iPad and read them there usually.   They may be available on a Kindle -- I'm not sure.  The downside is you don't have a paper copy to bring with you.  Sometimes I do purchase a paper copy and bring it.  You can often find some of them in a book store's travel section (if you can still find an actual book store).  Rick actually urges you to tear out the relevant pages from the book and only bring them with you on your trip, which is what I did for my most recent trip to the UK and Ireland.

Edited September 21, 2022 by MeHeartCruising

[cruisemom42]

6 hours ago, Over from NZ said:

Hi. Do you recommend his books? I'm looking at them.. but there's a few we would need to get and shipping to NZ will be expensive.. so am just wondering if it's worth getting them. Even if we just get the Italy one as we're spending 2 nights in Venice and 4 nights in Cinque Terre before the cruise. Any thoughts appreciated. Cheers. 

 

I find RS guidebooks good for laying out the basics for DIY-ers.  A lot of other guidebooks fill in more details about the history, culture, art, etc. but few of them give such concrete details as Rick does about how to use the local transportation, ideas for self-guided tours, clear tables showing what days/hours the main attractions are open, and how to plan 3 days in XX city, for example.

 

Some people slavishly follow his suggestions; some seem to really dislike him (or his style).  I just look at the guides as another useful tool as one who prefers to do things on my own whenever possible.

[Host Jazzbeau]

The other guidebooks seem to list every possible thing to do in a place, with not much guidance about which are more important for a first-time visitor or about how to actually visit them [hours, cost, directions, and guide inside if you don't get an audioguide].  Rick on the other hand is very rigorous about deciding which are the important sights, describing them (and only them) in great detail with everything you need, and usually arranging them in a logical walking tour so you can efficiently fill a day.  I sometimes find his flippant remarks off-putting, but it does lighten up what could be too heavy on facts/dates.

 

Our public libraries buy all his books, so I take them out when beginning my planning – then if I'm going to use a significant part of a book I buy it on amazon; otherwise I scan the relevant pages.  And if he comes out with a new edition just before my trip – annotate my copy with the few changes.  At this point I have one entire bookshelf (36") full of Rick Steves books – so, yes, I do recommend them!